How does the Glock 19 and the Sig P320 Compact stack up against each other?

[johnwilliamson062]

P320 makes the Glock feel very dated IMO.

points like a 1911

Giggling like a school girl.

the P320s modular platform lightly.

After investing considerable funds in several modular platforms, I have come to the conclusion it isn't really practical for any functional use. A solution to manufacturing novelty.

like a bad guy's chest, and still fire the pistol.

You mean doing so won't put the pistol out of battery, or the gun will fire out of battery? Most guns won't fire in this instance because doing so is dangerous. Unless everything is aligned right there is a decent chance of limp wristing. Pressing the weapon against your opponent tells them exactly where it is, which is only important if you are not immediately going to pull the trigger. All of my limited instruction and experience would indicate you do not want to make contact with your muzzle. Not that that means it isn't going to happen.

I have a Glock with several holsters, lots of magazines, and a few other accessories. I haven't found a pistol yet that has enough of an advantage for me to buy all that stuff again AND shoot thousands of rounds to tain my muscle memory on a new guns use.
I have 3 pretty good friends who CCW. They all carry Glock. Two carry 9mms and ne a 40 SW. Most likely people to be armed in a gunfight next to me. Is it a benefit that we all know each others firearms and 3 of us have mags that interchange? What is the most likely firearm I might pick up i a similar situation?
There is something to be said for being the standard.

[Mystro]

Sounds like Glock peer pressure as opposed to any one particular standard. As long as your are comfortable and happy with that platform that's all that matters.

[marine6680]

Once again the personal preference posts that we beat into the ground above play a large part in this. I do find it interesting that I can write 278 words congratulating Glock on its success and lauding it for its utility, but the two words "more refined" get picked up on and pointed out. Again, our own personal definitions come into play.

When I am typing on my phone, I must pick what to write or be faced with tired thumbs.

Usually something I want to bring up a point about.


Also I tend to not mention things I am mostly in agreement with.

By jove he's got it!

I've always got it... don't mean I can't argue my side on occasion.

The biggest issue most have with Glock is its upward pointing angle.

It does take a little to get used to... but I am inclined to think it serves a purpose; in that it may help with recoil and follow up shots. As they tend to shoot very soft for a lightweight design.

You mean doing so won't put the pistol out of battery, or the gun will fire out of battery?

Meaning its harder to push the slide back out of battery in such a situation.

While not ideal, when in a physical altercation, rolling around on the ground, you may not have a choice.


I remember the Springfield XD touting this feature when Springfield started bringing the pistols in under the XD moniker...

It was a byproduct of the recoil spring assembly that allowed this. I think the same is true of the 320... need to check on mine.



In the end... I just like all pistols, and I will own examples of several brands and types.

[TunnelRat]

As marine pointed out it's not that the pistol will fire out of battery, merely the recoil spring assembly protrudes from the end of the slide making it hard to push out of battery in the first place. Again I think it's interesting but I don't think it would make me want or not want a pistol.

[johnwilliamson062]

Glock peer pressure

Hmm.
One chose a Glock after shooting mine. He had been carrying a KelTec P3AT I believe. He shot the G26 much more accurately.
The other two both choose Glocks before I met them. Doesn't seem like a lot of peer pressure at work.

The most common police gun?
Probably the most common single manufacturer firearm carried by US civilians also. may very well be more 1911s. Probably Glock 9mm is most common single platform.

[Mystro]

The most common police gun?

Not in my area anymore. Most all of our local, state and federal have been abandoning the Glock platform over the last 8 years. Sig P226/229/220 now the Pa state police is working iin the Sig P227 right from the academy. City police are Sig, M&P, with SWAT and Detectives using the various sized Kimber 1911 for the past 5 years. Our small town and rual police that can choose from a larger pool of handguns have all gone with the P320.
There are soooo many LE turn in Glocks for sale flooding my locally market that they are dirt cheap. Unfortunately interesting calibers like the G29/G20 are rare and seldom carried in stock.

[PatientWolf]

Giggling like a school girl.

I was doing the same until I saw this. Then I nearly spit out my drink.

I wonder how the Glock fans are feeling to learn that their weapons have "gone the way of the 1911".

Any way to the OP, I'd say both are quality weapons and I'd pick the P320 over the Glock any day. I just have a preference for Sig and haven't really warmed to the Glocks.

[mark.sweetser.75]

I picked up a 19 to see what all the fuss is about. I prefer 45 so never considered the 19. Now I wonder what took me so long. No experience with sigs so I can only weigh in on loving my 19. It replaced my 30S (which I thought was "the one") as primary edc. There's nothing the 19 doesn't do well for me. That's enough for me

[Gats Italian]

When it all gets boiled down, the Glock was made by an Austrian curtain rod manufacturer for summer conscripts who don't shoot, for an army that last fought as the Axis JV squad, and then was widely adopted by police accountants on the basis of cost, and not because it is a great sidearm.

[Mastrogiacomo]

No gun on the market is "a game changer." They all go bang and do what's expected. I personally have never cared for the looks or feel of the Sig with the sole exception of my only - the 228. I love the Glocks, the looks, the feel, and how easy they are to use and maintain. For me, Sigs aren't worth the extra money over the work horse Glock. My opinion anyway....

Laura

[TunnelRat]

For me, Sigs aren't worth the extra money over the work horse Glock. My opinion anyway....

This gun in particular isn't really any extra money...

[JJNA]

The early P250 had well-documented reliability problems, which SIG unfortunately chose (or had) to address by largely redesigning the pistol including the magazines, thus leaving early buyers in the lurch. SIG seemingly had mag availability problems throughout the early production run and after the redesign; many pistols shipped with 1 mag rather than 2, and retailers couldn't get spares, which understandably annoyed many buyers. Lastly, I just don't think there's a whole lot of market potential in the USA for a full-size (or largish compact) pistol that can only be had with a long-reset DAO trigger. FWIW I actually think the P250 has an excellent trigger for what it is, but apparently not many people want one like this.

I recently picked up what I assume is a Gen 2 Sig P250 compact in 380 ACP sight unseen. I thought my wife would enjoy shooting a relatively larger/heavier 380 ACP instead of all these micro-380's. I paid $380 including shipping. Then I was shocked by how nice the trigger was. Allow me to explain.

When I first got into guns I sought out SAO pistols mainly because they were easier to shoot and because long DA triggers did not work for my relatively small hands. They wore me out a lot in long shooting sessions. Then more recently I got into revolvers and ended up shooting them a lot, and really liking shooting double action (so long as the triggers were within good reach).

Now I find the 7 lb. DAO trigger on P250C just amazing! It's like shooting a really slick, heavily customized double action revolver trigger (only with more capacity and thinner profile).

Since the modularity is a bonus, I picked up other frames and calibers for a fraction of what whole guns cost. The sub compact versions, in particular, are great for my wife. She absolutely LOVES the light, but long DAO trigger. She likes the light weight trigger pull obviously, but also like the long-ish trigger for "safety" - she just never felt too comfortable with super light SAO triggers.

So she and I are really happy with the P250 series. We were completely unaware of the earlier Gen 1 issues. It's too bad that more people don't appreciate or like the virtues of the Gen 2 P250's but I guess their loss is our gain!

Makes me wonder what the P320 triggers are like. Like P250 triggers but shorter, I'd assume.

BTW, as much as we like the P250, in terms of ergonomics, the best for us is still the H&K P30S. With small panels and back strap, it feels as thin as a Browning Hi Power!

We have Glocks and my wife really likes the G42, but doesn't care for the trigger. We'd probably guy a G43 as well, though, when it is released to the public.

[gc70]

Originally Posted by marine6680

On an unrelated note... How do some people get the "originally posted by" stuff into quotes?

Put =username after the opening QUOTE tag, like this:

[QUOTE=marine6680]On an unrelated note... How do some people get the "originally posted by" stuff into quotes?[/QUOTE]

[dean1818]

Just try the trigger on the SIG 320

The shortest DOA trigger I have ever seen, feels like SA

[WVsig]

Originally Posted by tunnelrat

This gun in particular isn't really any extra money...

I can buy Glocks NIB with a little poking around for $450. Best price I gave found on a P320 is $505.

Not a huge difference but still a difference. In the end these debates are always fruitless. People represent subjective opinion and criteria as if it where material fact in order to justify their buying choice and or preference.

To the OP go out and shoot them side by side for a few hundred rounds and choose for yourself.

[TunnelRat]

I can buy Glocks NIB with a little poking around for $450. Best price I gave found on a P320 is $505.

Not a huge difference but still a difference.

I never said there was no difference, merely implied it is not what I consider to be a large difference. I responded because when people think of SIG they often think of the prices of the classic P-series pistols which typically run $800 for the basic models and easily to $1000 if we're talking an "Elite" or "Equinox" model (local prices, not online). That's a substantial difference, to me, as opposed to say a Glock.

Prices also do vary locally. Locally I cannot find a Gen 3 Glock for lower than $500 NIB and a Gen 4 Glock NIB for lower than $550. P320s with night sights tend to run around $580 here. When considering that you're getting a pistol with night sights as opposed to one that doesn't, the price difference for me is negligible at the local level. As you've pointed out, there are other options for buying and likely different prices by region too. Were I able to buy Blue Label Glocks that would also be a different story.

[Independent George]

I don't know who drives me crazy more: the Glock Haters or the Glock Fanboys. But the fact that so many people are so devoted to them is prett indicative of their influence. For better or worse, the striker-fired polymer is now industry standard, and Glock played a huge role in that fact. I prefer metal-framed, hammer-fired DA/SA, so while I'm obviously not a fan, I certainly respect them. They're tough, efficient, effective little buggers.

As the market leader, Glock sets the standard by which all handguns are measured; precisely how they measure up, though, is subjective. I can't answer that for anyone but myself. Nobody here can.

[WVsig]

I don't know who drives me crazy more: the Glock Haters or the Glock Fanboys. But the fact that so many people are so devoted to them is prett indicative of their influence. For better or worse, the striker-fired polymer is now industry standard, and Glock played a huge role in that fact. I prefer metal-framed, hammer-fired DA/SA, so while I'm obviously not a fan, I certainly respect them. They're tough, efficient, effective little buggers.

As the market leader, Glock sets the standard by which all handguns are measured; precisely how they measure up, though, is subjective. I can't answer that for anyone but myself. Nobody here can.

I own a 19 as a point of reference more than anything else. I shoot it a couple of times a year but not really more than that. It does nothing wonderful but is 100% reliable and if I had to defend my life with it I am sure it would be up to the task.

I respect Glocks but am sort of indifferent towards them. I used to love Sigs but these days I am indifferent towards them as well. LOL

[stagpanther]

I'm not a glock fan boy--never liked the looks and have always had great results with springfield armory hand guns and ruger revolvers.

But then I bought a glock 20 to get into 10mm.

In terms of overall easy serviceability and after-market adaptability, with the possible exception of the 1911, nothing else comes close to a glock IMHO.

The more I use my 20; the more I scratch my head wondering why I need anything else in a handgun.

[Mystro]

The more I use my 20; the more I scratch my head wondering why I need anything else in a handgun.

You don't as long as its size isn't a issue for your needs. I open carry my G20 ALOT. Its a hell of a woods gun. The handgun world can be summed up to those that like the Glocks unique design and those that don't. Forever, there wasn't a Glock alternative but today we have many wonderful polymer designs.
Thank goodness Glock was so good in the beginning because competition only brings out better and better handguns.

[JJNA]

Originally Posted by dean1818

Just try the trigger on the SIG 320

The shortest DOA trigger I have ever seen, feels like SA

Yikes. I don't know that I'd like that. Why carry a SA-like pistol with no manual safety?

I think I'll stick to the P250 over the P320.

[marine6680]

Almost all striker pistols are as a matter of actual function... SA...

The PPQ, 320, M&P VP9... All functionally a SA, no matter what the manufacturer wants to call it.

Even a glock isn't a true DA.

But the trigger pull on these pistols is longer than traditional SA, and the amount of movement the sear requires to release the striker is longer...

The pistols with a trigger tab safety, the sear doesn't even move until after the trigger moves back enough to clear the tab... There is a lot of margin for safety.

When holstered, the pistol is very safe, just as safe as any pistol with a manual safety. When holstered in a good holster, is the safest a pistol can be while loaded.


People that think a safety on a 1911 makes it safer when the pistol is drawn for use... That I really don't get.

You won't bat an eye at a short relatively light trigger pull... Because "it has a safety to prevent you from inadvertently pulling the trigger"...

But when you draw a 1911, you are supposed to disable the safety after you clear the holster... So by the time you are pointing the pistol at the target, the safety is off and all you have now is that short light trigger... That safety is only there to prevent problems when the thing is holstered.

You don't leave a safety on and disable it just at the moment you decide to fire... Except for the range.

So for all practical purposes... When you are actively pointing the pistol at a threat, there might as well be no safety.

[stagpanther]

+1 marine--the only other aspect I would be concerned about is likelihood of AD if dropped.

[TunnelRat]

+1 marine--the only other aspect I would be concerned about is likelihood of AD if dropped.

The good thing is most modern pistols have a firing pin/striker block that makes that happening very unlikely.

[marine6680]

Even modern 1911s with series 70 actions are drop safe, as they use stronger than normal firing pin springs and sometimes light weight firing pins.

I would venture that most pistols made in the past 25 years are drop safe.