G19 or 26 for general purpose and some CC

[Diesel65]

I'm new to this forum and I tried to do a search but couldn't seem to get that function to work. So, I thought I'd go ahead and ask for some opinions.

I've decided I want a Glock 9mm for home defense, and to carry when hiking or canoeing/camping in the outdoors. However, I plan to get a carry permit and I want to be very discreet when I'm in public. I really like the size of the 26 for concealed carry, yet the 19 would be fine for everything else. Would I notice much of a difference between the 19 & 26 when it comes to concealment? Any thoughts/feedback will be much appreciated!

[trigger happy]

I bought myself a Glock 26 a couple of years ago..my wife confiscated it..it's hers now..I wouldn't mind having either one but if I bought the larger 19 I would buy a Galco SOB holster for it..for that concealability

[Peeweester40]

"Would I notice much of a difference between the 19 & 26 when it comes to concealment? Any thoughts/feedback will be much appreciated!"

I have a 26 and 23 (23 the same size pistol as the 19 but in .40 S&W). I initially bought the 26 for carry. I put Pearce grip extensions on the mags and carried it in a Sam Andrews McDaniel II. Not long afterwards, impressed with the Glock and wanting a bigger caliber I bought a 23. For me the 23 carries better. They are the same width and the little extra saved in the grip on the 26 was added back with the mag extension so I could hang on to it. The 23 (with the longer barrel) rides lower in my waistband as well, and IMO is more stable. To date the 23 is my favorite 'serious' carry pistol....Tho I have been eying a couple Kahrs!;)

Forget to mention above.....the holster is an IWB.

[BUCKMARK]

I own both, and the G26 is a little easier to carry. The G19 holds 16 rounds while the G26 holds 11 with the factory mags. Funny thing is... the G26 is more accurate with every type of ammo I have tried. The G26 is one of the most popular Glocks for good reason.

[trigger happy]

I don't believe that a Glock 17 is that much harder to conceal than a 19..and it fits my hand so much better :)

[BUCKMARK]

The G26 is almost small enough to fit in my front pocket... and I wear size 34 jeans, not a very big pocket.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/buckmark/g26hand.jpg

[BUCKMARK]

This is my G26 on top of my G19. As you can see, the bottom of the grips are lined up to show the size difference. About 1/2" shorter in each dimension. Width is the same.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/buckmark/g26ontop.jpg

[BUCKMARK]

Here they are side by side. Hope this helped.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/buckmark/glock9mms.jpg

[Ozzieman]

I still dont like some things about Glocks like no manual safety but the rest of the gun is hard to argue with.
I personaly find the 26 (and yes I steal if from here from time to time) almost as easy to hide as the PPKs that I had. Yes its wider but not much bigger overall.
I also agree with BUCKMARK there is no reasion that this gun is so accurate but I find it more so than the Beretta Cougar that I own.
Our 26 hasnt had a godzillion rounds through it so I cant comment on reliability but I have shot it enough that I trust the life of my wife carring it and that for me says a lot.
One thing nether of us liked the gun untill we added the small pinky magazine extensions. It gave the gun a much larger feel and added very little to the over all size. I do have large hands so I really needed them but my wife felt that they added a great deal of controle to the gun.
I would not carry the gun with out them.
Over all I feel that the 26 is one of the finest small 9mm to come out and I have owned many. The only 9 I would place over the 26 is the HK P7 and that says a great deal if you have handled a P7.
I like the 26 so much that I am giving very hard thought to a 37 which is the same gun in 45 GAP.
And me a past Glock hater.:o
Pick the 26, its a good shooter and superb carry gun.

[shooter_john]

I would definitely recommend the 19 for an all around gun. I bought one and quickly lost it to my wife. I usually carry a 27 off duty, but it is less than a pleasure to shoot a pistol that small in a caliber that relatively big (40 s&w), but I have never shot a 26. I can conceal the 19 just as easily as the 27 though, so I would definitely go with the 19.

[alston73]

The baby Glocks seem to be good substitutes for the snub nosed revolver. I like Glocks and the 26 is a nice gun and very reliable. There are a number of similarly priced guns that you can buy. I own the Glock for its reliability. The Kahr looks nicer, but I prefer the Glock. If I had to choose another gun of similar size and somebody told me I couldn't buy a G26, G27 or G30, I'd probably buy one of the CZ 2075 models or the small Sig.

['75Scout]

Give us your body type. I'm 6'0 and 160-170 lbs and I wear a 32" pant waist. I can conceal my 26 very well in my Galco Skyops holster at the 5 o'clock position. Also the Galco Belly band makes it disapear and I can hold extra mags. I've never handled a 19 but I want either a 19 or 17 for range duty, home defense, and possible ccw. After I added Trijicon night sights I am quite accurate out to 50 feet with this little snubbie. Over 900 rounds and not a single malfunction.

[45 Fu]

For an all-around pistol, the 19 is your best bet. I have both the 19 and 26 and they are both excellent pistols. If you wanted a dedicated carry piece the 26 would be the way to go. However, IMHO, a home defense pistol should be something that fills the hand.

The 19 is reliable and accurate. I will give you this warning, though. Buy one and another will begin to call your name before too long.

[Daveydonut]

I agree with 45 Fu,
I have a 19 for all around use and am looking at getting a 26 too.

[Diesel65]

Many thanks for all the feedback! :)

75 Scout - I'm 5'9" 180lbs. and 33" waist.

I didn't mention this in the original post but I'm certain if I get the 26, I'll add the clip extender to it for a better grip. That closes the gap in size difference even more. Basically, I'd be giving up 1/2 inch in barrel length by going with the smaller 26. Is that anything to be concerned about?

[45 Fu]

IMHO, no. In the close distances that SD situations usually happen, you will not loose enough to make a difference in bullet performance. Now, if you had to regularly make shots past 25 yards, say, out to 75 or 100 yards, then the extra barrel length would be desireable - but who, other than fun/practice, has to make those shots? The loss of velocity is going to be minimal and, at out to 25 yards, is not going to make any real difference.

The one advantage the 19 will have over the 26 because of the lobger barrel is that you will have a longer sight radius. This, generally, aids in more accurate shooting. To me, I would rather have a longer barrel and sight radius if I had to choose.

The 19 will be easier to learn on and to shoot well. The 26 is not that much harder, but going from a 19 to a 26 is much easier. For all the things you want it for the 19 is going to be the best of all worlds.

[Te Anau]

A local store has a used, mint gen 3 model 19 in olive drab for $399.99
I just might get it and sell my 21.The thought of my 21 kabooming on me freaks me out.

[MartinR]

Diesel65,

I like my G19 for a do-it-all semi-auto.

If you're adding grip extensions anyway, I see no point in getting the G26.

[Christian 812]

If you CCW 90 % of the time > pick up the G 26.
If "general purposes" is 90 % > pick up a G 19.

[Para Bellum]

I CC my G19 24/7. I also shoot IPSC competitions with it quite well. It's extremely versatile and only slightly bigger than the G26.

[Baba Louie]

Both are good journeyman type guns. My 26 is just as or more accurate than my 19. Both carry well IWB on me. 26 with no add-ons means pinky down under... no problems here. Females who have shot both gravitate towards the 26 but each one has done better with the longer gripped 19.
As for CCW, I've carried my 17 as well and never felt exposed (or maybe I didn't really worry about it). I bought the 19 first, then the 17, finally got a 26 when they came out.
I don't think you can go wrong with any one of the three... er, or two in this case.

[trigger happy]

too bad the distributor didn't have anymore Glock 17s..I had to settle for a 22 in .40 caliber

['75Scout]

Deisel65 I actually dislike the pinky extensions. I just cannot get a comfortable grip with them on, my hand feels cramped. I bought one and took it off. My natural two-handed grip on the 26 positions the ring and pinky fingers of my left hand under the pinky.

[Mosin44az]

Would go with the Glock 19 overall, it also has the advantage of the light rail if you want that for home defense or camping. Recoil between the two feels about the same to me.

A funny thing I found with the grip extenders on the Glock 26 (Pearce Grip), after awhile, probably by gripping them too hard, I damaged the mag catch on the (soft plastic) magazines and got mags popping out when firing defense loads. After removing the Pearce extenders, I found the G26 shot fine anyway, very comfortable.

A Clip-draw setup looks interesting for CCW, it eliminates the holster and saves bulk. Haven't tried it, though. You would also need a SAF-T-Block for the trigger, too.

[7774]

if you are putting the ext. on the 26 then get the 19 the extra capacity is worth it. I carry a 19 concealed all the time. my 26 sits in the safe.

[Sun Tzu]

Brother,

I carry a G-26 everyday in a Wilderness concealed carry bag. It holds 2 xtra mags and some xtra rounds quite nicely.

I sleep w/a loaded G-19 under the pillow w/a hi cap and a M6 light/laser. Again using a Wilderness carry bag.

I would never sell my subcompact, compact or full sized Glocks. I use my G-17 for competition and practice. The G-19 for H.D. And the G-26 for CCW everyday in my ride and on my person. They all serve a unique purpose...

Laterz, S Tzu

2 G-17
2 G-26
2 G-19
1 G-22
1 G-23
1 Ruger Mark 2
1 S&W 686
2 Shotguns
2 sniper rifles
2 SMG's
1 assault rifle

[Mosin44az]

I can also endorse the Wilderness SafePacker which I use all the time when hiking. With its construction you don't have to worry about the Glock trigger, and I find people I meet have no idea what's inside. Maybe not for urban use, but for the outdoors, an excellent choice.