A Grudging Review of the Glock 19

[Blue Duck]

I own several Glocks. I think I still own a 19, and it's stashed somewhere in the back of the safe, but I never liked it that much, mostly because I can't carry it any easier then I can a G22 or G17.

I have tried the G26's. It worked but I didn't much care for it. I shot a G30 and didn't much care for it at all. I still own a 42 and a 43, carry them some, but it's been while, because I never could shoot them all that good. And I shoot the Smith 9 mm Shield much better, and If I go smaller, I carry a Colt Mustang Pocket-lite .380 once again because I shoot much better.

I had a 23 but didn't much care for it. And I have shot the big 21 but found the grip too big for me, and I much prefer a 1911 Lightweight Commander to any of them.

But there are a couple of Glocks I like pretty good, the G17 and my favorite Glock the G22. I own at least a couple of 17's and I have lost count of the 22's but I think I own 3 for sure and maybe 4. My main Glock is a greenish dark earth colored G22 with a lighter trigger and steel night sights. It's my truck gun and I carry it in an inside wasteband kydex holster. I find it carries well, and I shoot it well. Frankly, If I owned all G22's, I wouldn't miss any of my other Glocks, really.

The one Glock I don't have, but have shot some, and would prefer over the 19 is the 19X with the longer 17 grip. I may trade some of my other Glocks off and get a 19X but frankly even if I did, the G22 would still be my go to Glock because I like the 40 cal and I don't find the smaller Glocks much easier to carry, sure as heck not any easier to shoot.

So, in the end, my main two carry guns are #1 Colt Lightweight Commander, #2 Glock 22, If must go smaller it's a Smith and Wesson Shield, or smaller yet a Colt Mustang .380, often backed up by a NAA 22mag

The good thing about The Glocks (G22) is they are good shooters, carry almost as well as a Lightweight Commander, and they are not that expensive, so I don't worry about loosing one due to theft, etc. Powerful, reliable, and fairly cheap to acquire, especially the Cop trade in's.

[Doc Holliday 1950]

glocks are not made to be sexy, they're made to back up the militaryhand gun.
IMHO I found that a simple cleaning once a month keps it ticking, The whole Idea was the make the semi autiomaticic in vaious sizings as ammo carry.
The twosome;s that I out of 1000000% glocks need to go be to the mag. to cottrrect
I am sure that people once they shoot their favorite that sticks to iy like glue.
I;m so grastefull to the day when my brother in law tuned me on to his G19 1st. edition.
I went thru several indoor/outtdoor ranges and was .for me. perfect, My second lock G43x trned out tp be my fasvort csrry now

Thank HGod r make such diffddn model, cry balitts .TRY ONE AR THE RANGE

[Cirdan]

I liked the comment someone made that Glocks have all the visual appeal of a stick of butter. The slide does. . . .

[USNRet93]

Originally Posted by Cirdan

I liked the comment someone made that Glocks have all the visual appeal of a stick of butter. The slide does. . . .

Still not sure why any handgun has to have 'visual appeal'...
"Good golly, that' a beeeyootiful hammer..."

[amd6547]

Compared to many current offerings with their fancy millings and style cues, I think Glocks look pretty good.

[rodfac]

Good review, Spats....for me, the Glocks I've shot did well (G17, G19, G23). They were 100% reliable, accurate enough for the defensive purpose they were designed to fulfil, and did I say, RELIABLE.

I completed Front Sight's Defensive Handgun Course (600 rounds in 4 days) several years ago with a Glock 17, with the thought that I'd never shot a Glock and wanted to see what the furror was all about. I shot Distinguished with it, won the mono e mono steel shoot off and was surprised to say the least. Still, at the end of the 4 days, I didn't like it...too blocky in the hand, and the plastic frame of the trigger guard hit my strong hand knuckle on each shot...and the trigger (after almost 50 yrs of 1911's) had the esthetic appeal of a rubber band breaking. But I shot it well, ....hard to argue with that.

The gun was new right out of the box...a rental from Front Sight...and a query to the range master on how to lube it up, got a, "don't bother...it'll run just fine...just down fill the magazine to its full capacity...That turned out to be good advice and over the course, it never bobbled a round and would even feed emptys when setting up for malfunction drills.

So it you're looking for a no-frills "hammer" to use defensively and the blocky, 2x4 grip is usable, most any Glock would fill the bill.

Best Regards, Rod

[Spats McGee]

After some 7 years, 2000 rounds, and one broken spring, Gretchen and I parted ways yesterday, and I returned to the ranks of the Glockless. She was my first polymer pistol, but she won't be my last. In spite of about 25 years of detesting polymer pistols, I've learned that there's a lot to like in the plastic fantastics. That said, over the last few years, I've also realized that there are other pistols that fit my hand a lot better than my G19 did.

[jetinteriorguy]

Never owned a Glock. I’ve shot a few of my friends and a rental enough to realize they don’t click with me. If I can’t shoot a pistol good with one box of ammo it’s gone. I don’t mess around learning to shoot a particular brand over another, they either work or don’t work right away. I figure why mess around when there are so many high quality choices available. I can grab any handgun in my safe and consistently empty it as fast as I can pull the trigger into a four inch circle at ten yds. I’m not a bullseye shooter, it’s simply a tool for defense and thats all I need. Of course reliability is also as high a factor as shoot ability.

[Nodak1858]

I never thought about owning a Glock, I have a few plastic pistols but never got the Glock bug. Until I made my first 80% Non-Glock frame. Ended up doing a few more and even went and bought a couple of stripped 19 frames. Apex had 19 parts kits a while back and bought some of those. So I do have a couple of put together Glocks and a couple of non-Glocks. They are not flashy of real nice to look at like a blued and wood stocked pistol, but the actually fit me pretty nice and shoot well. Maybe I should have bought more of them earlier. But thinking I am not done going into the Glock rabbit hole.

[larryf1952]

I, too, resisted the universal Glock movement and had convinced myself to swallow the Glock Hate Kool Aid for many years. Until a few years ago, anyway. Suddenly, the little compact G19 started to appeal to me, and I thought I might like to have one. I already had polymer framed pistols, so a Glock wouldn't be my first jump into that pond.

I found a Gen 3 G19 at a local Academy. When I picked it up, I was amazed that it didn't feel bad in the hand at all. In fact, I really liked it. I have big hands, and the grip filled it up, with my index finger settling onto the trigger in just the right spot. The grip gave me a reassuring hold on it. The sights aligned perfectly as I brought the gun up.

First trip to the range, and I shot the lights out with the thing. I loved the way it shot and felt. I wondered why I'd bought the anti-Glock hype for so long. The gun is simplicity personified. Easy to detail strip and clean. I've replaced the OEM recoil spring and guide rod with a stainless steel unit. That's it. I even like the OEM sights.

Earlier this year, I bought a G23 before they faded away. I had the same experience with that gun. Glocks aren't the bee's knees for everyone. I get that. But, I'll never take seriously the comments of Glock haters again.

[Brit]

1988 IPSC Handgun World Shoot VIII
Location Caracas, Venezuela
Medalists
gold medal United States Rob Leatham
silver medal United States Chip McCormick
bronze medal United States John Dixon
_______________________________________________________________
The above was the winning team! With the above team, was the surgeon who put my Sons leg back together (Motobike accident) in Toronto Canada. The hospital was in Etobico, hope I spelled that right! The Dr,s name was George Watkins.

My Son and I were Range Officers at that match. We both shot Glock 17s.
We ran the standards. It was supposed to be two ranges. One was flooded!
So we had to put all shooters through the one! It was like a hyper range, but we did not rush anyone. Even had three wheel chair shooters. Put in those wheel chairs by gunshot wounds, I was told.

We flew into Florida, where we both now live. We left the arrivals, via a back exit! Had two seats on a returning Charter, to Toronto. The customs officer running the Xray machine asked me what was that? A blob! I told him it was a new plastic framed pistol! So the case was pulled, and I took one G17 apart!
Different Police Officers rolled up! To examine this new type of pistol. A FBI agent, a City Cop, the patient Canadian travellers just stood there, if they would have been Brits, or Yanks they would raised the roof. My Son and I got lots of handshakes.
My Lad said "They never asked were we were coming from?" My answer, its America, they don't care. We were going home.
We were supposed to have driven home in my Sons New Jeep, but a Police Officer friend, from Hollywood who was minding the Jeep, who was coming to the Airport, was rear ended by a Drunk in a Cadilac! Steve chased him, arrested him at gunpoint, hand cuffed him to the steering wheel! When the Uniformed Officers arrived, the drunk complained bitterly about Canadians carrying guns, and handcuffs! The plates on the Jeep! Quite the trip.

[jr24]

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

After some 7 years, 2000 rounds, and one broken spring, Gretchen and I parted ways yesterday, and I returned to the ranks of the Glockless. She was my first polymer pistol, but she won't be my last. In spite of about 25 years of detesting polymer pistols, I've learned that there's a lot to like in the plastic fantastics. That said, over the last few years, I've also realized that there are other pistols that fit my hand a lot better than my G19 did.

I went the other way not too long ago. After a few years of no Glock 19 (the 19x is more of a 17) I picked one up and am pretty pleased to have one for carry again.

Went in a bunch of directions, mostly on the SAO space and thought my Wilson EDC X9 was the final answer, but I simply shoot the boring old Glock 19 every bit as well (inside of 20 yards), am out of the holster .2 sec faster, and the lighter weight really is more comfortable IWB all day.

[Spats McGee]

Lots of folks swear by the G19, and you won't find me bad-mouthing them. I won't even rule out the prospect of getting another one in the future. That said, I think I'd like to try something else out first. I would have bought an M&P 2.0 compact in 9mm when I sold her, but there was this .22 rifle that I apparently found irresistible.

[jr24]

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

Lots of folks swear by the G19, and you won't find me bad-mouthing them. I won't even rule out the prospect of getting another one in the future. That said, I think I'd like to try something else out first. I would have bought an M&P 2.0 compact in 9mm when I sold her, but there was this .22 rifle that I apparently found irresistible.

As much as I do swear by the Glock 19 and carry it daily and shoot it well, if I were starting my whole plastic carry 9mm journey over again, I'd likely start with the HK VP9.

[JDBerg]

Originally Posted by jr24:

As much as I do swear by the Glock 19 and carry it daily and shoot it well, if I were starting my whole plastic carry 9mm journey over again, I'd likely start with the HK VP9.

The néw VP9 2020 version has the cutout for a modular optic, and the new 17rd mags increase capacity by 2 rounds over the previous 15rd mags which interchange with my HK P30. This new VP9 version has the modular grip like my P30 that interchanges the backstrap and side shells. I have my P30 set up with the largest backstrap and side plates which makes this gun shoot so much better for me and my big hands. I just wish I lived in a state where I can legally own one.