Gun Review: GLOCK 19 Gen 5 9mm

I then amused myself by effortlessly punching four red and black plasters at the corners of the backing. The hexagonal rifling of the G19s barrel carries on GLOCK’s tradition of polygonal rifling—as opposed to conventional lands and grooves—across its pistol line. GLOCK claims its rifling creates a tighter seal of bullet to barrel and reduced barrel fouling. While the data remains in-house, gunmakers have been using polygonal rifling since the 16th century. Push the correct-sized pin into the hole to hold the whole shooting match together, and that’s that. Installing the medium or large back strap with the proper pin takes just a minute and presto chango, the pistol is re-sized.

It’s a versatile handgun suitable for various purposes, including self-defense and concealed carry. It has become such a popular criticism of Glocks that many reviews of other brands of guns specifically point out the fact that you don’t have to pull the trigger to disassemble the gun. And I suppose that can be a significant safety measure for people who don’t clear their guns before disassembling them for cleaning. It’s true an external safety set on safe may have prevented some of these accidents. The Glock 19 Gen 5 is a compact pistol designed to offer the feel, firepowder, and control of a full-size handgun, while still being small enough to conceal. Lastly, the 19X ships with three magazines, one 17-round and two 19-rounders.

While Glock has metal factory night sight options that are awesome, most Glock pistols still ship with frankly appalling plastic sights. The Glock 19 is a popular choice for concealed carry due to its compact size, reliability, and ease of use. The accuracy is serviceable for most situations though and the normal variations don’t stop it from being a common race/competition gun, service weapons, or carry a firearm. I’m not Jerry Miculek, but my rounds landed where I wanted them under Glock 17 vs Glock 19 25 yards, always within an inch of each other. You can rely on the Glock 19 for its accuracy, but it’s not the best in the world. The Glock 19’s popularity has fueled a massive aftermarket.

It’s worth noting that magazines from other sources didn’t work as well in the Gen 4, so I’d stick with ones from the manufacturer for better reliability. However, the plastic parts weren’t my favorite because they affected my accuracy. Aside from the steel barrel and slide, it just felt a little loose. Even with that, I kept my grouping inside of 4 or 5” at 25 yards consistently so I was pretty happy. Yes, the Glock 19’s manageable size and smooth lines make it easy to draw from a concealed position in an emergency. If you prioritize reliability, concealability, versatility, and affordability, the Glock 19 is a strong contender.

It’s about as far from “Perfection” as Austria is from Peoria, but the GLOCK 19 Gen4 is still a very good pistol at what is, for many, the perfect size – and for not a lot of cash. My next two shots, using the pad, rectified the low part of my marksmanship and hit in the same hole. After tiny adjustment of my sight picture, I was on target with two in the red. While the gun does seem a tad top-heavy, it still balances like a ballerina and points well, too. The gun’s geometry remains unchanged from all previous generations including GLOCK fans will be comfortable with the Gen4.

The bullets of that era just didn’t have the construction to perform properly. But since then, the FBI Ammunition Testing Protocol has become THE standard for evaluating handgun hollowpoint performance, and most premium 9mm JHPs on the market will now pass it. It means that the 9mm, once considered an inferior caliber, now performs as well on bad guys as any other defensive handgun caliber, with generally less recoil. For decades the Glock 19 has been considered the carry gun against which all others should be judged, and it is still an excellent choice. Reliable, low bore (for less muzzle rise), light weight, and 15+1 capacity are a great combination. The M1152’s 115-grain FMJ-FP round leaves out of the 5-inch pistol barrel of the SIG Sauer M17 at 1,320 feet per second and delivers 445 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle.

The Glock 19 features a trigger safety and other built-in safety mechanisms, providing peace of mind for concealed carry. Finally, the drop safety, like the firing Glock 19 For Sale pin safety, prevents any internals from moving until the trigger has been pulled. Misfires are borderline non-existent with Glocks thanks to its lack of many moving parts and simple design. The Glock 19 features an iconic square shape, with the bottom frame being made from a durable polymer and a metal slide. With the exception of the Glock 44, I have never seen so much as a crack on a Glock frame and that’s a relief for me because I have become accustomed to the lightweight nature of my 19. While manageable, the Glock 19’s relatively short barrel can produce more noticeable recoil than some larger handguns, especially for those with less shooting experience.

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