Ever the innovator, Glock was the first commercially successful polymer frame pistol and pioneered the use of ferritic nitrocarburizing as a metal surface treatment. The negatives concerning this pistol were annoying, but few in number. I still don’t like the sights very much, and the handle geometry is still a bit of a problem for me. The worst feature of the pistol is the finger grooves carried over from the Gen3’s. My fingers always ended up on the high points of the grooves instead of between them. It wasn’t exactly torture, but it wasn’t comfy and cushy either.
The company has an impressive history of making guns, and it does it very well. The Glock 19 has become one of the most iconic handguns not only in the gun community but also in video games and movies. It’s a 9-millimeter compact designed with concealed carry in mind.
The gunsmith at my range also recommended filing down the trigger guard so it wouldn’t bang against my middle finger, because the guard’s big and blocky. Accessories like night sights, a quality holster, and a spare magazine can enhance the Glock 19’s performance for concealed carry. The ease of carrying a Glock 19 depends on factors like your body type, choice of holster, and clothing. Some people find it comfortable to carry, while others may prefer smaller, more compact handguns for concealed carry. The Gen 4 was easy to control when shooting, and didn’t have an aggressive recoil when compared even to other full-size pistols.
While the Glock 19 is hard to beat, there isn’t enough difference between the Gen 4 and Gen 5 to warrant the change. And a handful of redesigned internal parts that don’t really matter. FS stands for front serrations, which are vertical cuts milled into the front portion of the slide. These serrations help you grip the gun when doing press checks (pushing the slide slightly to the rear to see whether or not a cartridge is chambered). Second, like all Glocks, the Glock 19 Gen 5 comes with plastic sights, which are less durable than metal sights.
In most practical use cases, this isn’t an Glock 17 vs Glock 19 issue, except for those high round count training days. For a more experienced shooter, that tame recoil makes taking fast shots easy. Shooters can manage longer strings of fire and deliver those rounds accurately on target.
15 rounds has become the standard for compact firearms and Glock was at the forefront with the 19. Shootability—officially I’m told this isn’t a real word, but it should be. “Shootability” is a combination of size, weight, trigger pull, and how well the pistol naturally points. The Glock is a striker-fired handgun, with the same trigger pull each time for consistency.
After calling the police, what weapon do you reach for to defend your family? Was the military wrong for selecting the P320 as their new service gun? Oddly enough, the GLOCK variant, now known as the GLOCK 19X, wasn’t exactly given a hero’s welcome when it was released to the civilian market a few months ago. The lack of features that adorn the Gen 4 and Gen 5 series makes them a little less cool these days.
I have experience with the Smith and Wesson M&P compact and the Springfield XD compact as well. I know that’s a rough way to start a review, but I’ve owned about a half dozen versions of the G19 over the years and have a good understanding of what makes them tick. The design choices on the G19 Gen5 are somewhat late to the game and many are questionable. Overall, it’s nice to see that Glock can still improve on their motto of “Perfection”, especially with a key component like this. We have a few recommended Glock barrels if you’re in the market. When you squeeze the trigger, the trigger blade is pressed flush with the rest of the trigger which allows the trigger to move.
