Glock pistols are a staple of America’s concealed carry culture. The Glock 19 occupies a Goldilocks position in the company’s lineup—it is chambered for the proven, manageable 9mm cartridge and possesses the right mix of size, capacity, shootability, and reliability. It is also popular with law enforcement and has even seen action in 139 movies.
Safety
The Glock 19 name is polarizing in the firearms community. There are the staunch supporters and the opponents. The pistol is generally praised for its machining, compact size, factory sights and black nDLC finish.
There are some that believe that the factory trigger isn’t as good as it could be. This can lead to modifying the internals, changing the trigger and removing pre-travel. This should only be done by a trained professional and after careful consideration of the potential outcome.
There are 3 safeties within the Glock that are activated by the user’s actions. This is known as the Glock Safe Action system. The safety system consists of a trigger blade safety, a drop safety and a firing pin safety. When the trigger moves to the back, all three safeties disengage. This is an excellent safety mechanism that keeps the gun from being fired unless you intentionally activate it. This is one of the reasons that Glocks are so popular.
Function
Glock was the first to market with polymer striker-fired pistols and created a huge fanatical following before other manufacturers even had time to catch up. The Glock 19 is no exception, offering the same reliability and shootability as its full-size counterparts in a smaller package that makes it more comfortable to carry concealed.
Like all Glocks, the 19’s safeties are internal with the trigger blade safety disengaging as you fire the gun. That setup allows for a light and smooth factory trigger with a fairly short take-up and reset. While there are modern match-grade triggers out there that beat the Glock’s, it still offers a satisfying pull that is perfect for duty and conceal carry applications.
The Glock 19 also offers a variety of accessories, including the ability to mount an optic. In fact, the US Army’s Glock 19M is a special variant that has been optimized for use with Trijicon’s RMR red-dot optic. If you’re looking to add an optic to your Glock, make sure you check out our guide on how to mount one.
Design
The first Glock pistol, the G17, is pretty good as far as guns go. It doesn’t go bang when you don’t want it to, puts holes in what you want them put in, and is reasonably accurate provided the operator does his or her part.
The grip, with its beavertail and tang, is very comfortable in most hands. The trigger, while not a modern competition trigger, is smooth and fairly light.
The frame and other parts are made from a polymer invented by Gaston Glock called Polymer 2. It’s formulated to be very durable and resistant to shock, caustic liquids, temperature extremes, and other things that might warm or soften steel. It’s also much less expensive to manufacture than metal. This polymer makes the gun very affordable and enables it to be manufactured in large numbers, making it available for most people. It’s also extremely reliable. This is why the Glock has become so popular.
What’s Next?
The Glock is a very good shooter. Recoil is well managed, sight picture comes back quickly during shooting strings and the trigger is adequate (though not as crisp as some higher-end options).
Glock’s Gen 4 update brought improved ergonomics to the gun, including a reversible magazine release and front slide serrations for easier racking. The new Gen 5 update, which is now available, made some internal changes as well. The main external change is a new “Glock Marksman Barrel,” which uses a different rifling method to reduce lead build-up, along with other improvements.
The only other noticeable change is that the Gen 5 frame is slightly wider than the Gen 4, which can pose holster compatibility challenges if you’re using a mounted light on your Glock 19. Otherwise, the basic design remains virtually identical to its predecessor.
