The Glock 19 Review: What You Need to Know – The Glock 19 is known for its boxy polymer and metal frame, mystical reliability, and concealability. It’s one of the best-concealed carry pistols and has become the go-to for the masses. But is this firearm for you? I have fired countless firearms from countless gunmakers and decided now was the time to formally review the Glock 19.
Glock 19X. Image Credit: Original Image from 19FortyFive.
Glock 19 Review: What Makes This Gun Stand Out?
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.
The metal inner workings, slide, and barrel are all crafted from treated steel, like most modern pistols. Now, while HK may have pioneered it, Glock perfected and popularized the polymer pistol frame.
It has proven decade after decade that their polymer frame design is rugged and reliable and the Glock 19 carries the tradition on. You’ll find that the Glock 19 is remarkably difficult to damage in any meaningful way.
The Glock 19 is also exceptionally streamlined with no gimmicky feature or external safeties getting in the way. Some newer shooters may be a little sketched out by the lack of external safety mechanisms, but as you become more comfortable with firearms you’ll see the most important safety mechanism is your mind and hands.
The streamlined design sheds a little weight and shrinks the profile down considerably making it optimal for concealment which is one of the reasons this pistol became one of the most popular handguns in the world. As a bonus, Glocks are almost infinitely customizable, whether it’s for aesthetics or competition mods.
The Glock 19 is a perfectly capable firearm when it comes to accuracy, but there’s a tiny bit of variation when it comes to nailing shots on top of each other, especially as you move on past 25 yards.
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 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.
Normally the magazine isn’t something I emphasize, but when it comes to compact pistols, I need to talk about it. The Glock 19 has an expansive double-stacked mag capacity of 15 rounds of 9mm plus one. This magazine size is superb for a compact pistol designed for everyday carry. 15 rounds has become the standard for compact firearms and Glock was at the forefront with the 19.
G19: How Reliable?
Now, for the Glock brand’s claim to fame: reliability. I call it black magic, some call it superior craftsmanship, but either way the Glock 19 has reliability locked down tight. The Glock platform has remained relatively unchanged over the years meaning the Glock hasn’t needed to spend time on innovating, they just spend time refining their designs.
The Glock 19 is reliable for two reasons.
1: Its safety features despite having no external safeties
2: Its minuscule chances of misfiring
The Glock 19 has three internal safeties; trigger safety, firing pin safety, and drop safety. The trigger safety is engaged until the trigger finger fully depressed the ridge running down the middle of the trigger; this prevents negligent discharges via snags. The firing pin safety is fully internal and prevents the firing pin from moving until the trigger has been pulled.
Finally, the drop safety, like the firing 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.
Glock 19X and Glock 44 side by side. Image Credit: 19FortyFive Original Image.
So if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly, reliable, and concealable firearm, I highly recommend the Glock 19. Now trying to purchase one, considering the massive demand for firearms these days, well, good luck.
Richard Douglas is a long-time shooter, outdoor enthusiast, and technologist. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field.
