Here's What You Need to Know: The Glock 19 is also one of the best pistols to pick up if you have plans to customize a pistol. Stippled grips, flared mag wells, machined slides, and nitride-coated barrels all look great on a Glock 19.

If you’re into firearms, then there’s zero chance you haven’t heard of Glock. 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.

I’ve seen them thousands of times over the years, I still love the way they look. I know plenty of people hate it, but there’s something about the boxy slide that’s really appealing to me. Most people either love it or hate it, so take a look at one before buying it. 

The price isn’t so bad either, but it’s not particularly impressive. A person can buy a Glock 19 Gen 5 for around $600, but considering that the Gen 4 is virtually the same type of gun, I’d buy that and save $100.

Glocks are famously reliable (except the 44 model) and the Glock 19 is no different than the rest. My Glock 19 has stove-piped only once over the years. That’s thousands of rounds that the Glock 19 has eaten up with no issue. It’s one of the reasons it’s my primary gun. I can rely on it to function right in a real pinch.

The regular magazines come with a fifteen-round capacity, basically, the standard these days when it comes to a 9-millimeter gun. They’re also dirt cheap and I must have about fifty of them in my safe. This makes it ideal for concealed carry. It’s a smaller frame with the ability to let off fifteen shots in a few seconds if it really comes down to it.  

Really the only thing I don’t love about the Glock 19 is the trigger. Boy, is it squishy. It’s not gritty or heavy, but I don’t love the take-up on it. Usually, one of my first upgrades to a Glock is to swap the trigger out for something a little crispier.  

You can expect pretty good accuracy from a Glock 19. I’m pretty bang-on at twenty-five yards if I focus and the weather is calm. Usually, I’ll work between seven to fifteen yards, if I’m drilling. At these distances, it’s almost hard to not hit your targets.  

The Glock 19 is also one of the best pistols to pick up if you have plans to customize a pistol. Stippled grips, flared mag wells, machined slides, and nitride-coated barrels all look great on a Glock 19. Also, they’re easy to obtain since it’s one of the absolute most popular guns to modify. Plus holsters are abundant and cheap if you’re looking the carry your “Gucci’d” out Glock 19 around town. 

I’ll say it simply: I love Glocks and the Glock 19 has a special place in my heart. There’s just something about them that keeps me coming back. I’ve tried different concealed loadouts that have mostly made me miss my Glock 19.  

Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications. 

This article first appeared in September 2021 and is being republished due to reader interest.