Upgrade to Gen 5?

[Crow Hunter]

Current situation:

I own several Glock 19.3 (five), a single G26.3, a single G23.3 w/spare .357Sig bbl, a G30.3 and a AA .22 conversion.

Is there enough performance upgrade in accuracy/recoil control/durability in the Gen 5 to warrant a wholesale conversion?

I would be selling/trading all the G19.3 and the G26.3 to get G19.5 and a G26.5.

I am not sure about doing anything with the G23 as I have had it since the late '90s and at least during the last crisis I was able to get .357 Sig and sometimes .40 S&W when I otherwise couldn't get 9mm. However, I could use the proceeds from the sale of the G23 to get more 9mm so I don't run out. :)

While I don't dislike my Gen 3 Glock 19s, I have never been 100% satisfied with my accuracy with them. I have actually found the accuracy of my G23 to be higher than that of the G19s on average for whatever reason.:rolleyes:

What is the collective wisdom at this point?

[JSGlock34]

I think the GEN5 is a significant improvement to the GEN3, but I'm not sure a "wholesale conversion" is required. Still, five 19.3s is more than enough. Trade a 19.3 and the 23 to get into a GEN5 and see if the juice is worth the squeeze before selling the whole lot.

The GEN5 offers a significant upgrade over a GEN3 between the superior lockup, marksman barrel, enhanced grip texture, and backstrap options. If you're a lefty then a GEN5 is even more appealing.

[Jay585]

IMO, as a lefty it would be worth it for the ambi slide release and the improved barrel.

If you're right handed? Not really worth it.

"I have never been 100% satisfied with my accuracy with them." Have you tried getting an aftermarket barrel?

[Crow Hunter]

IMO, as a lefty it would be worth it for the ambi slide release and the improved barrel.

If you're right handed? Not really worth it.

"I have never been 100% satisfied with my accuracy with them." Have you tried getting an aftermarket barrel?

I am right handed.

I haven't tried an aftermarket barrel.

I have owned at least 2 more G19.3 in addition to the 5 that I own now and I have never been impressed with the accuracy. I still shoot that old G23 better on average. I have no idea why. I have killed multiple rabbits with the old G23 over the years at various ranges and can routinely pop a 100 yd gong with it. I wouldn't even attempt a rabbit shot with the G19 and the last time I was out with buddies messing around I missed more gongs that I hit at 100'ish yards. The G19s are still good enough for reasonable defensive uses but not what I would like to have.

I like the idea of testing the waters. I have a Beretta 92 that is on the chopping block that I could sell/trade for a Gen 5 and try that out. I had been plotting trying out a CZ75 but maybe the Gen5 would be a better attempt.

Are the triggers different enough between the Gen 3 and the Gen 5 that using a Gen 3 AA conversion would be a waste of time? Any collector value on a very early AA conversion? I bought one when they first released them.

[SW CQB 45]

I have been issued a G3 G19 for several years. Recently I was issued a G5 G17.

While there is nothing wrong with either gun, and I prefer the 19 size from an overall dual purpose (duty/conceal) standpoint....

I am giving the G17 back. I shot both in quals last week, and the G3 19 performed equally to the G5 17. I am not discounting anything from the newer piece...out of the box this G17 felt good but I found no difference on paper.

Maybe a G5 19 would be my taste.

Now I would like to be issued a Gen 5 G19 FS MOS.... but I dont think the dept would buy that for me.

This piece is my personal G4 19.... I dont plan on dumping this one for a G5. Its a shooter, but I would like to find someone that will G5 the front strap while retaining the factory look. I may be out of luck on that part. I dont like finger grooves with my big paws.

https://i.imgur.com/xomk0esl.jpg

[Darth_Uno]

I’ve considered this myself. I haven’t even fired a gen 5 yet, but it seems like everything I do to tweak my Gen 3’s (barrel, remove finger grooves) is addressed with the Gen 5 OTB.

I also own and have owned multiple Gen 3 19’s & 17’s, accuracy with a factory barrel was never bad but varied from “combat accurate” to very good, I think it’s just a crap shoot as to which parts end up in which slides/frames.

[ralph]

I think the GEN5 is a significant improvement to the GEN3, but I'm not sure a "wholesale conversion" is required. Still, five 19.3s is more than enough. Trade a 19.3 and the 23 to get into a GEN5 and see if the juice is worth the squeeze before selling the whole lot.

The GEN5 offers a significant upgrade over a GEN3 between the superior lockup, marksman barrel, enhanced grip texture, and backstrap options. If you're a lefty then a GEN5 is even more appealing.

This^^^^ Or, better yet, see if you can find a range that has one to rent, and take it for a test drive..if you don't like it you're only out a rental fee.

[JBP55]

Of the Gen 3/4/5 G19's I have owned None shot as well for me at 25 yards slow fire as my Gen 5 G17 or Gen 5 G34.
Longer sight radius on full size Glocks such as G17/G34 work best for me at 25 yards. YMMV

[EVP]

No I would not and I own gen 5 pistols.


I’ll give a different point of view.


You have 5 gen 3 g19s? I would keep all of them and not worry about if the grass is greener on the other side. If you have pre 2009 gen 3 19s you have some of the best guns that Glock produced.

Try a fitted Bar-sto in one. Pricey..yes, but it is the best. You could chop one of them to g26 size to give you a smaller carry option.

I think you have a ideal setup, you have a battery of g19s, you cannot go wrong. Like Doc says”the just focus on training and proficiency”

[Wake27]

I think one Gen 5 is worth trying. I didn’t really love shooting my Glock until I removed the finger grooves, even though I never felt that they were terrible in the first place. The obvious part is to try one before dumping all of your Gen 3s. As soon as Glock removes that half moon cut and puts FCS on all of their 19s, I’ll probably buy two along with two 45s. The only thing I wish they’d do differently after that is thin the triggerguard out.


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[pangloss]

After I got my G43, which I consider a Gen5, I sold my 19.3 and two 19.4s. Unfortunately, I've only bought one 19.5 as a replacement, so I am down a couple of Glocks. I really like the 19.5 and I don't plan on buying any other Gen3 or Gen4 pistols. However, I still carry my 26.3 a good bit. Eventually, I'll buy a 26.5, but there's no big hurry. If I had five 19.3 pistols, I'd probably trade one toward a 19.5 and try it out. Be warned that some Gen3/4 holsters won't fit Gen5 pistols.

[KevH]

I have several mid-2000's Gen3 Glocks ("frying pan finish") and plenty of experience with them.

I own a Gen5 G19 and have shot a few 17's.

Although I briefly owned a couple, I never cared for Gen4 and the post-2010 Gen3's always seem "meh" to me.

Honestly, comparing a mid-2000's Gen3 to a Gen5...Six of one or a half-dozen the other.

[BehindBlueI's]

How do you feel about finger grooves?

[Crow Hunter]

How do you feel about finger grooves?

I don't have a preference. I don't really notice them to be honest.

I am interested in the interchangeable backstraps. I have always thought I would like my G19 to have slightly wider grips. I don't have long fingers but I have large palms.

With the G19/23, if I am not careful on my draw, I can get too much finger in the trigger that leads to me biceping and pushing my shots to the left. On my G30, I have never done this. I have always wanted to try the large grip frame on the G19 to see if it helps.

I also really like the G5 mag release.

I went by a store today and handled a G48 and a G43X and the mag release was the only thing I liked about them. :)

I didn't handle the G5, someone came and wanted to buy the G48 I was playing with and since I wasn't planning on buying anything today I got out of the way.

[JonInWA]

While I've been trained on, and appreciate the Gen5s, my Gen 3 Glocks (G17, G19, G21) are uniformly excellent, in terms of both operation and accuracy. They're going no place, and I don't feel compelled to trade any of them for their Gen5 equivalent.

However, if I was getting a new Glock, I absolutely would normally recommend the Gen5s. They do posses some worthwhile improvements, but arguably they're more improvements over the Gen4s as opposed to the Gen 3s. And, as BehindBlueI's stated, how you feel about/index with or without the fingergrooves may be a critical part of the equation. All things being equal, I suspect that "without" is better for many-or it least it doesn't present a work-around.

Best, Jon

[Wake27]

I never thought that the finger grooves were really an issue for me until I had them removed from my 19.

[MRW]

I have a Gen 3 19 that I had no issues with. The first Gen 5 I bought was a G19. For me, it was better in just about every area, especially in accuracy. I held onto the Gen 3 but it sits in the safe as a vetted backup. I didn't think the finger grooves mattered much until I shot the Gen 5 a while.

I would recommend what others have said which is pick a Gen 5, run it through whatever process you use to vette pistols, and then decide about the remainder of your Gen3's.

[LSP552]

For me, I’d go gen 5 for any gun other then the full size. The finger grooves on the 17/34 fit my XL hands fine. They don’t fit me well on the 19 size at all. 3rd and 4th gen 19s are unusable for me without plastic surgery. My 2nd gen 19 will be one of the last guns I’d ever sell.

I wouldn’t trade a 3rd or 4th gen 17 or 34, but I would for a 19 or 26. If buying new anything I’d go gen 5.

[Jason M]

IMHO, there are benefits to the G5. The top of my list is the new barrel. However, get one that has the new groove machined in the slide. That means for full width guns a 45 or 19MOS right now. This is supposed to be done with newly made pistols of other models like the 19 in the near future. The improvement in function that this provides plus the accuracy gain is motivation enough for me to upgrade to G5.

[HALO51]

The 2 most important features that were upgrades on the Gen 5 for reliability sake that's rarely mentioned are the Trigger Spring & Slide Lock spring(s) Instead of being elongated (TRS) when trigger is pressed it's now compresses as well as the Slide Lock the (little leaf spring in the frame on prior Generations) These 2 spring were the if you want to call (weak link) in the Glock platform. I carry HK P30L but bought a G45 based solely on these huge upgrades.

[Paul Blackburn]

Buy 2 Gen5 G19's.
Sell everything else.
Don't over accumulate anything to the point you are too invested/attached to sell it off for newer upgraded versions or even a platform change. Things improve.
Life is too short to be burdened with too much stuff.
Be light and free and happy!

[Crow Hunter]

IMHO, there are benefits to the G5. The top of my list is the new barrel. However, get one that has the new groove machined in the slide. That means for full width guns a 45 or 19MOS right now. This is supposed to be done with newly made pistols of other models like the 19 in the near future. The improvement in function that this provides plus the accuracy gain is motivation enough for me to upgrade to G5.

Which groove is this?

I was actually thinking of going with the MOS anyway as I am getting to the point in age that I am having trouble seeing a crisp front sight.

[Crow Hunter]

Buy 2 Gen5 G19's.
Sell everything else.
Don't over accumulate anything to the point you are too invested/attached to sell it off for newer upgraded versions or even a platform change. Things improve.
Life is too short to be burdened with too much stuff.
Be light and free and happy!

I would have to get at least 3 of them. I would feel naked with only two. :cool:

[breakingtime91]

I think most people can't out shoot their gun. I have pondered this question but my two gen 4 g19 work fine and eject well, not plans right now to change to a gen 5

[Jason M]

Which groove is this?

I was actually thinking of going with the MOS anyway as I am getting to the point in age that I am having trouble seeing a crisp front sight.

There is a new "groove" machined next to the breach face opposite of the extractor. My G5 guns that didn't have this dribbled brass. The 2 G45s I own (as well as a 43X) have this groove and function (extract/eject) with far greater consistency than those without the groove.

I'll see if is can take a picture...