Home Defense larger Glock to replace G19? Worth it?

[Jason]

Hey Gang,

Due to family/lifestyle I am going down from AR/Pistol to just a pistol for home defense. Thus far I have used a Glock 19, with NS and a x300 as a backup to the rifle. Now considering an optics mounted larger glock like a 34/17 MOS (Or do i need a 47 instead). Question is: is the juice worth the squeeze?. I have small hands but may gain something from the optic and larger frame pistol? Also some additional training time for the optic. Looking for some advice from some of you who may have been down this road before.

Thanks!

[Noah]

Hey Gang,

Due to family/lifestyle I am going down from AR/Pistol to just a pistol for home defense. Thus far I have used a Glock 19, with NS and a x300 as a backup to the rifle. Now considering an optics mounted larger glock like a 34/17 MOS (Or do i need a 47 instead). Question is: is the juice worth the squeeze?. I have small hands but may gain something from the optic and larger frame pistol? Also some additional training time for the optic. Looking for some advice from some of you who may have been down this road before.

Thanks!


Unless you have a specific need to add an additional pistol, definitely not, if the G19 isn't squirming out of your hands. Just stick a 17 or 19 round mag in the 19 and roll!

ETA: missed the optic part- sometimes changing guns is the easiest way to add optics capability.

[blues]

I have a G17 I use for nightstand duty. I'd not worry at all were I to replace it with my 19. I only bought the 17 some years ago, because I never had one. I've had my 19 since 1988.

Opinions may differ, but that's mine. The 19 is more than competent.

I don't have an optic on any of my defensive pistols...and only a light on the nightstand gun.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Only an individual anecdote. A G19 is just fine unless you just want another gun. I had a 19 but moving to a ban state (my choice, personal) I decided EDC would be a 10 round G26, which I like just just fine - or within my confidence level of ability. I have two G17, Gen 4 and 5 which I bought mainly for matches. With my small to medicum hands, I like the grips with finger grove on the Gen 4 but the flatter Gen 5 is equally grippable. The Gen 4 is staged along with the 26 for HD. The Gen 5 is a dot gun and I'm not where I want to be with it for emergency usage.

I don't see a need for a 17 with significant variance over a 19. If you carry, a 19 is easier by a bit. However, I encourage buying it, if it doesn't screw the budget and you have to buy new drapes. Sidebar - bought my 1911. Wife said, if you can buy that, the living room needs new drapes. Compromise is fine. Moved and those drapes are useless. The 1911 isn't.

[Beat Trash]

The juice is not worth the squeeze.

I’d rather have a second Glock 19. That way you don’t have different feeling guns. You’d have a backup to your carry gun should you use it in self defense and it’s taken into custody until the legal proceedings are done. You can always put a Glock 17 magazine in the gun when it’s protecting the home. But personally I wouldn’t sweat the 2 round difference.

[Noah]

The juice is not worth the squeeze.

I’d rather have a second Glock 19. That way you don’t have different feeling guns. You’d have a backup to your carry gun should you use it in self defense and it’s taken into custody until the legal proceedings are done. You can always put a Glock 17 magazine in the gun when it’s protecting the home. But personally I wouldn’t sweat the 2 round difference.

115377

Yep.

[CraigS]

I am not real knowledgeable on Glocks but I do talk w/ guys at matches. It used to be that you can't put a 19 slide on a 17 frame but that has changed. If I were looking at another Glock I'd research the newer models and look at the sleeves for putting a longer mag in a shorter grip. As I understand it you can mix and match grip size and slide length much more readily than used to be the case.

[Jason]

The juice is not worth the squeeze.

I’d rather have a second Glock 19. That way you don’t have different feeling guns. You’d have a backup to your carry gun should you use it in self defense and it’s taken into custody until the legal proceedings are done. You can always put a Glock 17 magazine in the gun when it’s protecting the home. But personally I wouldn’t sweat the 2 round difference.



Sweet! I’ve got 3 19s. One gen 5, gen 2, gen 3.

[dontshakepandas]

I certainly wouldn't say having more than one Glock is a bad idea if you have the funds. Especially if you want to try out using an RDS and leave one gun with iron sights. I have more than I really need and am still thinking about buying more.

If you don't have the funds, or just don't want another gun for some reason, throw a LTT Grip Anchor on the 19 and it gives you 95% of the benefit of the longer grip on the full size Glocks.

https://langdontactical.com/grip-anchor-for-the-glock-19/

[Joe in PNG]

Sweet! I’ve got 3 19s. One gen 5, gen 2, gen 3.

Sounds like you're good to go.

[BillSWPA]

If adding an optic is part of the goal, a Brownells slide on one of the Glock 19s would be an easy solution. Gen. 2 or 3 should be easy. I do not know if a Gen. 5 has been added yet.

[1Rangemaster]

Hey Gang,

Due to family/lifestyle I am going down from AR/Pistol to just a pistol for home defense. Thus far I have used a Glock 19, with NS and a x300 as a backup to the rifle. Now considering an optics mounted larger glock like a 34/17 MOS (Or do i need a 47 instead). Question is: is the juice worth the squeeze?. I have small hands but may gain something from the optic and larger frame pistol? Also some additional training time for the optic. Looking for some advice from some of you who may have been down this road before.

Thanks!

I have a number of Glocks, but am in the process of getting another Gen 5 19MOS. The larger pieces don't really get you much, and you can run 17 and larger mags in a 19. As I lay my head down tonight, there will be a 19MOS w/ACRO close by. Add a light and you're gtg. You now have "two, as one is none". I'd use any money saved to get some instruction and more ammo(!) You have commonality of grip, etc.
I went through .40s,45s, etc., but the 19 does everything pretty well as far as defense goes, IMO.

[Coyotesfan97]

My nightstand gun is a G19-5. It has a wml and a red dot on it. I good go with my 17 but I like the 19.

[jnc36rcpd]

Unless you shoot a Glock 17 or similar size pistol significantly better than you do your Glock 19, I don't see a reason to change. While more ammunition is always better until it's not, a seventeen round magazine is unlikely to prove a significant advantage over a fifteen rounder in a home defense or even tactical scenario. If you just want a Glock 17, that is legitimate, but it's not a real need.

If you really want to go with an optic, you could either change the slide on one of your G-19's or purchase a Gen 5 G-19MOS. You didn't mention if you conceal carry, but a G-19 seems a lot more concealable than a G-17 (this coming from a guy who packed a SIG 226 off duty for a quarter century).

[Rex G]

Every bit of hand support is normally a desirable feature. A G19 is long enough, along the front strap, for all of my skinny fingers, but, though my hands are narrow, they are long, so, the “heel” of a G19’s grip does not reach the “heel bone” of my weapon hand. Then, there is the support hand, when the extra amount of real estate comes into play as a place to plant the fleshy “heel” part of my support hand. My support hand really “drives” a Glock G17, in a way that does not happen with weapons having stubbier or rounded grips. So, I have always shot the full-length-grip G17 pistols noticeably better, for accuracy, and stability for shot-to-shot recovery, than the smaller Glocks. Therefore, my personal choice, when concealment and/or size constraints are not issues, is Glocks with G17-length grips. But, my personal hands are not exactly like any other person’s uniquely individual personal hands, so, I am not telling anyone else what to do.

My hands are quite skinny and boney. The only place I have much “meat” on my hands’ bones is in the “heel” area. So, again, I am relating what works for my personal, individual hands. Others should do what works for them/y’all. (It is never a bad idea to consult with a good instructor/coach.)

Actually, for normal day-to-day concealment, at 0300 and 0900, a G19 offers me no actual conceal-ability advantage over the G17. The drape of my usual cover garments clears the grip of a G17. My G19 pistols ran out of jobs to do, I sold them in 2020, and gradually replaced them with “baby” Glocks.

[SwampDweller]

Doing Bill Drills with a G19 and G17 (both Gen 5) side by side on several occasions, I was unable to discern any objectively better performance with the G17 over the G19. In fact, sometimes I'd do better with the 19. The shape of the grip and where the hump of the backstrap sits in my hand seems to work better for me. That said, overall, performance was close enough with both to be a wash.

I ended up getting rid of the 17 to trade towards a new HK45C LEM, and have two G19 Gen 5s. I plan to make that 3 some day soon.

Personally, in OP's situation I'd rather procure an additional G19 for reasons already listed in this thread, rather than replacing the G19 with a G17. The G19 is big enough to shoot on the same level as a G17, but it is a more versatile pistol (for me, at least) in that it is easier to conceal. Thus, the G19 has taken the role of both a full size pistol and carry 9mm for me. I do want to get a G26 Gen 5, though, but other than that, the G19 serves my 9mm Glock needs more than adequately and I have no need for a 17. However, I do own a G17 Gen 1 Reproduction that was given to me as a gift last year, and I will be keeping that. It shoots pretty nicely, too.

[Noah]

Sweet! I’ve got 3 19s. One gen 5, gen 2, gen 3.

If you want to try an optic, Brownells RMR cut slides for the gen 3 are on sale right now! Try that with a Holosun 407C or similar.

[Duelist]

A cop friend of mine carries the same G17 all day at work in uniform and out of uniform/off duty. He thinks the gun conceals just fine under a polo.

He is mistaken.

Since he is a full-time sworn LEO, that probably matters very little.

Since I am not a LEO of any type, and that size Glock conceals worse on my frame than on his, I no longer even own one.

[JonInWA]

You're just fine with what you've got. Rather than spending money on additional platforms/hardware, I suggest that it would be far better spent on decent training and practice/competition with what you've got.

Software skill acquisition and vetted accumulated muscle memory usually trumps any marginal/incremental gain likely with hardware changes-especially regarding what you're considering.

Best, Jon

[KevH]

Hey Gang,

Due to family/lifestyle I am going down from AR/Pistol to just a pistol for home defense. Thus far I have used a Glock 19, with NS and a x300 as a backup to the rifle. Now considering an optics mounted larger glock like a 34/17 MOS (Or do i need a 47 instead). Question is: is the juice worth the squeeze?. I have small hands but may gain something from the optic and larger frame pistol? Also some additional training time for the optic. Looking for some advice from some of you who may have been down this road before.

Thanks!

Do you carry a gun concealed?

If you do, whatever you carried concealed will probably work just fine in your house.

I go through different phases, but whatever gun I've been carrying all day typically lives next to me at night. My wife has access to her own pistol to use as well.

I do not use a WML at home opting to instead use a handheld flashlight. The chances of me illuminating a family member or neighbor when something goes bump in the night is generally higher than it being a badguy and I don't want to point a gun at or near my kids especially in an amped up or groggy state. I've seen bad things happen on calls when sleepy people with guns are startled awake.

[Jason]

Do you carry a gun concealed?

If you do, whatever you carried concealed will probably work just fine in your house.

I go through different phases, but whatever gun I've been carrying all day typically lives next to me at night. My wife has access to her own pistol to use as well.

I do not use a WML at home opting to instead use a handheld flashlight. The chances of me illuminating a family member or neighbor when something goes bump in the night is generally higher than it being a badguy and I don't want to point a gun at or near my kids especially in an amped up or groggy state. I've seen bad things happen on calls when sleepy people with guns are startled awake.

Point taken. I have several flashlights next to the G19.

[Lon]

I am not real knowledgeable on Glocks but I do talk w/ guys at matches. It used to be that you can't put a 19 slide on a 17 frame but that has changed. If I were looking at another Glock I'd research the newer models and look at the sleeves for putting a longer mag in a shorter grip. As I understand it you can mix and match grip size and slide length much more readily than used to be the case.

You still can’t put a 19 slide on a GLOCK 17 frame. You can; however, put it (19 slide) on a Shadow Systems DR920 frame.

I like to consider myself a connoisseur of mix/matching Glock slides and frames. I wish it were easier. I’d love a comped 26 slide on a 19 frame. Just because. But it won’t work. You can put longer slides on shorter frames, but not the other way around. My favorite Glock is my 26L (19 slide/26 frame). I created my own G49 variants before Glock did. They’re my second favorite Glock models.

Just buy another G19 slide that’s already cut for an optic. Brownells is a good go to. If you have a G19.5, just get the Gen 4 19 slide from brownells. It’ll work. I bought a second Gen 5 slide stop and cut the right side off when I did that with my G34 hybrid (Gen 4 top end on Gen 5 frame).

115429

[Texaspoff]

Stick with your 19. Have it direct milled, pick up an aftermarket slide milled for your preferred red dot, or get one of these(Below)......problem solved. :cool: Either way, I would stay away from the MOS system for any serious work.

https://i.imgur.com/c9euY2ul.jpg






TXPO

[Sammy1]

Your G19 will do everything you need it to do. That being said, all my home defense guns are full size, wear a wml and the caliber start with .4. A police trade in is a great designated HD gun. Usually full-size, cheap and work just fine.