Originally Posted by
JonInWA
You've gotten some really good input on this thread. Here are my thoughts:
I have a G19 and a G17, both Gen 3) and a P320 RX, which ititially was with the Romeo 1 RDS and the standard compact grip, but now sports the X Carry grip.
Regarding the Glocks, I shoot and index very well with both my G17 and G19-but the index is different. Frankly, I could care less regarding the slide/barrel length-in these guns, it's all about the receiver differentiations.
Magazine capacity differences are a wash for me between the two as well. The key differences (neither good nor bad, at least in my case) have to do with the increased backstrap curvature/hump and volume of the G19, and the more abbreviated back and bottom of the G19. I do not have a problem with finger placement with the G19, or any reload difficulties or finger pinching with it.
In my case, while the G19 draw feels a bit more natural, timer and accuracy wise I see no quantifiable differences between it and the G17. What is different is the carry feel-and that's somewhat dependant on holster, obviously. The G19 is a bit more comfortable to carry, as the G17 can hit a hip nerve if I don't more carefully position it when carrying. It's more of an issue with a IWB holster than with a OWB holster (I carry at 3:30-4:00 strongside).
Switch to the P320 RX X Carry. I really like the P320 in this incarnation. Essentially, what I have with it is the SIG equivelant to the G45. With an RDS, there's absolutely no advantage to having a longer slide, unless you prefer the balance on a particular platform with a longer slide, or want slightly more velocity that'll come with a longer barrel. I have both IWB and OWB holsters for all the guns discussed-my prefeerence is dictated more situationally by the clothing worn than anything else.
So, for the OP, I'm thinking the key criteria is more along the lines of which receiver he indexes the best with as opposed to the slide/barrel configuration. For RDS, unless there's a balance issue, it's either a non-issue, or I'd go with the shorter slide for the slight draw advantage that it might provide.
Best, Jon