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.
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.
Any legal information I may post is general information, and is not legal advice. Such information may or may not apply to your specific situation. I am not your attorney unless an attorney-client relationship is separately and privately established.
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.Originally Posted by Jason
I went through .40s,45s, etc., but the 19 does everything pretty well as far as defense goes, IMO.
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.
Just a dog chauffeur that used to hold the dumb end of the leash.
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).
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.
Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.
Don’t tread on volcanos!
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.
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.
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.
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
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Certified Glock Armorer
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.
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