The Shooters Blog

Review of Glock 19 Semi-Automatic Pistol. Gen 3 Glock G19 – My take on the gun I trust my life to. See why this pistol is so reliable.

After owning this Glock Pistol for over a year, I can’t believe I haven’t taken the time to sit down and write a review about it. Then again, after over a year of full use, in multiple applications and outings, after thousands upon thousands of rounds, I think that I can now make a well informed review on this pistol.

The Glock 19 or “G19” pistol is a polymer frame semi-automatic compact pistol. It is a slightly smaller version of the Glock 17 9mm pistol. It is chambered in 9mm (9×19, 9mm Luger, 9mm Para, 9mm Parabellum). Standard capacity is 15+1 rounds in a metal lined polymer magazine. If you want more technical details and all that stuff, check out the Wikepedia Glock page.

Enough with the tech specs, this review is about my personal experience and feedback on this fine pistol. I ran this gun in its bone stock configuration for the first several thousand rounds. In a previous post, seen here, you can see that I had it sent in for custom gunsmithing. During the first several thousand rounds, the gun functioned FLAWLESSLY. There were no issues whatsoever with any type of ammo. The most common ammo I ran through it was 115grn FMJ Ball ammo, mainly the Federal Champion stuff that comes in a red box from Walmart.

After sending it in for custom work, I really made this pistol my own. My Glock is my go-to gun. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Of course I started out shooting this like any other person would, at an indoor range. I’ve run several thousand rounds through this thing at the local indoor ranges. Bringing new shooters to try it out, or just for some personal stress relief. Shooting this thing was a lot of fun, but it really got good when I was introduced to competitive shooting. I don’t participate in IPSC, USPSA, IDPA or any of the National Competitive or Practical Shooting organizations. I’ve been honing my skills at the local steel matches in Corona, CA. This is where I would say 75% of my round count went towards. It really allows you to run your gun and figure out what works for you and what doesn’t. The time element also adds a stress factor so you can see how you react during stressful scenarios.

I have to admit, I’ve had my fair share of malfunctions with this Glock, but 100% of the malfunctions were attributed to ammo, especially when I first started reloading my own rounds. The Glock 19 is not picky with any type of ammo I’ve run through it. It’s eaten up all of the major brands such as Winchester, Federal, Remington, PMC, Fiocchi, Blazer, Sellier & Bellot, and much more. I’ve also run different types of bullets through it including traditional round nose ball full metal jacket ammo, moly coated cast bullets and of course defensive jacketed hollow point ammo. Again, the Glock 19 shot all types of bullets without hesitation. Since I started reloading, I have been running copper plated round nose ammo by Berry’s Mfg. and Xtreme Bullets by the thousands.

I clean my guns regularly. I usually do the whole detail strip and clean every part, simply because the Glock pistols are extremely easy to detail strip. I can access any and all moving components of the pistol within 1 minute.  However, I am human, so I do get lazy sometiems (read most of the time). I only detail strip and clean when I have absolutely nothing to do. My normal cleaning procedure for my Glocks are as follows: Check to make sure it is clear, wipe outside with cloth, insert mag, chamber round, set on night stand. I’ve had some pretty nasty carbon buildup before, but even then, the Glock functioned with no error. Simply put, for the average indoor range shooter, cleaning is not mandatory after each range trip.

For me, the Glock 19 is the perfect size pistol. It’s not too big, and definitely not too small. Especially with a slight grip reduction, the gun fits my hand like a glove.  I’ve run a few different set of sights on the Glock, right now I have a set of brand new Trijicon Night Sights
. Previously I’ve had Dawson Precision Fiber Optic sights which were REALLY great for day time use. I’ve found that the fiber optic sights need quite a bit of light from the top to be seen. This is not possible at night with a flash light pointed at your target, so I went back to the standard night sights.

These days, most guns are only as reliable as their magazines. Most malfunctions and failures are a result of faulty, old or bad magazines. The Glock magazines are extremely resilient. I’ve stepped on several of my own magazines. They’re dropped into dirt and mud several times a month. They are cleaned maybe once a year. They run with no problems. at one time, I even dropped a mag in muddy water and just wiped it off and kept using it.

In terms of additional parts and accessories, besides all the custom stuff that was done by Glockworx, I have an extended magazine release. This was a Lonewolf extended magazine release a co-worker gave to me. I sanded down the edges so it would not be too sharp. I’ve tried extended slide releases, but they just don’t agree with the way I hold my Glocks, so I keep those stock.

Overall, the pistol fits my hand great, it shoots flawlessly even after thousands and thousands of rounds. Maintenance and upkeep is extremely minimal. You’ll see in the pictures that this is a working gun. It is run hard at 100% of my abilities. It’s not a show piece that sits in the safe. It’s got scratches, and wear marks, but that is all cosmetic and does not interfere with the function. There is not a spot of rust due to the way Glock treats their slides in the manufacturing process. I’ve had 0 malfunctions that were not ammo based. I’m still on the stock barrel and recoil spring
, the gun does not want to quit, and that is exactly why I would trust my life to this pistol.

Glock 19 Left Side

Glock 19 Right Side

Glock 19 Right Side Open

Glock 19 Extended Magazine Release

Glock 19 Trijicon Night Sights Rear

Glock 19 Trijicon Night Sights Front