[The Perfect Pistol Shot
Gildo Santiago
McBride, an engineer equipment chief with MWSS-273, shot a perfect score during pre-qualifications and qualificationstwice in 2014 when he was based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, during pre-qualifications and qualifications. This year he threw two shots during pre-qualification, but hit the mark each and every time when it mattered.
His 2014 feat was born of a rivalry with a captain who goaded him by saying there was no way he could record a perfect score score perfect more than once. Both of them did just that during pre-quals, but McBride pulled ahead on the actual qualification.
This year, he was driven to prove it wasn't luck. While some Marines around him were rooting him on, others expressed skepticism, saying McBride's achievement last year was a fluke. The unit's pistol coaches, however, said they quickly realized knew quickly that he was an exceptional shooter.
I further recommend that you consider this pistol because it thoroughly blurs the line between concealed-carry and duty pistols. It is both a practical shooter with good capacity for home defense or duty carry and it is easily concealable for civilian daily carry.
I find the G19 to be a joy to shoot. Having put more than 80k rounds through it, it is the standard against which I measure shooting all other pistols. I rarely find it matched in the dimensions of shootability and balance vs. size.
The 15+1 capacity is respectable for a duty weapon and very nice for a compact carry pistol. If you adopt an advisable practice and carry at least one spare magazine, that gives you 31 rounds; likely plenty for even a messy firefight, should your life prove to be so dramatic.
Ergonomics (***)
The Glock 19 is not the most ergonomically designed pistol, but with modification it has the potential to be. The fact that the finger grooves impose a certain specificity to the grip, and it otherwise very nearly requires modification, is why I gave it only 3 stars here.
Customization (*****)
The Glock 19 is the most customizable pistol in existence. The Gen 4 comes with a variety of backstrap options and there are multitudes of aftermarket components and accessories for this pistol. As I mentioned before, if the G19 is not the perfect pistol, it is the perfect pistol hobby kit. There is almost no end to its potential for customization and modification.
The Glock 19 Gen 4 is a challenger to every other pistol in just about every respect. There is no pistol that is so flexible and reliable as this one and I suggest that every pistol owner should own at least one Glock 19.
A little late with my response but hope you held onto your Gen III. It is the best, imho. Just ask yourself why, in 2016 did the U.S. Navy SEALs adopted the G19 Gen III over their previous issue SA, the Sig P226? Why not the Gen IV? It had been out for 6 years.
Hi Andy, please help me. I work for the US Embassy in South Africa and we are importing the following for the South African Government, for them to issue us a permit they need to know the following about the Glock 17.
Can you please share during this time is you had any parts fail (not counting the aftermarket recoil spring). Like did any of the Factory parts fail? Any other cool info you can share for having such a high round count.
Hi Joey,
Sure. I several times replaced the recoil spring, trigger spring, and slide stop spring, and have replaced the extractor, magazine catch spring, striker spring, and spring cups once each. I write about this very thing in another post here
-your-glock/
Andy, you mention carrying a single stack as well. The 43 I assume? Care to elaborate? Thanks man, great review. I had the pleasure of shooting one today and it just felt right compared to about anything else. I think it will be my edc.
Hi i dont own it but have seen so Much reviews telling That it is the Most durable gun That i dont understand why in the us Army it have not replaced the Beretta 92 yet.Please tell me if it wont Hurt a recoil sensitive Person with weak hands and if it have the same recoil than Glock 17.Also tell me if the trigger pull is confortable for Small fingers and if it Can b really customized to 3-3.5 lbs.Thank You very Much for your reply
Thanks for a very helpful and comprehensive review of the Glock 19. The tried-and-true lessons learned and detailed practical advice you offer is most appreciated by this new Glock 19 owner (and novice shooter ).
Cheers!
Andy: Good read. Thank you. This is the first article I read that mentioned not to install the plug at the bottom of the grip. You make a valid point concerning malfunctions. I have the plug on my G26 however I use G19 mags with Xgrip so I have space to grab if needed. However, I will reconsider not adding on my new G19.
I read your report and purchased a Glock 19 Gen 4 last night. I only fired 30 rounds but was very impressed. This is my first handgun and I had additional help from the gun shop pro. Your report helped me make a very knowledgeable decision.
My question is about the frame stippling. Did you do the work yourself and can you explain the prep work that was done before stippling. I ask because some people grind the frame down smooth and some people just go for it right over the stock texturing. I want to know your thoughts on the subject.
Just stumbled across your site. Nicely done write up. My gen 3 19 is modded like yours and I love it. Shoot it in production/3 gun with surprising results. I am jealous of your rounds counts. Bet it is fun hanging out with you. Take care sir.
Hi Andy great read! I am getting ready to purchase my first handgun and I am looking at a gen 4 G 19 MOS model and also just the Gen for G 19. They are only about 50 or $60 difference in price. Not sure if I will ever put an optic on it but thought if I wanted to, it is better to have the option available to me. Any thoughts at all? Thank you Andy your article it is the best and I have researched and read.
I do use the slide stop as a slide release for reloads, and I like one very slightly extended, translate, the Vickers slide stop. Other extended slide stops protrude enough for my left hand to lock the slide in mid-string, as I grip the gun very high with the left hand, ala Robert Vogel.
Andy, I enjoyed your article on the Glock 19, and I agree with you on staying with Glock original parts when things ( i.e. springs etc.} need to be replaced. I bought my first G17 in early 1987 and then second one in December that year. I really liked shooting these guns, they felt like you could not wear them out. So when the G19 came out, I picked up one in Feb. 1988 and it became my favorite shooter since. The only change I made was to go to Glock Gen. 4 magazines for all my Glocks, because they fall freely when you hit the mag. release, loaded or unloaded.
This is a wonderful piece of work Andy. I heard a lot about Glock 19 pistol, they are efficient, reliable and durable. It does not cost you much maintenance cost. I would prefer IWB holster for my firearm. This is the greater comfort to have this small efficient pistol. It is ideal for the more versatile role when compared to other size option.
Thank you for a very interesting and enlightning text. I have no experience with the Glock 19, but I shot the Glock 17 in the army and immediately liked the gun. I have recently bought a Glock 17 5th gen for ipsc-shooting, and its a pleasure to shoot. Have you tried the 17 gen 5 yet? Greetings from Norway!
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If there's one shooting event that seems to lack competition and interest at blackpowder shoots, it's the pistol match. Blackpowder pistols and cap and ball revolvers are lots of fun to shoot, but they take a backseat to all the shooters competing in the classes for rifles, smoothbores and muskets.
Shooting a handgun accurately, of course, is more difficult than shooting a rifle accurately. With a rifle, you've got two hands and your shoulder to support it, a lot of weight in the firearm, a long barrel and therefore, a longer sighting radius.
The pistol, however, must be held with one hand without the support of the other hand. And being a blackpowder pistol, the lock time, ignition and velocity are slower, making it more sensitive than a modern cartridge handgun.
For example, if you fired a modern pistol and a blackpowder pistol at the same time, the modern bullet probably would be halfway to the target before the lead ball even left the muzzle of the blackpowder pistol. So because the path of the bullet is much slower, your grip, aim, hold, breathing, trigger squeeze and follow through are even more critical.
While the modern bullet has left the gun barrel, the lead ball is still traveling through it, where its accuracy can be affected by the slightest movement or even a change in your grip from shot to shot.
I shoot a trapper's style, single-shot Lyman Plains Pistol in .50 caliber with a percussion lock. The rear sight can be drifted for windage, but elevation adjustments must be made by filing the front or rear sights. But once its adjusted, it should shoot well until your eyes change somewhere down the road.
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