If Glock pistols are ubiquitous, the most ubiquitous of the Glocks is the Model 19. One of the first plastic fantastic Glocks to hit the market in the 1980s, its popularity is still increasing to this day. But, how could that be? Hasn’t the market born new and better plastic poppers in the last 30 years? …yes and no.

There are plenty of compact 9mm handguns similar to the Glock 19 Gen 5, and all of them have the Glock 19 as the benchmark. But to date, none has managed to out-Glock the Glock itself — and it’s looking like nothing ever will.

Let’s take a look at what makes Gaston’s (RIP) prize 9mm the most popular pistol in the world, as well as what makes the Glock 19 Gen 5 the preeminent all-around pistol.

A Brief History of Glock

Glock is the brainchild of Austrian inventor Gaston Glock, who passed away late in 2023. While it wasn’t the first polymer (plastic) pistol to hit the market, he is credited with making polymer the material of preference for modern pistols. His original design, the Model 17, is a full-size semi-auto striker-fired 9mm and the genesis from which all Glocks — and the majority of pistols today — have flown.

The story of Glock’s meteoric rise starts with Glock salesmen, who’d visit police departments and heave fully loaded Model 17s into the air, sending bystanders scattering as they feared the gun would fire upon impact. When the gun did not discharge because of its “Safe Action” design (integral trigger safety and firing pin block), it left an impression to say the least.

This dramatic demonstration (along with the Glock’s 17-round capacity when 10 or 12 was the standard of the day) and unflinching reliability, turned the hesitant into faithful adherents of Gaston’s striker-fired design.

So, what is the Glock 19 Gen 5? Isn’t it just a mild makeover of previous Model 19 designs? Why would you even try to overhaul the most successful pistol design in history? Well, nothing is perfect, so there’s always room for improvement, and the Glock 19 Gen 5 is the result of the Teutonic manufacturer actually listening to its customers.

What’s So Great About the Glock 19 Gen 5?

Like the internal combustion engine, some designs you just don’t make wholesale changes to. Sure, there’s room for improvement in efficiency, power, and so on, but the engine design is so proven that it’s a fool’s errand to try and reinvent the wheel.

The same holds true for Glock pistols. The design is so proven that nearly every pistol design today incorporates some aspect of the Glock, whether it’s the trigger safety dongle, the magazines, or the sights.

The trigger safety, aka dongle, prevents the trigger from traveling rearward unless the dongle is fully depressed.

A Glock 17 with its ubiquitous magazine. This larger 17-round model will fit in the Glock 19 magwell, no problems. The insane reliability and availability of these mags are why they’re chosen as the bullet-feeder by other manufacturers.

The Glock 19 Gen 5 is the direct descendant of the Glocks that revolutionized handgunning and incorporates modern touches that give up nothing to the competition, save the sights. Glock can’t seem to get away from the U-notch plastic sights. They’d be better if they were metal, or 3-dot design, but the weird basket thing is like the $1.50 hot dog combo at Costco — you just don’t mess with it upon penalty of death.

Aftermarket sights like these are almost mandatory for all Glocks.

The size of the Glock 19 Gen 5 strikes a balance of comfortable shooting and concealability that has yet to be trumped. Scores of contenders have claimed to out-Glock the Glock, but none have unseated Gaston’s pride and joy from the throne.

Here are the full specs of the Glock 19 Gen 5:

Its 4” barrel, 1” width, and 15-round capacity are the gold standards upon which all other contenders are judged. Lots of pistols are thinner than this and other Glocks, but they slim down at the expense of shootability. Actually, most all dimensions of the G19 are enshrined as gold standards. You can go larger for less concealability and better shootability, or the inverse, when you go smaller; less shootability, greater concealability. There’s no free lunch.

Whiners and cheap holster aficionados will say the Glock 19 is hard to conceal. They’re wrong.

The gun is NOT hard to conceal, providing you have a quality Kydex holster. Forget leather, unless you’re over 60 years old or ride a horse for a living. Inside the waistband (IWB) and outside the waistband (OWB) are both very doable with the Glock 19 Gen 5 provided you have a quality holster, belt, and have dressed for the gun. Check out Vedder Holsters for good hybrid IWB (leather and Kydex) and Tenicor for no-nonsense Kydex OWB and IWB.

Glock listening to its customers is a relatively new phenomenon, as the company used to churn out new offerings without seeming to care what consumers wanted. But their unflappable reliability and ubiquitousness meant that people (and government agencies) still bought them in droves. Now, the kinder, gentler Glock of today has grown ears — and it shows:

• The finger grooves of the Gen 3 and Gen 4 guns are gone.
• The polygonal rifling is gone and replaced with the new Marksman Barrel
• The Glock 19 Gen 5 MOS (Modular Optics System) lets users add micro red dots sights. (Glock certainly wasn’t the first to add this optics cut to the top of the slide, but better late than never, right?)

Let’s take a deeper look.

Differences Between Glock Gen 5 and Gen 4

Which upgrades make the Glock 19 Gen 5 worth considering? Let’s start with the most obvious.

The Grip

The Gen 3 and 4 had finger grooves on the grip, which were as polarizing as Ginger vs. Mary Ann — most people were squarely in one camp or the other.

Those whose hands perfectly fit the finger grooves will lament the change. But if you’re more inclined to the Gen 4, rest assured Glock still makes them.

The Trigger

Another high point is the trigger. Glock reworked the trigger in the Gen 5 to reduce some of the mushy, squishy feel common to older Glocks and most all striker-fired pistols. When you press through the trigger, you move a firing pin block out of the way of the firing pin, loading a spring, and sliding metal on metal as the trigger bar works its way along the sear. All of that contributes to a funky feel, but the Gen 5 is much smoother out of the box than previous generations.

The Barrel

The barrel is a big departure from traditional Glock designs. The Glock 19 Gen 5 has what its maker calls the Marksman Barrel, which uses traditional lands and grooves instead of the company’s famous polygonal rifling design. It’s reported to make the gun more accurate, but most regular Joes won’t be able to tell the difference.

The Slide and Slide Release

Left-handed people will rejoice at the ambidextrous slide release on the Glock 19 Gen 5. Instead of being treated like a second-class citizen, Glock has added a lever on the right side of the slide so you, too, can use your thumb like everyone else to release the slide. Take your wins, lefties.

The Glock 19 Gen 5 features a slide release on the right side of the gun for lefties.

Speaking of the slide, it’s been reworked with some new serrations that reportedly offer a better grip when you go to rack the pistol. Arguably subjective, this does offer an aesthetic refresh, which is welcome in all-black pistols.

The backstraps, back part of the grip, are interchangeable, making the gun a better fit for more shooters.

The Magazine Well

The magazine well of the Glock 19 Gen 5 is also flared more dramatically to facilitate easier and faster mag changes. There’s no downside to this. When you need to reup your pew pills in a hurry, an enlarged magwell makes the task a lot simpler.

A flared magwell makes slamming a fresh mag home simpler, and faster.

Modular Optic System (MOS)

Most pictures of our test Glock have the MOS plate in place, but the same gun normally wears a Holosun SCS, which fits directly on the slide of the Glock 19 Gen 5. Other optics can be used, but you’ll need an adapter plate. Thankfully, a host of plates are available to fit most every optic.

The Glock 19 Gen 5 with Holosun SCS

Adapter plates for the Glock 19 Gen 5

Glock 19 Gen 5 Review at The Range

The phrase “ boring reliability” is so hackneyed by gun reviewers, you might want to barf when it’s trotted out in a review. But if we’re being honest, this phrase was likely coined by somebody shooting a Glock.

These things just work. No matter the year, caliber, model of Glock (except the .22LR Glock 44 — sus), whenever you pull the trigger, a bullet leaves the barrel and another is loaded. That’s the goal of a semi auto, right?

You can watch silly “torture tests” on YouTube until you’re blue in the face, and Glocks almost always pass with flying colors. We say “almost” because some people subject guns to asinine levels of abuse that only occur in asinine torture tests. Glocks shine and dominate all real-world tests that subject them to mud, snow, sand, toe jam, feces, and whatever else. You know, the stuff you might actually encounter if you carry one of these things.

The Marksman Barrel is great, but again, it’s really hard for anyone but Olympic-level shooters like that Turkish guy to glean any gain in the accuracy this barrel offers.

To appreciate the boost in accuracy the Glock Marksman Barrel offers, you’ll need to shoot as well as this guy. (Source: Outdoor Life).

Glock 19 Gen 5 Accessories

So, with this latest generation of Glocks, can you use all your old Glock stuff, like magazines and holsters? The answer is yes (for the most part).

There are more holsters, magazines, sights, triggers and trigger parts, gizmos, whizbangs, and doodads for Glock pistols than any other. Period. But with the exception of a red dot and holster and maybe trigger, you won’t need any of it. As-is, a Glock 19 Gen 5 is eminently usable as a home-defense gun, carry gun, and even duty gun.

Final Thoughts

Can anything more be said about the Glock 19? The Gen 5 is perhaps the best iteration, and it’s hard to imagine Glock adding anything to this well-done firearm. But the Glock 19 Gen 6 will likely drop with subtle upgrades and improvements, and Glock enthusiasts will reach for their wallets once again.

As far as a do-all concealed carry, duty, and home-defense pistol, you’d be extremely hard-pressed to do better than the Glock 19 Gen 5. Decades of proven performance mesh with the most modern features, yielding what’s pretty much the ultimate do-all handgun. The best way to know is to find out for yourself. Go to your local gun shop and check it out.

Is the Glock 19 Gen 5 the right gun for you? Tough question. Take our quiz to learn more about your ideal handgun for concealed carry or home defense.

No matter what you do or don’t do to your Glock, you’ll need some ammo. At Pro Armory, we offer great quality rounds at an even better quality price.

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