Glock 19 Gen 4 Review

Since august 2012 I have been carrying and shooting the Glock 19 Gen 4. As of the time of writing April 2013 I feel I have gathered sufficient Data to give a reasonable opinion on this weapon. First and foremost I would like to establish the carry conditions.

Typical conditions for carry were dusty, windy, and often dry hot days. While this weapon was subjected to rainy and snowy conditions no rust or corrosion was ever encountered. Wear on the receiver of this weapon was definitely instigated by the sand that often got stuck in the Serpa and Fobus holsters.

As is well known about all Gen 4 Glocks they Sport the dual recoil spring, enlarged/ambi mag release, replaceable backstraps, and the different texture on the grip itself. At the core of this weapon It is a Glock and most previous Glock reviews will sum up how these pistols work. My experience with Glocks has been that they are amazingly utilitarian pistols. They feed any ammunition that is given to the weapon and have rarely jammed when handled correctly.

What polymer guns bring to the table is a lightweight high capacity weapon in the caliber it is chambered in. for a long time There has been the concern of excessive recoil due to the light weight of these handguns. This is where the gen 4's come in. The addition of the dual captive recoil spring, a notable feature of the baby Glocks. The addition of these recoil springs has lowered overall perceived recoil by slowing the unlock time of the slide (as noted by Massad Ayoob.) While I havent noticed any significant change in accuracy to these handguns because of this It has been reported in other shooters that this has effected their accuracy.

This weapon is excellent for both concealed and open carry. I spend most of my time carrying this weapon open. whats nice about the size of the 19 is that while it isn't too small as a duty carry piece It is still small enough that it can be concealed on the fly or even as a primary concealed piece. As stated before this my typical carry holster was the Blackhawk Serpa paddle holster I had no issues concealing with heavier clothing but I did have trouble with tshirts and shorts. Overall printing was not a terrible issue.


The Glock itself can be expected to perform like a Glock, The only way I was able to simulate jams with this weapon was either by intentionally limp wristing, or by overlubing the weapon. (Glocks are very sensitive to oil, it is best to use some sort of grease like froglube or other similar products or run it without oil.)

If you are looking for a daily carry gun you cannot beat a Glock 19; its light, fairly concealable, and fairly accurate. Suggested accessories for this weapon are:

>Upgraded sights: the Glock factory sights are alright for beginners but are far from perfect. I suggest some 3 dot night sights or steel target sights.
>Weapon light: Any carry gun or nightstand gun is not complete without some sort of light. having a weapon light like a surefire x200 is definitely a force multiplier because it lets you control your lighting conditions.
>beavertail backstraps: Glock has recently unveiled their own OEM beavertail backstraps. If you like the hight tang grip these will aid in shooting.

This weapon is fun to shoot, If you don't have one by now you should take a trip to your FFL and pick one up. Even if it doesn't become a carry gun it is still a good range toy.

SHTF approved