Glock 19x First Impressions and Review

It’s not often we get to see some of our favorite handgun manufacturers come up with a design to attempt to win a military contract. However, with the recent MHS trials conducted by the U.S. military, we have had just that. Several big names such as Sig Sauer, Glock, Beretta, and FNH all submitted pistols that met the DOD’s request for a handgun that had several requirements. Some of these, such as the Sig, accomplished this through the use of different frames and interchangeable parts. The Glock 19x and 509 by FNH did it all in one gun. If you followed the MHS trials at all, you already know Sig Sauer won the contract with their XM17 submission, though, rumors circulating say that the Glock placed a very close 2nd place. Some even speculate the decision came down to cost. Who knows…

What is even more rare, however, is that we get the chance to buy and hold a (almost) copy of a gun designed from the ground up for the military. Enter the Glock 19x.

The easiest way to describe the pistol is that it has the grip of a Gen 5 Glock 17, with the slide of a Glock 19. Long grip, short slide. Immediately noticeable is the lack of the oft maligned finger grooves that the Gen 4 Glocks had. Further inspection will show that there is now an ambidextrous slide lock/ release lever, factory installed Tritium Glock night sights, a lip at the bottom front of the grip, a beveled muzzle that matches the beveled surface of the frame.

3 dot steel sights with tritium for low and no light visibility, from the factory.

The 19x is the first pistol in the Glock lineup to come from the factory with a colored slide. Glock states that this coating is impervious to the elements and gives the gun greater durability. While this remains to be seen, the texture is something I find very fulfilling. It is just “grippy” enough that I am able to perform press checks by holding the front of the slide, where there are no serrations.

Magazine capacity comes in at 17 rounds with the flush fitting magazine that the pistol ships with, and 19 rounds with the two magazines fitted with +2 baseplate extensions. A quick note here: The gen 5 magazines with the longer lip on the baseplate will NOT work with the 19x due to the aforementioned “flare” at the bottom of the grip.

Note the lanyard loop at the rear of the grip and the “toe” at the front. This “toe” prevents the use of Gen5 Glock mags in the 19x

The manual safety required by the DOD is missing on the commercially available variant and has caused some frustration from collectors and owners. However, Glock has not, to my knowledge, ever released a pistol in the U.S. with a manual safety, so this continues that tradition. Also, the 19x will fit most 19 holsters, provided the ambidextrous slide lock will clear. Adding a manual safety would necessitate new holsters for many regular 19 owners.

Also onboard the 19x is the much touted Glock Marksman Barrel. With an improved muzzle crown, traditional land and groove rifling instead of the typical polygonal rifling Glock uses, Glock claims these new barrels can halve the group measurements of traditional polygonal barrels. While I can neither confirm or deny Glock’s statement, I CAN attest that I did, in fact, get tighter groupings with the 19x than my 19 Gen4. Whether it is the barrel, or what I consider other improvements, I cannot say.

As expected with Glock, I experienced zero reliability issues when firing the 19. I found the full sized grip to be a joy to shoot with, and despite having been one of the relative few to like the finger grooves on Gen 4 models, found the groove-less grip very pleasant. The night sights are more precise than the traditional Glock U-dot factory configuration. The Tritium inserts glow brightly at night, and the white circle outlines present a good reference in daylight conditions.

In scouring the internet, it is easy to find any number of gripes about the 19x from Glock owners. Many are upset that Glock went with the long grip/ short slide configuration instead of the short grip/ long slide many have been asking for. The reasoning is that a grip is the hardest part of a gun to conceal, and the slide length being a tad longer will deliver a longer sight radius and increased velocity. From the concealed carry perspective, this makes sense. However, the 19x was not designed for concealed carriers. It was designed first and foremost as a duty sidearm to be carried by the military. As such, per the DOD’s stipulations, it was built to spec.

The bevel on the muzzle pairs nicely with the bevel on the frame, a nice touch missing on other Gen 5 Glocks. Note the recessed crown of the Glock Marksman Barrel as well.

Some will, no doubt, carry this gun. I may do so myself. It shot well, handles well, and is, in my opinion, a beautiful weapon. From what I have gathered, these guns can be had anywhere in the price range of $629-$750. For what this handgun delivers, and the potential collector value down the road, I consider it a reasonably priced gun.

 

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19x compared to my Gen 4 19.

 

19x with the extended 17+2 magazine inserted. The gun ships with two of these mags.

 

19x with the standard 17 round magazine, fitting flush. The gun ships with one of these mags.

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