The last few weeks or so I have been looking at getting a 9mm for carry for several reasons. First is I didn't have a 9mm and since I am a brass hoarder I figured I should get a 9mm to put my brass to good use. Second was that I wanted a physically smaller gun than the G20 I have been carrying, with summer coming up I don't want to have to wear clothes that don't fit just to make the 10mm disappear and found that it printed pretty bad even carrying appendix.
My requirements in no particular order were 1. The gun be small enough that I could carry the thing with minimal printing. 2. The gun be big enough that I can shoot it well. 3. The gun be built well that I can put untold thousands of round through the thing. 4. Reliable.
Now a little about me, that definitely influences my choices. I am 6'2" weighting in at 180lbs, wear a 32x34 jean even carrying AIWB, wear a 34" belt, and typically wear a medium or large t-shirt depending of my mood, but the larges are borderline too baggy. I kinda have big hands, I typically have to try on a bunch of gloves when buying gloves because most XL gloves are too small (all XL gloves fingers are too short) and I can't ever find XXL gloves. I don't like to wear baggy clothing, you won't catch me dead wearing a Hawaiian shirt or a bowling shirt or anything with long sleeves(monkey arms). So, it is pretty much polos and t-shirts for me and the occasional button up.
I was in the local gun shop this weekend looking at the amazingly small assortment of pistols, because this is small town MT there isn't much selection. I looked at the LC9, M&P shield and Beretta Nano. Now all of these guns were absolutely TINY and fit the concealment criteria, but I had a hard time holding onto the things which led me to believe that I probably wouldn't have a desire to go out and shoot them much. I also worried about how long these little guns would last. The guy at the gunshop then directed me to a G19Gen 4 and when I picked it up all I could think was WOW.
Handling the thing. The gun is small, I had on me a appendix holster I used for my G22 before local law enforcement took it from me and is holding it as evidence, but I put the 19 in the holster and the gun completely disappeared with very minimal printing. Now I am used to carrying the G20 because it fits my hands well, so when I held the thing, all I could think was SMALL and THIN.
I have handled the smaller Glocks before but maybe it is from being used to the big Glocks and not seeing my G22 in over 4 months, but I don't remember them being that small or thin.
Since I have had good luck with Glocks, I went for it. Both my G22 and G20 have performed flawlessly and I figured that the 19 would be the same. Took the thing to the range Sunday and ran 200 rounds through it without a hiccup. The hardest thing to get used to is how thin the gun is, I know not everyone agrees with me on this but everybody has a different perspective. Will be ordering a new holster for it this week.
I really like the thing, I can shoot it well, conceal it well, and if Glock's reputation holds I will have many years ahead with it. I really like the large beavertail backstrap, without it I get slide bite, I do with the large backstrap added a little more length to the trigger reach, but it is just something I will have to live with.
Overall I am pleased with my purchase so far.
My requirements in no particular order were 1. The gun be small enough that I could carry the thing with minimal printing. 2. The gun be big enough that I can shoot it well. 3. The gun be built well that I can put untold thousands of round through the thing. 4. Reliable.
Now a little about me, that definitely influences my choices. I am 6'2" weighting in at 180lbs, wear a 32x34 jean even carrying AIWB, wear a 34" belt, and typically wear a medium or large t-shirt depending of my mood, but the larges are borderline too baggy. I kinda have big hands, I typically have to try on a bunch of gloves when buying gloves because most XL gloves are too small (all XL gloves fingers are too short) and I can't ever find XXL gloves. I don't like to wear baggy clothing, you won't catch me dead wearing a Hawaiian shirt or a bowling shirt or anything with long sleeves(monkey arms). So, it is pretty much polos and t-shirts for me and the occasional button up.
I was in the local gun shop this weekend looking at the amazingly small assortment of pistols, because this is small town MT there isn't much selection. I looked at the LC9, M&P shield and Beretta Nano. Now all of these guns were absolutely TINY and fit the concealment criteria, but I had a hard time holding onto the things which led me to believe that I probably wouldn't have a desire to go out and shoot them much. I also worried about how long these little guns would last. The guy at the gunshop then directed me to a G19Gen 4 and when I picked it up all I could think was WOW.
Handling the thing. The gun is small, I had on me a appendix holster I used for my G22 before local law enforcement took it from me and is holding it as evidence, but I put the 19 in the holster and the gun completely disappeared with very minimal printing. Now I am used to carrying the G20 because it fits my hands well, so when I held the thing, all I could think was SMALL and THIN.
I have handled the smaller Glocks before but maybe it is from being used to the big Glocks and not seeing my G22 in over 4 months, but I don't remember them being that small or thin.
Since I have had good luck with Glocks, I went for it. Both my G22 and G20 have performed flawlessly and I figured that the 19 would be the same. Took the thing to the range Sunday and ran 200 rounds through it without a hiccup. The hardest thing to get used to is how thin the gun is, I know not everyone agrees with me on this but everybody has a different perspective. Will be ordering a new holster for it this week.
I really like the thing, I can shoot it well, conceal it well, and if Glock's reputation holds I will have many years ahead with it. I really like the large beavertail backstrap, without it I get slide bite, I do with the large backstrap added a little more length to the trigger reach, but it is just something I will have to live with.
Overall I am pleased with my purchase so far.
