Following a recent move to a free state, I've had occasion to go back what was for many years my preferred type of Glock for carry, the 19. My 26 and it's MA-legal 10 round capacity gave me years of faithful service, and I made the choice to sell it to another shooter since the guns tend to be rare in the Commonwealth and command something a premium. This paid for a new Glock 19 and a few extras–some past experience led me to appreciate, and others that are being tried out. I figured I'd share a bit to show off the new guns and talk about some of the changes I made. Because I don't like mods for their own sake, in the list I try to touch on the reason behind each one.
Pics of the new carry setup: Glock 19 w/ XC1 WML.
Surefire XC1: I was excited to see this light announced last year, as it represented the first time where I thought technology had caught up to a place where a weapon-mounted light for a CCW reached a feasible size and negligible weight. Indeed, the light is no wider than the gun and rides flush with the muzzle. The 200 lumen beam is consistent across it's wide throw, and while it wouldn't be my first choice if I were LE or a door kicker I feel it's ideal for the double-duty of CCW and HD.
Sights: I consider the OEM plastic sights the weakest hardware link on a stock Glock, particularly ever since having a front sight fall off of a Glock 19 during the simple act of pulling it out of the safe. I also prefer the one-handed manipulation options that come with metal sights, and after trying out several different types over the years, and found Ameriglo CAP sights to be easy to acquire during the day or in low light with a single tritium capsule up front.
Talon Grips: About as good as a home stipple job, but with less irritation if carried against skin. Very happy with these so far.
Smooth Gock OEM Trigger and Extended Slide Stop Lever: While I tend to do OK with stock Glock triggers, my wife finds the smooth face ones more comfortable to shoot, so we went ahead with the switch. Most of the time I slingshot the slide on a reload, but went ahead with the extended lever since it's cheap and easier for those of us with small hands that the stock lever, should it ever be needed for one-handed use.
The AIWB rig is made by Gundo Holsters. This is a recent arrival that I'm beginning to ease into, but my initial observations are that the "wing" on the holster helps with concealment over my previous kydex holster that didn't have one. I was also uncertain how much additional circumference would be taken up by the light, but out running errands today the holster remained comfortable on the exact same belt notch as my old one.
Most importantly with any shooter, and particularly one with a new gun to wring out, I spent a day with a local trainer and had no hiccups over several hundred rounds, and a lot of fun refreshing old skills, IDing some training scars, and picking up some new skills/techniques to focus on.
What about you? Have past experiences led to changes on carry guns? Or do you like to stick closer to stock configuration?
Pics of the new carry setup: Glock 19 w/ XC1 WML.
Surefire XC1: I was excited to see this light announced last year, as it represented the first time where I thought technology had caught up to a place where a weapon-mounted light for a CCW reached a feasible size and negligible weight. Indeed, the light is no wider than the gun and rides flush with the muzzle. The 200 lumen beam is consistent across it's wide throw, and while it wouldn't be my first choice if I were LE or a door kicker I feel it's ideal for the double-duty of CCW and HD.
Sights: I consider the OEM plastic sights the weakest hardware link on a stock Glock, particularly ever since having a front sight fall off of a Glock 19 during the simple act of pulling it out of the safe. I also prefer the one-handed manipulation options that come with metal sights, and after trying out several different types over the years, and found Ameriglo CAP sights to be easy to acquire during the day or in low light with a single tritium capsule up front.
Talon Grips: About as good as a home stipple job, but with less irritation if carried against skin. Very happy with these so far.
Smooth Gock OEM Trigger and Extended Slide Stop Lever: While I tend to do OK with stock Glock triggers, my wife finds the smooth face ones more comfortable to shoot, so we went ahead with the switch. Most of the time I slingshot the slide on a reload, but went ahead with the extended lever since it's cheap and easier for those of us with small hands that the stock lever, should it ever be needed for one-handed use.
The AIWB rig is made by Gundo Holsters. This is a recent arrival that I'm beginning to ease into, but my initial observations are that the "wing" on the holster helps with concealment over my previous kydex holster that didn't have one. I was also uncertain how much additional circumference would be taken up by the light, but out running errands today the holster remained comfortable on the exact same belt notch as my old one.
Most importantly with any shooter, and particularly one with a new gun to wring out, I spent a day with a local trainer and had no hiccups over several hundred rounds, and a lot of fun refreshing old skills, IDing some training scars, and picking up some new skills/techniques to focus on.
What about you? Have past experiences led to changes on carry guns? Or do you like to stick closer to stock configuration?
