Written by Phillip

Glock 19x Review

The Glock 19x is essentially a crossover between the Glock 17 and Glock 19. It utilizes the frame from the 17 and the slide/ barrel of the 19.

This firearm was originally developed to compete in the U.S Army trial for a modular pistol. In the end, it was beaten by the Sig Sauer P320 but remained a strong competitor throughout testing.

In the beginning, many concealed-carry folks thought that this configuration did not serve much of a purpose in the civilian market. But although the larger grip does make it harder to conceal it is great for people with larger hands who want a gun with
a compact barrel.

I'm happy to say that this model comes with factory steel self-luminescent night sights out of the box. A big upgrade from the standard polymer sights that come with most other Glock models.

A Glock Marksman Barrel is installed on the 19x. This is the same barrel that is used on the Gen 5 models which improves the polygonal rifling and gives the barrel a crown to protect it from dents if the bore strikes something hard.

Out of the box, the gun comes with a standard 17 rounds magazine as well as 2 extended base plate mags that will hold 19 rounds.

The magazines are the same flat dark earth (FDE) color that the rest of the gun uses, making it easy to tell 19x mags apart from all other factory Glock magazines.

It is important to note that because of the design of the bottom of the frame, gen 5 magazines will not fit into the 19x.

That little lip in front of the mag is why we can’t have newer mags

Since modularity was what the Glock 19x was built around you can bet that they paid extra attention to make sure the gun would work for all users.

The slide lock is ambidextrous and the magazine release is swappable from the left side to the right. There are also 4 backstraps included with the gun to further shape the gun to your hand.

They also deleted the finger grooves that were present in previous Glock models making it much more versatile for all hand sizes.

Another feature that crossed over to the Gen 5 Glocks was the trigger used on the Glock 19x. From the ground up the trigger was reengineered to be simpler, beefer, and only uses one retainer pin.

Overall this trigger has a much smoother take-up than previous triggers. It tends to be a heavier pull out of the box but Glock triggers lighten up with use so it’s not much of an issue.

You can tell it is a gen 5 trigger since there is only a single pin above the trigger.

I was surprised to see the omission of a flared magwell on the 19x. Inserting the magazines is by no means difficult but the gen 5 flared mag well definitely helps with fast reloads.

A double recoil spring is used to help soften the recoil of the gun. 9mm is not a very hot round to begin with but this feature does make a noticeable difference when shooting it and a gen 3 Glock at the same time.

Last but not least the Glock 19x sports a lanyard loop at the bottom of the frame near the magwell.

Specifications

Caliber: 9x19
System: Safe Action
Magazine: Standard 17 Optional 19, 24, 31, 33
Barrel Length: 102 mm | 4.02 inch
Weight (without magazine): 625 g | 22.05 oz
Weight (with empty magazine): 704 g | 24.83 oz
Weight (with loaded magazine): 890 g | 31.39 oz
Trigger Pull: 5.5lbs
Length (Overall): 189 mm | 7.44 inch
Slide Length: 174 mm | 6.85 inch
Width (Overall): 33 mm | 1.30 inch
Slide Width: 25.5 mm | 1.0 inch
Height (incl magazine): 139 mm | 5.47 inch

Why is the Glock 19x a Good Choice?

As you can tell from reading above, the research and development for the Glock 19x directly affected the features that would later be included on the gen 5 models.

Many unique features for this gun compared to the gen 4 offerings have carried over to the gen 5.

It was a step in the right direction to making a pistol that would work well for everybody and is the only firearm Glock currently makes that comes factory-made with the coyote nPVD coating.

How Does it Compare to Other Glock Models?

The Glock 19x is in a special spot in terms of how it compares to other models. It has the compact designation while still having the grip size of a duty handgun.

The only other pistol that truly compares to the 19x is the Glock 45. The G45 takes the complete gen 5 approach to what the 19x started back in 2018.

It has the same coating that all other fifth-generation Glocks have and includes the flared mag well while getting rid of the lanyard loop. Glock 45s also have front serrations to add to the ergonomics.

Glock 19x Competitors

The biggest competitor to the Glock 19x is the handgun that took its spot in the military trials the Sig Sauer P320. The P320 is also a striker fire, polymer frame pistol.

The Sig features front slide serrations that Glock did not introduce until the Gen 5 models.

The M17 variant that won the military trials had even larger extended magazines holding up to 21 rounds. A big attribute the Sig had over the Glock was that on the P320 the slide was milled to accept a baseplate for red dot sights.

Since some police agencies have started to eye up the 19x as a potential replacement pistol another direct competitor would be the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0. Smith and Wesson’s offering to the military trial were very similar to Glock’s contribution.

One thing that set them apart was the 19xs higher magazine capacity at 19 round over the 17 round of the M&P 2.0

Another pistol present in the military trial was the CZ P09 suppressor ready.

Unfortunately, I believe the CZ was doomed from the start from being hammer-fired instead of a striker like the rest of the competition.

Although the suppressor-ready model makes adding muzzle devices a breeze, it also has much higher sights than the rest of the models that took part in the trial.

These are still great handguns and I am a huge fan of CZ products, I just don’t think they had what the U.S. Army was looking for at the time.

How Does the Striker Fire System Work?

In a striker fire pistol racking the action will arm an internal spring that is located inside the slide.

This eliminates the need for an external hammer which is found on traditional pistols.

Once the trigger is pulled the spring will slam down on the primer and ignite the powder inside the cartridge sending the bullet down the barrel.

This approach to pistol design has been refined over the years and is now regarded to be more reliable than the hammer-fired design. Because of this many military and law enforcement agencies are looking for a sidearm with this system.

What finish is used on the Glock 19x?

The Glock 19x slide uses a unique nPVD coating that is not found on any other Glock.

This process was used because of its excellent corrosion and wear resistance.

This coating also gave the firearm a nice tan color which was required in order to participate in the U.S. Army trial.

Customization for the Glock 19x

The Glock 19x is compatible with gen 5 trigger systems.

This can add a crisper and lighter trigger pull depending on what you are looking for.

A quality trigger will work wonders in being able to hit targets consistently out to longer ranges and makes rapid-fire easier to maintain.

This sweet 19x customization from ZR Tactical Solutions shows how awesome you can make these guns look.

Extended slide stops and magazine releases are other parts that will assist you throughout the manipulation of the pistol. These parts become even more important to those with smaller hands.

Best Ammo to Use in the Glock 19x

There is a lot of choice on the market when it comes to how to feed your gun. My recommendation would be to stick to 115 or 124-grain bullets whenever possible to maintain consistency throughout your range sessions.

Range Ammo:

CCI Brass Blazer is my go-to round of range work.

They are cheap and reliable.

115 and 124-grain options are found commonly making it easy to get a large round count in during your trip to practice.

Another great option is PMC Bronze.

You will find these mostly in the 115-grain weight but 124 grain does also exist.

They function very well and are sold in very compact packaging making it easy to squeeze a few extra rounds in your ammo can that would otherwise be taken up by larger boxes other brands come with.

Defense:

I think the best choice for a defense round is Federal HST in 124 grain.

This round provides excellent stopping power and expansion allowing it to resolve conflict rapidly. Higher grain weights are available but as I said before keep your bullet weights consistent.

Best Accessories for Your Glock 19x

You can never go wrong with a holster for your handguns.

The Glock 19x is compatible with gen 5 Glock 19 holsters so there is plenty to choose from. There is no harm in getting multiple to suit the various uses that this pistol can serve.

Being a service pistol it never hurts to get yourself a nice flashlight that mounts to the accessory rail.

If you choose to get a holster just be mindful that you will likely need to get a holster with the specific cut for the flashlight that you are using so make sure you pick up something that is used and found commonly.

Pros:

Frame

This gun is great for people with larger hands who want a compact slide while concealed carrying.

No finger grooves make the 19x much easier for all hand sizes to use the firearm effectively.

This frame is one size fits all.

Trigger

The gen 5 trigger is a definite upgrade from the previous factory trigger offered by the company.

Reliable

The Glock 19x is an extremely reliable pistol that will keep working regardless of how much abuse you put it through.

Accurate

Glocks Markman Barrel is extremely accurate out of the box and even outperforms some of the aftermarket offerings available.

Left Handed Shooters Allowed

An ambidextrous design allows left-hand shooters the ability to manipulate the firearm just as easily as right-hand shooters.

Ergonomic

This firearm was one of the first models launched by Glock to have a rounded slide and also has the interchangeable backstraps that were introduced with the gen 4 models. This greatly increases ergonomics and does not have the blocky feel of older Glocks.

Sights

Probably my favorite addition to the 19x is the standard night sights that come with it out of the box. I always prefer to have metal sights over polymer and these sights are even self-luminescent making it easier to gain a good sight picture in dim lighting.

Cons:

Magazines

It sucks that the 19x is not compatible with gen 5 magazines. But at least we get two factory 19 round mags with the gun that kind of makes up for it.

Not having a flared magwell also blows after using the gen 5 models. It’s definitely not the end of the world and I still find it easier to insert the mags in the 19x than my SP01.

Harder To Conceal Carry

The 19x is harder to conceal carry compared to other Glock 19s because of the larger grip that this firearm has.

Glock 19x Overall Review

This is a gun that does almost everything right in my eyes.

It is one of my favorite pistols that Glock has produced and I think it serves the purpose well.

Having steel sights out of the box is a huge selling point for me and the modularity and ergonomic improvements are welcome additions.

The price point does reflect o this being more of a one-of-a-kind product from the company but at least you can be confident that your purchase will provide you with satisfaction for years to come.

P.S. stop hating on FDE it is sexy and you know it!

Rating: 4.5 / 5

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