Notably, the Russian special forces, the Swiss Army, and the Philippine Marines all use the Glock 17– a big deal for countries that have vibrant and world-renowned firearms industries and the will to buy local. In the past 40 years, the full-sized pistol has been adopted by not only the Austrian military but also the armies of both France and Britain, the hard-charging Israeli Defense Forces, the Dutch military, the New Zealand Defense Force, and a host of others. While the cut is negligible– remember we are talking about a half-inch or so in each direction– it nonetheless creates a gun that is more easily concealed when needed while still offering 15+1 shots on tap.Īlthough it has a shorter sight radius than the G17, the G19 is still very accurate with experienced shooters lining up to show off 100-yard shots with the platform.įrom its first contract, the Glock 17 has been a hit with those carrying a pistol for duty purposes, be it military or law enforcement. The Glock 19, meanwhile, trims both length and height from the standard G17, which as a by-product also ditches a couple of ounces of weight in exchange for a smaller magazine capacity. Remember, this is a gun that was made for a soldier to carry openly on his web gear, so a compact size was not high on the list of requirements considered during its design. However, the size of the G17 makes it impractical for discreet concealed carry except under a significant cover garment.
Likewise, the recoil impulse on the G17 is milder due to the longer travel of the action and the extra weight of the pistol, factors which eat up the felt recoil and allow the shooter to remain on target easier for more rapid follow-up shots even for those with larger hands. This is because the extra length contributes to a longer sight radius (6.65 inches long on the G17, compared to the G19’s 5.98 inches) while the barrel length gives the powder a skosh more time to burn and the bullet an extra bit of twist to produce slightly more velocity and energy downrange. The Glock 17, with its longer barrel and slide, is inherently a bit more accurate, especially at distance. Keep in mind when comparing the Glock 17 and 19 is that the first was created initially to win a military sidearm contract while the second, smaller gun, was introduced after feedback from the commercial and law enforcement market for a pistol better suited for carry purposes.Īs such, the two guns cater to different purposes.