Glock 19 Gen 5 Review – 2024

Glcok 19 5th Gen, what's new on the latest Glock that has is one of the best-selling guns of 2022 already.

Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm Pistol

  • Price: $539.99
  • Caliber: 9mm Luger
  • Overall: 7.28 inch
  • Barrel Length: 4.02 inch
  • Width: 1.34 inch
  • Weight: 1.8lb
  • Magazine capacity: 17+1/10+1

When Glock unveiled the fifth generation Glock 19 9mm pistol, you could virtually here the room deflate. It looks a bit like, well, it looks almost exactly like the outgoing model. But it’s better, everywhere.

The Glock 19M, 45 and 19x join the standard issue list for hundreds of military and law enforcement units every year. The FBI has moved to the Glock 19M now and this polymer frame special is still the go to service weapon.

Preferential pricing through the Glock Blue Label program helps. but the reliability, minimal maintenance and other factors all come in to play.

We’ll cover these weapons a little further down, or you can see them on our list of the best Glocks for sale in 2024.

Our Test Scores

We try to give you a proper hands on review and then reduce hours of our work to simple scores that help you decide whether to buy a gun or not.

Well the Glock scored well, and here are the final results:

  • Price 3/5
  • Accuracy: 4/5
  • Reliability: 5/5
  • Capacity: 4.5/5
  • Weight: 4/5
  • Features: 3/5
  • Prestige: 3.5/5
  • Value: 4/5
  • Total: 32

It’s a good score for the Glock 19 then, and we do recommend you buy one.

Is the Glock 19 Gen 5 a Good Gun?

So is it worth going for the Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm pistol? Or should you check out the likes of Sig Sauer, Walther, HK or other rivals‘ best sellers instead?

This is the first Glock you don’t need to modify, which is a big selling point. Every previous generation of Glock needed trigger work and other mods to make it really sing. The Glock G19 Gen 5 just doesn’t.

Well that largely depends on how you feel about the grip angle and the complete lack of a manual safety and reliance on the Glock Safe Action concept. Those are either big selling points, or issues. There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground.

New stippling and minor changes mean this is still a brick of a semi auto pistol, but it is a much more comfortable brick.

As for the safety issue, well you either agree with the Glock Safe Action or you don’t. Glock argues a manual safety is just another distraction and if you press the trigger then the gun should fire.

So the trigger pull is also the safety, with a trigger blade safety that needs to be depressed before you can actually follow through with the trigger pull. But there’s no lever action safety on the side of the gun and pulling the trigger disengages the internal safeties.

Glock Safeties = Holsters and Your Finger

If you believe in Kydex holsters that protect the trigger at all times, this won’t even be a thing for you. But if you throw your pistol in your pocket then yeah, we’d recommend a gun with a manual safety for obvious reasons.

Sig Sauer and S&W can both cater to you that little bit better.

The Glock G19 is among the most returned pistols for that reason, though, as new shooters order their striker fire Glock and only later realize there’s no external safety on their semi-auto pistols. If you know that going in, you shouldn’t have an issue.

Is the Glock 19 Gen 5 a Good Concealed Carry Pistol?

Tens of thousands of people everyday carry a Glock 19 Gen 5. So yes it is a good carry gun, but also no. It’s a bigger gun than you think and you really have to accommodate this compact 9mm pistol with a great IWB holster or even loose fitting clothing.

The Glock 43x holds 10 rounds and is a much better carry handgun thanks to the smaller frame and reduced dimensions. It’s easier to conceal and won’t spend all day stabbing you in the leg or hip. If your hand size fits it, you’ll love these best sellers and we highly recommend them.

Now this G19 is a much better all rounder, thanks that longer barrel and more rounds. it covers home defense, range shooting and you CAN conceal it. But there are better options if you’re looking at an EDC CCW and this is more of a law enforcement duty pistol.

New Features on Glock 19 Gen 5

But what are the new features on the Glock 19 Gen 5 semi automatic pistols that stand out?

1. No finger grooves

Yes, those irksome molded grips with the finger grooves are gone and you can choose where to grip your Glock pistol now, which gives you more control.

It’s a pretty common mod to cut in to the trigger guard and hold the gun higher up.

Now you don’t need to change the grip to accomplish that.

2. Sharper Trigger

It’s a testament to the rest that we have been willing to overlook a spongy trigger set. Most serious shooters switch it out, but the new gun is much more precise and you might not have to do that anymore with this OEM Glock trigger pull.

3. New rifling

The new on sale Glock Marksman Barrel comes with a new rifling design for increased accuracy.

4. Flared Mag Well

It’s a small change, but the gun will help to guide the mag into place. When you need to keep your eyes in front, that could be a huge difference.

5. Beveled Slider

The front edge of the slider is now beveled and it does look good. It doesn’t quite match up to the frame, though, and it does look like an assortment of parts, guns, accessories etc.

Aesthetically, we think it’s a slight improvement. But it’s had a knock-on effect and we can see a line of modded frames that provide a slicker finish.

6. Reversible Magazine Catch

It’s a simple concept, but it provides further ambidextrous control. This is in addition to the ambidextrous slide-stop lever.

7. New Magazines

You get an orange follower in the new magazines and a slight redesign that should allow for faster reloads.

8. nDLC Finish

It’s a new type of coating that should ensure your Glock Model remains resistant to scratches and corrosion. Your Glock should just keep firing, that’s all you need to know.

The Glock Marksman Barrel is a further step up in terms of range performance.

9. Glock Safe Action Refinements

Glock has worked hard on its Safe Action system to ensure that the gun does not accidentally discharge when it’s dropped, but it is always ready to fire. Reliability and simplicity are core Glock values.

Summary

If you have already got a Gen 4 Glock 19 Gen 5 price, or even the great G19 Gen3 9mm, then you could probably spend the money elsewhere. You really don’t need the incremental improvements you’re going to find in the Gen 5 semi-automatic pistols.

But, that said, the Gen 5 Glock G19 is a much better firearm overall.

The new Glock 19 Gen5 9mm is stunning and it’s comfortably at the head of our 9mm compact handguns field.

Glock G19 Gen 5 Variations For LEO and Military

Glock 19x Gen 5. A fantastic service pistol with a larger frame

1. Glock 19x

  • Price: $88.99
  • Caliber: 9mm Luger
  • Overall Length: 7.28 inch
  • Barrel Length: 4.02 inch
  • Width: 1.34 inch
  • Weight: 1.8lb
  • Capacity: 17+1/10+1

Military users wanted a compact slide and a full-sized frame striker fire pistol, so Glock duly obliged and combined the best parts of the Glock 17 and Glock G19 Gen 5 to create the 19x.

With more real estate on the handle, slightly more ambidextrous controls like an ambidextrous slide stop and more 9mm bullets in the optional extended magazine, the 9mm Glock 19x proved a hit.

You get the Marksman Barrel, an nPVD coating on the slide for corrosion resistance and durability. Also, there’s a lanyard loop that matters to military personnel for added security and the standard accessory rail for laser sights or weapon lights.

It’s a high price, high spec Glock Model, especially in Gen5 MOS form, but this version is worth it for home defense. Oh and it’s Coyote Tan, not Flat Dark Earth, if you care…


Glock 45 9mm pistol on sale now. Get yours

2. Glock 45 Gen5 MOS

  • Price: $539.99
  • Caliber: 9mm
  • Overall: 7.28 inch
  • Barrel: 4.02 inch
  • Width: 1.34 inch
  • Weight: 1.8lb with empty magazine
  • Magazine Capacity: 17+1/10+1

Essentially this is a black version of the Glock 19/Glock 17 hybrid 19x for LEOs. It also works great for personal defense and recreational shooting.

A Coyote Tan finish just didn’t go with the uniform, so these are the LEO version Glock guns. They come with the Glock 19 G19 Gen5 9mm slide with front serrations and Glock 17 frame. That’s really the USP.

This is an MOS model, which means you can mount red dot sights up top, which is a good thing, as well as a weapon light on the rail. You can also upgrade to better fiber optic night sights.

This Glock 19/Glock 17 hybrid has turned into many commentators favorite Glock pistols and all round defensive pistol. We can see why.


Glock 19M, the FBI spec version of the best selling Glock G19.

3. Glock 19M

The semi-auto compact 9mm Glock 19M does occasionally come up for sale under the Glock Blue Label program. But really it’s an FBI spec version of the Glock 19 Gen 5 9mm concealed carry pistol, that’s all.

Pistol features include specific night sights with a low drag rear sight and a rounded magazine release button that works better for concealment. Those are the big differences. Huge huh?

Gun Parts & Accessories

This semi-automatic pistol is a best seller and so there is a massive market for aftermarket Glock 19 parts and upgrades.

Check out this post for the top Glock 19 parts, holsters, Glock magazines, mods and accessories you can buy right now for your polymer frame handgun.

Upgrade the firing pin, ambidextrous slide stop, white dot front sight, rear sight, guide rod and a few other parts, if you like. Together with polymer grip modules and, increasingly, muzzle devices, these are the best sellers. But it’s not essential these days.

Glocks are famously low maintenance, so you really don’t need many Glock accessories and gun parts, holsters, gear at all. Need and want are different things, of course.

Glock 19 Gen 3.

The Leading Glock 19 Gen Ever?

Many enthusiasts claim that a good condition G19 Gen3 9mm is the greatest of all time, and they may be right.

Our opinion is that the Gen5 is a significant step forward over both the G19 Gen3 9mm and the Gen4 Glock pistols.

The Glock 19 Gen 4 wasn’t great and there were real, tangible problems. So the whole Gen 3 love made some sense.

It came with finger grooves, too, but the trigger was better than the Glock 19 Gen 4 and the stippling was nicer.

But those issues have pretty much all been fixed now and pining after the Gen 3 Glock, even in good condition, feels like insisting that vinyl beats an MP4.

That time has just passed and the Glock 19 Gen 5 is better than the Gen 3 Glock. We’re sure…

Where to Buy Ammo

If you want to buy 9mm ammo, handgun ammo, rifle ammo, rimfire ammo or others, we’ve got a few suggestions for you for guns, accessories & ammo. Look out for free shipping too and a fully loaded magazine deal.

A Couple of Cheaper Options

We did a whole post on cheap Glock alternatives here, but if you’re looking for a budget alternative then we’d either go with the Smith & Wesson M&P or the Palmetto State Armory Dagger.

I mean we still like the Glock 19 Gen 5 a lot, but there are real options.

Now the Palmetto State Armory Dagger is an interesting gun that is starting to evolve into an entire model line.

You can buy a basic gun for less than $300 or or just a black polymer grip module to get started.

Or spend a little more and get all kinds of exotic slide cuts on the new steel slide and custom pistol touches. Day-Night sights, an extended ambidextrous slide stop and a even a tactical grip frame are all there, as well as a new empty magazine with higher capacity.

Other Glock Clones

The Palmetto State Armory is more or less a Glock clone, and so you can buy an abundance of parts that will look basically familiar to you. It’s just they cost less. It’s a reliable handgun too.

Even a top of the line Palmetto State Armory Dagger is way cheaper than an entry level G19, and it might just represent better value. It might not be quite as sharp at the gun range, but it’s close enough.

Glock Parts & Accessories

Do you want finger grooves and a manual safety on your Glock 19 Gen 5? Well there’s a way with a grip frame module. Grip modules are a simple and cheap way to tune the hell out of your gun without making your own modifications and potentially screwing it up.

Wilson Combat do a great grip frame module with a starburst grip, a cut for the safety and some other sweet mods. Just change the Fire Control Unit over from your existing gun to the grip frame module and you’re kinda done.

Get finger grooves, wood panel grips, an aggressive color scheme and more.


We don’t do gift cards, so stop asking about gift cards, or your gift card balance We never store your credit card info too, because you put your credit card info direct with our affiliate program partners and so you need their return policy too.

We don’t sell or share personal information, and read the full terms of service here.

The Glock brand is a Federally Registered Trademark and we are not associated with the brand in any way. We just like a good pistol, Glock and others. You can get Glock shirts, tops, apparel, gifts, collectibles and more….

Author

  • Nick Hall

    Nick is a lifelong gun enthusiast who has a simple mission. He wants to find the best deals for guns online and help you make the best choices with weapons your life may depend on one day.Nick won a minor league shooting competition at the age of 11 and it all went from there. Now he runs one of the biggest firearms websites on the net and his work has featured in Playboy US, Tatler Asia, Forbes and a whole host of national magazines and websites.

1 thought on “Glock 19 Gen 5 Review – 2024”

  1. Pingback: 11 Best Glock Pistols For Sale - September 2022 - USA Gun Shop

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top