Buy Glock 19 or 26? Recommendations?

gaijinsamurai · Feb 15, 2011

I carried a G19 when I worked as a Parole and Probation Officer in Lane County, and it was probably the best all-around pistol I've ever owned. I sold it when I quit, which I regret.

Even though my current concealed carry pistol is a Glock 30, which I love, i'd like to get another G19, just because it's such a good pistol.

servingu · Feb 15, 2011

Glock 19 all the way, I have a Glock 17, 19 and 26 i like the 17 the best but the 19 can stand on it's on.
For an all around great gun you will not go wrong with the 19

costarica · Feb 16, 2011

Thanks for the many great tips on my choice between a Glock 19 and 26. I planed to go to dealers today 2/16, but it stared snowing and I knew people will be bumping into each other so it will have to wait. I am in Salmon Creek. How about good dealers? Local or online. Also, I have a concealed weapon permit for Washington. I suppose Oregon and WA don't have a reciprocal agreement on that, do they? If not, does anyone know if we from WA can get a permit for Oregon? Has any organization petitioned for a national concealed carry permit? It would sure help for people who travel frequently. Chris

zane · Feb 16, 2011

You can get an Oregon permit but they require a short class, and then there's a 60-day waiting period. There is no reciprocation so you need one to carry in Oregon. Look on the Multnomah County Sheriff's website for more information.

For a shop I would recommend checking out Brightwater Ventures (across from the Orchards Bi-Mart).

zane · Feb 16, 2011

Also, if you went through an online dealer they would have to ship to a local FFL holder anyway and you would have to pay tax and transfer fee. It's easiest for us WA people to buy a gun in WA, or from one of the few shops in Portland that have transfer deals with Vancouver shops.

turq · Feb 16, 2011

I'd go with the Sub-Compact. You can always get the sub to take on the High Cap. Mags. Easier to hide [in an auto] the sub-compact. Look at extra Bbl. conversions maybe as the decider.

addiction · Feb 16, 2011

for what its worth, I too am one of those G23/G27 guys as well, I carry both regularly, but I will say the weight of the 23 is what I consider most to be the issue. I have a CrossBreed Supertuck, and it is really good for concealment and does a good job with bearing the weight, but the G27 is lighter and makes it easier for a longer day.

I have shot the G23 a lot, and really like it, I did not like the G27 much until I put the pierce extensions on the mags (+1 ones) and now I don't mind shooting it. The shorter mag is still a bit harder to manipulate and might cause an issue without practice under stress.

Thebastidge · Feb 17, 2011

Ski-Dog has the best answer I've seen in this thread: "It depends." Anybody who tells you what is best without qualifying it, is probably full of it, hasn't tried much different gear and is just going off their limited experience, or simply doesn't think things through.

I'm 6' 230# and I carry a full frame .40: the Glock 22. In several years of daily concealed carry, I have been "made" once, I think. It depends on how you carry. Don't make price your primary decision factor on a holster. Some cheap ones work well for some people, and some expensive ones work poorly for some people. You won't know until you have carried daily for several months, at least.

I don't worry about printing for 3 reasons:

A: It's not illegal. Both Oregon and Washington are open-carry states. Check out opencarry.org for unending discussion of that.

B: Most people are oblivious. I have open-carried without people noticing, much less a slight outline. Even most cops and criminals aren't looking for it, especially if you dress like a citizen and don't present yourself like a gang-banger wanna-be.

C: You will probably adjust your wardrobe if you continue to carry every day. I never used to have an untucked shirt (13+ years in the military.) Now I usually have an untucked shirt or a jacket. I wear more shirt-over-tshirt, which I didn't always do. I buy my pants a size bigger to keep a little space for holster. I have multiple holsters, depending on where I'm going, doing, and going to wear.

Any modern pistol is just exactly as accurate as the shooter. With a short distance from rear to front sight and the way the human body works, the mechanical accuracy of the firearm exceeds your fine motor control by a large margin. Some designs are indeed more robust and reliable than others. Glocks are fine in this regard and widely used by LE and militaries around the world. Glocks are very simple and easy to field strip and clean. You will separate it into barrel, spring, slide, and frame to clean it. It takes literally about 5 seconds to disassemble.

Subcompacts tend to be less comfortable for big hands. I have orangutan paws and subcompacts, even with the magazine extender, don't feel comfortable. On the other hand, my sisters find the grip of my Glock 22 to be like trying to hold a 2x4.

I prefer the .40 for the larger rounds, with the same capacity as the Glock 19. .40 caliber ammunition is more expensive, and that's something to consider for practice.