Glock 19 or 26?

In before the "Glock's don't fit my hand" and the "blah blah blah ergonomics" crowd show up!

What would you guys have done just 20 years ago?

I have both. I would always go Glock 19 first. It does both CCW work and home defense work well. Size to capacity to weight it has few equals.

The 26 is a great gun too.

The 19 may be the most popular Glock made and maybe even 9mm ever.

Get the 19.

Depends on your size and what you wear.
Height? Weight? Loose or fitted clothing?

Which glock?

I carry a 26 everyday in an office setting . The 19 was just a little too hard for me to keep concealed comfortably . If you get a couple of + 2 mags , you will increase your total rounds by 4 , and the extension gives room for the pinky.
I also put Crimson Trace and night sights on mine and in all , I am very satisfied with the total package . Not the prettiest weapon in the world but it always goes bang and it is always with me .

Owned both. Still own my G19.

Vote for G26 here. The 26 can grow, but the 19 can never shrink.

I have a G23 (same size as 19) and it doesn't carry nearly as comfortably as the G26 in stock form. The G26 is a fantastic little gun.

legion3 said:

In before the "Glock's don't fit my hand" and the "blah blah blah ergonomics" crowd show up!

What would you guys have done just 20 years ago?

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Whoa there! A bit paranoid AND defensive, are we? To answer your question, I'm not entirely sure. I might have gone for something else, but Glocks have many great qualities and I might have settled for one since nothing better had come along yet. But it's not 20 years ago, and there are very good--and I think better--alternatives available today.

Hey, you brought it up! Now let's get back to the topic of the thread. I don't have enough information from the OP to give any advice to the OP as to which size Glock would be best for concealed (I presume) carry. They're all pretty thick to accommodate double-stack magazines, so the lengths of the barrel and grip are the only issues, along with capacity. Personally, I'd go with the largest that I could comfortably accommodate because longer barrels have their advantages. As for capacity, if you prefer the G26, I suppose that you could still carry full-size mags for reloads to at least ameliorate this issue a bit (hopefully you won't have to reload, but you'll have more rounds if you do).

i used to own a 27 (same size gun just 40 cal) the pinky thing is not a problem just curl it under the mag. matter of fact i preferred the flush to the extended mag myself.

How is shooting the 26 without room for the pinky?

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I have a G27 and find it quite comfortable to shoot with the pinkie curled under. I've actually gotten to the point that (like Cosmose) I prefer it to using magazine extensions.
Lot of folks like the GAP base plate. I like it some myself as I find it does aid in drawing the weapon (YMMV).
Regards,
Greg

If you are planning to use it only as a carry pistol then the 26 will conceal a bit easier. However, if you plan on recreational trips to the range or plinking out in the woods, I would go with the 19. It still conceals very nicely but gives you a little more to hang on to. I don't consider myself a "Glock guy" but I do think my 19 is an excellent all around pistol. You really can't go wrong either way.

I had this conundrum myself when choosing. I went with the G19 because there really was not that much of a difference in concealability for me (and I think for most people this is true from talking to others), if I have to go smaller I use my Kahr MK9.

That being said you will proabably end up with both in which case I would buy the 19 first. If for whatever reason you want to trade for a 26 I dont forsee it being much of a problem. Ive traded with several folks here on THR.

19

I've had both the 26 and 19...kept the 19 and traded the 26 for a S&W revolver.

I prefer the 19...same thickness and just a little taller and longer, perfect size to me.

the 19 is quite possibly the best glock ever made. they are the perfect size for everything, duty, open carry, homedefense, and ccw is no problem, it is a great gun in a great frame size. really the do all size. little longer sight radius and barrel over the 26, yet easy to conceal.

I have 17's and 26's. For me, the difference in size between the 17 and 19 isnt enough to bother about, and you get two more rounds in the mag to boot and a little extra out of the longer barrel with the 17.

The 19's are nicer now that they redesigned the grip though. The older ones were somewhat annoying to shoot before.

While the 26's are smaller, they really are not all that much smaller, and dont make much of a difference if your using an IWB holster. I usually use mine as a back up to my 17, which I usually carry and dont have any troubles hiding.

The pinky thing is probably going to be something you'll just have to shoot and see. I tried a couple of the extensions, and really didnt like them, as they just make the gun bigger, which is sort of self defeating. They also tend to pinch your hand during reloads and sometimes while shooting. Might as well just go with the bigger gun. I dont find the 26 hard to shoot with its stock mag, but its definitely easier to shoot with a 17 mag in the gun.

Ok, laugh all you want, but this is how I see things

The 26 and the 19 are the same thickness. If you're like most people, you're probably planning to carry it in your waistband. Now, since the 26 is much shorter but still the same thickness, you're going to have what amounts to a sensation of having a golfball in your waistband. But lots of people do it and think it's fine, so that's just my personal opinion and do with it what you want.

Now, if you think the way I do and don't want any other guns in your pants than what you were born with, give this a try-a shoulder holster. With it properly adjusted for your torso, it should easily disappear under a loose-ish fitting buttoned shirt. I say "loose", because more and more people are going the way of "form fitting" when they pick shirts. Wear a normal t-shirt under this shirt to keep the sweat off and keep from irritating your skin.

With that setup, you can easily carry the 19. You won't have it sticking you in the back/side when you sit, you'll be able to use urinals again, and you won't have it pressed into your side while you're stuck in traffic at 5 o'clock. If you're the paranoid type, you can rest assured that it's always going to be easy to access-sitting, standing, or even hanging upside down. Most setups also have a mag carrier on the other side, where you can have one or two magazines also held in a more convenient location.

get both!

SnakeLogan said:

Trips to the range and shooting in the woods are necessary for carry pistols too. What's the point of carrying something if you're not comfortable shooting it?

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I think you missed my point but I'll go ahead and divulge that I see yours. I was simply asking if this would be only for defensive carry or if it would be used for recreation as well. I agree that range practice is a part of responsible carry but I don't see how anything I said would get a response like "What's the point of carrying something if you're not comfortable shooting it?"

Just my .02

SnakeLogan said:

Lookin' to get myself a birthday present in the next 2 months. I've shot Glocks and have always loved their simplicity. Which would you recommend for a carry pistol?

Thanks.

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I've got a 23 and a 27 (the same two pistols as a 19 and the 26 only in 40 short and wobbly). I shoot my 27 much better than the 23..... I was amazed that the smaller gun would be easier to shoot.... that said you have to find a way to shoot the 26 if you have not done so. I was so down on my 23 that I really didn't even consider another Glock. I have an FBI friend that wouldn't let me off the hook on the 27 and we spent a whole afternoon shooting his 27 and I was hooked. I went out and bought one the next day.

The magazine extensions may or may not make the 26 easier to shoot. I carry my 27 without an extension and two reloads with a +1 Pearce extension.

The most important thing I learned from the whole experience was you need to try before you buy.

19 should come first, no question. It can do it all. Small/light/thin enough for conceal carry, big enough for open carry or vehicle/home, plenty accurate, good standard capacity (15+1 or all the way up to 33 rounds if you really want to)

A 26 doesn't do much for me. If I'm wearing something that I can't hide my 19 very well, I'd rather have something thinner than a 26 (say, a Kel-Tec PF9?)