glock 19 or 23
- Thread starter jrbaker90
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SwaneeSR
Member
I own several 9mm pistols that I enjoy shooting and use for CCW. I also handload 9mm. When I was ready to add another pistol to my collection, I shot several pistols owned by friends and ended up purchasing a Glock 23.
So, if I had not already had other 9mm, I would recommend the Glock 19 gen 4.
If you are looking to move up a notch in caliber, the Glock 23 is a great choice.
I purchased Glock 23 gen 4, NIB and didn't plan on it, but changed out the blackstrap and glad I had the option.
Swanee.
So, if I had not already had other 9mm, I would recommend the Glock 19 gen 4.
If you are looking to move up a notch in caliber, the Glock 23 is a great choice.
I purchased Glock 23 gen 4, NIB and didn't plan on it, but changed out the blackstrap and glad I had the option.
Swanee.
Captains1911
Member
As mentioned, the guns are identical in size, they use the same holsters, accessories, etc. I personally much prefer the Gen4 for the frame texture, mag release, backstraps, and extra mag. IMO, the only reason not to go with Gen4 is if you prefer the frame texture of the Gen3, but for me it gets too slippery when my hands sweat or get wet.
I've owned both, but I recently sold my G23 Gen3 and replaced it with G19 Gen4. I now own 3 G19s, a Gen3 and two Gen4s. It's hard to beat a G19.
I've owned both, but I recently sold my G23 Gen3 and replaced it with G19 Gen4. I now own 3 G19s, a Gen3 and two Gen4s. It's hard to beat a G19.
Big Bad Bob
Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2011
- Messages
- 388
Buy the G23 and 9mm conversion barrel and 9mm magazines and you have both guns. IF you want both calibers.
That being said I am a big fan of the G19 and regret that I sold mine. Seriously. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
That being said I am a big fan of the G19 and regret that I sold mine. Seriously. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
Captains1911
Member
Regarding conversions, it takes more than just a barrel and mag swap to truly convert one to the other, as the two use different ejectors as well.. If the conversion will only be used for range use, maybe no big deal, but for defensive use it would be wise to use the ejector designed for the specific caliber.
My experience with the G23 is very, very limited. As in one range trip with a buddy that had one. The trigger felt gritty, but I later figured out that my buddy had no real clue about gun maintenance, so it's entirely possible that there was all kinds of garbage inside his gun. So my experience was not favorable, but given the nature and extent of it, it's also worth very little.
OTOH, I have had a Gen 4 G19 for about 2 years and ~1200 rounds. It hasn't been "Perfection," but she's been very good to me. There might be some pistols for which I would trade her, but I'd have to have some really outstanding reasons to do so. I love my G19.
OTOH, I have had a Gen 4 G19 for about 2 years and ~1200 rounds. It hasn't been "Perfection," but she's been very good to me. There might be some pistols for which I would trade her, but I'd have to have some really outstanding reasons to do so. I love my G19.
dakota1911
Member
Your hand and body if you are going to carry. With those guys, down here ranges rent them so you could try before you buy and see which one you like.
Cocked & Locked
Member
That would be a good choice.
red rick
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- Joined
- Aug 11, 2009
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- 3,159
I own a G23 gen3 , while it is a good pistol , accurate and has never had any failures . If I were to do it again I would choose the G19 . The reason is , the .40 has a snappy recoil compared to the 9mm , 9mm ammo is a little cheaper and easier to find IMO . Between gen3 & 4 , I would pick the one that felt the best in my hand .
I have never owned a Glock but I have at different times shot a Gen 3 19 & 23. They were both fine but I agree with the folks saying you should rent before you buy. The 19 has next to no recoil. While it wasn't horrible the 23 does recoil noticeably harder. This is something you should consider.
Zerodefect
member
After adjusting to .40 and 10mm Glocks. I prefer them over the 9mm.
The 9mm still flips, but the .40 seems to push back and seat itself further into my hand. Almost like I need more recoil from the 9mm.
So I recommend challenging yourself with bigger calibers and seeing if you adjust too them. It seem like the only way we ever find what's right for us, is by owning as many of them as possible. Advantage 23 because it can also be a 9mm (or .357sig)
The 9mm still flips, but the .40 seems to push back and seat itself further into my hand. Almost like I need more recoil from the 9mm.
So I recommend challenging yourself with bigger calibers and seeing if you adjust too them. It seem like the only way we ever find what's right for us, is by owning as many of them as possible. Advantage 23 because it can also be a 9mm (or .357sig)
Same size and essentially the same weight, the 23 might be a hair heavier. The 23 was my first Glock and it's still my favorite. I've had 19's, Gen3 and Gen4 and they're the best 9mm pistol out there IMHO. If you're not familiar with shooting handguns, you'll probably find the 9mm to shoot a bit softer. You can't go wrong either way, but keep in mind the 9mm G19 will always be a 9mm, the .40 G23 can be a 9mm and a 357 SIG, making it essentially three guns in one with a 357 Sig barrel and a 9mm conversion barrel.
power is one thing, accuracy is another. i currently own a 3rd gen glock 22 and 27. I was decent accurate with it. recently in the academy i was issued a glock 17 gen 4 and man it's almost like that was the gun for me. they were teaching us about combat effective, rapid fire down range with hits. I could shoot it accurately and relatively fast. now I want a glock 17/19. more than likely the 19.
i'm sure with training i can get better with the .40 due to the snappier recoil but the 9mm just came natural for me. if you have the opportunity, try them both. buy the one you are most accurate with. remember, only hits count.
i'm sure with training i can get better with the .40 due to the snappier recoil but the 9mm just came natural for me. if you have the opportunity, try them both. buy the one you are most accurate with. remember, only hits count.
as for the generations, i prefer 3rd gens because of issues i've heard of and seen with the double captive recoil system. it may be a thing of the past but to me there was never really any need to upgrade it. the original problem i believe was with the glock 22 when a light was mounted...
Captains1911
Member
Those "problems" were limited to very early Gen4s, and have been corrected for several years now. This is one of those rumors that circulates over and over but is irrelevant at this day and age. Regarding the Gen3 vs Gen4, there are a lot of features unique to the Gen4s other than the recoil spring assembly that make them desirable to many. Lastly, the issue with the lights attached to Gen3s chambered in .40 was not exclusive to the G22, but applied to the G23 as well, I know because i experienced it.
I own two G23s and a G19, all Gen3 models. I also have a LW 9mm conversion barrel and a .357Sig barrel for the G23s. Both G23s have performed flawlessly with all the barrels, and with their original 10-round CA magazines. As a bonus, those hold 12 9mm rounds...
minutemen1776
Member
I've owned both the G19 and G23, in both Gen3 and Gen4 varieties. My pick is the Gen3 G19. I've found that, generally speaking, I can shoot a 9mm pistol consistently better than a .40 S&W pistol, unless I practice a lot with the .40-caliber. I could not stand the abrasiveness of the Gen4 grip, though I did like the larger magazine release. I opted for the Gen3's more comfortable grip at the expense of its slightly smaller mag release.
The FBI wrote up a nice report on why they went back to 9mm from .40. It's relevant and worth reading.
http://looserounds.com/2014/09/21/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/
http://looserounds.com/2014/09/21/fbi-9mm-justification-fbi-training-division/
Charley C
Member
Something that hasn't been mentioned yet regarding "which Glock to buy"
The OP is really getting a lot of sound advice from a lot of experienced and knowledgeable people, every one of which I'm guessing knows more about guns, (and Glocks in particular ), than I do; however, there are several more factors that no one so far has mentioned. I was in almost the same quandary about a year ago as the OP is in right now; I had originally just about decided to go with a .40 cal. G-35, but after doing a LOT of reading and shooting various different peoples .40s and 9mms, I finally decided to go with a 9mm. I had even given a lot of thought to buying a .40, then getting a Lone Wolf 9mm barrel for it and have the ability to shoot both calibers with the same frame; Here's a fact that several people have already mentioned........if you think there's any chance that you may at some point in time want to get a second (and even a third barrel ).....you MUST start with a .40, then you can use a 9mm barrel with it, (and also a .357 Sig barrel ), however, you CAN NOT go the other direction, and use a .40 barrel with a 9mm model; (something inside isn't wide enough. )
You may have noticed (like I did ), that Glock makes about 26 different semi auto pistols; being a naturally curious person, any time I have a LOT of "choices", I like to explore ALL of them prior to committing a sizable chunk of $$$$. One of the best small investments I made while evaluation everything Glock makes, was a copy of the 2014 Glock Buyer's Guide; after studying that book for a few months, then talking many times to a very knowledgeable young fellow at a LGS (local gun shop), I realized that for exactly what I wanted a Glock "for", I need a G-34 instead of a G-19 (4.01 inch barrel & a capacity of 15+1 ), or even a G-17, (4.48 in barrel & a capacity of 17+1). I decided I wanted to go with the G-34 which has a 5.31 in barrel, plus a 4.5 lb trigger rather than a 5.5 ib. (The G-34 also has steel sights rather than polymer. )
If you have ever watched Team Glock's Tori Nonaka blowing the competition away with her long-sight-radius G-34, you'll know why I didn't want a 4 inch barrel.
At this point, I was ready to "write a check" and get exactly what I wanted! Then I had a very fortunate "accident"; I had run into a Wal Mart for "whatever", (and I can never seem to get out of a Wal Mart without first checking out all of the new gun magazines ); Fortunately, Glock's new 2015 Buyer's Guide was on sale; (another $6.00 well spent! ) Only this time, it wasn't a new gun that caught my eye, but rather a "modification" to several existing guns (plus the all-new Glock-40 in 10mm). Glock had just announced that the G-34 (9x19), the G-35, (.40 cal), the G-41 (.45 cal), and the brand new, G-40 (10mm) were all four going to be coming out as "MOS configured", (MOS meaning "modular optical system); I had already read quite a bit about "red dot" (or "reflex" sights), and I knew after reading the story in the 2015 buyer's guide that I needed to wait for my LGS to start getting the 20 MOS Glocks that they had on order. This was all months ago; I even started a thread here, to see if anyone had any more info on these new models with their slides milled and the necessary mounting plates for attaching about half a dozen different red dot sights.
There IS one thing to "not like" about Glock, (the company); their so-called "customer service" rarely, (if ever), renders any real "service" to their "customers"! (An email to Glock CS got me a very brief, "we only ship to our "distributors" so you need to speak with "them"! ) (Like I'm supposed to know who (or where) Glock's "distributors" are? ) Anyway, once I had my name in for the first new G-34 MOS to get delivered to Terre Haute, I always take the wife to a steak joint right down the street from the LGS every Wednesday, so I now have a convenient excuse to "stop by" the gun shop to "check on" the new Glocks! Last Wednesday they surprised me.......10 were delivered that same morning! Not having "quite" the cost of a new Glock in my pocket, (and preferring make ALL LGS purchases with cash $$$ ), I put the G-34 in "lay-away" until this Wednesday.
It all depends on what you want the gun for; and there's a pretty safe bet that "what ever" you want it for, Glock probably has a model that's "perfect" for the task! (I'm aiming that remark exclusively at "Glock aficionados"! )
If anyone wants to start a new thread about Leupold. EOtech, Doctor, Aimpoint, Meopta or Insight and several more makes of red dot sights, I'll see you there, as that's my next decision to make.
BTW.....if you're curious to see what Glock's premo target model looks like with a Leupold Delta Point mounted to it's milled-out slide, check out any Wally's World magazine dept for the current issue of "Modern Shooter" and there's a G-34 MOS on the front cover. (I'll bet Glock's "customer service" will love that!)
While I was at WW, I also ran across a copy of Richard Mann's "Handgun Training Training For Personal Protection". It's not germane to the present topic, so I won't discuss it other than to say, as it was the only thing I had with me to read on a 5 day trip to N. Illinois to visit family, after I read it through several times, I feel that it has already paid for it's self and I would recommend it highly, (even if the author does admit that "he hates Glock pistols") after carrying them for 13 years while he was a LEO (and didn't have a choice ).
Anyone who is convinced that "this caliber" is more "deadly" than "that caliber" seriously needs to read what this highly experienced guy has to say on that subject.
The OP is really getting a lot of sound advice from a lot of experienced and knowledgeable people, every one of which I'm guessing knows more about guns, (and Glocks in particular ), than I do; however, there are several more factors that no one so far has mentioned. I was in almost the same quandary about a year ago as the OP is in right now; I had originally just about decided to go with a .40 cal. G-35, but after doing a LOT of reading and shooting various different peoples .40s and 9mms, I finally decided to go with a 9mm. I had even given a lot of thought to buying a .40, then getting a Lone Wolf 9mm barrel for it and have the ability to shoot both calibers with the same frame; Here's a fact that several people have already mentioned........if you think there's any chance that you may at some point in time want to get a second (and even a third barrel ).....you MUST start with a .40, then you can use a 9mm barrel with it, (and also a .357 Sig barrel ), however, you CAN NOT go the other direction, and use a .40 barrel with a 9mm model; (something inside isn't wide enough. )
You may have noticed (like I did ), that Glock makes about 26 different semi auto pistols; being a naturally curious person, any time I have a LOT of "choices", I like to explore ALL of them prior to committing a sizable chunk of $$$$. One of the best small investments I made while evaluation everything Glock makes, was a copy of the 2014 Glock Buyer's Guide; after studying that book for a few months, then talking many times to a very knowledgeable young fellow at a LGS (local gun shop), I realized that for exactly what I wanted a Glock "for", I need a G-34 instead of a G-19 (4.01 inch barrel & a capacity of 15+1 ), or even a G-17, (4.48 in barrel & a capacity of 17+1). I decided I wanted to go with the G-34 which has a 5.31 in barrel, plus a 4.5 lb trigger rather than a 5.5 ib. (The G-34 also has steel sights rather than polymer. )
If you have ever watched Team Glock's Tori Nonaka blowing the competition away with her long-sight-radius G-34, you'll know why I didn't want a 4 inch barrel.
At this point, I was ready to "write a check" and get exactly what I wanted! Then I had a very fortunate "accident"; I had run into a Wal Mart for "whatever", (and I can never seem to get out of a Wal Mart without first checking out all of the new gun magazines ); Fortunately, Glock's new 2015 Buyer's Guide was on sale; (another $6.00 well spent! ) Only this time, it wasn't a new gun that caught my eye, but rather a "modification" to several existing guns (plus the all-new Glock-40 in 10mm). Glock had just announced that the G-34 (9x19), the G-35, (.40 cal), the G-41 (.45 cal), and the brand new, G-40 (10mm) were all four going to be coming out as "MOS configured", (MOS meaning "modular optical system); I had already read quite a bit about "red dot" (or "reflex" sights), and I knew after reading the story in the 2015 buyer's guide that I needed to wait for my LGS to start getting the 20 MOS Glocks that they had on order. This was all months ago; I even started a thread here, to see if anyone had any more info on these new models with their slides milled and the necessary mounting plates for attaching about half a dozen different red dot sights.
There IS one thing to "not like" about Glock, (the company); their so-called "customer service" rarely, (if ever), renders any real "service" to their "customers"! (An email to Glock CS got me a very brief, "we only ship to our "distributors" so you need to speak with "them"! ) (Like I'm supposed to know who (or where) Glock's "distributors" are? ) Anyway, once I had my name in for the first new G-34 MOS to get delivered to Terre Haute, I always take the wife to a steak joint right down the street from the LGS every Wednesday, so I now have a convenient excuse to "stop by" the gun shop to "check on" the new Glocks! Last Wednesday they surprised me.......10 were delivered that same morning! Not having "quite" the cost of a new Glock in my pocket, (and preferring make ALL LGS purchases with cash $$$ ), I put the G-34 in "lay-away" until this Wednesday.
It all depends on what you want the gun for; and there's a pretty safe bet that "what ever" you want it for, Glock probably has a model that's "perfect" for the task! (I'm aiming that remark exclusively at "Glock aficionados"! )
If anyone wants to start a new thread about Leupold. EOtech, Doctor, Aimpoint, Meopta or Insight and several more makes of red dot sights, I'll see you there, as that's my next decision to make.
BTW.....if you're curious to see what Glock's premo target model looks like with a Leupold Delta Point mounted to it's milled-out slide, check out any Wally's World magazine dept for the current issue of "Modern Shooter" and there's a G-34 MOS on the front cover. (I'll bet Glock's "customer service" will love that!)
While I was at WW, I also ran across a copy of Richard Mann's "Handgun Training Training For Personal Protection". It's not germane to the present topic, so I won't discuss it other than to say, as it was the only thing I had with me to read on a 5 day trip to N. Illinois to visit family, after I read it through several times, I feel that it has already paid for it's self and I would recommend it highly, (even if the author does admit that "he hates Glock pistols") after carrying them for 13 years while he was a LEO (and didn't have a choice ).
Anyone who is convinced that "this caliber" is more "deadly" than "that caliber" seriously needs to read what this highly experienced guy has to say on that subject.
tipoc
Member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2006
- Messages
- 3,563
Get a Glock 19. Shoot it a lot. Learn to shoot it well. Get a stock gun. Don't be in a rush to change anything on it or about it. Avoid switch barrels etc. till you have learned the gun.
In time you'll see what upgrades you may need. Right now you don't know what, if anything, you may desire or require in terms of upgrades. You'll get advice on that, file it away for later.
There is no rush. Take your time.
In several months begin saving for a G23. Get that when you can and want and learn something about the 40 S&W.
tipoc
In time you'll see what upgrades you may need. Right now you don't know what, if anything, you may desire or require in terms of upgrades. You'll get advice on that, file it away for later.
There is no rush. Take your time.
In several months begin saving for a G23. Get that when you can and want and learn something about the 40 S&W.
tipoc
19 or 23 ?
The first Glock I carried was the Gen 3. 26 . Later , I thought I needed a little more power and bought a Gen 3. 23. In test firing for accuracy , I was getting groups of 1.5 " to 2" routinely @ a 50ft. distance from a rest with both calibers . Now, however the performance of most Defense loads in 9mm and 40 S&W are so close , I don't think there's much difference . I find the grip on the 23 fits much better than the 26 , at least for me and with practice , I shoot both as well. Get the 19 and also try the 23.
The first Glock I carried was the Gen 3. 26 . Later , I thought I needed a little more power and bought a Gen 3. 23. In test firing for accuracy , I was getting groups of 1.5 " to 2" routinely @ a 50ft. distance from a rest with both calibers . Now, however the performance of most Defense loads in 9mm and 40 S&W are so close , I don't think there's much difference . I find the grip on the 23 fits much better than the 26 , at least for me and with practice , I shoot both as well. Get the 19 and also try the 23.
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