Glock G19 vs Sig P320

[ArchAngelCD]

I have a Glock G19, one of a very few semi-auto pistols I own. I shoot it well but I just don't like it. I bought it when there was one of the ban kicks just in case. I recently found the Sig P320 but can't shoot it. Has anyone here had the opportunity to shoot both? Any comparisons? I'm mostly looking for information on the Sig. I just might have to make a trade.

 

[JDR]

I'm a longtime Glock owner and I like the 2 that I have a lot, but I own and like a lot of different types of guns. When it comes to striker-fired guns there are a lot of new choices out there worth considering that didn't exist a few years ago. The Sig P320 is one of the best of these and I liked it the first time I picked one up. The fact that it points and shoots much like my other traditional, hammer-fired SIGs makes it a winner for me at least!

 

[BILLG]

The Sig P320 is without a doubt the winner.

 

[VoodooMountain]

I had a 320 for a while and it was a great pisto on all frontsl. I sold it off because the gun didn't point naturally for me. My hand and wrist have conformed to the glock grip angle I guess.

 

[pblanc]

I have the opposite problem from VoodooMountain. Since Glocks have a grip angle that has to be different from just about every other handgun except maybe a Steyr or a Luger P08, Glocks do not point naturally for me. Glocks also feel like a torture device in my hand, sort of like grabbing a brick. The Gen 4s are a little better in that regard, but the grip is still just too squared off for my taste and I don't care for finger grooves on the front strap. The stock Glock trigger actions seem to me to be spongy with a somewhat indistinct reset. And the stock plastic sights are pretty crappy.

Now having said that, I have shot G19s and when I have I have gotten them to perform better than I might have expected. I appreciate that the design is time-honored and simple to work on and modify. Magazines and many other parts and accessories are cheap and widely available. The sides of the slides are very "clean".

The SIG P320 is a new design. SIG has had a few problems with the roll out and has modified the trigger, take down lever, and slide stop lever in response to complaints. And the .45 ACP fire control unit turned out to be incompatible with the 9mm, .40, and .45 cal unit, despite SIG's promise of cross-caliber compatibility. The caliber X-change kits are too expensive to be a practical option for most people, and magazines are considerably more expensive than Glock mags.

Being a newer design, holster options and other accessories are still limited, but the P320 has made quite a splash, it seems to be high in the running for the FBIs new 9mm handgun, and also a top candidate for the US Army modular handgun program, so I expect that will change very soon.

I have a full-size P320 .45 ACP and have shot a full-size .40 S&W P320. I have only handled compact and carry model P320s as yet, but I have shot 9mm P250s which have the same grip module.

Points in favor of the P320 from my point of view: the medium size grip module of the P320 full size and compact is markedly more comfortable than any Gen 3 or Gen 4 Glock I have yet handled or shot. The trigger action is much better with a much more positive reset. The pistol points much more naturally for me and I shoot it more accurately. I bought my full-size P320 .45 NIB with night sights and 2 magazines for a little under $500 delivered. A new Gen 4 Glock 19 with plastic sights (but 3 mags) would have cost me a few dollars more. Both the full-size P320 .40 S&W and the .45 ACP handle recoil extremely well and come back on target quickly, despite the "high bore axis" that Glock fans are always carping about.

 

[sigarms228]

I own a Glock 19 Gen 2 and really like it and it shoots like a dream for me. I tried a P320 Compact and a nice pistol but but for me I prefer the Glock 19. I will say that I will take the Walther PPQ 9MM over both though and own that also.

However what others prefer may not apply to you. Personally I won't trade a pistol that I shoot well for another pistol until I am SURE I have tried the other pistol and can shoot it at least as well.

The Glock 19 is maybe the most perfect size 15 round 9MM pistol for CCW if that is a consideration for you.

 

[stchman]

What, I thought the G19 was the "perfect" gun!!!! I actually prefer the G34 over the G19 or G17.

Have you been able to hold the P320. I hear nothing but great things about the P320.

 

[Fiv3r]

I'm currently trying to decide between the SIG P320 and the new Ruger American in .45. I'm leaning toward the SIG now, but it just depends what I find in stock when I get the itch

 

[ArchAngelCD]

What, I thought the G19 was the "perfect" gun!!!! I actually prefer the G34 over the G19 or G17.

Have you been able to hold the P320. I hear nothing but great things about the P320.

I did get to hold the P320. I'm not a fan of how the P226 or P229 feel in my hand but I did like the P320.

Note: Neither well be carried. I'm a revolver guy and carry a revolver daily.

 

[Bobson]

Well, now I can say I've heard of someone who finds the Glock trigger reset to be indistinct. I like the Glock trigger pull more than most others, but also have thought of the reset to be one of Glock's most praise-worthy features. It's consistently one of the things people point out about being particularly well done in Glocks.

If the P320 trigger is actually that much better, and the reset "much more positive," I need to get out and find one to try before I buy this next G19... maybe it's a good thing nobody has had one in stock, and kept me waiting.

 

[Spats McGee]

I don't have a P320. Never even held one. I do have a G19, which I like a lot. With all of that said:

1. The P320 has been getting really good reviews, from what I've seen. Personally, I really like the concept & would snatch one up if I had the budget.

2. You don't like the Glock. That's OK. There will be other Glocks. It's not like they're going to quit making them tomorrow, barring some really unusual circumstances.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've owned both the G19 and the 320.

My G19 was a Gen2 (had it for 10+ years), but I've shot a lot of Gen3 and Gen4 G19s belonging to shooting buddies.

My 320C has only been mine since the end of last year and I likely have less than 2k rounds through it.

I'm not bothered by the Glock grip angle, but can understand how it might feel very foreign to a revolver shooter. The 320 grip feels very much like my old SIG 228 or X-5, which I find very comfortable.

The 320 isn't as easy to detail strip as the G19, but is much easier to field strip for cleaning...just be sure to lock the slide back with the slide stop during reassembly.

I've fired a couple of full sized 320s and felt they were oversprung...but that is easy enough to fix...but much easier to deal with than the Gen3 G19 "wall" in their trigger travel.

The 320s I've shot have been very accurate out of the box...shoots a bit high... and the triggers have been generally clean with very good letoff

 

[SIGLBER]

The 320 felt better in my hand than the G19. It shot a bit more accurately for me probably because of this. Keeping my G19 though. Tons of aftermarket parts and an easy design to work on make the G19 very attractive. But if you like the 320 better your getting a great gun. And it all comes down to what works best for you.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Thanks for all the insight guys, it's just what I was looking for. My G19 is a gen3 BTW.

I wish I could shoot the P320 first but I feel more comfortable now than before about possibly buying one.

 

[Spats McGee]

I'll also add this: If you get the P320 and well-and-truly hate it, I wouldn't expect that you'll have much trouble selling it.

 

[JDR]

The 320 grip feels very much like my...SIG 228...which I find very comfortable.

I agree with this paraphrased quote!

 

[eldon519]

The only thing I find annoying about the SIG is that to change grip size you have to buy a whole new frame. That is nice once you get it all figured out, but I prefer the interchangeable back straps common today or better yet, the HK P30/VP9 setup with changeable side panels too. Makes it easy to get it to fit just right without the added expense. The SIG 320 frames I saw were $40 a piece IIRC which is an expensive way to play around with grip size.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The SIG 320 frames I saw were $40 a piece IIRC which is an expensive way to play around with grip size.

Sold have picked up some when they were $10-$20.

The SIG 320 uses the same Grip Modules as the Gen II 250

 

[Texzig]

I own both. 19 is a very solid gun and I like it, but I think the 320 is better imo. Trigger is incredibly smooth. Most people are surprised to find the the pull is actuall 6+ lbs but because of the smooth action it actually feels lighter. Excellent reset as well. I own the sc model and the versatility is great. 12+1 you have an easy to conceal subcompact, throw the 15 round magazine in and now you have a high capacity compact and the size comparable to the g19. I shoot the sc better than most my other compacts including the 19. I don't seem to hear as much but I think the ergo's are pretty great as well.

 

[Bobson]

P320 Questions

Just handled a P320 Compact in a shop, after waiting for the arrival of a Gen3 G19 for a few weeks and getting itchy to find something else.

The P320 Compact definitely is very comfortable in the hand. Dry fired it several times. What's with the two-stage-ey trigger? Press through most of the pull (in distance and weight), get a click, then pull a TINY bit more and get the actual click that releases the striker? Seems like it'd be difficult to get used to.

Also, I just read that the P320 Compact can be had without a magazine disconnect. How do you know if the one you're handling has it or not? Didn't even realize, while handling and dry firing, that it had a mag d/c, and I think I only tried the trigger with a mag seated.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I have the 320C and it doesn't have a magazine disconnect...I thought it was an option.

You only feel the initial click when you dryfire, you wouldn't feel it at all if you only release the trigger ot the reset point

 

[Bobson]

Hmm. I guess to determine if the one I'm handling has the mdc, I can just compare dry-fire pull with a mag seated, and then with the mag ejected. If there's a difference, it has a mag disconnect Lol. Should work, right?

Thanks for the info about the trigger, that makes sense.

 

[JohnKSa]

Oh, maybe the one I handled didn't have the mag d/c.

I would say it's likely that it didn't. As far as I can tell, the mag safety is an optional feature. I've handled a few and, to my knowledge, still haven't seen one with the mag safety option.

IMO, the SIG P320 trigger is better than Glocks. I also like it better than the H&K VP9 trigger. It is, in fact, the best trigger on a striker gun that I've ever felt although I'm not claiming to have tested them all--no experience with Walther's striker guns, for example.

I also have to say that I'm not super happy about the grip frame size options and availability. Part of the appeal of the gun is the idea that you should be able to pick from one of three grip sizes and from one of several overall frame sizes. The problem is, not only have I not been able to find any place to try the different grip size options in my area, when I look at SIG's website, it's sort of a crapshoot as to whether the grip size you want in a given frame size is even available. For example, the full-sized 9mm/.357/.40S&W frame doesn't seem to be available in any grip size except medium unless you want an ODG or FDE colored frame. Why in the world would they put color choice above grip size in the availability scheme?

If the frames were cheap (and you could find what you wanted), it wouldn't be a big deal to order up a full set to experiment with. But it gets to be a fairly big deal when they're about $50 apiece once you include shipping.

If you find a gun that you like in the shop, that's one thing. If you buy it planning to get another grip size, you'd better shop around first to make sure what you want is available and to make sure that you're willing to pay the price.

 

[Bobson]

Good points. Thanks for the info.

 

[pblanc]

I believe that all P320s ship with the medium sized grip module except for the subcompact which comes with the small. If you buy a full-sized or compact P320 it is very unlikely that you are going to buy more than one different size grip module. If the stock medium seems too big, you will try the small, and if it seems too small, you will try the large. I have occasionally seen grip modules available for under $40.

I am not aware of any P320s coming with a magazine disconnect safety. They do come with a safety feature that prevents take down without removing the magazine and locking the slide back which eliminates the possibility of disassembly of a loaded pistol. They also do not require the trigger to be pulled for disassembly. But they will release the striker on a chambered round with the magazine removed.

Much has been made of the P320 trigger double click phenomenon. Some P320s have two audible clicks in dry fire and some seemingly don't. The first click is the sear releasing the striker. The second click is the sear resetting. The P320 sear is reset by trigger over-travel, not by slide cycling. In order for the FCU to function, there has to be at least a slight amount of trigger travel between the striker release and sear reset.

Many P320 owners have found that they can arrest trigger pull in dry fire between striker release and sear reset. A very small number of P320 owners have found that they can induce failures to fire in live fire by arresting trigger pull before sear reset. Any such pistols should be returned to SIG for tuning of the trigger bar to bring the sear reset point closer to the striker release point.