Glock 19X: The Best One Yet

When it comes to iconic handguns, Glock is in a league of its own. One of the most prolific pistols on Earth, which is telling since Glock arguably makes one gun that's scaled up and down for capacity and caliber. From Hollywood to the front lines of counter-terrorism, you can find them in every role imaginable. Last year, Glock introduced what has rapidly become my favorite model, the 19X.

Based off of Glock’s submission to the latest US Army handgun trials, this is a variation that is worth your time to look at. The 19X is essentially a G19 compact slide, mated with a G17 full-sized frame. Due to some minor design changes between the two, this is not something you could have home-brewed before. What it makes is something magic- a “commander-sized” Glock, suitable for a wide variety of roles. The larger grip gives you more of a positive hold purchase and it accepts 17 round magazines. With a normal compact-sized frame, your pinky finger tends to hang off the bottom. With the larger frame, you can also get full palm contact, which enhances recoil management. The difference is only 1⁄4 inch, but it becomes noticeable when you start blasting.

On the top side, the slightly shorter slide allows for a bit more flexibility in use. The difference between a G17 slide and a G19 slide is only ½ inch, but it does matter if you are trying to conceal carry. Having used both, we like the G19’s length significantly better. This new platform really becomes an all purpose, do everything gun. You can CCW it, or it's also big enough to function as a duty gun in a belt holster. The ½ inch lost in sight radius doesn’t really affect the ability to sling lead fast, especially in a platform like this that absorbs recoil like a boss. The 19X is also part of the new “Generation 5” model of Glocks. It has a new barrel design for increased accuracy. Glock made their reputation on reliability, but the Gen 5 has taken this even further. Glock has tested, and proven, the new models go even longer between mean stoppages, which is staggering. It has a reversible magazine catch, just like the Gen 4, but now also features an ambi-slide release.

All of that aside, the 19X has something else going for it. It’s the first factory colored slide Glock ever, in Coyote Tan. And for us GWOT vets, that mystique is hard to not like. We’re thinking the 19X is the best looking Glock they have ever made. Coupled with a set of Trijicon XD HR sights, this has been one of the coolest guns we’ve ever seen.