Can you believe that Glock was introduced to the US in 1984? I still remember the cries of the news media that the plastic pistol was unable to be detected in airports. Oh the ignorance.
Who would have figured that this Glock would turn out to be one of the top selling handguns? I didn’t… but I was 16 at the time. Turns out that the Glock 19 is one of the best “do it all” handguns, and frequently recommended for both beginners and experienced shooters. I admit that I resisted carrying the Glock for years. I didn’t like the trigger feel. It took me a while to grow to the point that I didn’t need a clean trigger to hit the target. At that point I reconsidered the Glock.
The Glock 19 is a great handling pistol. For me, it’s small enough to carry every day without problem (turns out I can carry a G34 every day without a problem too, so maybe this isn’t a tough criteria), it has a consistent trigger pull from shot to shot (no, not perfectly crisp, but definitely workable), has a proven safety record, is reliable, and looks cool in a brick-sort of way.
The Gen5 Glock 19 provides an updated slide profile (slightly narrower toward the muzzle), a new barrel, no finger grooves (my fingers don’t fit in the Gen3/4), and though many people may not notice this, it has a slightly different rail which can prohibit the Gen5 from fitting in holsters fit for the Gen3/4.
In all, I don’t think I can go wrong carrying the Glock 19 Gen5.
This particular pistol is paired with a Streamlight TLR-8. It has 500 lumens, a bright red laser, ambidextrous controls with constant on plus a momentary switch, and a reputation for being rugged. 500 lumens puts it toward the higher end of light output for a compact weapon mounted light. The activation switches can be used with either hand on either side. To use a momentary activation, just press on the switch for longer than a fraction of a second, and when you let off the light/laser will turn off. If you hit the button for less than a second, the light/laser will turn on and stay on until you hit the button again. It can be switched between “light”, “laser”, and “both” modes by pressing both switches at the same time.
One of the best things about the TLR-8 is that it fits quite well on a Glock. It fits flush with the G19 muzzle, and only hangs slightly lower than the trigger guard on the G19. This means that the operator can carry this light & laser quite easily on many pistols.
Our Werkz M6 holster is a great place to park this formidable combination. It has all the normal M6 features. Claw for better concealment (can be removed if you wish, but I’m leaving it on). A single clip that can be used in a number of positions. Modularity for other attachments. RMR and suppressor height sight support. Adjustable retention. This particular holster is ambidextrous, which means that you can switch the clip and claw (left handed claws are available separately) to the other side for left handed carry. Or you can just switch the clip to the other side and carry the holster OWB. This works well for those range days where you want to put the holster on the outside of your pants, but in the same overall position. I’m carrying this pistol straight drop, standard carry height, on my hip about 3:30. This carry position seems to work well for most. I typically prefer carrying in the appendix position, but I find this position both comfortable and concealable. The pistol just sits tight to my body. The full grip is exposed and it’s easy to get a proper grip before drawing. Retention is sufficient for an inside the waistband holster, and I didn’t need to adjust any tighter or looser for my tastes.
This is what I’m carrying today: The Gen5 G19, the Streamlight TLR-8, and the Werkz M6 holster. Allows me to do everything I would normally do during the day, carrying comfortably.
