Glock 19X Review: A 9mm to be Reckoned With

Have you been scouring the internet for a solid Glock 19X review? Well, you’re in luck. You’ve stumbled upon the right place.

We get it, deciding on a new firearm can feel a bit like being a kid in a candy store. So many options, so many opinions, and only so much money in the bank!

And when it comes to the Glock 19X, you’re looking at a unique hybrid that’s stirred up quite the buzz in the shooting world.

Billed as Glock’s first “crossover” pistol, the 19X combines the compact slide of the Glock 19 with the full-size frame of the Glock 17.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to delve into what makes this 9mm a force to be reckoned with. Trust us; you’ll want to stick around for this one!

Glock 19X Review: Pros and Cons

Glock Pistol

We have here a hybrid pistol, basically a Glock 19 slide on a Glock 17 frame.

Why in the world would they want to do that? Well, there are a couple of reasons, as I see it.

The first is that the “shorter-barrel-taller-frame” is becoming more popular — look at almost any major pistol maker’s line and you’ll see guns with shorter barrels/ longer frames.

Heck, even my Springfield Armory XD(M) .45 Compact (3.8-inch barrel) came with a couple of 13-round magazines. Talk about a longer frame to hold onto. This 19X is certainly that.

The other reason is the more important one: Glock wanted to submit a pistol for possible acceptance in the Army’s Modular Handgun System trials a few years ago.

Anyone who knows about pistols and who has not been living in a cave knows that SIG Sauer won the contract with their M17 9mm (and M18 compact version).

The Glock did very well in the trials, but the SIG was selected, so Glock decided to sell the same gun they’d submitted for testing (minus the manual thumb safety) to the public.

So in January 2018, the 19X was introduced to the shooting world.

The Glock Factor

To some shooters (the self-acknowledged Glock Haters), this pistol presents somewhat of a problem.

It isn’t made like the standard black-Glock-blocks they had grown to dislike over the years. This Glock is built a little differently than its stablemates. Here are some differences.

• It’s a true Gen 5. If you are unclear about Glock generations, check out my article where I explain the differences between them here.
• The slide front is beveled to aid in re-holstering.
• As mentioned, it uses the shorter 19 slide mated to the longer 17 frame — Glock’s first hybrid pistol.
• The trigger pull is generally lighter than the standard 19.
• The cut-out at the bottom of the magazine well is gone.
• This pistol sports a lanyard loop.
• Night sights are standard.
• And, the most obvious difference is the color — coyote tan.

These differences matter a lot to many shooters, while others don’t care much.

As we discovered above, if it says “Glock” on the gun, for many shooters, that’s all they need to see. I try to take a slightly more unbiased approach to this pistol.

I see its usefulness in a competitive shooter’s range bag or a police officer’s holster.

Also, I don’t see it having much use as a concealed carry gun due to its longer frame, but I suppose that if the carrier is taller, it might work.

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Before we look at the photos I took, how about the specifications for the 19X.

Glock 19X Review: Specs

Glock 19X Review: Features

The Glock 19X Marksman Barrel

The 19X has some novel characteristics, one of which is a barrel designed specifically for marksmanship.

The barrel has a different rifling pattern from the usual Glock rifling traditionally used in the company’s handguns.

Since the 19X demonstrated remarkable accuracy for a rifle with a polymer frame, it is safe to say that the improved polygonal rifling is a significant upgrade over the older design.

Glock 19X Magazine

If you want to add the Glock that the Army tried to your collection, by all means, go for it if you can afford it. It’s a heck of a shooter. It’s not cheap, but what quality item is? I have not drunk the Kool-Aid from Austria.

I am not a do-or-die Glockoid, but I see some objective usefulness to this pistol.

First, it carries a whole lot of 9mm. You get two 19-round extended mags plus a 17-rounder.

You’ll want to buy your ammo in bulk because filling up just what Glock sends with the gun will take more than a 50-round box. 19+19+17=55, I believe.

If you carry this gun concealed and take all three magazines with you, you would be pretty well covered in the ammo department.

One 17-rounder on the left and two 19-rounders (17+2) on the right. All three are only marked for 17, but Glock thinks you can figure out that the longer mags are +2.

Note the finger extensions on the 19-rounders. These really give you something to hang on to, but don’t help in the concealment department.

Glock 19X Trigger

Triggers have always been a problem with Glock guns. It does what it’s supposed to, but it’s nothing special. They developed a market for Ghost Triggers.

As a Gen5, it has Glock’s new trigger design, which is, in my opinion, a significant improvement over previous iterations.

So I won’t be upgrading to a different trigger anytime soon. There’s not much difference, but it’s cleaner and has less take-up and draw than before.

Glock’s Gen5 trigger is a major upgrade over previous models since the company redesigned nearly every part of the trigger assembly. This includes the trigger bar, plunger, spring assembly, and locking block.

While they can’t compare to the precision of a Ghost Trigger, they’re certainly an improvement over the old mushy “sproing” that many shooters had to learn to live with.

Glock19X Ergonomics

For a more secure and comfortable grip, the finger grooves of this handgun have been smoothed out. The slide-stop lever may be used with either the shooter’s left or right hand.

It is simple to identify and make use of the features. The Glock 19X has a manageable recoil, a crisp trigger, and an ergonomic design that makes it comfortable for shooters of all hand sizes.

Glock 19X Review: Photos

Here are some photos.

Note, no bottom-of-frame mag well cutout as the 19 G5 displays (and which is pretty much hated because is pinches your hand when you shoot, especially smaller hands).

The long frame juxtaposed against the shorter slide is evident here. Also, note the Gen 5 right-side slide release.

This gun, loaned to me by my good friend Devan, shows some wear above the magazine release.

This is from attaching it to his CAA Micro-RONI carbine Glock stock. Normal holster wear wouldn’t present itself in this manner but may rub the muzzle.

At the military’s request — a lanyard loop. I am not sure if these are needed in this day and age, but I can see their usefulness for horse-mounted cavalry. But you can remove it if you want.

And, the sight picture through the rear to the front. Sights are replaceable but are more useful (again, my opinion) than the standard “goal-post” Glock sights.

And, in case you’re wondering what comes in the hard plastic coyote-tan-colored case, here you go.

The magazine loader is good. But trust me — invest in an Uplula. You’ll be glad you spent the twenty-five or thirty bucks.

OK. We’ve seen the photos and know exactly what separates the 19X from other lowly 19s. How did it shoot?

Glock 19X Review: Shooting Performance

I shot a few different 9mm loads through the 19x. I put some Blazer 115-grain FMJ and some Winchester white-box 115s through the gun with decent results.

Plus, I even tried my do-it-all 9mm handload of a 124-grain Lee round nose cast bullet over 4.0 grains of Long Shot, with not-so-bad results. Yes, I shot cast bullets through a poly-rifled barrel and the earth didn’t explode.

I don’t have photos here. The 19X shot at least as well as I did. The results were average, about two inches at 15 yards and three at twenty-five.

I state right here that I am not the best shooter in our family — I have sons who would take that crown — but will state, with no trepidation, that the 19X is more accurate than I am.

Also, I don’t own a Ransom rest, but I try to sandbag my groups from my backyard bench and do my best.

My eyes are almost 70 years old (OEM) and, with bifocals, sometimes do not deliver the best groups from whatever pistol I’m shooting.

Suffice it to say that the new Glock Marksman barrel will do all and more than it’s been asked to do. The 19X is an accurate gun.

I wouldn’t be afraid to go after a small game with it (squirrels), given the right load that’s properly zeroed.

Wrap Up: Is the Glock 19X a Good Gun?

Love them or hate them, Glocks are here to stay. If you need a very-high-capacity 9mm Glock, give the 19X a hard look.

It was expensive, but I think is worth it. And that, coming from a Glock-Kool-Aid-free guy.

As always, please leave comments about what you think about the Glock 19X below. We can only advance the dialog.

I take a neutral position, owning only one, but others out there have opinions. Let’s hear them. As always, keep shooting, and stay safe.

You might also like to read:

• Glock 23: The Compact .40 S&W
• The 4 Best Glock Speed Loaders
• Glock 43 Review: Ultimate Concealed Carry Gun