The Glock 19X is basically a centaur-like crossbreed that pairs a Glock 17 grip with a Glock 19 slide and barrel. As a result, you have a pistol that is just nearly 2 inches longer than it is tall. With the extended magazine, the difference is negligible. But the real question is, why?

I’ve personally had my eye on the Glock 19X since it was launched into what was already a pretty saturated semi-auto pistol market. Frankly, Glock and its many generations of “perfection” have done a fair bit of work filling that market with a wide variety of pistol sizes and calibers. 

Still, I was intrigued by the G19X, but I never really felt compelled to make the leap into actually buying one of these crossovers. Fortunately, I’m in the privileged position to receive test guns these days, so I jumped on the chance to take a used G19X out for a spin when one came along.

I will spare those inclined to speed read by saying this is not my new carry gun. But I will also add that I did at least confirm some of my suspicions after testing this gun for the last two months – It shoots like a Glock. It feels like a Glock. But it doesn’t quite carry like any other Glock I’ve ever owned.

Glock 19X vs. Glock 19

I wouldn’t count myself as a Glock groupie by any measure, but I can appreciate the functionality, simplicity, and reputation of Glock’s main line of duty and carry pistols. I have – and regularly still do – carry my personal Glock 19 Gen4. It’s a great gun, even if the 22-degree grip angle is not my favorite and some people hate the finger grooves. If you are one of those people, the Glock 19 Gen5 has your name on it and is very available. 

For me, the old G19 just gets the job done for range visits and my EDC needs. It doesn’t have to be sexy to work. But there was just something about the hybrid Glock 19X that always left me scratching my head and wondering if I was carrying the right Glock. After testing one out for a bit, I can finally say that itch has been cured. 

While this is not my new carry gun, I do get the appeal. The G19X pulls some of the weight of the gun further back into the base of your hand and more in line with your thumb – or pollex if you are trying to impress your friends for no particularly good reason. It also adds a Glock 17 capacity of 17 rounds, tossing another two rounds into your carry gun over the Glock 19. While those two rounds are not unappreciated, the reduced slide length from the Glock 17 is a more noted improvement when carrying the firearm in a vehicle. 

The balance is better in general over either the Glock 17 or Glock 19 variants. However, that balance comes at what I would consider a significant cost in added grip length. I rarely have a need to consider the length of my barrel or slide as the limiting factor in concealing a firearm for daily carry. Carrying in a seated position is one of those rare exceptions, and the Glock 19X handled that quite well. Grip length, on the other hand, is where fractions of an inch can make or break a gun for daily carry. 

Now, if you already carry a Glock 17 and like it, I wouldn’t argue that you should drop your current EDC and swap it for a G19X. Nor would I argue that you would hate the G19X, which would likely carry just a little bit better for you. Still, the added sight radius on the longer slide of a Glock 17 is one of the best features of that gun. But it also can be a bit long for IWB carry, especially if you like to carry appendix. So, if you are looking for balance and capacity, the G19X is a solid choice. 
 

Shooting & Handling

Glock released the G19X in January 2018 at SHOT Show in Las Vegas, and they quickly sold more than 100,000 of the pistols in just six months. Clearly, there was market interest in this unique hybrid, but I personally never fully understood why. Having now spent some time shooting and carrying it, I can say that I love how wieldable this pistol is with the shorter slide length and elongated grip. 

Glock also clearly improved the trigger from my stock Glock 19 Gen4, which breaks at just a sliver below 6 pounds. The weight is not really my issue, however, as the break is a bit like snapping a toothpick. My test Glock 19X trigger breaks at 5.5 pounds, but the trigger is much crisper and more enjoyable to shoot. It also has a positive reset, and the gun just generally runs exactly like a modern gun should. 

I won’t bother rambling on about reliability or how many rounds I’ve put through both of these guns. They hold true to the Glock reputation, and I’ve had no issues with either. Well, fine, there was one small hiccup with the G19X, but I can hardly blame the firearm for that. As a quick but humorous PSA, please check your sights twice and mount them once. 

The previous owner of this Glock 19X mounted the rear night sight backwards, which is not something I have seen before nor is it a very big deal as a new user. Besides being self-defeating for the tritium night sight, it’s also a useful note that it only took 2 minutes to correct this issue thanks to Glock’s easy-to-use sights. Also, the gun had a nice upgrade at the small price of just spinning the rear sight around. I’ll give a nod to Glock for making guns that can be quickly modified by the owner. Just use good judgement if you do modify one.

Final Thoughts

I will be sending this Glock 19X back to the Guns.com Vault. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like it. For a carry gun, I’m still inclined to holster my Glock 19. For a range gun, I’m also a fan of packing my Glock 17. The G19X cuts a nice path between the two, and I found it to be more enjoyable to shoot than either of the previous two I already spent my own money on. The concept evidently proved popular for Glock as they deleted the lanyard loop and switched from Coyote to an all-black scheme to create the very popular G45. 

So, the real math would come down to how many guns I can hide from wife in the safe, and the G19X would shine there for me. I can carry this gun for most situations, and I can shoot it better than my stock Glock 19. The only real flaw is that I have both its big and little brothers already in the safe.