The Glock 19 is one of the most popular handguns carried by law enforcement officers in the United States. The Glock 19 is a compact, lightweight 9mm semi-automatic pistol that combines reliability, accuracy, and easy maintenance in a package that is easy to conceal. While policies differ between agencies, the Glock 19 is widely authorized as a duty weapon for many police officers across the country.
Key Facts About the Glock 19
- The Glock 19 is a compact, lightweight 9mm semi-automatic pistol first produced in 1988.
- With its polymer frame, the G19 weighs around 23 ounces unloaded.
- Standard magazines carry 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
- The G19 has an overall length of 7.36 inches and a barrel length of 4.02 inches.
- It is a short recoil operated, locked breech pistol with a tilting barrel.
- The safe-action system provides trigger, striker, and drop safeties.
- The G19 is incredibly reliable, with documented cases of pistols firing over 20,000 rounds without a malfunction.
- It is widely carried by law enforcement officers across the United States.
Popularity Among Police
The Glock 19 strikes an excellent balance between shootability, concealability, magazine capacity, and reliability for police work. It is large enough to shoot accurately and controllably, yet small and light enough to carry concealed on a duty belt. The 15+1 capacity gives officers ample ammunition capacity without being overly large.
Law enforcement agencies authorize the Glock 19 as a duty weapon for the following reasons:
- Proven track record of incredible reliability and durability.
- Larger than subcompact double-stack pistols, improving controllability.
- Higher ammunition capacity than single-stack pistols.
- Simple operation and maintenance.
- Lightweight polymer frame enhances carry comfort.
- Consistent trigger pull aids accuracy.
- Legendary Glock dependability.
The G19 is easy for officers of all statures and strengths to shoot well due to moderate size, light weight, mild recoil, and consistency. The Glock platform requires minimal maintenance and remains reliable with little to no lubrication in harsh environments. This combination of traits makes the G19 one of the most commonly seen sidearms in law enforcement.
Standard Issue Sidearm
Many major law enforcement agencies issue Glock 19s as standard duty pistols for their officers. Some notable police departments issuing Glock 19s include:
- New York Police Department
- Los Angeles Police Department
- Chicago Police Department
- Houston Police Department
- Philadelphia Police Department
- Las Vegas Metro Police Department
- San Antonio Police Department
- San Diego Police Department
- Dallas Police Department
- Phoenix Police Department
- FBI Regional SWAT Teams
Adopting the G19 as standard issue sidearm allows these agencies to benefit from consistency in firearms training, parts, armorer support, and ammunition supplies. The wide availability of accessories and holsters for the highly popular G19 is also a significant advantage for major police departments.
Optional Duty Pistol
While some agencies mandate the Glock 19 as standard issue, many other departments and officers choose to carry the G19 even if given a choice of sidearms. Reasons police officers may opt for the G19 as an optional duty pistol include:
- Familiarity and training time on the platform
- Extensive experience with Glock reliability
- High ammunition capacity
- Proven real-world performance
- Availability of accessories like sights and holsters
- Confidence in life-saving operation
- Comfortable size and weight for duty carry
If an agency allows officers to pick authorized off-duty and backup sidearms, many will choose some variation of the Glock 19 for personal defense.
Backup and Off-duty Choice
The Glock 19 excels as a backup weapon for officers carrying full-size duty pistols. The G19 provides a much more concealable and versatile option while maintaining continuity of function and manual of arms compared to the duty sidearm. Many cops will specifically carry a G19 as their backup weapon.
Similarly, the G19 is a very popular choice among police officers seeking a concealable, lightweight, and capable off-duty or secondary firearm. The Glock 19 is powerful and reliable enough for concealed carry use by trained law enforcement officers. The G19 is also more concealable than full-size duty pistols.
Specialized Units
Many specialized law enforcement teams use the Glock 19 as their standard issue sidearm. The Glock 19 is perfectly sized for both uniformed patrol and plainclothes assignments. Special units that commonly use the G19 include:
- Narcotics officers
- Gang task force officers
- Fugitive apprehension teams
- Foot patrol officers
- Canine unit officers
- Traffic enforcement officers
- Airport police/TSA officers
- Plainclothes detectives
- Undercover operatives
Specialized units value the versatile concealability, ease of use, reliability, and firepower of the G19. The standardization on the platform also enhances training efficiency.
Regional Agency Usage
While exact statistics are difficult to pin down, the Glock 19 is carried by law enforcement officers across the entire United States. Its status as one of the most commonly carried duty pistols holds true regardless of agency size or geographic region.
Some regions of the country where usage of the G19 is especially widespread among police include:
- Southeast region (humidity resistant)
- Northeast region (NYPD and other major cities)
- Southwest region (ease of concealment)
- Great Lakes region (weather resistant)
- West Coast region (LAPD and other major cities)
The Glock 19 has proven its mettle across diverse agencies, environments, and situations. More than 1 million law enforcement pistols produced by Glock are currently in circulation.
Available Configurations
While the standard Glock 19 has a 4.02 inch barrel and is chambered in 9mm, law enforcement officers may carry Glock 19 variants including:
- G19X – With coyote frame and extended full-size grip
- G19 MOS – Modular Optic System version with removable plates
- G19 Gen5 – Latest generation with no finger grooves, ambi slide stop, flared magwell
- G19C – Compensated models with porting on the barrel/slide to reduce muzzle rise
- G19 Gen 4 – Variant with interchangeable backstraps and dual recoil spring
Differences in generations and configurations allow tailoring the G19 to department requirements and individual officer preferences while maintaining compatibility with duty holsters, mag pouches, and parts. Optics-ready MOS versions are growing in popularity for patrol use.
Ammunition Selection
The standard chambering for the Glock 19 is 9x19mm Parabellum (aka 9mm Luger/9mm NATO). This provides a versatile balance of power, capacity, and controllability. Police officers carrying the G19 on-duty typically use premium hollowpoint loads for maximum stopping effectiveness. Some popular police duty loads include:
- Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P or 147 grain
- Federal HST 124 grain or 147 grain
- Winchester Ranger 127 grain +P+
- Remington Golden Saber 124 grain or 147 grain
- Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain FlexLock
These loads provide 12″-18″ of penetration in testing, while expanding to 0.60″-0.70″ in width to create larger wound channels. Heavier projectiles and thicker brass in +P loads help to improve penetration in barriers like windshields or heavy clothing.
Holster Options
A wide variety of holster types fit the Glock 19 including:
- Paddle/BLS (bootleg, belt loop system)
- IWB (inside waistband)
- OWB (outside waistband)
- Shoulder
- Ankle
- Pancake belts
- Hidden retention
- Drop leg tactical
Materials like injection molded polymer, leather, nylon, and Kydex are available. Level I-III retention and various carry positions create diverse options tailored to user needs and preferences.
| Holster Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Paddle/BLS | Easy on/off | May not be very concealable |
| IWB | Very concealable | Can be uncomfortable when sitting |
| OWB | Comfortable for extended wear | Not as concealable |
| Shoulder | Easy access | Muzzle can sweep yourself/others |
| Ankle | Always accessible | Slowest draw stroke |
| Pancake | Even weight distribution | Relatively bulky |
Each holster style carries certain tradeoffs and is better suited to particular needs. Officers must train extensively with any holster to ensure safe, effective performance during high stress situations.
Maintenance Tips
One of the Glock 19’s most touted benefits is reliability and durability, even with minimal maintenance. However, following some basic maintenance procedures can further enhance lifespan and functioning.
- Clean the bore after firing, especially corrosive ammunition.
- Lubricate rails and friction surfaces lightly with oil.
- Inspect internal components periodically for abnormal wear.
- Replace recoil spring every 5,000-10,000 rounds.
- Detail strip and clean accumulated grit every 5,000 rounds.
- Check magazines for dents, cracks, and functioning.
- Replace magazines around 10,000 rounds or if damaged.
The G19 will run reliably even with accumulated fouling and grit that would bind up many other pistol designs. However, following a basic maintenance routine can optimize performance and lifespan.
Accessory and Customization Options
One major advantage of the immense popularity of the Glock 19 platform is the staggering array of accessories and customization options available. Officers can tailor and upgrade their G19s by mix-and-matching components including:
- Sights – night sights, fiber optics, suppressor sights, etc.
- Triggers – flat face, reduced weight connectors, etc.
- Magazines – extended capacity, colored followers, etc.
- Magwells – flared and extended magwells for faster reloads.
- Backstraps – customizable grip circumference.
- Slide releases – extended and ambidextrous.
- Recoil springs – heavier for supressed use, lighter for competition.
- Optics – micro red dots, reflex sights, etc.
- Flashlights – weapon mounted lights, handhelds.
- Lasers – visibility enhancing lasers.
Care must be exercised to ensure aftermarket parts maintain reliability. However, prudent enhancements can boost officer capabilities and confidence.
Considerations
While the Glock 19 has many advantages that make it a highly popular police duty pistol, there are also some considerations to weigh when evaluating it against alternatives:
- Polymer frame may melt if left on hot dashboard.
- No manual safety aside from trigger safety.
- Shortened grip can be harder to control recoil vs duty-size.
- Limited calibers – best suited for 9mm.
- High bore axis can induce more muzzle flip.
- “Finger grooves” grip may not fit all hands.
- Minimal aesthetic customization options.
For some users, alternative platforms like SIG Sauer P320 may address some of these minor disadvantages. However, the G19’s strengths including track record, capacity, size, and reliability keep it at the top.
Training
As with any defensive sidearm, proper training is essential to building proficiency with the Glock 19. Law enforcement officers should seek initial and ongoing training including:
- Classroom – safe handling, function, specs, etc.
- Drawing – safe draw stroke from holster.
- Loading – tactical and emergency magazine changes.
- Malfunction clearing – Tap/Rack/Roll, one-handed techniques.
- Shooting – accuracy, follow-up shots, dot torture, etc.
- Qualification – agency standards and courses of fire.
- Cleaning – detail stripping, lubrication points.
- Low light – night sights, weapon lights, lasers.
- Scenarios – shoot/don’t shoot, force-on-force, simunitions.
Continuous training is essential to build and maintain proficiency with any defensive sidearm.
Conclusion
In summary, the Glock 19 is one of the most widely carried law enforcement service pistols. Its excellent combination of versatility, reliability, shootability, concealability, and capacity make it a highly popular choice. While alternatives like SIG and Smith & Wesson exist, the G19’s proven track record makes it a frequent top choice for law enforcement duty, backup, and off-duty use across America.