Glock Introduces 19X Pistol

Today, Glock officially released the civilian version of its U.S. Army Modular Handgun System (MHS) submission. With rumors of its existence since September 2017 and a leak earlier this week, the introduction of the 19X to the Glock family lineup may not be a surprise.

In the video below, Glock Team Captain, Shane Coley, recaps the features of the 19X:

The 19X is a pistol the consumer market didn’t ask for– but is getting. It is an incestual result of Glock’s G17 Gen5 and G19 Gen5 pistols. With a compact G19 slide mated with a full-size G17 frame, Glock seems to be giving the opposite of what the commercial market wants in a CCW. Ideally, a CCW gun has a longer slide and a shorter frame, since the pistol grip is the most difficult part of a gun to conceal. But, the 19X wasn’t designed for concealed carry.

Because it was developed for a military solicitation, the genetics of the 19X don’t make sense as an EDC pistol. The MHS solicitation called for pistols with multiple grip sizes. Interested companies needed to submit a full-sized version as well as a compact model. Manufacturers could submit two gun variants or one system that met all the needs of the Army. Glock met all the requirements of the MHS solicitation in one gun. The only difference between Glock’s 19X and its MHS submission is the lack of an external safety.

ABC (ALWAYS BE COOL)

It’s the number one rule in life. As long as you look cool, you can get away with almost anything. The 19X looks cool, thanks to coyote colored everything. Each item in the box, and even the box, is coyote. This is the first-ever factory colored slide. Glock says its “improved nPVD slide coating prevents corrosion, resists chemicals, and stands up against elements.” While another shade of FDE isn’t our preference, it’s surely cooler than matte black.

Glock Marksman Barrel on the left, legacy Glock barrel style on the right

The 19X includes two 17+2 and one 17-round mag

FEATURE RUNDOWN

With a G17 frame, the 19X fits more easily into smaller hands without modifying the grip. For reportedly increased accuracy, the 4.02-inch Glock Marksman Barrel of the 19X has enhanced polygonal rifling and an improved crown. Included with the 19X are two 17+2 and one standard 17-round magazines. Just like the G17 Gen5, the 19X doesn’t have the much-despised finger grooves and includes an ambi slide stop. We’re told that three sight configurations will be available, for T&E, we opted for the night sights.

The 19X does not have a flared magwell like its Gen5 parents, making Gen5 mag compatibility impossible. You’ve either got to run the mags the 19X comes with or use Gen4 magazines. Not that you’d need to do it, but the 19X slide can be used atop the Gen5 G19 frame.

Flared magwell of a Gen5 on the left and the 19X on the right

19X VERSUS 17K

One question we've seen come up is why give the 19X nomenclature as opposed to a G17 Kurz one? Though on the surface it seems these terms could be interchangeable, but much like the slides themselves, this isn't the case.

You can put a 19X slide on a regular Gen5 G19 and vice versa, but you can't use G17 parts. The 19X is configured for Gen5 G19 slides–just like the other Gen5 guns, you can't mix and match and have them work. Furthermore, Gen5 G17 magazines can't be used in the 19X, though previous generation magazines will. With that said, maybe this should have been called the G47.

INITIAL THOUGHTS

With 500 rounds through it, we've only been able to scratch the surface of the 19X's performance. We didn't experience any malfunctions while shooting it. Because the 19X isn't a steel-frame pistol, it does require more recoil management. But, we wouldn't expect a steel-frame gun from Glock and instead expect it to have the same reliability Glock is known for. The shorter slide didn't have a noticeable difference in felt-recoil. But, thanks to the smaller-width frame, gripping and maintaining a proper grip was easy. Once we get more rounds through the 19X, we'll let you know how it really performs.

The 19X will hit dealer shelves on January 22, 2018, with an MSRP of $749.

To learn more go to 19X.Glock.US.

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