Glock 19

My second attempt at renting a Glock 19 was more successful than my first—and what a great little pistol.

If you're not familiar with the Glock line, they  make a range of pistols of varying sizes and calibers, designated by the model number.  The Glock 19 is a 9mm pistol with a roughly 4 inch barrel, a little smaller in length and height than a full-size service pistol like the Beretta 92 or the 9mm Glock 17.  With a shorter barrel, you tend to get lower muzzle velocities, all else being equal, but you also get a more concealable weapon.

Glocks are well known for their minimum of external controls, and the Glock 19 was a snap to operate.  Recoil felt very manageable compared to the Taurus 92 I had fired previously, which was not what I expected, given the Glock’s smaller mass--but hey, what do I know?  The sights were fantastic, very high contrast.  I felt myself to be a better shot with this gun than anything I had tried before—though of course, at least some of that could be the effect of practice.

From a usability perspective, this is definitely a gun I would consider owning, but I"m conflicted about  the absence of a manual safety.  The theory behind not having one is that in a high-stress defensive situation, you may forget to disengage the safety before trying to fire, potentially losing critical moments at a time when you can’t afford them.  The flip side, some argue, is that a Glock carried with a round in the chamber, and ready to fire with a pull of the trigger, may be more subject to accidental discharge.  Definitely a matter for further thought.