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If you’re familiar with the Glock family of guns, then these will be no stranger to you. They are all very much based on the same principals, which makes it easy to go from one to another if you’re used to any of them. Why specifically these two guns? Though I’ll mention some other calibers below, I prefer the 9mm because it has enough stopping power and range without making the recoil too much to handle. Why two Glocks? Because, while I like certain things about many other guns, I find Glocks to be the best all-around guns for my needs and preferences. The Gen 4 Glock 26 and Glock 19 Gen 4 are both polymer framed, locked-breech, double stacked, 9mm’s with no external hammer, and they have more similarities than differences. Welcome to Glock 26 Vs Glock 19 a woman’s review.
Not Pretty But Pretty Effective
They aren’t pretty, and some people care about that, but I don’t! In my mind you just can’t beat a Glock’s rugged reliability. All you have to do is aim in the right direction and if you pull the trigger, it will fire whether it’s dirty, muddy, or wet. Yes, my family and I are Glock fans, and no, I’m not saying it is best suited for everyone, but in terms of simplicity, caliber selection, frame sizes, and the ability to customize to one’s own tastes, the Glock just really shines.
My husband owns a full-sized Glock 17. He took me to the range and taught me how to use it and maintain it. My hands are above average I suppose for a woman, but even with the smallest backstrap, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the G17. When it came time for me to choose my own gun, I picked the Glock 19 as a home defense weapon and a Glock 26 as my every day concealed carry. People often ask me why I have both of them if they are so similar. In fact they wonder why the Glock 26 can’t serve in both roles. The answer is it can, but why only have one? Nearly half of my friends, men and women both, who own Glocks have more than one. The G19 I have at home is fitted with a flashlight and ready for action in case of an intruder God forbid. I find the extra weight of it and 5 additional rounds very comforting. I wouldn’t want to carry it around all day, but it certainly has a purpose.
I’ll examine both pistols and show why I own these two Glocks and hopefully help you figure out how you’ll choose which model is best suited for you. Since most women are interested in concealed carry and home protection, I’ll focus on those two areas.
Tech Spec’s Of Both Gen 4’s
Glock 19 Glock 26
Length: 7.28 in. Length: 6.41 in.
Height: 4.99 in. Height: 4.17 in.
Width: 1.18 in. Width: 1.18 in.
Unloaded Weight: 670g. Unloaded Weight: 615g.
Loaded: 855g. Loaded: 740g.
The Gun’s Common Points
Both Gen 4 pistols have changeable backstraps that allow you to find the grip that suits your hands the best. I cannot stress enough how important a good comfortable grip is. Make sure you check that out properly before purchase. Having a comfortable grip isn’t only about whether it feels nice in your hand or not. It will ensure you’re better able to handle recoil and most likely cause you to spend more time with it at the range practicing.
Like on all Glocks there are no external manual safeties. This means the Glocks can be quickly drawn and employed if deadly force is required without the shooter needing to worry about flipping the safety on or off. Assuming there is a bullet in the chamber, just draw, point and you’re ready to fire. If you’re ever in a real-life blood pounding situation with adrenaline shooting through you, you’re going to want to have a gun that is as simple and direct as possible to operate.
The Glock trigger is part of the Glock Safe Action Pistol safety system. Depressing the center part of the trigger releases the safety and allows the pistol to be fired. This is meant to reduce the risk of accidental discharge. Second, the Glock has an internal firing pin safety. This pin will keep the striker from launching itself forward. Third, there is a drop safety, which means the gun may be dropped from a significant height, with a round in the chamber, and this safety will ensure that the gun does not discharge.
One of the major selling points of the Glocks is their ease of maintaining and cleaning. Because there are so few parts, you can strip one in a flash. Fewer parts also mean less malfunctions, and less hassle. The less time it takes to maintain, the more likely you are to maintain the gun better and more frequently, and you will be dealing with less stoppages and problems.
Trigger pull is about 5.5 pounds on all Glocks and can be easily increased or decreased depending on your preference by changing parts readily available from Glock. At first I wanted to have the pull decreased, but with the many hours I put in on the range, I got used to it and I’ve chosen to stay with it. I recommend trying different triggers to see which best suits you.
Unlike all-metal guns, the Glock’s polymer frame and simple build reduce weight significantly. Granted, this is no longer so unique as many modern guns are utilizing the polymer frame concept, and it isn’t hard to find smaller and lighter guns, but do you really want to? Generally speaking, any such guns will have even less round capacity and will most likely be in a smaller, less effective, caliber. The loaded weight of 855 g. for the G19 is more than I personally want to carry around on my slim frame (not to mention how problematic concealing it would be), but as I said above, that weight is reassuring to me. The G26 on the other hand tips the scale at a much more manageable 740 g.
Where These Handguns Differ
The main differences between the Glock 26 vs 19 are size and weight. The two Glocks are nearly identical in look. The size difference mainly effects use and capabilities.
The 15+1 round capacity Gen 4 Glock 19, closely resembles its smaller sibling except for being larger and heavier. Besides for this, the only two real differences are that the G19 has a Picatinny accessory rail which the G26 does not have (they are the only current production Glocks that lack the rail), and a unique feature to the G26 Gen4, compared to the G19, is the bullnose slide: The edges on the front of the slide have a distinct bevel to them (meaning the end of the slide narrows slightly). This can make re-holstering the pistol easier as there is less to catch on the edges of your holster. Rest assure there are many companies making the appropriate Glock 26 holster to prevent this problem.
Most women cannot carry the G19 concealed, even if the added weight wasn’t an issue which it generally is. As stated above, the G19 has an integrated Picatinny rail. This opens up your options quite a bit when looking to add flashlights or lasers which you might want to if you’re keeping it for home defense. The gun will be a bit heavier but intruders are more likely to come at night and either add-on will give you an advantage that should be capitalized on.
The Glock 26 is the sub-compact version of the Glock 19. Like its older sibling, the polymer grip here has finger groves to help subtly guide your hand into the proper placement every time you pick it up. It shoots the same 9mm bullets, but has a smaller 10+1 round capacity.
I always have on me a spare 15 round G19 magazine when I carry the G26, no matter what. I want to know that in case of emergency, I have that extra back-up. The G26 can take magazines from the G19, no matter their length (they’ll stick out awkwardly but still fit), but the G19 will not be able to fit the G26 magazine, as it will not latch and hold.
Other subcompact Glocks, such as the G27 (.40 caliber) and G30 (45 ACP), have the same frame size as a G26, so you can choose another caliber if you don’t want a 9mm, though this cartridge is certainly sufficient for personal defense. Some women go for smaller caliber guns, which is alright if that is as much as you can handle or you just want it for range practice, but for me the 9mm is the most effective caliber I can use without suffering from more powerful recoil. I would use the G30 if it didn’t hurt my wrists so much! That would certainly keep down anyone I had to fire at.
Both Are Quality Handguns
Despite dimension differences the prices for both these guns are very similar, so it shouldn’t be a major factor in choosing one over the other.
I understand that many women, especially those not very familiar with guns, might automatically want to just pick the smallest and most convenient handgun to carry, such as a tiny snub-nosed .38 revolver. The fact is that you must try out a variety of handgun types and calibers till you find what best suits you. Tips and advice can only guide you so far, because what works for one person, might not work for you.
With the Glocks, the availability of Glock 26 and Glock 19 holsters, OEM replacement parts and upgrades is mind boggling, and you’ll really be able to customize your Glocks to your specifications and needs!
It’s just another great reason to pick either, or both of these excellent guns. Either way, whether you pick these or not, I hope you find something that keeps you and those dearest to you safe. We are strong women and we don’t rely on others for our safety or our family’s safety. Best of luck to you!
