Pondering the idea of picking up a new handgun. Thought long and hard about a Colt Delta Elite 10mm but close to $1200 out the door is a tad steep you gotta admit.
I have two Glocks right now (30S Gen 3 and 26 Gen 4).
Yesterday I had a chance to pick up a Gen 5 Model 19. Nice enough. Then I found myself wondering why I needed yet another 9mm; I currently own 5. Next to the 19 was a Model 23. Identical in size to the aformentioned Model 19. I had a .40 S&W Shield not long ago. Wish I still did. But when the gun store guy starts telling me the Glock 23 can easily convert to 9mm or .357 Sig for minimal cash...gotta say my attention was gotten.
Question is...I so very often hear so many wonderful things about the Model 19; why not so much about the Model 23?
Recoil. Do you have any other .40 pistols? If so, I’d go with the 23. If not, I’d go with the 19. You will need to buy a conversion barrel to convert .40 to 9mm. You can buy a Glock .357 Sig barrel for conversion. Each barrel will run $125 or more. I have always had good luck with 40-9 conversion barrels. Others, not so much.
I like them both. Just bought a Gen5 19 and think it is a great gun. Probably the best of the Gens for me. If they would of had a 23 gen5 I would of bought it before the 19. Don't get me wrong, I like the 19's. I have five of them. I just think the 23 is a better buy. I have five of them also. Gen 2 through 4. Hopefully they will come out with a Gen5 23 soon. I will jump on it. Reason I like them better is having three guns in one. First, I do really like the 40 round. It is my carry choice these days and I reload and enjoy shooting it. Main reason I recommend the 23 is, when the "panic ammo hoarding" takes place after a shooting or political whatever happens, I could always find 40 ammo. 9mm was nowhere to be found around here. I do reload but even bullets were hard to get at times. I have found the conversion barrels to be as reliable as factory. Gen 4 is my favorite of the 23's until they come out in gen 5. Long answer but I would get the 23.
Go with the Gen5 G19.
.40 is icky
I find it interesting how some people try to get as many diff calibers as possible... and here I am doing the exact opposite. I've consolidated all my pistols down to 9mm.
Both great choices. Just depends on what caliber you want. Many will tell you that this or that caliber is best. You have to decide for yourself which one you prefer.
If it's primarily a self defense firearm, go with the 23. Target ammo and SD ammo have relatively the same recoil in my opinion.
If you want the most versatile of hand guns, even a little run & gun competition, the 19 is fantastic. You may even be introducing others to handgun shooting and the 9mm is superior to the .40 for that.
I like the upgrades my Gen 5 17 offers over previous gens, except for one item. Not sure about the rear sight yet. The increased width and depth is a little too large for me and plate shooting. I have a standard 6.5 mm rear sight on order.
I have and like both. I have a G32 barrel and mags as well as a 40 => 9 conversion barrel. It's kind of nice to have three calibers covered in one gun. That said, I also think the G19-5 is a great pistol and I highly recommend it.
You should research both pistols then if possible try both before you decide. If you're like me, you'll probably end up with both eventually.
I can't comment on the Gen 5 19, haven't even held one yet, and probable won't as I'm just not in the market for another 9mm.
all my Glocks have 9mm conversion barrels with the exception of my gen 3 37, I had a Gen 3 19 but I now have a Gen 4 23, liked the 19 but really like the 23, the only upgrade between the gen 3 and gen 4 that sold me on the gen 4 is the beavertail back strap.
the main reasons I like the 23 is, well, its a Glock and the versatility with caliber conversion, as I said, I have a 9mm conversion barrel for it, I also have a Advantage Arms 22LR kit for it, the 22LR kit affords cheep shooting and not have to chase brass, really nice at an indoor range in the colder months.
I'll be ordering a 357 Sig barrel for it soon so that's 4 calibers in one handgun, same platform for cheep practice with the conversions and same platform I carry, fits right into my "practice with purpose" mantra.
I can say I have "4 guns in one" with the caliber conversions, but not at the price of one gun, probably could have bought a second handgun with what I have/will have invested in conversions, but having the same trigger pull regardless of caliber is a big plus and well worth the investment to me.
Next to the 19 was a Model 23. Identical in size to the aformentioned Model 19. I had a .40 S&W Shield not long ago. Wish I still did. But when the gun store guy starts telling me the Glock 23 can easily convert to 9mm or .357 Sig for minimal cash...gotta say my attention was gotten.
Question is...I so very often hear so many wonderful things about the Model 19; why not so much about the Model 23?
I've had several G23's.
Two gen 2's in the early 90's and a gen 3 in 2012
The .40 S&W does have more recoil,
in my opinion & experience 9mm is easier for follow up shots.
9mm ammo is cheaper, and now days very effective.
Yes you can convert to 9 or .357 Sig with a 23. But when
it's time to trade or sell, the 19 will always sell faster
and for more $$$.
Hey I have a glock 22 I carry as a duty weapon...I am not a fan of the .40s&w..I would rather have a 9mm or .45 for carry...I just bought a model 19 gen 5...I really like it and would recommend it over the 23...I had a 23 gen 4 years ago and didnt like it so I sold the thing along with my 27..
You don't hear as much about the 40SW, 10mm, 357sig, 45gap, or 45auto Glocks because grown men of this generation have been brainwashed into believing they are not capable of handling the recoil from these rounds. Many even believe the 9mm is a firebreathing monster. It is not because of any problems with the larger bore Glock models.
Pondering the idea of picking up a new handgun. Thought long and hard about a Colt Delta Elite 10mm but close to $1200 out the door is a tad steep you gotta admit.
I have two Glocks right now (30S Gen 3 and 26 Gen 4).
Yesterday I had a chance to pick up a Gen 5 Model 19. Nice enough. Then I found myself wondering why I needed yet another 9mm; I currently own 5. Next to the 19 was a Model 23. Identical in size to the aforementioned Model 19. I had a .40 S&W Shield not long ago. Wish I still did. But when the gun store guy starts telling me the Glock 23 can easily convert to 9mm or .357 Sig for minimal cash...gotta say my attention was gotten.
Question is...I so very often hear so many wonderful things about the Model 19; why not so much about the Model 23?
"Question is...I so very often hear so many wonderful things about the Model 19; why not so much about the Model 23?"
The reason is that people have an irrational hatred for the 40 caliber and people who have never owned one or shot one have piled on and have adopted what has become the popular opinion. On one hand, people hate it because it's not as powerful as the 10mm, but on the other hand they say it's too powerful for a compact sized gun and that the recoil is objectionable.
Nonsense. I had a G19 that I sold after I got a G23 and I considered it an upgrade to be able to go to a more powerful cartridge in the same size gun. And shooting both of them side by side, it was very hard to tell the difference in recoil. And if you've owned a 40 caliber Shield, you know that the 40 is not a wrist-breaker.
Caliber-wise, the 40 falls exactly halfway between the 9 (355) and the .45 (.451) but performance-wise it's close to the 45 with it's ability to drive a 180 grain bullet at 1000 fps which is similar to what the 45 does with 185 grain bullet.
And then there's the versatility of being able to drop in a 357 sig barrel or get a 9mm conversion barrel in 9mm and use 9mm magazines and shoot the less expensive ammo for practice and greater familiarity with the gun.
Go with the Gen5 G19.
.40 is icky
I find it interesting how some people try to get as many diff calibers as possible... and here I am doing the exact opposite. I've consolidated all my pistols down to 9mm.[/Q
I have the Gen 4 19 and Gen 3 23. Lots of reasons to have both, same holsters fit them both, controls are the exact same so training on either one is training on both. Ammo availability, increased performance, lower ammo costs, lay one down pick up the other and nothing changes. Advantages to both calibers mentioned in many places justify having both for me. I conceal carry both using the same holster. Use either one and shoot 500 rounds in an eight hour training classes.
Recoil difference is minimal, the 40 is a little bit “snappy” but training and proper grip minimizes any recoil differences in my opinion.
My icon picture is the 23 shot at 7 yards one mag change, rapid fire.
I shoot them side by side and my perception is Gaston Glock has very nearly achieved perfection, I would never sell either.
Gen 4 23 hands down.
The .40 is more gun than the 9 no matter what anyone says.
The FBI went to the 9mm so weaker people could qualify.
I'm sure their HRT still packs the 1911 .45 auto.
The 9mm is a great round. The .40 is better. I have both and shoot the .40 mostly.
For someone wanting a compact, easily carried .40 that still offers a decent sized grip, the 23 is a great pistol. I carried a couple of employer-issued and a personally owned for a number of years. My only gripe was with the recoil of the .40 and not the pistol. I switched back to 9mm as I got older and arthritis started to flair up. Incidentally, I put both my .40s (23 and 27) on consignment at a local gun store back in 2013. The 23 sold almost immediately.
The one advantage I noted for having a .40 is that during the hysteria of 2013, it was hard to find 9mm or .45 on the shelves at gun stores. .40 was still relatively available - maybe not in huge stocks, but you could still find it in some form.
I think the Glock 19 is a much more versatile carry gun, but if you like the .40, there is nothing wrong with a Gen 4 23.
My only gripe was with the recoil of the .40 and not the pistol. I switched back to 9mm as I got older and arthritis started to flair up. Incidentally, I put both my .40s (23 and 27) on consignment at a local gun store back in 2013. The 23 sold almost immediately.
I think the Glock 19 is a much more versatile carry gun, but if you like the .40, there is nothing wrong with a Gen 4 23.
Same here, back in the day even my Smith model 29 44 mags were no problem.
Now I'm more comfortable with a 9mm for extended range time.
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