As a kid, I loved studying dinosaurs, finding them fascinating. Eventually, I grew into a dinosaur myself—or so I’m jokingly told by many of the young folks in my life. At least, I think they’re joking.

It might explain why I just acquired a pistol that was released way back in 1988: the Glock 19. Why in the world would I get a pistol that was released so long ago? Aren’t there newer designs that are more trendy and modern? Can the Glock 19 really hang with the younger kids? And how many Generations of the Glock 19 are there?

I’ll answer that last question right now; as this is written, Glock is on the fifth generation of their Model 19. Each generation offers features that add to the last generation. I won’t bore you by rehashing each generation, but we’re going to take a look at the differences between the Generation 3 (Gen 3) and the Gen 5 pistols.

A Big Splash

In 1986, the Glock 17 made possibly the biggest splash the handgun market has ever seen. If there was a bigger upset, I can’t recollect it.

Glock brought many revolutionary concepts to the table, which undoubtedly stemmed from the fact that he wasn’t a “gun guy.” He set out to design a pistol for the Austrian military with no preconceived notions, and I believe that’s what set the Glock apart from other pistols.

People either loved or hated the Glock 17, and that’s still pretty much true today. Even by 1980s standards, the Glock 17 was a pretty large handgun. In response to that criticism, Glock chopped a little off the barrel and shortened the grip to a more compact size, and voila, the Glock 19 was born. When this happened, I suspect that the heavens parted and angels sang, as it was an instant hit. Slightly smaller and lighter than the Glock 17, it’s just easier to carry.

Wide Professional and Civilian Use

In addition to millions of civilian users, many law enforcement agencies and military units still use the Glock 19. These include the US Army Special Forces, SFOD-D (Delta), Army Rangers, Navy SEALs, FBI, and CIA.

Evidently, despite being out since 1988, the Glock 19 is still monumentally relevant in today’s world, and that does not appear to be changing any time soon.

Those organizations have access to any firearms that they want, and they specifically went with the Glock 19, which says quite a bit about the platform. It’s a very simple handgun, and simple often equates to better.

Gen 3 vs Gen 5

Let’s examine some of the differences between the two generations. I’ll tell you now that there isn’t really anything earth-shatteringly different between them. However, there are some subtle differences that are immediately apparent.

That said, I do like the changes that the Gen 5 Glock 19 incorporates. There are things that the Gen 5 has that the Gen 3 does not.

Finger Grooves

Shooters will notice that the finger grooves on the Gen 3 pistols are not included on the Gen 5 pistols. This is generally seen as a positive thing, as many shooters expressed unbridled hatred toward the finger grooves. They never bothered me, and I found them to be functional and helpful on the Glocks that I’ve owned over the years. But then, I have very average, medium-sized hands, which is what the Glock grips are mostly geared for.

Personally, I like the straight front strap a little bit more because it feels closer to the classic Glock 17 and 19 that I owned so many years ago when they first came out. Further, Glock now uses their RTF (Rough Texture Finish), which is a decent gripping surface that helps to ensure a grip under slippery conditions.

Flared Mag Well

Gen 5 Glock 19s now have a flared magazine well, which facilitates faster reloads under stress. Granted, it’s subtle and not wildly flared like some competition pistols, but it’s enough to be beneficial when doing high-speed drills or engaging bad guys in a firefight, which is a big win for LEOs.

Aside from delivering faster reloads, that outward flare at the bottom of the grip helps to enhance the grip a little bit. It offers a sort of little ridge at the bottom of the grip that I find appealing. Again, the flare is subtle, but it’s there.

I find this feature to be slightly superior to the Gen 3 non-flared mag well.

Widened Rear Sight

The rear sight notch has been widened so that there’s more daylight on either side of the front sight base when it’s centered in the sight. It’s not drastic, and you might not have even noticed had I not mentioned it. But it’s designed to be a little more forgiving for speed/combat shooting. Of course, Glock still uses the “goal post” white outline, which I like. Many shooters hate them, but I see nothing wrong with them (other than the fact that they’re polymer).

New Mags

Beginning with the Gen 5 guns, Glock started using orange followers in their magazines. These function just like all the other mags, but the orange follower is nice. It serves as a clearer indication of an empty magazine, helping shooters discern an empty mag from a malfunction. Also, as the follower moves through the magazine, whether it’s loading or unloading, the orange follower shows up through the witness holes on the back of the magazine very well.

From my experience in training and shooting classes, Glock magazines have proven to be the very best in terms of durability and reliability. No other magazines can beat them, and I’ve seen them take some serious abuse and keep running strong.

Ambidextrous Slide Stop/Release

I find the Gen 5’s ambidextrous slide stop/release to be a slight advantage over not having one, but it’s far from a deal breaker. It’s nice to have, but since I’m right-handed, it’s not overly necessary. Still, it makes the pistol more versatile for lefties and the times when we’re shooting with our offhand. The magazine release can be switched to either side.

This is a major win for left-handed shooters and those of us who like to train with our weak hand. I’m not sure why it took Glock so long to make this upgrade, but I won’t complain too much.

Forward Serrations

Initially, the Gen 5 Glocks didn’t have forward serrations on the slide, which left some to be desired. While they are useful, I rather like the front of the slide to be “slick,” so from an aesthetic sense, I’d prefer they not be there. Of course, they make press checks easier, and they also offer more intuitive slide manipulations for weak-handed shooters, so they have a function. The Gen 3, of course, does not have them at all. It’s not a deal breaker for me either way.

Backstraps

While the Gen 3’s back strap is plain, the Gen 5 comes with four added back strap options. There are a couple to make the grip larger and two that not only make it larger but also add a beavertail. Many people have observed that adding the beavertail allows the shooter to get a higher grip on the pistol without running the risk of slide bite.

Personally, I just run it without any of the backstraps added, giving me the smallest grip size possible. Given that my hands are medium-sized at best, I like grips that are small. Even so, the 19’s grip is about as large as I care to go on a pistol.

Dual Recoil Spring

While Gen 3 Glocks utilize a single recoil spring, the Gen 5 series takes advantage of a dual recoil spring. Both seem to do a nice job of dampening the recoil of the 9mm cartridge. I do like the metal construction that the dual spring uses, and that one gets the nod from me. Plus, it would be no trouble to order one of the latest recoil springs and pop it into your Gen 3 (or any generation) Glock.

Trigger

Glock triggers notoriously vary from very good to mushy and gritty. The triggers of the Gen 5 guns that I’ve handled have been very good. Mine has the usual take-up, followed by the wall and a crisp break without much creep. I actually like it.

In my experience, the Gen 3 triggers aren’t terrible but don’t seem quite as consistent as the newer triggers. I think Glock stepped up its game as far as triggers are concerned. I’ve never really had too much of a gripe about Glock triggers, although I know that opinions vary greatly on the subject. My philosophy is that I need to adapt myself to whichever trigger I happen to be using. That means dry fire and live fire practice.

Finish

While the Gen 3 Model 19 has the Tenifer finish, the Gen 5 uses a more durable nDLC finish. Glock states that this is an improvement and that it will resist scratching and corrosion, as well as help the pistol function in adverse conditions. So far, the finish is living up to its reputation. I’ve been carrying the Gen 5 G19 in a Kydex holster, and normally, that would cause wear on the slide of a pistol, marring the finish. However, the Gen 5 model is shrugging it off and still looks like new.

The nDLC finish has a deeper black appearance while looking slightly glossy. It’s not shiny, mind you, but it’s just a little glossier than previous slide finishes.

At The Range

We retired to the range to compare both pistols with live fire. As expected, reliability was perfect. We ran Nosler 9mm ASP 115-grain JHP, Nosler Defense T-BND 124-grain, Federal 124-grain HST +P, and a few other types of ammo through both Glocks, and they worked perfectly.

Accuracy was virtually the same with both the Gen 3 and the Gen 5 models, and we couldn’t discern a noticeable difference in either. Honestly, despite the Marksman barrel in the Gen 5, both pistols can shoot more accurately than we can, so there’s no way we’re going to shoot them to their maximum accuracy anyway.

The two pistols’ recoil was also very similar, which is not surprising. I did prefer the Gen 5 without the finger grooves, but that’s just me.

In Summation

Is one generation drastically superior to the other? I would say no. However, the Gen 5 does have some attractive features that the Gen 3 does not. If I were restricted to using a Gen 3 Glock 19, would I feel disadvantaged? Not at all.

While there might be more accurate pistols out there, the Glock’s attributes, taken as a whole, make it a superior pistol.

Further, many people in the gun culture still use the Glock 19 as a yardstick with which to compare newly introduced pistols despite it being around since 1988. And yes, this pistol can hang with any of the newer pistols that are being introduced.

So, is the Glock Gen 5 Model 19 the best version yet? I think so. Each generation becomes a little more refined and well thought out, and I have to say the extra features that are found on the Gen 5 set it at the front of the pack. If I had an older generation of a Glock 19, would I run out and sell it to get the Gen 5? I wouldn’t call you crazy if you did. The accuracy didn’t seem drastically different between the generations, but the Gen 5 does have great features that I like. Overall, it’s a great pistol.