The Glock 19 is one of the most popular handguns in the United States. The compact, 9mm handgun is a dominant player in law enforcement and is a perennial favorite with concealed carriers. The Glock 23 shares near-identical external dimensions, but is chambered in the slightly hotter .40 S&W cartridge. The .40 caliber is losing some popularity, but is this pistol out of the fight? We say no. Let’s take a look at the Glock 19 vs Glock 23.
Glock 19
Introduced in 1988, the Glock 19 was an instant hit. The Glock 17 had taken some time to gain traction, being unconventional in appearance and made of materials foreign to gun guys. Once it caught on, the desire for a compact pistol was instantaneous and strong. Glock removed approximately ½ an inch from the grip frame, resulting in a magazine that was only 2 rounds shorter than the Glock 17’s then-amazing capacity. Another ½ inch was removed from the slide and barrel, resulting in a package that was easy to carry and conceal, but still shot extremely well.
The overall length of the Glock 19 is just 7 ¼ inches, and it’s height (including magazine) is just a hair over 5 inches, making it an extremely compact handgun. It still manages to squeeze in a 4.02-inch barrel and an impressive 15+1 capacity, and do so with an unloaded weight of just over 21 ounces. The Glock 19 can also use the longer Glock 17 magazines, making it especially useful for cops in an environment where plainclothes officers might be carrying the G19 in proximity to uniformed officers with the larger Glock 17.
Glock 23
Even though the Glock 19 was an immediate and unalloyed success, the Glock 23 cut deeply into its market share. The reason? In 1997 the FBI adopted the .40 S&W caliber in the wake of a rush and ill-conceived move to 10mm Auto. As the FBI goes, so goes smaller law enforcement agencies and soon .40 S&W was the dominant caliber in American law enforcement, and was for a quarter-century. The Glock 22 was the dominant handgun for uniformed officers, with the Glock 23 being the top choice for plainclothes cops.
Beginning in the 2010s, the tide started to turn once again. Law enforcement began switching back to 9mm (though not all; agencies in the author’s area still carry the Glock 22/23). While much of the shooting public had stuck it out with 9mm, many went with the cops and switched to .40 S&W. The Glock 23 has ridden the caliber’s coattails from immense popularity to its current status as a second-tier option behind the 9mm Glock 19. This doesn’t mean the pistol itself is bad; the popularity (or lack therof) of the Glock 23 hinges on one, single factor: the chambeing.
Glock 19 vs Glock 23: Similarities
First and foremost, with either the Glock 19 or Glock 23, you will get legendary Glock reliability. Both of these pistols have an incredibly reputation for working…and working and working and working. Even though the .40-caliber cartridge is a bit rougher on guns, the Glock 23 is still an uber-reliable platform, capable of going for tens of thousands of rounds. Plenty of Glock 19s are out there, still going after 50,000 rounds with only minor parts replacement and minimal maintenance.
Next, both come in a very popular form-factor. The Glock 19 is one of the most popular pistols with armed Citizens, ever. It is also incredibly popular with cops – uniformed and plainclothes – and special operations soldiers. This is largely due to its size; it is small enough to carry comfortably and conceal well, yet large enough to shoot fast and accurately. The ammunition payload of these pistols (15+1 and 13+1) is impressive, as is the ability of each to utilize magazines from their full-sized counterparts.
Both the Glock 19 and Glock 23 share a world of available accessories. Sights, lights, lasers, triggers, optics, replacement parts…if you can dream it, it is available for the Glock 19 and 23. Every leather-worker and Kydex-bender under the sun makes a holster for these models. Holsters fitting the G19/23 are on just about every gun store shelf in America. One important note, and one thing that sets the Glock 23 apart: the slide on the Gen5 Glock 23 is just a hair wider than Glock 19 and legacy Glock 23 slides at 1.08 inches wide (versus 1.0 inches). This may impact fitment with some holsters.
Both the Glock 19 and the Glock 23 are available in the latest line of Glock pistols, the Gen5 line. Upgrades to the Gen5 pistols include the match-grade Glock Marksman Barrel. The frame lacks finger grooves and has a flared magazine well. The slide latch is ambidextrous, and the magazine release is reversible. The slides of both pistols have and nDLC finish, forward cocking serrations, and are available in a MOS version that will support pistol-mounted optics.
Glock 19 vs Glock 23 Differences: Caliber
The cat is already out of the bag: the difference between the Glock 19 and the Glock 23 is caliber. The Glock 19 is chambered in 9x19mm (aka 9mm NATO, Luger, or Parabellum) and the Glock 23 is chambered in .40 S&W. There are pros and cons of the larger, .40-caliber cartridge. First, it is a more powerful round. The .40 S&W fires bullets that enjoy both larger diameter and heavier weight. With its very high pressure, the .40 has some “power to spare” and as a rule, hollowpoints in this caliber expand and penetrate very well.
Proponents of the 9mm point out some “pros” of their own. The first is greater capacity. The difference between 15+1 and 13+1 (of the Glock 19 vs Glock 23, respectively) seems insignificant when comparing a single magazine. The gap widens if you are carrying a spare to four more rounds in the 9mm (31 vs 27), or six more if carrying two spares (46 vs 40). Again, this isn’t a huge difference, but one that you should be aware of. It’s also worth noting that while there is certainly not a shortage of Glock 23 magazines, 9mm magazines are far more widely available on the commercial market.
Next, the 9mm has less recoil. To some recoil may seem like a non-issue, but this author greatly prefers the 9mm due to faster follow-up shots on target (he was reminded of this when he recently had to quality with a .40-caliber Glock 23). And even though you may be fine with the additional recoil, what about other family members who may have to use your gun in self-defense if you aren’t around…or worse?
Maybe most importantly is ammunition. Ammo for the 9mm Glock 19 is cheaper and more widely available. This means you can shoot about fifty percent more for the same amount of money, and skill is what makes either of these guns worth anything. There is also ammunition development; like it or not, the big ammo houses (Federal, Hornady, Speer, Winchester) invest their R&D dollars first and foremost, where there is most likely to be a return on that investment, and that is in 9mm. The latest and greatest defensive ammunition is designed primarily around the 9mm platform.
Glock 19 vs Glock 23: Which Is Right for YOU?
Which one of these two pistols is right for you? The answer, like so many things in life, depends. The Glock 19 is our pick for most shooters. The greater capacity, lighter recoil, and lower cost of ammo make it very appealing. It is also the de facto flagship pistol of concealed carry. On the other hand, there’s nothing wrong with the Glock 23.
We probably don’t need to talk you into a Glock 23, but there are some good reasons that it may be the right pistol for you. If you are sitting on a pile of .40 S&W ammunition, it would be a good idea to have a pistol to shoot it through. If you already have several 9mm handguns and want to branch out, some caliber flexibility is a good thing; 9mm’s popularity makes it hard to come by when ammo is short, but .40 can sometimes still be found. And you might just want something new and different!
Glock 19 vs Glock 23: The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that when it comes to comparing the Glock 19 vs Glock 23, there just isn’t that much difference other than caliber. The Glock 19 enjoys the immensely popular 9mm chambering, with higher capacity, less recoil, and cheaper ammo. The Glock 23 has the advantage of the .40’s bigger, heavier bullets and very reliable terminal performance. Beyond that, all other considerations are external factors.
The Glock 19 and Glock 23 are nearly identical in external dimensions. Both pistols have that amazing, middle-of-the-road form factor that is ideal for carrying and still excellent for shooting. Both enjoy Glock reliability and will work for decades and tens of thousands of rounds. Both are extremely well supported with holsters, sights, lights, and more. It’s hard to imagine being anything other than satisfied with either the Glock 19 or Glock 23.
