G26 or G19?

S

Solomon

Inactive
Yesterday I spent 12 hours going through the concealed handgun class. From the web I had decided that the Glock 26 was probably the best choice for conceilability. However when I had it in my hand it was too small. I found the Glock 19 more comfortable. So I shot with that. Does anyone have a Glock 26 out there that can give me some comment on the short profile it has and how do you get around it?
 
"Yesterday I spent 12 hours going through the concealed handgun class. From the web I had decided that the Glock 26 was probably the best choice for conceilability. However when I had it in my hand it was too small. I found the Glock 19 more comfortable. So I shot with that. Does anyone have a Glock 26 out there that can give me some comment on the short profile it has and how do you get around it?"

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I own a 26. I use a Schere pinky extender on all magazines but one. The Glock 26 is pleasure to shoot recoil-- is less than .380 ACP IMO-- possibly due to the double recoil spring? The Glock 26 is the most accurate Glock 9mm I have shot (not counting the G34). I can't explain the reasons, but it outshot my Glock 17 (now sold), and also outshot many other Glock 17s and Glock 19s I have shot. Don't discount the Glock 26...try the Schere (or Pearce) grip extenders first before going to the 19.
 
Thanks Quantum, you are not the only one who has reported that the G26 is more accurate than the G17 and the G19. That is why I settled on the G26 until it was in my hand. But thanks to your answer, I now am back to wanting the G26.
However, with those extenders on I imagine it takes on the profile of a G19, as far as size. This still makes the G26 my choice.
 
Solomon,
I have a G26 too!!:)
I had the same problem.
The solution is: Pierce magazine extensions. They cost about $7.00 for a set of two. I have them on all my mags, and they provide just the right amount of support for your hand in that they make a place for your little finger to go. This increases the stability tremendously.
Also, they DO NOT adversely effect the concealability.:D
 
I prefer the Schere grip extenders over the Pearce (fits my hands better). See if you can try both before going with the Pearce.

BTW, for concealed carry you have the option of leaving the orginal magazine in, and carrying the Schere/Pearce as backup? That is what I do so I can carry the 26 like a pocket pistol and if needbe I still have two extra magazines with the Schere extenders at the ready!
 
I agree with Quantum, my 26 is an amazingly accurate pistol. Unsupported two-handed hold, my little 26 would out-shoot my Kimber Custom Classic out to fifteen yards. One of my mags has the grip extension. I actually like it better without the extension. I have large hands but find that I actually shoot it better without the extension. Without the extension, my strong hand nearly makes a tight fist which feels very snug. Some say this will also keep you from milking the grip and pulling your shots. The only reason for using the extension is the better index I get when drawing. The 26 does seem to have less recoil than the G19, at least for me. Fast follow-up shots are very easy. I can't say enough good things about this little pistol. Take a look at the Kahr P9. Even smaller than the 26, especially the width. Having said that, I like the Glock 26 better because it fits my hand better, whereas the Kahr just doesn't fill out my hand well. Anyway, give it a look if you have small hands. JohnH

[Edited by JohnH on 12-03-2000 at 05:56 PM]
 
"Ditto" to all the above. I have small hands and the G26 is one great piece! I have read in magazines that Glock's are not known for their accuracy. The two I have anyway, (26&22C), sure blow that away!
 
ditto the other comments. my G-19 is the most accurate centerfire semi-auto i've found (still looking for rivals).

either gun would be great.
 
I have carried both pistols on many occasions. The only thing that really bugged me about the 26,was due to the short barrel,slide,it would tip in the holster and the grip end would kind of flop out during carry. And i am talking with Milt Sparks holsters too,not low quality stuff.

Also,in quick draw practice,I found it a lot easier to get quick control of the 19 over the 26.

Just my couple pennies---
 
QS,

One of the reasons many .380's feel like they have MORE recoil than a 9mm is because most 380's are chamnered in smaller/narrower metal framed guns like the Walther-PPK, Sig-232, SMC-380, etc. But, if you put the .380ACP in a wide polymer framed gun like the Glock then you'd change your mind. Compare the Taurus PT-138 and the Glock 26 if you want to see the difference. But you really need two identical guns.

There aren't supposed to be any 380ACP Glock 25's or G28's in the US civilian market to compare with the G-19 and G-26. Side-by-side, you'd find that the G-25 has LESS recoil than the G-19. The G-28 would have less that the G-26. Can you imagine the collector's value if those things came over here in limited numbers? Wow!

Ben
 
I have all the Glock 9 x 19 mm pistols and feel that the accuracy is about equal when shooting unsupported. I have not tested them from a rest so I can't make any statement about their intrinsic accuracy. Theoretically the G34 should outshoot the G26 because of the G34's longer sight radius and lighter trigger, but again that's untested.

As to the grip on the G26, a controversal and often discussed topic on Glock Talk,my 2 cents: Just get used to it, you don't need extenders and if you insist get a G19 as the extenders defeat the easy concealibility of the G26. The G26 has a unique feel that becomes normal with a box or two of ammo.
 
"One of the reasons many .380's feel like they have MORE recoil than a 9mm is because most 380's are chamnered in smaller/narrower metal framed guns like the Walther-PPK, Sig-232, SMC-380, etc. But, if you put the .380ACP in a wide polymer framed gun like the Glock then you'd change your mind. Compare the Taurus PT-138 and the Glock 26 if you want to see the difference. Both may be too mild to really notice a difference though. You really need two identical guns. "

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Yes, I know 9mm recoils more than .380 in similar guns. My point is that the Glock 26 is so well designed that the recoil feels less than the average .380 (which usually have bad ergonomics).
 
G19 vs. G26 with grip extenders...

Sorry to interrupt, but the grip extender in no way makes the 26 harder to conceal. Remember it's the backstrap that's hard to hide, not the front! The Pearce Grip Extender will not lengthen the backstrap any more than it already is.
 
Solomon-

I own both the G26 and G19 and have both on my CCW. Over the last year I have not really carried the G26 very much and have instead found myself prefering the G19. I thought the smaller size of the G26 would be advantagous, but in reality I don't find it much easier to conceal than the 19 and I like having 15 rounds on tap. The 26 sure is a fine shooting pistol however.

regards,

Olazul
 
I thank each one of you for your comments. They all give me much food for thought. I can rent the G19 and G26 at the firing range and after I experiment, I believe I will naturally gravitate to the SA of my choice. I can in this way test the other pistols recommended too. Thank you.
 
Using a Ransom Rest (belonged to the range) with my G19 and a friends G26, we found no accuracy difference between the two. Well, not until we started shooting them ourselves. I was significantly more accurate with the 19. I have been shooting this 19 for about four years, but had never fired a 26 until that afternoon. The 26 was my friend's first gun and she had only shot it about four or five times before that afternoon. She was just slightly more accurate with the 26, but not life or death better. It really came down to a matter of comfort and familiarity where accuracy was concerned.
 
I have owned, shot and carried both. The G26 is not that harder to conceal than the G19. I carried my G26 in a pocket holster with a Pearce Grip extender, and did not find it hard to conceal at all. When carried in a waist holster, depending on what holster I used, it would be somewhat top heavy. My G26 was almost as accurate as my Brigadier(which is VERY accurate). The G19 was as good, just slightly larger...All things being equal, I would opt for the G26 for CCW.

Mike
 
I want to thank everyone for your valuable help. This evening I purchased a Glock 19. After weighing the opinions on several sites and the opinions of those at ranges, I finally asked myself which one I really wanted. It was the G19. It came down to the fact that I liked the feel of it in my hands. I just did not prefer the grip situation with the G26. I felt that once I put the extenders on I would wind up with a G19 anyway, just about. As far as one being more accurate than the other, it is revealing when you compare several G26's and see the discrepancy in accuracy within that class. The same can be said of the G19. It is my opinion that too many subjective inputs determine shooting accuracy so that it really comes down to which Glock can you shoot more accurately. The objective factor is the longer the barrel, the more accurate the shot. Therefore a rifle is easier to be accurate with than a pistol. The G19 is longer than the G26 but the difference is not telltale and therefore the advantage is minute. So we are back really to our subjective inputs. I chose the G19 because it fits me better and Glock is a solid company that stands behind their product and gives quick service.
 
That actually is not objective at all. A longer barrel doesn't imply more accuracy, only higher velocity. Rifles are more accurate than pistols for a number of reasons, barrel length not being the sole factor - just ask the G30 owners...
 
Many Glocksters have both. Carry G26 but train with my G19.

BTW: The P7 outshoots the Glock in most hands. And I have never read nor heard that Glocks were anything but accurate.
 
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