How does the Glock 19 and the Sig P320 Compact stack up against each other?

I also agree that the whole "Glock let time pass them by" argument is a bit overdone. I may prefer other designs to Glocks, but those other designs would likely not exist without Glock in the first place. Glock dramatically changed the market. None of the individual components (striker-fired, polymer, etc.) were truly original, but the combination of them was something the market hadn't seen and Glock was a marketing genius.

We've recently seen two of the last holdouts, SIG and HK, produce new striker fired pistols for fear of losing market share. Even Beretta will be coming out with a striker fired fullsize pistol. There's basically a striker fired pistol for pretty much any preference you could have (sometimes I worry we've reached the point of over-saturation). New shooters walking into a gun store often say, "I want a Glock", without knowing anything about them. That kind of brand recognition is something most other manufacturers are striving for. The newer striker-fired designs may be more refined, but at the core it's really the same concept. If Glock is knocked off its pedestal it will take quite a long time and I believe they could engage in a hell of a price war if they had to.

If someone came to me today and said, "This Glock 19 is all you have from now on to defend your life", I'd be a bit sad but I'd still be okay. To me the Glock is the car equivalent of the Toyota Corolla. It's safe, reliable, and does its primary function without many issues. That's nothing to sneer at. Of course, that won't stop me from driving other cars too :cool:.
 
I'm not even sure about the "more refined" argument...

As how do you define that statement?


The glock design is very simple... So it can be said to be elegantly simple/refined.


Depends on what you want in a pistol I suppose.
 
As how do you define that statement?
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Whatever way I want ;)

Or more so Merriam-Webster
Full Definition of REFINED
1
: free from impurities
2
: fastidious, cultivated
3
: precise, exact <a refined test for radioactivity>

Depends on what you want in a pistol I suppose.
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By jove he's got it!

For me personally I would mean ergonomics mostly with trigger break a slight part of it. I also prefer other pistols stylistically over the Glock. Even refined can relate to different aspects as seen by the definition. The Glock being simple is a good point ("free from impurities").

Once again the personal preference posts that we beat into the ground above play a large part in this. I do find it interesting that I can write 278 words congratulating Glock on its success and lauding it for its utility, but the two words "more refined" get picked up on and pointed out. Again, our own personal definitions come into play.
 
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The biggest issue most have with Glock is its upward pointing angle. That far out weighs its blocky design as a deal breaker for most. Its generally not considered as natural as every other manufacturer that established the 1911's pointing angle as being optimal. HK,Sig,M&P,Walther,Springfield etc... all point like a 1911. Glock seems to point different for the sake of being different. That is a big fundamental difference with Glock and keeps it the redheaded stepchild for gun enthusiast. You can train around it but why would you want to or even have to? Gaston Glock made it very clear from the beginning that "it was his way or the highway". I, like many dont share his unyielding vision or design. I shot all my Glocks well but never liked having to adapt to its bizarre design.
 
For me it wasn't the angle but the fact that I shoot right handed and am left-eye dominant. As such I unwittingly cock the pistol slightly in my hand when shooting (I've tried to correct it but the unnatural feels natural; also shooting left-handed went out the window with a surgery). In this state the top of the grip literally rubs me wrong right at the base of my thumb. This is MY issue, not really Glock's, but it is more prevalent for me with Glocks than most other pistols. The grip is also too blocky for my wife (who has tiny hands) to grip well enough to shoot without inducing limpwristing. Again, this is HER issue, but it only happens with Glocks.
 
P320 makes the Glock feel very dated IMO.
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points like a 1911
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Giggling like a school girl.

the P320s modular platform lightly.
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After investing considerable funds in several modular platforms, I have come to the conclusion it isn't really practical for any functional use. A solution to manufacturing novelty.

like a bad guy's chest, and still fire the pistol.
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You mean doing so won't put the pistol out of battery, or the gun will fire out of battery? Most guns won't fire in this instance because doing so is dangerous. Unless everything is aligned right there is a decent chance of limp wristing. Pressing the weapon against your opponent tells them exactly where it is, which is only important if you are not immediately going to pull the trigger. All of my limited instruction and experience would indicate you do not want to make contact with your muzzle. Not that that means it isn't going to happen.

I have a Glock with several holsters, lots of magazines, and a few other accessories. I haven't found a pistol yet that has enough of an advantage for me to buy all that stuff again AND shoot thousands of rounds to tain my muscle memory on a new guns use.
I have 3 pretty good friends who CCW. They all carry Glock. Two carry 9mms and ne a 40 SW. Most likely people to be armed in a gunfight next to me. Is it a benefit that we all know each others firearms and 3 of us have mags that interchange? What is the most likely firearm I might pick up i a similar situation?
There is something to be said for being the standard.
 
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Sounds like Glock peer pressure as opposed to any one particular standard. :p As long as your are comfortable and happy with that platform that's all that matters.
 
Once again the personal preference posts that we beat into the ground above play a large part in this. I do find it interesting that I can write 278 words congratulating Glock on its success and lauding it for its utility, but the two words "more refined" get picked up on and pointed out. Again, our own personal definitions come into play.
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When I am typing on my phone, I must pick what to write or be faced with tired thumbs.

Usually something I want to bring up a point about.


Also I tend to not mention things I am mostly in agreement with.


By jove he's got it!
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I've always got it... don't mean I can't argue my side on occasion. :cool:


The biggest issue most have with Glock is its upward pointing angle.
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It does take a little to get used to... but I am inclined to think it serves a purpose; in that it may help with recoil and follow up shots. As they tend to shoot very soft for a lightweight design.


You mean doing so won't put the pistol out of battery, or the gun will fire out of battery?
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Meaning its harder to push the slide back out of battery in such a situation.

While not ideal, when in a physical altercation, rolling around on the ground, you may not have a choice.


I remember the Springfield XD touting this feature when Springfield started bringing the pistols in under the XD moniker...

It was a byproduct of the recoil spring assembly that allowed this. I think the same is true of the 320... need to check on mine.



In the end... I just like all pistols, and I will own examples of several brands and types.
 
As marine pointed out it's not that the pistol will fire out of battery, merely the recoil spring assembly protrudes from the end of the slide making it hard to push out of battery in the first place. Again I think it's interesting but I don't think it would make me want or not want a pistol.
 
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Glock peer pressure
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Hmm.
One chose a Glock after shooting mine. He had been carrying a KelTec P3AT I believe. He shot the G26 much more accurately.
The other two both choose Glocks before I met them. Doesn't seem like a lot of peer pressure at work.

The most common police gun?
Probably the most common single manufacturer firearm carried by US civilians also. may very well be more 1911s. Probably Glock 9mm is most common single platform.
 
The most common police gun?
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Not in my area anymore. Most all of our local, state and federal have been abandoning the Glock platform over the last 8 years. Sig P226/229/220 now the Pa state police is working iin the Sig P227 right from the academy. City police are Sig, M&P, with SWAT and Detectives using the various sized Kimber 1911 for the past 5 years. Our small town and rual police that can choose from a larger pool of handguns have all gone with the P320.
There are soooo many LE turn in Glocks for sale flooding my locally market that they are dirt cheap. Unfortunately interesting calibers like the G29/G20 are rare and seldom carried in stock.
 
Giggling like a school girl.
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I was doing the same until I saw this. Then I nearly spit out my drink.

I wonder how the Glock fans are feeling to learn that their weapons have "gone the way of the 1911". :p

Any way to the OP, I'd say both are quality weapons and I'd pick the P320 over the Glock any day. I just have a preference for Sig and haven't really warmed to the Glocks.
 
I picked up a 19 to see what all the fuss is about. I prefer 45 so never considered the 19. Now I wonder what took me so long. No experience with sigs so I can only weigh in on loving my 19. It replaced my 30S (which I thought was "the one") as primary edc. There's nothing the 19 doesn't do well for me. That's enough for me
 
When it all gets boiled down, the Glock was made by an Austrian curtain rod manufacturer for summer conscripts who don't shoot, for an army that last fought as the Axis JV squad, and then was widely adopted by police accountants on the basis of cost, and not because it is a great sidearm.
 
No gun on the market is "a game changer." They all go bang and do what's expected. I personally have never cared for the looks or feel of the Sig with the sole exception of my only - the 228. I love the Glocks, the looks, the feel, and how easy they are to use and maintain. For me, Sigs aren't worth the extra money over the work horse Glock. My opinion anyway....

Laura
 
The early P250 had well-documented reliability problems, which SIG unfortunately chose (or had) to address by largely redesigning the pistol including the magazines, thus leaving early buyers in the lurch. SIG seemingly had mag availability problems throughout the early production run and after the redesign; many pistols shipped with 1 mag rather than 2, and retailers couldn't get spares, which understandably annoyed many buyers. Lastly, I just don't think there's a whole lot of market potential in the USA for a full-size (or largish compact) pistol that can only be had with a long-reset DAO trigger. FWIW I actually think the P250 has an excellent trigger for what it is, but apparently not many people want one like this.
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I recently picked up what I assume is a Gen 2 Sig P250 compact in 380 ACP sight unseen. I thought my wife would enjoy shooting a relatively larger/heavier 380 ACP instead of all these micro-380's. I paid $380 including shipping. Then I was shocked by how nice the trigger was. Allow me to explain.

When I first got into guns I sought out SAO pistols mainly because they were easier to shoot and because long DA triggers did not work for my relatively small hands. They wore me out a lot in long shooting sessions. Then more recently I got into revolvers and ended up shooting them a lot, and really liking shooting double action (so long as the triggers were within good reach).

Now I find the 7 lb. DAO trigger on P250C just amazing! It's like shooting a really slick, heavily customized double action revolver trigger (only with more capacity and thinner profile).

Since the modularity is a bonus, I picked up other frames and calibers for a fraction of what whole guns cost. The sub compact versions, in particular, are great for my wife. She absolutely LOVES the light, but long DAO trigger. She likes the light weight trigger pull obviously, but also like the long-ish trigger for "safety" - she just never felt too comfortable with super light SAO triggers.

So she and I are really happy with the P250 series. We were completely unaware of the earlier Gen 1 issues. It's too bad that more people don't appreciate or like the virtues of the Gen 2 P250's but I guess their loss is our gain!

Makes me wonder what the P320 triggers are like. Like P250 triggers but shorter, I'd assume.

BTW, as much as we like the P250, in terms of ergonomics, the best for us is still the H&K P30S. With small panels and back strap, it feels as thin as a Browning Hi Power!

We have Glocks and my wife really likes the G42, but doesn't care for the trigger. We'd probably guy a G43 as well, though, when it is released to the public.
 
marine6680 said:
On an unrelated note... How do some people get the "originally posted by" stuff into quotes?
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Put =username after the opening QUOTE tag, like this:

Code: 
[QUOTE[B]=marine6680[/B]]On an unrelated note... How do some people get the "originally posted by" stuff into quotes?[/QUOTE]
 
tunnelrat said:
This gun in particular isn't really any extra money...
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I can buy Glocks NIB with a little poking around for $450. Best price I gave found on a P320 is $505.

Not a huge difference but still a difference. In the end these debates are always fruitless. People represent subjective opinion and criteria as if it where material fact in order to justify their buying choice and or preference.

To the OP go out and shoot them side by side for a few hundred rounds and choose for yourself.
 
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