Glock 17 vs 19 vs 26: Which One is Better for Everyday Carry?

The Glock is one of the most loved pistols in the world – the military, police, and civilian gun owners are united in their approval of this pistol.

Designed originally by engineer Gaston Glock in 1982, the Glock has had massive success around the world for nearly 4 decades.

Encompassed in the Glock’s 9mm caliber are three essential handguns: the Glock 17, 19, and 26. The question is: which of these three is the best for everyday carry? That’s what we are going to dig into in this article today.

What’s So Great about Glocks?

Before we get deep into the topic, let’s back up a bit and look at the qualities that make the Glock a popular gun:

1. Durability – The polymer frame used in Glocks is stronger than the steel one in other pistols. Its material is corrosion-resistant even when you expose it to abrasive lubricants. The temperature range is impressive: from -40 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. More so, the metallic parts are also resistant to corrosion by saltwater and rust.
2. Lightweight Construction – While steel frames are heavy, the polymer used for a Glock’s frame is lightweight, making the gun ideal for self-defensive conceal and carry use.
3. Uncomplicated Design – Easy to use. They do not have the following things; palm safety, manual safety, decocker, external hammer, adjustable sights, and double action/single action trigger.
4. Reliability – They function whether dirty or clean, muddy, wet, and so forth – it’s difficult to make a Glock malfunction, something many YouTubers have discovered after rigorous torture testing.

Everyday Carry

By the term Everyday Carry (or as it is more popularly known: EDC), we are referring to the practice of carrying a gun with you everyday. Items in your pockets like your wallet, keys, phone, business cards comprise your everyday carry – basically items that you can’t do without.

An everyday carry gun should be something practical, that you can conceal easily in order to avoid attracting unwanted attention. It should also be a gun you like or enjoy having with you, which is where personal taste comes in.

The Comparisons:

1. Glock 17

This type is the largest of the three core Glock pistols. Thanks to the larger grip, you have a larger area to hold onto, which enables you to control gun recoil more easily.

In addition, the largeness of the surface area ensures that you feel less recoil since the recoil energy is distributed in a larger object than in other handguns.

Since it has a longer slide, it means there is more weight in front of your hands, resulting in less muzzle flip. And consequently, thanks to the larger frame and longer slide, the Glock 17 is easy to control when you are firing rapidly.

That it is longer also means extra rounds in its magazine. A standard Glock 17 magazine will hold 17 rounds. Since magazine capacity is limited to 10 rounds or less in some states, be sure to confirm that your local laws allow you to have this much magazine capacity.

Of the three handguns, the Glock 17 has the longest barrel, and that makes it the most accurate. With a 4.48 inch barrel, you can shoot with this handgun up to 25 yards. That shooting distance is sufficient for most pistol shooting contexts.

The longer slide ensures a longer sight radius, a factor that enables greater accuracy in your shots during precision sighted fire.

But even with all these advantages, there are bound to be some limitations. Its main disadvantage stems from the cause of most of its advantages: its bulk. Being the heaviest of the 9mm Glock pistols, the Glock 17 is a bit cumbersome. Also, the longer grip makes concealing it difficult.

It is the best choice if you want a handgun dedicated to only home defense, competition, and recreation shooting.

2. Glock 19

The Glock 19 has a solid and deserved reputation as a jack-of-all-trades pistol. Its popularity stems from its applicability in all shooting contexts. The mid-sized handgun is neither full-size nor sub-compact, but falls somewhere in the middle. It is just big enough for easy shooting as most people can wrap their four fingers on the grip comfortably.

The frame holds 15 rounds, making it ideal for defensive shooting, concealed carry in particular.

It’s also great that the Glock 19 can also use Glock 17 magazines – another factor that contributes to its reputation as a jack of all trades.

Its barrel is only half an inch shorter than the Glock 17’s, and as such is still pretty great for defensive shooting and most competition shooting distances.

Thanks to the 4-inch barrel, it has a fairly long slide with a good sight radius which ensures accurate sighted fire.

Being a bit lighter than the Glock 17, you can carry it comfortably on your belt. And since it has a mid-length grip, it is short enough for you to conceal it without much difficulty.

The grip length is just the right size for most people to easily wrap their four fingers around it.

It is what you should get if you are looking for a gun to use in defensive contexts and even some competitive shooting. If you are looking for a versatile handgun that fits most contexts and functions (home defense, concealed carry, and some competitions), the Glock 19 will give you the best value for your money.

3. Glock 26

Of these three handguns, the Glock 26 has the smallest frame profile, and is perfect for concealed carry. While the small frame size enhances its concealability, performance suffers a bit.

Its magazine capacity holds only 10 rounds, which is low but still impressive for a concealed carry gun. It allows interchangeability of Glock magazines – so you can carry it loaded with the 10-round magazine but have a Glock 17 magazine as the reload magazine.