Glock 19 vs Glock 26 concealed carry
courtesy mfr
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Some people wonder if they should get a GLOCK 19 vs 26. Or vice versa. The former because it’s kind of the compact/carry gun by which all others are judged and the latter because it offers a blend of concealment with decent capacity all featuring GLOCK Perfection.

After all, the beauty of the GLOCK 26 is that it’s smaller than a whole lot of other pistols and carries double twice the number of rounds as a J-frame.

Granted, the real answer is that you should get a 1911 anyway, but we already knew that. Just kidding, all you overly-excitable tactical persons! Leave me a nasty note in the comments if you want; I promise that I read them and that my feelings were hurt by your witty excoriations.

Both of these guns are wildly popular for concealed carry. Some, however, believe the G19 to be a bit much for EDC, which is partially why the G26 – aka the Baby GLOCK – was conceived and released back in the 1990s.

The then (and still) burgeoning civilian concealed carry market (the 1990s saw a lot of shall-issue concealed carry legislation, for those of you who missed it) led to increased demand for more compact, concealable pistols. The GLOCK 26 was perfect either for those with smaller hands or those who wanted a smaller daily carry gun. Or both.

Alternately, law enforcement personnel cottoned to it as a backup gun with decent capacity which also chambered the same ammunition as their GLOCK 17, GLOCK 19 or other 9mm duty pistol.

I also work for Alien Gear Holsters and while the GLOCK 19 is pretty much our top seller, we also ship a whole lot of GLOCK 26 holsters, as do many other holster companies. Not to belabor the point, but you pretty much can’t go wrong with either one.

The key to deciding between these two very popular 9mm handguns is largely in considering what you want it for. The GLOCK 26, with its shorter barrel and sight radius (3.43 inches and around 5.35 inches, respectively, depending on which sights you get) is most certainly a concealed carry gun. While some shooters have no problem in competition with one, the average Joe or Jane is more likely going to find it’s a bit better suited to work that’s up close and personal.

courtesy Nick Leghorn for TTAG

The GLOCK 19, on the other hand, is about as close as one gets to a do-it-all gun absent being able to hunt with it. It makes a great home defense gun. You can shoot in plenty of pistol competitions with one and plenty of people do so. The longer barrel makes it a tad more accurate for most shooters, and recoil a little lighter.

The GLOCK 19 also makes a very good carry gun, as it is arguably the most popular concealed carry pistol on the market to date, rivaled only in the long run by the J-frame in terms of overall use in a concealed carry capacity.

While some might grouse, the reality is that the G19 is ¾ the size of a Beretta 92 or a Commander frame 1911 pistol in 9mm. Barrel length is 4 inches and overall dimensions are 7.3 inches long by 5 inches in height by 1.26 inches wide, and weighing less than 22 oz unloaded. It does this despite holding nearly the same amount of ammunition as the former and 5 to 6 rounds more than the latter, as the G19 packs 15+1 of 9mm.

GLOCK, Inc., announces today the addition of the GLOCK 26 and the GLOCK 34 Modular Optic System (MOS) to the Generation 5 pistol family, bringing the number of 9×19 caliber pistols in the Gen5 family to four.
courtesy mfr

The GLOCK 26 isn’t really too much smaller than the G19, however. The GLOCK 26 Gen 4 stands 6.42 inches long, 4.17 inches tall and 1.26 inches wide. It weighs 19.4 oz unloaded, and carries 10+1 of 9mm, though a wildly popular aftermarket accessory is extended magazines that bring capacity up to 12+1 and increases height by less than a quarter-inch. It also accepts G19 and G17 magazines with grip sleeves, should you want to carry them as a backup or use them at the range.

Prices for base models are near-as-makes-no-difference-the-same. Your mileage will vary but you should expect to part with a little under $600 for either of them for a Gen5.

What’s the difference between the GLOCK 19 vs 26 in most instances? The latter is a little smaller, a little lighter. The former will be a little easier to shoot and slightly more accurate due to the longer barrel and sight radius, though the 26 is capable of far greater accuracy than many people who own it are.

Some people might find the GLOCK 26 easier to conceal, but chances are you might be doing something wrong if you can’t effectively conceal a GLOCK 19. Then again, the 26 will be easier to cover and offers a good balance between firepower and compactness.

Best advice: get out there and try both. You can rent them almost everywhere. The one you prefer and shoot better is the one you should buy.

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90 COMMENTS

    • Well for me t was a G19 and i just love it! I handled several Glock models befor buying one for 526.99 and just love it! It shoots great its accurate when im really trying lolSeriously it shoots better then i know i can shoot.Im still trying to shoot my 38spcl. +P in double action accurately lol I know im a home invasion or assault in which i use it i will be shooting it in double action after the 1st round.But the Glock19 i have i can hit pretty much what ever im pointing it at at 7 to 10 yards no problem!The 26 was way to small for my hand! On top of that i like the Gen4 grip way better! suites my hands perfectly!Nothing better then a Glock for reliability!!!

    • G19 for open/farm carry, G26 for concealed carry.

      Unfortunately I don’t have loose funds lying around for a G26 or smaller pistol.

    • The 45 GAP models would like to have a word with you about that. The 26 is pretty much my swiss army knife – I can carry it all day with the 10 round mag, take it to the range without it feeling like a chore, and leave it on the nightstand with a 17 mag loaded in case anything goes bump in the night. For me, the 19 is too tall to do that with. The only issue I had was the lack of rail space for a light, but there are plenty of options these days to address that.

  1. I carry both the 19 and the 26. If Glock had made a 17 slide on a 19 frame or a 19 slide on a 26 frame. Hell, I would buy both.

    I would prefer using 19 as prefer daily ccw. The 26 is used when I wear shorts.

    • Herbet, I did have a 365 and I put 2,430 rounds through it. It went back to Sig 2 times, and it was the second generation. The gun was totally and completely unreliable, the trigger also rusted badly……(Mr guns and gear had a similar issue he points out in a video but he kind of blows by it without getting into it) Please don’t compare a P365 to any Glock, that’s just disingenuous (maybe the Glock 36, I had a lot of issues with that one).

    • I’m just thinking do you really want “smaller,lighter” when pushing +P down a 3″ barrel?
      By the way the Glock Is cheaper than a Sig where I live.
      As for the OPs question I’ll take the G19, better Initial capacity and handling(my opinion)

  2. Actually, the G19 is legal for hunting big game in my state. 4″ barrel and minimum .24 caliber or more are the only two handgun restrictions.

    Also, I suck at math. Can someone enlighten me as to what “double twice” works out to be? 😛

    • “Double twice” means “times four”. In other words, the Glock 26 somehow carries four times the ammunition of a j-frame revolver. Since a j-frame revolver usually carries five rounds of ammunition, that means the Glock 26 holds 20 rounds!

      Or, the author simply mistyped.

      • I think there were a few mis-types in that article…

        for me the answer is neither. I wouldn’t mind a polymer 80 G-19 with a g-26 grip though. that would be awesome.

      • There were a series of mistypes and wrong information as well. The width of a Glock is 1 1/18, not 1 1/26 which the author keeps using constantly in the article. The wider slides are for the G 20 and 21.
        “double twice” is someone who doesn’t proof read himself or doesn’t know English…
        This one gets the cake; “The Glock 26 gen 4 “stands” 6.42 inches long, 4.17 inches tall and 1.26 inches wide”. If it “stands”…, the height must be mentioned first. Still not proper English anyway.
        At least the general idea is given in the article but I have a difficult time reading one mistake after another. The author needs to polish his writing skills and get EXACT numbers for dimensions.

  3. If you have a real SHTF situation, the G26 is the best choice for me because it will take the 33 round mags, 17 round mags, 15 round mags and the mag that’s designed for the 26. The G19 won’t take the G26 mags.

  4. I own a 19.5 and a 26.5….i carry the 26.5 with a Magpul 12 rounder….having the pinky extension changes the gun…it is still shorter than my 19….and I can hit the 7 or 8 ring at 25 yards…i love the 26 and carry it everywhere….it is also my favorite range gun…i shoot 300 rounds a week and it goes boom no matter what I throw in it….btw, the Magpul 12 round mag has been flawless….

  5. If I were to own a flock which I’m not. I’d have here in the shirt only weather go with the 26. You can’t use any compact 15 round gun IWB here. Which is the way I carry my Walther sub compact. The butt of any 15 round gun shows on me.

  6. Warning: Graphic pictures showing how unsafe pre-loaded striker fired systems are that do not have manual safeties. The pictures show what can happen just trying to holster a Glock or copy cat type pistol or carrying a Glock in a holster that can cause the gun to fire. One picture is worth a thousand words. This does not happen with safer designed firearms systems.

    http://seanlinnane.blogspot.com/2011/03/glock-accidental-discharge.html

    And to make it even more dangerous the Glock must have its trigger pulled before it can be stripped down which is another cause of constant accidents and fatalities. People are not perfect they make mistakes but when you have a system that makes it more likely to have an accident you have a system that should never have been marketed. Warning the link below is graphic but you need to see it.

    Another article on a cop that accidentally killed another cop as well as civilians accidentally shot by cops with a Glock. Its not uncommon because of the lack of a manual safety and the unsafe take down system.

    https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-owens-glock-accidents-20150508-story.html

    So what to use that is the smarter route to take. If light weight and small size are paramount as well as reliability you will not go wrong with a H&K P30SK sub compact. It is smaller than the g19 and about the same as the g26 but it has a manual safety that can be put in the “on” position even with the hammer down making it very safe to carry and way safer to take apart than any glock made. It has a de-cocker also which the glock does not have. It has a visible hammer letting you know immediately if its in the single action mode. Its heavy double action mode is a safety in and of itself even if the manual safety is left off. Its take down system is way safer as it does not require you to pull the trigger to take it apart.

    One additional note: No you should not use reloads in a defense gun but people do and if you do the H&K hammer fired system will fire off a round with a high primer while the weak ignition pre-loaded striker fired system of the glock will not. Tests have proved it. And remember a dirty and over lubed, or frozen glock will create the same misfire situation because of the weak ignition system but the H&K will still fire. Again tests proved it. The Glock also has a hole in the bottom of the grip letting in lint, dust and dirt into the firing mechanism but the H&K does not. So much for the propaganda of Glock reliability.

    Final Note: If you cannot live without a Glock at least get a manual safety installed on it. Your life and the lives of others will depend on it.

      • I own several power tools, all have a switch that has to be depressed before you can pull the trigger. None have that switch ON the trigger. Black & Decker or Dewalt would be sued out of business if they did. But Glock get’s a pass.

    • Glocks aren’t dangerous. They are unforgiving. Holster carefully; don’t just jam it in. Check the mag well and chamber before pulling the trigger for disassembly. (I pull the trigger on my M&P even though there is some dingus inside that you can push out of the way. Doing so is entirely safe because I am an anally compulsive paranoid about verifying that it really is unloaded.)

    • I’m no fan of Glock, but this argument is asinine. When a thing is done literally millions of times there will always be a small percentage of issues. People have and will continue to shoot themselves accidentally with all types of guns, merely by the sheer amount of gun handling that occurs.

      One could conceivably argue that carrying a gun with a manual safety induces complacency and promotes unsafe gun handling. That isn’t my contention, but it is a point worth noting.

      You carry what you feel comfortable with and stop screaming that people are going to shoot themselves because they don’t carry what you want them to.

    • You mean that glock fired when something pulled the trigger. This is outrageous. Glocks are totally unsafe and if you have one you need to send it to me ASAP so I can safely handle it for you. I’ll risk my life for your safety. Let me know if you need my favorite ffl dealer so I can take the guns that fire when the trigger is pulled off your hands. Hurry, every moment you own that glock is a potential negligent discharge

    • Gun safety is on the handler, not the gun. Having manual safeties can add an extra layer of safety but ultimately it is a matter of proper handling and attentiveness.

      FWIW I have seen the MOST unsafe handling with so-called “safer” guns – those with external safeties – because the people handling them think that safety lever somehow makes the four rules no longer applicable. *shudder*

      Oh, and update your rant, dude: the Tau Dev SCD is the preferred aftermarket safety for Glocks. It allows one to thumb the backplate as one would a hammer-fired gun when reholstering.

    • This is some seriously dumb shit, Vlad. Manual safeties are for old, unreliable guns and people who don’t know how to keep their finger or shirttail or whatever off the trigger until it’s time to go.

  7. I considered the 17 and 26 before settling on a 19. The 17 was going to be to big for AIWB for me, and the 26 would not afford same grip angle achived after I did a grip reduction on the 19. Unless I decide to go with a 10mm Glock, I honeslty don’t see a reason to buy another Glock in 9mm (17, 26 or a 34). The 19 does it all.

  8. I’m not a Glock fan, if I had to choose I would pick the Glock 19. ,, I was shooting the other day, I hadn’t been for some time. I was amazed how easy it was to get quick accurate double taps with a 1911, a design over 100 years old and still can’t be beat!!!! boo yah

  9. After getting used to the squishy glock triggers I’ve noticed I’ve touched off rounds unintenionally on my 1911 when I register my finger on the trigger. By the time I’m to that point the only thing in danger is the backstop but it is an alarming experience.

    • Looks and feels like a fat G19 with the 10rd mag. The flush 9rd makes it almost as short as the 26, and it carries well as long as you don’t mind it feeling like a brick on your waist. Shoots like any other glock, recoil is maybe a little worse than a G23. It’ll get your attention, but you get used to it fast and it’s not unmanageable by any stretch.

      The 21/30 are also known for their versatility. You can find .40 and 10mm conversion barrels or go really nuts and get into things like 9×25 dillon or .45 super.

      • I use a Sticky holster in my front jeans pocket, so it’s not too bad.

        However, I’m a 1911 fan and have owned most of the physical variations. Just wanted to try something new with the Glock. I got a real nice used gun with 3 mags, 2 being extended.

    • Thank you, I had to scroll almost to the bottom. Glock 30S any day. I live in a 10 round state. When technology fails, .45 makes a bigger hole.

  10. I agree with Mr Smith.
    Get the Sig. I carry one all damn day.
    Can’t even tell I have it.
    Nice joke about the 1911. That’s what real men carry.
    Clint Smith. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr…..happy day

    • Your reading comprehension leaves a lot to be desired. I specifically stated that the long hard double action pull is a safety within its self.

  11. Unlike everyone else here, I’m expressing my personal preference, not “facts.” I’ve had a G19 for several years. Actually two, as I sold my G19 to a friend, and then a year later won another G19 in a drawing. So, to the new one, I added a Cominolli thumb safety and Truglo TFX tritium/fibre optic sights. To my thinking, if you can carry a double stack pistol, the 26 doesn’t make sense. As thick as a G19 but with lower capacity and–even more important to me–no place for your little finger.

    However, over time, my requirements have changed a bit, and most of the time I carry a S&W Shield. 8+1 rounds in a very light thin single stack handgun with a trigger that I like ten times better than the Glock. Talon “sandpaper” material enhances the grip. And on the subject of triggers, if I were buying a G19 today, I’d have to look closely at the S&W M&P Compact 2.0. Comparable to the G19 in size and mag capacity, and available with a factory thumb safety (saving me $100 plus gunsmith to install the Cominolli safety) and also that trigger that I like so much better than Glock, especially if I’m going to shoot a lot at the range.

    At no point, though, would a short grip handgun like the G26 be on my short list, or even on the first page of my long list! Just can’t abide a gun with no place for my little finger. Again, only opinions here!

  12. I generally do not like Glocks as I hate the grip. That said, I got a G19c for a song once, and after having the frame streamlined and stippled it became one of my favorite blasters. It’s like wearing a cheese grater strapped to my side, but it handles and shoots great. But that keeps it from being an EDC candidate, which fortunately alternates between my CZ P01 and Sig P365.

  13. I own both, and other Glocks in 10mm and 45. The 26 is my favorite and I shoot it better than any of the others. Concealable and takes any of the big brother mags. Love it.

  14. “which is partially why the G26 – aka the Baby GLOCK – was conceived and released back in the 1990s.” – Most of the thanks would seem to be due to the Democratic-led Congress and President Clinton for sticking us with a 10-rd magazine limit from 1994-2004. If stuck with only 10 rounds, might as well make a smaller grip to house them.

  15. I don’t know why Glock doesn’t include a factory 12 round magazine with the G26. They should come with a 10 rd, a 12 rd and a 15 rd mag in the box instead of 3 x 10 rd mags.

    I’ll get a G26 eventually, but the next GSSF coupon I get is going toward a G17 gen 5. The one after that is going for a G21, then I’ll start on the G30 and G26.

  16. It’s funny how an article about the G-19 and G-26 brings out all of the Sig fan boys. You guys could have skipped this article. No one is saying you have tiny sacks, so relax.

    I bought the Gen 5 G-19 after shooting a friend’s Gen 3 G-19 very well. I’ve carried a Ruger SR9c in the past. I also carry a Ruger LCP2. I now have a system for when I carry each weapon, but generally I OWB the SR9c, pocket carry the LCP2 with a trigger guard holster by BORAII, and IWB the G-19. I thought the G-26 was just big enough to not offer a solution to a problem. I was glad to get the LCP2 as a gift, solving the problem of deep conceal that a G-26 wouldn’t have solved. I easily carry the G-19 in a simple Dara IWB holster.

    I consider all weapons equally dangerous while holstering and take particular care when doing so. I never want to utter the words, “it just went off,” as I know the TTAG crowd will make fun of me. The G-19 has been a great pistol – reliable and as accurate as I can shoot it. It rides comfortably in my holster when I haven’t been slacking off on the exercise front.

  17. The correct answer is neither. The G43 works so much better for CCW. I have all three and my daily carry is the G43 even over my 1911.

  18. “rivaled only in the long run by the J-frame…”

    Three possibilities come to mind:

    1) You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.

    2) This is deliberately provocative click-bait.

    3) You and I live in different universes.

    Don’t really care which one it is. Bring on a different writer or actually edit his articles.

  19. Glock 26 with pinkie extensions on 10 round magazines. Presto – a full grip even for my longer (though slim fingers), but still eminently concealable.
    10 rounds are the legal limit in too many states like mine, but that’s just right in this gun.
    Experts (not I) win matches with the 26, so the accuracy is there too.

  20. I am a Glock guy and always will be. I have a G17, G19, G26, and G43 in gen3, gen4, and gen5 and I shoot them all better than any other pistols I own. That being said if for some reason that will (never happen) if I could only have one it would be the G26. At one time in the past that would have been the G19. I even suggested to friends to go with the G19 and I still think that anyone who loves guns should own one. But after many years at the range and carrying everyday my mind has changed to the G26. I do carry my G19 sometimes but most of the time its the G26 and the G43. Now I hear Glock is coming out with the G43X in 2019 so I guess I’m going to be looking into adding to my collection.

  21. The question should be compact vs a maller service pistol. Limiting it to Glock just excludes those of us who arn’t Glocksters

  22. My wife and I own the Glocks 19 & 26 in Gen 4 and have fired a little over 7000 rounds thru each since our purchase in 2014……..most of which are re-loads. They have never failed to fire on demand. My wife just bought the Sig P365 and it has about 470 rounds thru it since August 2018. The Glock’s perform in superior fashion, easy to clean, and loves most brands of ammo. [No Chinese or Russian]
    The P365 seems to be fine as well. It had to much factory lubricant internally, and a good cleaning helped that issue. My wife went to the Sig for daily carry due to weight reduction it offered, and handed off the G-26 to me for everyday carry….I still sneek in a G-19 magazine, when I think I need to have it. Great guns….Great to shoot!

  23. Wait, did I just read thay the 365 is on gen 3 already? How long has that thing been out? I think it should be revision 3 instead, yes? Generations usually have evolutions, i.e. adding interchangeable back straps, finger grooves, taking away the finger grooves and adding a new barrel, things like that. Sig got rid of an unsafe condition, firing pin drag, and rusty triggers? Sounds more like they got the 365 to what it should have been when it first launched.

    I think the Sig is a cool pistol, if it was good to go at launch I would have bought one already, but ot seems to have been pushed to market a little early. Apropos to the article, I have a G23 with a 9mm conversion barrel and it has been a great pistol for as long as I have owned it. I was going to buy more Glocks, but then I screwed up and bought a CZ. Now I give most of my money to the Czechs.

    • sig has been making a habit of this lately it seems.

      Czech’s make better guns. Most of my purchases of late have been CZ’s or Rugers, which is my preferred American manufacturer.

  24. Over the years I’ve owned a 19, 26, 30S, 21 and a 27. The only one I still have is the 27. The right size, a decent round and reliable as hell.

  25. Because I’m a large framed guy and have a lot of real estate to conceal a handgun, I alternate between the Glock 19, Glock 20 and a full size SA 1911 TRP during the year. I carry concealed with IWB holsters and carry spare mags in my front pocket next to my wallet. To me, it is not hard to hide the extra length of the grip which I find fits my hand better. I do not own a Glock 26, so I cannot comment on it. I have shot them and find they don’t have enough length to fit comfortably in my hand which is why I have not purchased one. If Glock would come out with a 10mm the size of the G19 I would buy one, but the G29 again has a grip that is too short for my hand. My everyday pocket dump is: one of the three carry guns listed above, 1-2 extra mags (depending on the gun), my stainless steel Spyderco Police Model knife, and a Streamlight Protac 1L flashlight. It is always good to be prepared.

  26. I was trained to put my thumb on or behind the hammer on all types of revolvers when I put them back in the holster. This naturally carried over, muscle memory/habit, with sigs and 1911a1s. I do the same with my glocks. I have relatively small hands and the shift just brings my finger that much further away from the trigger. I also try to stay away from negative people, as they seem have a problem for every solution. -30-

  27. I found the 26 the better option for me. I live in the deep south and the 26 offers me more conceal options. As you mentioned I can always increase grip and capacity with different accessories. In other words you can make the 26 bigger when opportunity arises but you can’t make the 19 smaller.

  28. I have all of the guns mentioned, “I am Old”, I deserve better. But really I carry al of them, the 19 sits on my nightstand with a Laser/light on it and a Ghost extension. The Sig 365 is in my right pocket, and occasionally I take the 26 on my ankle or hip if the 19 is too large, minus all the extras, for where I am headed. That almost never happens so I usually carry it with a 15 rounder in it when I do. I have the 26 up for sale because I want a 1911 again, I even carried a double stack Para for years when I was younger. Carried just about every type of gun, starting with revolvers in the early 70’s. It makes no difference to me what I carry , other than printing. The idea is to be able to shoot the dam thing. I just went to the range, “which is only the 4th time all year” and at 25 yards with the Glocks and an M&P compact “great guns”, I was in the 8-10 ring 80%, with none out of the target rings, Basically the same as 25 feet, So that’s the main thing, if you can hit what you are aiming at, it really doesn’t matter.

  29. Glock 26.

    Round capacities = 10, 12 (Magpul/Glock OEM), 15, 17, 33, and 50 round Drum.

    You can even buy a custom slide for RMR mount if you want (i.e., Brownells).

    There are even light/laser combos made specifically for the 26 if you want to go that route. But personally, I’ve never found any light/laser very practical with night sights.

    The Glock 26 is probably the most versatile handgun out there (magazine options, accessories, etc.), with the only exception being the Glock 19 (because of the rail).

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