Wilson Combat Releases the Paul Howe Signature GLOCK 19 and GLOCK 26
courtesy Wilson Combat
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Earlier this year I got a sneak peak at the Paul Howe Package GLOCKs customized by Wilson Combat. Wilson embargoed any stories at the time, but I got to shoot the G19s and G26s of these models all weekend. They all shot well, EXTREMELY well for small GLOCKs, and I left wanting one of the Paul Howe model G26s.

For those of you who don’t know, MSG Paul Howe (Retired) is the real deal. The really real deal. One of the few people who have ever been able to rightfully call themselves an “Operator”.

He’s a quiet, intense, and intensely knowledgeable man, who also just happens to be an incredible instructor. I would highly recommend his book “Leadership and Training for the Fight”.

Wilson Combat Releases the Paul Howe Signature GLOCK 19 and GLOCK 26
MSG Paul Howe (image from soldiersystems.net)

While I was visiting at Bill Wilson’s ranch, MSG Howe showed up to shoot the guns. He didn’t want any line with his name on it that he hadn’t personally shot and approved of. His requirements for how the guns were to be modified were uncompromising, and he wanted to shoot them with the Wilson Combat team members the next morning. His desire was not taken as a request.

I arrived early, just about dawn that next day, hoping to get an idea of what MSG Howe was looking for as he walked through the modified GLOCK 19s and 26s with the Wilson Combat staff.

MSG Howe was already on the firing line, dry firing. For the next half hour, before the staff arrived, I watched him methodically draw, dry fire, follow the target down, scan, drop to a knee, reload, stand, and holster. He did this all at varying distances, over and over again. It was a skillful meditation. The basics, done perfectly.

When he was finished, he turned to me and said “what do you want to learn?” He answered every question I had, showed me some drills to take home with me, and dramatically improved my shooting in very short order.

When the Wilson Combat Team got there, he showed the same methodical manner in reviewing each of the guns. He spent time with them with a critical eye. He liked what he saw.

There was no reason not to like those guns. Standing at the 100 yard line, we all stood in awe as we watched MSG Howe ring a silhouette with the Wilson smithed G26, over an over again, with perfect consistency. Like it was nothing. In fast fire, he was shooting as precisely as we were in slow fire, and several of the other shooters were well lauded competitive shooters.

Most of that was decade upon decade of active, intense shooting on the part of MSG Howe. But also, Wilson Combat did a great job on the guns. MSG Howe himself said that the right gun with a good trigger would cut his groups in half.

Wilson Combat Releases the Paul Howe Signature GLOCK 19 and GLOCK 26
Wilson Combat Paul Howe GLOCK 26 (image courtesy Wilson Combat)

There are a few significant changes on the Wilson Combat Paul Howe models, like the 4 1/2 pound trigger, but what is particularly special about the Paul Howe Signature models are the fitted barrels. Yup, fitted, oversized barrels, on GLOCK 19s and 26s. Very accurate GLOCKs.

I just said accurate GLOCK, two words I’m unlikely to put together again.  I love ’em.

And yup, it will cost you (and me).

Base Price: $1,500

From the Wilson Combat website:

The Paul Howe Signature GLOCK® from Wilson Combat combines our legendary build quality and attention to detail with the 30 years of tactical experience that Retired Master Sergeant Paul Howe (US Army, SFOD-D) has learned as an operator and trainer in building his ultimate “all-around” tactical and concealment pistol.

The Paul Howe-Wilson Combat GLOCK® features our newly engineered, match accurate gunsmith-fit Wilson Combat barrel that turns your GLOCK® into a precision shooting platform. This oversize barrel enhances accuracy that rivals that of a tuned target pistol while maintaining legendary GLOCK® reliability.

Along with Wilson Combat custom options like our starburst grip stippling, smooth 4.5-pound action tune and other performance upgrades like high-visibility sights and smooth, undercut trigger guard-the Paul Howe Signature GLOCK® is ready to take on any tactical handgun task-with the accuracy of a target pistol and the reliability of a modern service weapon.

A new wide slide top serration pattern and an extended backstrap pin that prevents backstrap loosening under extreme use are standard.

Only available on Gen 4 GLOCK® 19 or 26 9mm handguns, the Paul Howe Signature GLOCK® will impress you with its intrinsic accuracy with all the features selected by one of our nation’s most seasoned trainers in a portable, concealable package

About Paul Howe

Paul Howe is a high-risk training instructor that served 20 years in the US Army, ten of those in Special Operations. He served as a Tactical Team Leader in multiple combat operations and Senior firearms Instructor while assigned to a tier-one unit of US Army Special Operations. During his service and since his retirement he has become one of the most sought-after experts on close quarters combat and law enforcement/military small arms weapons and tactics in the world. Learn more about Paul Howe at www.combatshootingandtactics.com.

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105 COMMENTS

  1. If Wilson Combat stamped their name on a Hipoint suckers would buy it…. I understand people like buying expensive stuff but this is like putting Lamborghini logos on a Honda Civic.

        • Caught my eye. Glocks might be Toyota Corollas of the pistol world, but pimping one for performance and enjoyment is never off the menu. Just put on your body armor because you will be a hater magnet (See above)

      • Talking down to prospective customers is what coked up day traders do. Your trying to move the goal post of consumer common sense with appeals to masculinity. Your public employee resume doesn’t mean you know shit about marketing. Congrats on officially becoming just another a shill dude.

        • You lost all credibility with your comment at the level of a vacuous thirteen year old adolescent male, please try again soon !
          Snicker…..
          Since when does market pricing relate to matters of personal Defense ???
          How does a six thousand dollar Glock safeguard your any better than a six hundred dollar Glock ?
          Because you can afford it ?
          Did you actually put any thought into your statement ???

        • You lost all credibility with your comment at the level of a vacuous thirteen year old adolescent male, please try again soon !
          Snicker…..
          Since when does market pricing relate to matters of personal Defense ???
          How does a six thousand dollar Glock safeguard your life any better than a six hundred dollar Glock ?
          Because you can afford it ?
          Did you actually put any thought into your statement ???

      • Nothing that really makes a difference anyone will ever notice. People aren’t that dumb dude. You should stop and take a big step back here before you start chipping away at your small base of fan boys.

      • Yes, it is cosmetic, having served in law enforcement, and having used bone stock 1911s, that have served well over
        One hundred years,
        I currently field Glocks that shoot quite well out of the box, there is nothing you can do to a Glock even if you spend five thousand dollars on one that will radically improve it beyond what is needed for standard
        Police and F.B.I. / Law Enforcement / Security usage, beyond that you are mendacious flagrante.

        If you are engaging in dedicated target shooting and other related Hogan’s alleys, fine and dandy, otherwise it is unwanted,
        Something different yes, something needful ?
        Not so much.

  2. ive noticed over the last probably 10 years a big push from companies to sell overpriced, bragging rights junk to people who have nothing better to do than brag about crap. Cabot Guns is the worst offender. a meteorite gun? are you fucking kidding me.

    • Exactly!!! The high price tag is a big factor in the marketing hype. Dollars to donuts all the “upgrades” they did to this Glock would be out performed by a stock Ppq for under 500 bucks….

      As for shooting a pistol at steel a hundred yards away.. Once you figure out the hold over a stock g26 would ring steal all day…..

        • Sure thing partner….. Do you work for Wilson Combat or just give them free advertising? Do overpriced guns give you validation? Go pick one up and post here on the pocket dump deal…

          I guess I’ll stick it out with anti-capitalist commies that buy reasonabley priced guns and don’t buy into the latest marketing fads….

        • We’ll now your just being a douche. Oooohhhh look at me I spent three grand on two Glocks. Gimme a fuckin break bro. Your tryin way to hard here. If your defending the price of a luxury item, then it’s not truly a luxury item and your selling it wrong.

        • A stock Sig Sauer P226 or CZ 75 would out shoot that Glock abomination any day of the week for a little over half the price. No thanks, you can keep your $1500 (before tax) squared off piece of polymer. Because when all is said and done that’s all it really is.

        • mr. clark strikes a chord with me here; i actually do find the minor cosmetic changes visual improvement and i’m sure that they run better than factory.
          but why start with out with this product? ah, it is the greatest market. but not the best point of disembarcation.

    • “Totally worth it.”

      Something is worth *exactly* what someone is willing to pay for it.

      Full stop…

      • In California, in 1850, Colt Dragoons went for as much as $500. That’s about $15,000 in today’s money. At the exact same time, on the Texas-Mexico border, they went for $150. Still, quite expensive, but obviously much less.
        Things are worth exactly what people will pay for them, then and there. No more, no less.

        • “Things are worth exactly what people will pay for them…”
          I absolutely agree, but I think people read gun reviews to find out if the product is worth what the seller is asking, relative to similar products on the market. People want to know if they’re really getting value for their dollar or just paying for a brand name.

          If you had $1,500 to spend on a 9mm pistol, is this the one you would choose?

        • Curtis. No. I’d buy another BHP and have it smithed by Ten Ring, or another CZ 75 and have it shipped to Cajun Gun Works.

  3. If you think it’s silly, don’t buy one. If you think it’s the coolest thing ever, buy one. Like JWT said if the demand is high, they will sell. I may not see the need for a super tricked out Glock but hey, I’m not telling anybody how to spend their money. Or ridicule them for doing so.

      • How dare you speak ill of a Glock blessed by a “God” like Bill Wilson!!!! These overpriced g19 and g26’s fit my hand like a fine Italian glove and ring steal at 500 yards!!!! If you don’t agree with buying one you’re nothing but an merica’ hatin’ commie!!!! Time to grow a pair, pull out that credit card and notify your FFL that the world’s finest gen 4 Glock is headed their way!!!!!

        • Your focus grouping, we get it. Here’s your take away. 1) It’s too expensive 2) It’s just a Glock 3) Your a terrible salesman. Thank you for service, seriously I mean that, no sarc. It pains me to see you shilling and bullying like some used car salesman, it’s beneath you.

  4. I’m not saying $1500+ custom Glocks are bad, but I am saying that if you’re the sort of person who has one, you might also have one of those fugly BMW SUVs, and there’s a chance that your idea of a classy beverage is Goldschlager.

    • Lets be honest. People buy Glocks because that is all they can afford. Then over time replace parts until it’s a reasonably good gun. And to save face with their friends they “wax philosophically” about how great a brand Glock is. Come on, nobody buys a Glock if they can afford a better quality gun. That being said, if the average Glock fanboy buys a Glock because he can’t afford a real gun to begin with, who is Wilson Combat trying to market these blocks of polymer to in the first place? I guarantee you, someone in the upper management at Wilson Combat lost their job over this fiasco. Unlike most of what Wilson Combat makes which are destined to become heirloom quality firearms over the next 100+ years, this abomination is destined to become a sticky blob of plastic sitting in someone’s gun safe.

      • Please, allow me to burst your bubble of misconception:
        People do NOT buy Glocks because it’s all that they can afford.
        I, with no ‘brag’ intended, can easily afford any new pistol on the market. Some of my current handguns cost four to ten times that of any new Glock.
        What have I carried exclusively since 1991?
        Glocks. I have six, at present.
        Would I ever consider adding a Rhodium-plated low-drag high-zoot slide with a kewl logo, or getting a gold-pressed latinum barrel that requires extensive fitting to make the gun 1/4″ more precise at 10′, or having the frame ribbed and stippled to obtain added sensory pleasure for both me and my partner? Would I add a ‘beavertail’ to protect my dainty hand from the nip of a non-existent hammer?
        No.
        Would I replace them with a more complicated copy built by somebody else?
        No.
        Why? Because they work. Because they are ‘flattened revolvers’. Because they are about as complicated as a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup with a pull-top. Because, left completely alone as they come out of the plastic box, they are about as reliable as any firearm ever made, and require no modification whatsoever to just keep firing, round after round, magazine after magazine, with more than sufficient accuracy at self-defense distances to put bullets into a standard-human-sized mass’s important bits with ease.
        “All they can afford. . .” HAH!

      • Glocks are fine reliable tools. I have a few nicer guns but I keep coming back to it. Definitely right that you’ll like it much more after some upgrades but when all is said and done it’s a better shooter and will cheaper than the more expensive guns out of the box.
        Having said that, $1500?! The Glock is $500, Wilson combat barrel is $200, stippling job is free (if you’re brave) or another $200. Even with an upgraded trigger you’re still under that $1500 price tag. No thanks.

  5. Not mocking, being serious here. How does a slightly oversized barrel “improve” accuracy to the degree that this becomes “a target pistol”? A stock Glock has a very fitted slide-to-barrel mating. A 4.5 pound trigger can be attained for any Glock very easily, and “new slide top serration patterns” don’t seem like more than cosmetics. Hi-vis sights must increase the value of guns by at least $900 now?

  6. I like where they went with this but I’m a touch confused by using the 26 to do it. Especially the 26, it’s clearly a CC gun and I’ve never put “rings steel at 100 yards” on my must have list for CC. The 19 seems cool, but I would definitely buy a 17 if they ever decided to make one.

    • “I like where they went with this but I’m a touch confused by using the 26 to do it.”

      I’m not confused by it. Some folks like squeezing the maximum possible performance state-of-the-art can provide. The Glock has an earned reputation for reliability. It’s a marraige made in gun heaven, as I see it.

      A tack-driver EDC that can survive living in your sweaty crotch all summer long with minimal maintenance? Sign me up!

      • While I agree with you to an extent, it seems to me that a 17 makes a lot more sense than a 26. My 43 has lived very close to my sweaty nutsack for a couple years now and still functions as I need a concealed piece to. My 17 however has let me down in accuracy in the past, at least that’s what I tell myself. I agree that theres a market for this, I just don’t think it’s as big as the 17 would be.

  7. My stock G26 will put a magazine full of rounds into a single ragged hole at 10 yards. I can hit man sized targets at 100 yards with it.

    My G17L will do the same.

    My $300 Kahr CM9 will do the same except for the 100 yards, but that’s only because I haven’t tried.

    It’s not the bow, it’s the Indian.

    But that’s a sharp looking pistol.

  8. To each his/her own. I won’t but that doesn’t mean someone else shouldn’t.
    WC makes some quality parts having ordered off them and putting some in a Beretta 92. I know they’re not cheap to make.
    If you have the money and want one, go for it.

    • So, ~$25 for a 4.5# connector, ~$170 for night sights and ~$175 for a match grade barrel. Figure a 25-cent trigger job, too. Everything else looks stock to me, so I guess if you want to spend the extra ~$600 on a pretty nice stipple job and a bit of slide engraving and refinishing, go nuts. It’s your money…

      • You left out the gunsmithing time to fit that barrel. The oversized barrel isn’t s mass market item, so it probably costs more too. I’m guessing the connector also is fitted to limit overtravel, which is more labor. There’s probably a hundreds in gunsmith time if you were paying a pro ti do it. Since it’s Wilson, there’s a premium for reputation and guarantee too.

  9. I concur on Paul’s book very well written.

    I’ll pass on $1,500 for a Glock. Can one send in their gun to get the package done?

  10. All that and it’s not even milled for an RMR…? I mean, I get it, they’re nice guns and fancy Glocks can be neat. But way to not pay attention to prevailing market trends there…

  11. I get there’s a certain price for quality, but it’s a glock. It’s already perfection. The only thing you can do to improve on that perfection is chamber it in creedmoor.

  12. Don’t waste your money. Want a pistol with a nice trigger out of the box that shoots well and very accurately without any mods and is solidly made but can’t bring yourself to buy a 1911, then just buy a SIG. They come in plastic too for those who want Tupperware.

  13. The money would be better spent on taking one of Mr. Howe’s courses. I was fortunate enough to take a two day course with him. My shooting improved dramatically and I left with a suite of drills that I still use to this day.

  14. I spent 1200 on a custom glock 19 (templar arms) and its my favorite 19. I have 4 other 19s and on a timer at 25 yards and in i dont have measurably better results……..However, i can run the gun a lot better, drawing and loading is faster and easier. There are pros to a modded gun however each boy and girl has to decide what its worth to them. I personally would buy a custom glock again without hesitation, other people wouldnt, regardless of what anyone tells you its your money, you do you.

  15. It’s cool looking.

    But I can’t bring myself to pay 100 buck or more for a stipple job.

    Saw some laser cut stuff the other day and it was 150 to 175.

    Not for me and neither is this.

  16. It does look really good. Now, I would only throw this kind of money in a Glock if I win the lottery. But hey, it ain’t communist China it’s a free country.

  17. The ultimate Bushtit story, Had fitted barrels cause FTF’s. You can’t make A “hand fitted” barrel without making the gun less reliable. That’s why you need a sledge hammer on a new Wilson or Brown or any other 1911 style gun, “which is all they make. Trying to carry this over to a loose fitting Glock, which is known for reliability, like a revolver. Is just going to screw it up. You will get tighter groups but sacrifice reliability. You gun guys already know this. That’s why the 1911’s they make are so hard to rack.
    Trigger wise it’s a striker fired gun, what are you going to do other tha change the trigger assembly to a gen 3, and change the springs, if you lucky your gun will still go into battery We all know how these guns work and appreciate them for their reliability, not their competitiveness. Give me 1500 and I will pick up a CZ shadow, this is just a rip. The right tool for the job, good cops don’t make good machinists, Working in Defense plant if you want to see tolerances. My machine shop guys for the DOD,usd to cut out the heads of the presidents and leave the outline with the rim. Making plastic gun a range gun is a scheme to make a cheap gun that serves a huge purpose, into a precision hand crafted range toy We already have too many company’s selling 15-2000 dollar Glocks. Make An affordable 1911, If dozens can make them for $500, why would anyone who could actually shoot pay10 x that much, for bushing, that is too tight to re assemble.

    • @ $1500 I’ll spend my money on another Sig Sauer P226 SS Elite in 9mm. As good or better than any 1911 Wilson Combat has ever made. To spend $1500 on any polymer gun only proves what everyone probably already knows about you, you have Sh!# for brains.

      • Sure seems like the negative comments have struck a nerve. Do you usually argue with anonymous naysayers after you post?

        • It’s actually a feature of this site. TTAGs comments section isn’t like most online, where the writers don’t respond. Here it’s still relatively open to dissent and respond to that dissent. I know it’s strange, most places online don’t allow a free flow of conversation or ideas anymore.

  18. One of these days, a TTAG writer will post something about a gun and nobody will complain about the costor claim that they can buy 22 High Points for the same price. On that day, I will probably faint.

    • You’re another contributor right? Do all of you guys fall on the sword for eachother? A gen 4 g26 with a stipple job and a hand fitted barrel for $1500 will have you laughed out of most gun circles…. I almost “fainted” while laughing at the price…..

      • We wouldn’t blame you one bit, Mr. Taylor, if you just ignored these trolls. Those who have read the site a while know you have credibility.

    • I was thinking along the same lines Ralph.

      People have always had heated debates in the past. For some reason in today’s world if you debate people call you a “hater” or a “fan boy” but it’s used in such a way to stifle debate.

      I say screw that! Bitch at each other as much as you like. It’s a time honored part of the human condition and makes us stronger not weaker.

  19. You need to understand that gun bloggers are an inherently insecure self aggrandizing bunch. They are mostly fat neck beards and are “freelancers” translation: No steady income. Most of them get their health insurance through their wives or the VA. There job is to shill for the manufacturing and training complex, if they can’t do this effectively they are dropped like a hot potato regardless of how many clicks their articles get. Even ones with legit credentials like JWT must conform to this model. If they don’t have unfettered advanced access to hardware they can’t work. They clearly must now also serve as supply side enforcers quashing criticism and blaming the customers for there own lack of enthusiasm. This mentality is very similar to the one Hillary Clinton displays. It’s called entitlement. Voter / Consumer blaming.

    • Your “model” bears no resemblance to reality. All of the TTAG authors I know personally have regular professional careers. TTAG makes up a teeny tiny, into the single digits, piece of my income. It’s a mission, not a career.
      As far as access, because TTAG tends to be much more critical than other publications, we almost never get early access to new guns. Note I didn’t get one of these guns for a full review.

    • And now it’s blantantly clear your simply an anti gun rights troll. To get so nasty and personal about this article proves it. Such nastiness is to be reserved for articles about abortion and vaccines here. If your not a troll, then you seriously need to work on your self esteem because you are way too butthurt over this.

  20. It’s a cool concept and it looks pretty alright. However I can understand criticisms of the price.

    A Glock is a certain thing. It’s not the Harbor Freight Special of guns but it’s not the SnapOn tool set either. It’s a Mikita or a Milwaukee. Middle of the road on price and high on longevity. A tool you can beat the fucking shit out of and, like a Timex, it keeps on tickin’. If it looks like it has been to Hell and back you don’t care because it isn’t very expensive and it is a freakin’ workhorse.

    As such, while I don’t disapprove of what’s been done here I just feel like they picked the wrong guns to do it to.

  21. Ha I don’t even like glocks don’t own one but it is supply and demand Wilson is a custom or semi custom maker I mean they make like 4000 guns a year? Supply and demand it is simple economics

  22. Glocks are accurate without fitted aftermarket barrels. I can ring steel at 100 yards with a stock Glock and do so regularly. If you don’t think that Glocks are accurate, you may want to blame yourself and your trigger finger first before you blame the gun.

  23. One more thing, I don’t know why most “gun writers” always have something negative to say about Glock and those who like them, but just start looking at Glock articles. You’ll see it in almost every one. You never hear gun writers bad mouth CZ, HK, Walther, Ruger, S&W, or any 1911. The M&P 9 full-size has been inaccurate to the point of infamy for YEARS. S&W knew about it, refused to fix it, and I’ll be damned if I’ve ever heard about it here or from other gun writers in the industry, but this author complains about alleged Glock inaccuracy as if it’s a fact, and obviously has no idea what he’s talking about or he can’t shoot. Probably both.

  24. Lipstick on a pig, doesn’t matter who’s using the lipstick. I love Wilson 1911’s but no thanks on their price tag for a Glock. I’ve set up each of my 7 Glocks better than they have on these 2, for less $$. Their price is for….a new barrel, a different connector, spring & firing pin spring, sights, some hemorrhoidal backstrap doohicky (not even blended in), a slight undercut, grip stippling & a logo lazed into the slide. Wow. Big deal. They left the horrifically bad stock slide release & stupid 90° point on the trigger guard. Pass. And the article is pathetic….it’s one long blowjob to Paul Howe, I could barely stomach reading it. He served & was a instructor? So what? So did I & a ton of other guys. He can shoot? So what? So can I & a ton of other guys.

    • Like you said, “Lipstick on a Pig”. To which I’ll add, “You can’t make a silk purse from a sows ear”. To make something better, the item you’re trying to improve first and foremost has to have value. Which no Glock has. I have to pat Wilson Combat on the back for their Gallant attempt though…. LMFAO🤣

  25. There are things to like about Glocks. There is a certain genius in the simplicity of their design. Simple to operate. Quick and easy to disassemble and clean. Reliable as the sunrise. They perform well for their intended purpose, which is certainly not ringing steel at 100 yards.

    If I had $1,500 to spend on a 9mm pistol, I don’t think this is the route I would take. Glock triggers suck. You can make them suck less with aftermarket parts, but you can’t make them not suck.

  26. $1500 Glock? Not for me. (Ever) However, a guy named John Johnston once said this about the WC EDC X9 in a Lucky Gunner review which I will post without drama:

    “Why does somebody need a $2900 pistol? You don’t. Period. You really don’t need much more than a… Ruger P89. That’ll work fine most of the time. It launches the same bullets. If we were only going on need, we’d all be driving around in Kias. $10,000 Kias that are not fun to drive, are not comfortable to drive, but they get us from point A to point B. So when people start talking about, ‘Well I could buy five Glocks for the cost of this.’ Well, yeah, the guy who buys the Corvette could buy seven Kias. He’s not going to drive the other six at the same time and it’s not going to perform the same way the Corvette does. So if it makes you happy and you can afford it, then do it. If you can’t afford it, or it doesn’t make you happy, then don’t do it. It’s really that easy.”

    I’ve posted this here before, but this seems like a different audience.

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