G19 as a Backup for G23?

[Jaysop]

So I recently bought a Gen3 G19 that flings brass in my face(its back at glock) with the intent to make it my primary handgun. I'm a novice pistol shooter at best so if im totally missing something let me know.

I'm looking for insight from some people who are much more experienced than I.

If I'm understanding Glocks current situation correctly... they pretty much sacrificed their 9mm line for the sake of the 40 line. So I could confidently buy any generation?

I'm thinking about buying a Glock 23 and using that as a primary. I'm moving to a free state and would like to start carrying. Obviously after more training and a lot of practice. But im getting the ball rolling on things.

What I feel like the 23 will do for me the 19 cant...
1)Wont fling brass in my face
2)More power without a significant capacity sacrifice
3)Instill absolute confidence in the weapon I plan to protect myself and family with.

The benefit in the 19 is the price of ammo. Not significantly cheaper than the 23 but enough that I can shoot more. The other benefit is that I already have it.

What im thinking is that I can practice with both calibers but favor the 9mm so I can shoot more. Kind of like a 22 conversion for 5.56 but more in line in terms of recoil and manipulation.

I consider myself a moderately high round count shooter, maybe not compared to some but I at least shoot 5/7k threw my guns a year generally. Things may change since I have a son now.

So am I missing anything? Does anyone else do this? Are there better options out there for me?

Thanks in advance.

[Hogsgunwild]

It doesn't sound like a bad plan. In recent years, when ammo was scarce on the shelves locally, there was often .40 S&W to be had when I could not find any .45 or 9MM.

One thing that was a factor for me over the years was the relatively light weight of the G23 and snappiness of the .40 S&W caliber in that platform. I've owned two G23s and there were times when I had developed bad habits from flinching and anticipating the shot. It may never be a factor for you, especially if your fundamental handgun skills are solid, but I was a long time shooter that didn't understand why I was having these problems with some .40 cal handguns. I have shot a lot of magnums and 10MMs over the years but it wasn't until I had some formal training under my belt that I was able to self-diagnose and fix what the .40s had me doing, at times.

I will point out that I never really minded the recoil of the G23 but the bad habits crept into my routine and seemed to sabotage my accuracy, none-the-less.

If I could do it over I would have stuck with strictly the G19s instead of the G23s.

[jnc36rcpd]

Have you contacted Glock to see if they might repair the G-19?

[Ironman8]

Have you contacted Glock to see if they might repair the G-19?

By all accounts, that is like pissing in the wind...I don't even bother contacting Glock.

[Denny]

I am new here so I hope not to offend anyone. I spent 22 years in the military and 13 in law enforcement till my back quit. There is no magic gun or bullet. From my limited experience it is shot placement (practice), training (tactical and liability). I responded once to a call of a shooting and found a man shot 3 times in the chest with a 357. He was sitting in a chair talking to people. On the other hand I saw a suicide with one 22 round in the mouth.

My advice is 19 23 or whatever practice shot placement and speed will come. Get propoer training and know the law.

Good luck with your search. PS my daily carry is a Glock 19 with night sights. Perfect size and I have a 33 round mag in the glove box.

[djegators]

Not a bad plan overall, to have both a 23 and a 19...you will have the familiarity of the grip, controls, etc, since they are identical on the outside. You can also use the same holsters. It really just comes down to your comfort level with .40. I had carried a 23 for several years, and have now switched back to 9mm (19 and 26). I do not dislike the .40, but I prefer 9mm at this point. You will notice a sharp difference between range ammo in .40, and the self defense stuff, so be aware of that. Also, if you shoot a LOT, the difference in price can add up quick.

[jasonhgross]

Your feelings that the .40 has any capability that the 9mm doesnt have are based on the beliefs that other people have which have no basis in any kind of fact-based reality. Stick with the glock 19, buy a second as backup.

[Ironman8]

Your feelings that the .40 has any capability that the 9mm doesnt have are based on the beliefs that other people have which have no basis in any kind of fact-based reality. Stick with the glock 19, buy a second as backup.

This is absolutely true...however, he isn't (primarily) considering the G23 for terminal ballistic performance. He was looking at it due to the ejection issues that Glock currently has with the 9mm platform.

My advice would be to just stick with the G19 as a second/backup gun as well even though you may get hit every now and then with some brass. To be honest, IMO, as long as the gun isn't choking on the brass (FTE) then there's no reason you shouldn't carry the gun. Besides that, there are fixes coming down the pipeline that will (hopefully) make all this ejection nonsense a non-issue.

[Beat Trash]

I'd much rather have a second Glock 19. Everything would be the same between the two guns as far as equipment, ammunition, and training.

Look into getting the current gun fixed. Contact Glock. See what fixes are coming down the pike.

For your second gun, I'd look for a used, older Gen3 gun.

[Preliator]

I dont see much of an advantage to be had with .40 over 9mm for normal day to day use, unless you are in law enforcement or see a distinct need for intermediate barrier penetration. Stick with the G19 for an ever so slight increase in controllability (I honestly can't even feel the difference....) but more for the increased ammunition capacity and decreased training expense.

Either way enjoy shooting!