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The Glock 19 has earned its place among the most popular guns because of its reliability, compact size, and versatility.
One of the things that makes this gun so great is the wide array of aftermarket upgrade options available.
In this article, we’ll cover some of the most popular and easy upgrades you can do to customize your Glock 19 and make it better.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Glock 19 Upgrades
- OUR TOP PICK: TruGlo Brite-Site TFX Pro Sight Set
- RUNNER-UP: L2D Combat Precision Match Fluted
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: CAA Glock MCK - Micro Conversion Kit Gen 4
Comparison of the Best Upgrades for Glock 19
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Why Did These Glock 19 Upgrades Make Our List?
The upgrades in our list all have qualities that make them stand out amongst others. When choosing upgrades for your Glock 19, these are some of the features you should look for:
Safety
Safety should be a top priority when looking at upgrades for your Glock. When choosing between aftermarket mods, make sure the manufacturer focuses on safety and that there aren’t a bunch of reported malfunctions.
Reliability
Glocks are very reliable guns, and you should expect the same out of any upgrades you add to your gun. Look closely at the materials used for the upgrade and how it performs after prolonged use to gauge its reliability.
Photo credit: eaglegunrangetx.com
Ergonomics
The same upgraded parts will vary in shape, size, and finish between different brands. Look for parts that have a more ergonomic design to improve your comfort while shooting.
Aesthetics
Some people choose upgrades solely for how great they can look. The aesthetic of upgraded parts is a personal decision, but choosing something that appeals to you visually is a great choice.
Cost
The cost can be an important part of your decision-making process, but more than anything it’s important to look at value. First, decide which upgrades provide the best features, and then consider the prices to find the one that fits best within your budget.
Review of the Best Glock 19 Upgrades
Now, let’s take a look at the reviews of our top picks for Glock 19 upgrades.
Best Overall:
TruGlo Brite-Site TFX Pro Sight Set
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Many buyers said that the TFX Pros are the best sights they’ve ever used. The TFX Pro sights provide great visibility for fast alignment and target acquisition in most lighting situations, and the fiber optics add a really cool look to your gun. The rear sight’s angling also makes it easier for one-handed racking.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The TFX Pro sights are impressive and great for any situation. The fiber optics on the TFX Pros glow very brightly in the daylight, making the sights easy to quickly find and see.
These sights put out a dependable glow day or night, and with the tritium inserts, they make a great option for the range, duty, or home defense. First responders who are using their guns while on duty will love that the sights make one-handed racking faster and easier.
Bottom Line
With increased visibility in all lighting and other great features, the TFX Pro sights are a great option for all activities, from competition to home defense. These sights also come at a great price for their value.
Runner-up:
L2D Combat Precision Match Fluted
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The L2D Combat Precision barrel is top-quality and worth the investment. Buyers said that it shoots great with no malfunctions, coating wear, or loose thread cap. Drop-in installation is easy, and the craftsmanship and quality are top-notch and beyond what buyers expected.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The L2D Combat Precision barrel is made durable with chromium stainless steel and also comes in five finishes to add a unique personal touch to your gun.
The spear-tipped design allows for less heat and a lighter barrel so your gun doesn’t feel weighed down. This barrel is reliable and designed for top performance, and it’s easy to clean away any debris, thanks to its fluted chamber.
Bottom Line
The L2D Combat Precision barrel is a reliable and high-performing upgrade with a price tag that will fit most any budget. And with five finishes to choose from, it’s not just high-quality but also aesthetically pleasing.
Best for the Money:
CAA Glock MCK - Micro Conversion Kit Gen 4
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers said that the CAA Glock MCK is easy to set up and only takes seconds with practice, and they like that they can just leave their Glock in the conversion kit. This kit is a great option for those who want something tactical, and the increased accuracy of using this kit is fantastic.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Fitting your Glock into the CAA MCK is fast and easy, and the kit offers some great features and benefits.
The design allows easy access to the slide stop lever, and there’s a charging handle on the chassis that’s locked onto your Glock’s slide. With this MCK, you can experience increased accuracy, highly-reduced recoil, and a stabilized forward grip.
Extra features on the CAA MCK include flip-up polymer sights and a spot to store an extra loaded mag for quick swaps. Removing your Glock from the configuration is as simple as unlatching and sliding it loose.
The MCK chassis is built to be highly ergonomic and user-friendly.
Bottom Line
The CAA MCK is a fantastic choice for an ergonomic, compact, and lightweight conversion kit. It increases your accuracy and makes a great Glock 19 even more stable and fun to shoot with.
Best Glock Compensator:
ZEV Technologies PRO Glock V2 Compensator
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The ZEV Technologies Pro compensator is easy to install and very effective. It fits well on the Glock 19 and is great at noticeably reducing recoil. This compensator attaches quickly and looks great on the Glock. The craftsmanship is top-notch quality, and it provides great value for the price.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The ZEV Pro compensator attaches using a single screw, which makes it so easy to install, and it stays in place very well during shooting. The ZEV has one large top port, so there’s less machining time.
It also has about 18 degrees of muzzle rise, and it produces about a 35 percent recoil reduction, making it incredibly effective. This compensator should fit most Glock 34 holsters when it’s attached to a ZEV barrel.
Bottom Line
The ZEV Technologies Pro Compensator is extremely easy to install and works great for reducing recoil and muzzle rise. It also has a great look and high-quality craftsmanship and would make a great addition to your upgrades.
Best Glock Grip:
Talon Grips Handgun Grip for Glock
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Talon Grips have great texture options and aren’t too rough on the skin for concealed carry. They’re easy to apply and hold up very well. Some buyers said that the grips help with control when shooting their Glocks and helped reduce group size.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Talon Grips is known for its high-quality applied grips. They offer a more aggressive, granular grip and a softer, rubberized option. Talon cuts their grips in very detailed shapes to cover the entire handle of your Glock. This allows you the optimal amount of coverage on your firearm for anywhere you might grip your gun.
The adhesive holds very well but is also removable without damaging your gun in any way. Installation is easy, and they provide very detailed instructions and drawings to follow.
Bottom Line
Talon grips are very functional and stylish and come in a variety of options to choose from. They’re durable, won’t catch on clothing, and are easy to apply. Talon Grips are a great upgrade option at a great price.
Best Glock Light:
Streamlight Model TLR-1
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The Streamlight TLR-1 is a great mounted light that has a durable construction and is simple to use. For 300 lumens, it puts out a lot of light in a house and is very bright. It’s easy to mount and fits well in many holsters.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The LED in the Streamlight TLR-1 is crafted using anodized, aircraft-grade aluminum and is highly resistant to wear. It’s rated for 50,000 hours and runs at full brightness, even at a low battery.
There’s no worry about damage to your light from firing your gun. This thing is shockproof, waterproof, dustproof and resistant to temperature and impact. The paddle switch is intuitive and ambidextrous for all users, and the strobe effect and momentary light mode is a convenient touch.
Bottom Line
The Streamlight TLR-1 is an easy-to-install, durable, and bright mounted light at an affordable price. It’s lightweight and easily transferable and would make a great upgrade on a Glock 19.
Do I Really Need to Upgrade My Glock 19?
Whether or not to upgrade your Glock 19 or leave it stock is a question that everyone has to answer for themselves. Upgrades can be a great way to quickly and easily transform your gun into your perfect defense or competition weapon.
Upgrades can help you improve how your gun functions and add extra reassurance to an already great gun. Many upgrades contribute to how well your Glock functions and will improve things like accuracy and ejection.
Photo credit: crossbreedholsters.com
You can also use upgrades to simply improve the aesthetics of your Glock 19 by updating things like color to give your weapon a unique and personalized look.
The upgrades you ultimately choose to do will depend primarily on what activities you’re planning to use the gun for. You should consider whether you’ll be doing concealed carry, using it on duty, using it to compete, or spending time with it at the range.
What are the Most Important Glock 19 Upgrades?
Many people enjoy using a Glock 19 completely stock, so the upgrades you decide to do are entirely personal to your situation. That said, many people who upgrade consider these to be the most important upgrades you can do to your Glock:
Sights
Having good sights on your Glock 19 helps you achieve better shot placement, which is critical in high-stress situations. Upgrading the sights on your Glock 19 is arguably one of the most important and effective ways to improve your gun. There are many different options when choosing sights, but ones that allow you to see and line up your shots in various lighting are great options.
Photo credit: thefirearmblog.com
Trigger
The trigger is one of the first upgrades many Glock 19 owners do. The Glock 19 comes with a perfectly fine trigger, but it’s nothing special. And upgrading to a cleaner trigger with a better pull can give you more control and help you shoot better. There are many options, like trigger connectors with a bar or trigger blades and tabs, and you’ll have to decide which option works best for you.
Barrel
Glocks are known for having some of the best quality barrels on their guns, but many people are still looking for something more. One of the most popular upgrades owners do is switching to a threaded barrel so they have the ability to attach compensators or suppressors. Upgrading your barrel also opens up many other possibilities for your Glock depending on the barrel you choose.
Grips
One of the most simple and effective upgrades that Glock 19 owners do is upgrading the grip on their guns. Upgrading with grip extenders, slip-on grips and adhesive grips offers a simple way to help you feel more confident and comfortable while shooting. While it may not seem like a necessary upgrade, it’s simple and effective enough that it’s a popular choice when you’re just getting started.
Perks Of Upgrading Your Glock 19
Whether you’re interested in installing every upgrade you can get your hands on or if you’re more of a purist who would rather leave the Glock as stock as possible, it’s hard to argue with all the benefits that upgrading some of your parts can give you. Depending on which upgrades you choose to make, some of the perks you can expect to see are:
- Easier operation
- Added comfort
- Recoil control
- Better target indexing
- Improved durability
Photo credit: outdoorempire.com
Many people see their shot accuracy greatly improve once they make a few modifications. And many upgrades are drop-in or can easily be installed by the user, so improving your weapon doesn’t have to be a hassle either.
Types of Upgrades for the Glock 19
There are a variety of modifications you can make to your firearm that will make it more accurate when you shoot and prepare you for any circumstance.
Trigger Upgrades
Your upgraded trigger should make things smoother and slightly easier to pull. It’s a popular upgrade because it can increase accuracy for concealed carry users who know they’ll need to act quickly should the situation arise.
Tactical lights
Adding a tactical light as an upgrade enables you more control in low light situations. If you need your gun at night, you’ll have an easier time locating and aiming at your target with your tactical light.
Night sights
In addition to a tactical light, night sights improve your accuracy when you need your gun in any situation at night. They use fiber optics to pull in light to illuminate your sights so you can line up your shot.
Pistol grips
Textured grip upgrades come in various styles and applications to give you a better handle and more confident grip on your gun.
Photo credit: handgunsmag.com
Extended slide stop release
Some people love adding an extended slide stop release lever as an upgrade to their Glock 19 to enable faster reloads. Adding this upgrade makes it easier to use your thumb to release the slide.
TiN barrels
TiN (titanium nitride) is a popular ceramic coating upgrade used on barrels and other small sections of the Glock 19 that helps protect the parts against buildup and scratches. It’s also popular due to the different colors it can be applied in.
Compensator
Compensators help you perform quicker follow up shots by reducing recoil. These upgrades keep your barrel flatter by reducing the force of the gases that come out of your barrel when you shoot. This is a popular upgrade for beginners and competitors alike, although compensators aren’t always allowed for competitions.
Conclusion
Our top upgrades on our list are some of the best and easiest you can do, and while this isn't a complete list, it's a good start. Always remember to get in plenty of training and practice each time you do a new upgrade to make sure you get used to the changes.
People Also Ask
If you’re new to Glocks or are just beginning to look into them more, you likely have a lot of questions. Here are some of the most common questions people ask in regards to the Glock 19 and upgrading.
Why is the Glock 19 So Popular?
The Glock 19 is an affordable, reliable gun that meets all the criteria for a great inside the waistband concealed carry weapon. It fits nicely inside these types of holsters and is easy to conceal because it is so compact. The Glock 19 gives you full-size capability in a shorter form. It’s become so popular because it’s so compact, versatile, and easy to modify.
Photo credit: ConcealedPatriot.net
Is Glock 19 Good For Beginners?
A full-sized, ergonomic gun with a controlled recoil works best for beginners, and the Glock 19 is a great option. It’s very light, compact, and easy to shoot because it has a short trigger pull. The Glock 19 is a great place to start and is great for the range or concealed carry.
Will Glock Upgrade Your Gun For Free?
Some older Glocks may be eligible for free parts upgrades on internal parts. If so, Glock will swap your parts if you’re missing any factory changes or upgrades on an older generation Glock. To determine if you’re eligible, you can contact Glock with your serial number.
What Caliber is a Glock 19?
The Glock 19 uses a 9x19mm ammunition, which is commonly referred to as simply 9mm or Luger or Parabellum ammunition. This caliber is universal across most handguns and comes in various types of rounds, such as the hollow points.
Photo credit: blog.gunassociation.org
Are Custom Upgrades Worth the Cost?
It all depends on what qualities and features you value most and what type of upgrade you’re looking at. Some types of upgrades are primarily for aesthetic purposes so some people would say it’s completely unnecessary, while others, like sights, can make a big difference in your accuracy and be well worth the cost.