Glock 19 carry setup: holsters, sights and trigger choices

The Glock 19 is the pistol most Americans carry, and most of them carry it close to stock. That is the right instinct. A carry setup is a holster, a belt, sights you can see, a trigger you can trust and ammunition that works, then practice. This guide walks through each choice and says where money helps and where it does not.

The holster

The holster matters more than any part on the pistol. It must cover the trigger completely, hold the pistol at the same angle every time, stay open when the pistol is out, and attach to the belt firmly. Kydex or a Kydex-leather hybrid does all of that; a soft nylon pouch does none of it. The three common positions for a 19 are appendix inside the waistband, strong-side inside the waistband at three or four o'clock, and outside the waistband under a jacket. Appendix carry hides the 19 best and draws fastest, and a holster with a claw and a foam wedge tucks the grip in; strong-side is more comfortable sitting for many people. Buy the holster molded for your exact model and for the light you run, if any: a Glock 19 holster does not take a 19 with a TLR-7 unless it was cut for it.

The belt

A gun belt is stiffer than a dress belt and stops the holster from sagging and rolling. Leather with a stiffener or a rigid nylon belt, sized to your waist with the holster on, is the second purchase after the holster and costs less than most parts on this page. A good holster on a bad belt is a bad holster.

Sights

Replace the factory polymer sights. For carry, a tritium front sight with a bright ring and a plain or subdued rear gives you a sight you can find in any light and a rear that does not clutter the picture. Fiber optic is fine if you accept that it goes dark at night. If you carry a red dot, an enclosed-emitter optic resists lint and rain better than an open one, and you want suppressor-height irons under it; a Gen 5 19 MOS takes the plates, or a slide can be milled. A dot rewards practice and punishes neglect: if you will not dry-fire weekly to build the draw, carry irons. Sight details are in the 19 comparison and the barrel notes in Glock 19 barrels.

The trigger

Leave the carry trigger close to factory. The stock 19 pull is about 5.5 pounds; a minus connector takes it to around 4.5 with a cleaner break and is as far as a carry gun should go. Keep the factory firing pin safety, its spring and the trigger bar, because the drop safety depends on them. A flat-faced trigger shoe is fine if you like the feel. Lighter springs, reduced-power striker springs and match triggers belong on the range gun. After a defensive shooting, a trigger at factory weight is one less thing to explain.

Magazines and ammunition

Carry the factory 15-round magazine and a spare in a pouch or a pocket; the spare covers a magazine failure as much as it covers running dry. In a 10-round state, the factory 10-round magazine. Load a jacketed hollow point with a service record, such as the 124 grain +P or 147 grain loads police agencies use, and shoot at least a box of it through your pistol to confirm feeding. Rotate carry ammunition yearly and do not rechamber the same round more than a few times. Magazine details are in Glock 19 magazines.

Lights and lasers

A compact rail light such as a TLR-7 sub adds a little width and a lot of capability at night, at the cost of a holster cut for it and a heavier pistol. It is worth it if you carry in the dark; it is not worth it if the holster no longer conceals. Lasers are a matter of taste and most instructors skip them.

Grip and controls

Rubber grip tape helps sweaty hands and does not chew clothing. An extended magazine release is a small risk in a holster and a small gain on a reload; the factory release is fine. Skip the magwell on a carry 19: it adds width where the pistol prints most. The Gen 5 flare is enough.

Practice

Dry practice the draw from concealment, with the pistol confirmed unloaded and the ammunition in another room, a few minutes a few times a week. At the range, draw and fire from concealment if the range allows it, shoot at close distance and at 15 yards, and reload from the pouch. A class that covers drawing from concealment is worth more than any part on the pistol. Carry the same way every day so the draw is a habit.

Clothing and cover

The pistol is only half of concealment; the other half is what goes over it. A shirt one size up, patterned rather than plain, in a fabric that does not cling hides a 19 in an appendix holster under almost anything. A cover garment that is always worn the same way means the draw is always the same.