Wondering about the differences between the Glock 19 and Glock 23? These are two remarkably similar handguns that vary in basically only one (but one very significant) way.
Before you get a lower parts kit for a Glock 19/23, figure out which one you want to build!
The Glock 19
The Glock 19, also referred to as the G19, is one of Glock’s most popular and enduring models. It has been widely adopted by Law Enforcement Agencies, and is very popular among civilians, too.
The Glock 19, like all Glock pistols, is built around a polymer lower, with a polymer slide. It is 7.36” long, 1.26” wide, and 5.04” high including the mag. The sight radius is 6.02” with polymer sights.
Without a mag it weighs 21.16 ounces (23.63 with an empty mag) and 30.16 ounces with a fully loaded mag.
Which brings us to caliber. The Glock 19 is chambered in 9mm Luger, arguably the most popular handgun cartridge ever produced.
With a long and illustrious history spanning back over 100 years, 9mm Luger offers what everyone wants in a handgun: power, low recoil, low weight and compact dimensions, high manageability, and reasonable stopping power.
Your average 9mm Luger defensive load will produce somewhere between 300 and 400 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle, though higher muzzle energies, up to 480 ft-lbs, are possible.
As a result, the 9mm Luger is considered an excellent defensive cartridge because it produces serviceable stopping power without the crippling recoil of beefier cartridges.
This, paired with the small size and weight of the cartridge, have made the Glock 19 very popular. It accepts a double-stack mag and has a standard capacity of 15, which many consider to be plenty of firepower.
With that said, a G19 is also configurable with many other magazines, so you can adjust capacity to suit your needs, between as few as 10 rounds and as many as 33.
Moreover, the G19 has a rail mounted to the frame under the barrel, making it easier for users to mount essential shooting accessories like lights or lasers, and the whole platform, being made predominantly of polymer, is lightweight and easy to carry.
This makes the G19 not only popular as a defensive handgun for home defense, but also for concealed carry. There are smaller, lighter Glocks, but that also comes at the expense of manageability, control, and firepower.
That is what the Glock 19 offers. So how about the Glock 23?
The Glock 23
Don’t hold your breath. Physically, mechanically, aesthetically, the Glock 23, or G23, is very much more like the Glock 19 than it is different from it.
In fact, put these two Glock pistols side by side and you might as well be looking at the exact same thing. In some respects, you are, down to the rail under the barrel.
Basically, Glock copied the G19 and used it as the footprint for the G23, but wanted to rebuild it with a more robust, more powerful cartridge.
Thus, we have the Glock 23, which has basically dimensions, weight, and features which are effectively identical, or actually identical, to the G19.
Length, width, height, and line of sight are the same, and even the weight without a mag is identical.
But once you charge that loaded magazine, that’s where things start to get different. With a fully loaded magazine, the G23 weighs 31.22 ounces - over a full ounce heavier than a G19 with a loaded mag.
Why is this, you ask? Because the G23 is built around the .40 S&W, not the 9mm Luger, cartridge.
The .40 S&W cartridge, like the 9mm, can be loaded to a wide variety of specifications. But the thing here is that this one can accept heavier bullets and more aggressive propellant charges.
Muzzle energies for the .40 S&W can be as low as 250 ft-lbs and as high as 600 ft-lbs, but your average load produces around 470 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, as powerful as the most powerful 9mm loads. If you shoot +P .40 S&W rounds, they are far more powerful than 9mm Luger rounds.
Herein lies the difference between the G19 and the G23. Even though they carry, handle and operate identically, the G23 packs a lot more firepower.
The tradeoff is in weight and capacity, as well as in control. The .40 S&W produces much more power, yes, but that also incurs a lot more recoil. Some consider it too powerful to control, and too tiring to shoot.
There is also a slight tradeoff in capacity. The standard magazine capacity for a G23 is 13 rounds, since the .40 caliber cartridges are bigger and bulkier. However, you can configure a G23 with capacities as low as 10 or as high as 22 - but nowhere near as high as a G19.
With that distinction drawn, which is for you?
Which Is for You?
Fortunately, whether you want to build a G19 or a G23, you don’t need to decide right now. They use the same lower parts, so a lower parts kit for a Glock 19/23 has most (if not all) of what you need.
Regardless, here are your big takeaways:
- Since both the G19 and the G23 have the exact same footprint, that’s a wash. They’re equal in terms of carrying, pointing, holstering, etc.
- If you crave capacity, go for the G19.
- If you need low recoil, go for the G19.
- If you need extra firepower, go with a G23 as it is much more powerful than the G19.
That’s about all there is to it. As stated, these are very, very similar handguns, and truthfully, either one could be used for defensive applications, including concealed carry, or for competition, training, high-volume target shooting, or even handgun hunting.
Considering Building One with a Lower Parts Kit for a Glock 19/23?
Looking for a lower parts kit for a Glock 19/23? We have them, and we also carry parts for other popular Glocks, such as lower parts kits for Glock 17 pistols. Get your parts and hardware here and if you have any questions about the build, get in touch with us at Sales@MCSGearup.com today.