Trans and Guns: Let's Take a Look

Why the Glock 19X still outclasses its clones Gregg Kielma You hear a lot of noise these days about clones “doing the same thing for less.” But once you’ve carried a Glock 19X for a while, you learn quick that the folks saying that usually haven’t run one hard. The 19X didn’t build its reputation online. It earned it through field time, rough weather, and thousands of rounds without throwing fits. That matters more than any spec sheet ever will. And if you’ve ever put a cheaper copy next to it on the bench, you already know the truth—similar isn’t the same. Not when your life hangs on whether the gun cycles when your hands are cold and the ammo isn’t perfect. It actually survived the military trials The 19X is the civilian version of Glock’s MHS submission, and that history isn’t marketing fluff. It went through brutal temperature swings, mud immersion, drop tests, and endurance cycles meant to break lesser designs. It didn’t take home the contract, but it didn’t fail the test either—it held its own in a field of serious competitors. You’re buying that same DNA today. A lot of clones copy the silhouette, but none of them went through Army-level abuse before hitting the shelves. There’s something to be said for a pistol proven under conditions where excuses don’t matter. The mixed-length setup actually works There’s no magic number when it comes to how many rounds you should carry. Some folks feel good with six. Others won’t leave the house with less than fifteen. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers, but it really depends on your comfort level, your risk tolerance, and how you’re carrying. Here are ten things to think about before settling on your own answer.© Provided by: The Avid Outdoorsman Glock didn’t invent the long-grip/short-slide configuration, but they nailed the execution. The 19-length slide stays quick out of the holster and tucks under clothing easier. The 17-length grip gives you full control, even if you’ve got paws that swallow most compacts. Clones try to replicate this combo all the time, but most of them get the balance wrong. You end up with sluggish cycling, awkward grip angles, or a frame that doesn’t settle right during recoil. The 19X feels natural from the first draw because the proportions weren’t guessed—they were tested. The trigger is boring in all the right ways Nobody writes poetry about Glock triggers, but you know exactly what you’re getting. On the 19X, that translates into a clean break, a predictable wall, and a short reset you can ride all day without thinking about it. It’s not trying to be flashy. It’s trying to be consistent. Clones often bolt on flat-faced triggers or lightweight connectors to seem “upgraded.” What you really get is inconsistency—different pulls as the parts wear, sloppy resets, or gritty travel that shows up once you hit higher round counts. The 19X gives you something you can trust under stress. The reliability isn’t theoretical It’s easy to get carried away with add-ons, especially when there are shelves full of gear promising to improve your shooting. The truth is, some accessories actually make things worse. They can mess with your grip, add too much weight, or just make your firearm harder to run. Sometimes simple really is better. Before you load up your gun with extra gadgets, it’s worth knowing which upgrades are more trouble than they’re worth. Here are eight accessories that can actually hurt your performance.© ARTFULLY PHOTOGRAPHER / Shutterstock.com Glock’s parts ecosystem is huge for a reason. Extractors, springs, trigger bars—everything is standardized, field-tested, and readily available. If something wears out, you can replace it in minutes, not weeks. And if the pistol ever needs real work, Glock’s support actually knows the platform inside and out. The mags run cleaner and smoother The 19X takes Glock 17 magazines, 19 magazines, the 24 rounders, and even the goofy 33 round sticks if you want to dump ammo for fun. They all fit, they all feed, and they all drop free. The aftermarket selection is massive, and most of it works. With clones, even small deviations in magwell dimensions cause feeding issues. Some mags hang up. Some don’t drop. Some only work half the time. That might be fine at the bench, but it’s a different story when you’re carrying the gun daily. The nPVD finish survives real carry abuse Some guns look great on paper—tons of power, long sight radius, big capacity—but once you try to carry them, it’s a whole different story. If it feels like strapping a brick to your hip or stuffing a lunchbox in your waistband, it’s probably too big. There’s a fine line between power and practicality, especially when you plan to carry a gun every single day. Whether you’re new to concealed carry or just figuring out why your current setup feels off, here are the things that can make a firearm more of a burden than a backup.© Provided by: The Avid Outdoorsman Safariland The slide coating on the 19X isn’t there to look pretty. Glock’s nPVD finish shrugs off sweat, humidity, and the constant rub of kydex. If you carry appendix or live somewhere humid, coatings matter more than folks realize. Clones usually come with cheaper cerakote or black oxide that looks good until the first summer. After a few weeks of holster time, the edges polish bare. After a season, the slide looks older than it should. The 19X holds up better—period. The lack of a front rail keeps the gun fast A lot of people gripe about the 19X not having a front rail for a weapon light. But if you’ve trained with lights enough, you know they change balance, slow down the draw, and complicate concealment. The 19X stays light and maneuverable, which matters when speed is the priority. If you want a duty light, go get a Glock 17 or 45. The 19X is built for a different lane—quick, clean carry without extra bulk. Once you run it that way, you understand why the rail didn’t matter. It eats cheap ammo without complaint Because it runs on a G17 frame, the 19X takes standard 17-round magazines, which are cheap, common, and easy to find. It also works with 19-round extended mags that come with it, plus any G34 or G17 mags you already have on hand. That flexibility makes it a smart choice if you’re already in the Glock ecosystem. It also helps if you’re training a lot. Being able to run the same mags across different guns means less to carry, less to label, and more time actually shooting. If you’re running a red dot or working on reload drills, those extended mags also give you a little extra surface to slap on, which helps when your fingers are cold or gloved. For folks who train regularly, that kind of compatibility goes a long way.© Dmitri T/Shutterstock.com The 19X is famously tolerant of low-grade range ammo. Steel, aluminum, 115 grain bargain boxes—it keeps cycling. Training gets expensive fast, and a gun that doesn’t choke on budget ammo saves you money and frustration. Plenty of clones tighten their chambers or use recoil assemblies that can’t keep up with underpowered rounds. They shoot great with premium ammo but fall apart when you feed them what most people actually train with. The 19X runs whatever you throw at it. The factory sights make sense for carry Unlike many Glocks, the 19X ships with real metal night sights. They’re durable, bright enough to matter, and easy to pick up at speed. No goofy fiber rods to break and no cheap plastic to drift loose after a few dozen draws. Clones love to advertise “premium sights,” but most of them are soft steel knock-offs or low end fiber optics that wash out in poor lighting. The 19X gives you sights you can hit with right out of the box. It isn’t trying to be trendy The Glock 19X looks cool in coyote tan, but let’s be honest—it’s kind of a weird fit for most people. The full-size grip with a shorter slide makes it harder to conceal than a G19 and more awkward than a G17. It’s great for open carry or duty use, but it’s often hyped as the “best of both worlds” when that’s not really the case for most folks. A lot of people buy the 19X expecting perfection, but end up wishing they had something either more compact or full-sized. It’s not a bad gun, but it gets more praise than it probably deserves. A lot of new pistols try to win you over with cuts, serrations, or optics plates. The 19X doesn’t bother. It sticks to what works—a reliable frame, a balanced slide, and internals that don’t give up when conditions get ugly. That’s why folks who shoot a lot keep coming back to it. It’s not exciting on the surface, but it’s dependable underneath. And in a world full of flashy knockoffs, that kind of steady performance stands out.

Do stolen firearms ever get returned to the owner? A thought from an avid reader of the blog, Ron W. I had 3 handguns stolen 28 years ago. I had all serial numbers recorded so I provided them in the police report. Roughly 15 years later, I received a letter asking if the 3 guns were still missing. I signed and returned the letter. Over the next 5 years I received the same letter every year, which I signed and returned. Shortly after I signed the last one, I received another letter to come pick up my property. Woohoo! I really loved one of those guns (S&W 686). So, I make an appointment to pick up my property. I arrive, check in, and provide them the letter and proof of who I am. A few minutes later I am handed a small box and told I cannot open it in the building. I head out to the pickup. The tag on the box shows they found the gun around 6 months after it was stolen. I open the box and there is one of the guns, completely disassembled and missing the hammer. It was disassembled carefully as there is no scratches in the bluing, and the screws are undamaged. I tried to go back in and ask if this is normal, but it is a locked facility. So yes, sooner or much later, you will get it back. If it is usable or complete, in the State of Washington, your guess is as good as mine.

How do you defend against a gun to the face and not ARMED? From David S an avid reader of this blog: In October 2016, I did it with humor. I was walking home one evening and felt something against the back of my neck. Thinking it was one of my friends giving me a hard time, I turned around to see who it was. The next thing I knew, this punk kid, had a gun of my face. I looked at him and said, “you’ve got to be kidding.” He was a bit taken aback by that comment. Then he said, “Give me your wallet.” So, I took my wallet out of my pocket and opened it up to show that it was empty. He took it anyway and booked off down the street. When he was about half a block away, I called the police, but he was already around the corner and out of sight, probably already home, in the little time it took the police to get there. Over the course of the next two days someone found some papers on someone else’s lawn and contacted me. Then the next day, someone said he found my wallet, including ID, when he was cleaning out his rain gutter. He turned it into the police, and they called me to tell me that it was at the station and then I could come in to get it at any time. At the end of the day, I didn’t lose anything, got my ID updated, and got my bank debit card replaced. They never caught the punk, but the hold up in that part of town was an anomaly. No one at the police department could remember the last time anything sinister happened in that part of town. After the incident, I walked along that block hundreds of times over the next two years without incident before I moved out of state.

Why do gun supporters believe they can protect themselves better than the police can? Shouldn't they leave protection from attackers and intruders to the professionals? Gregg Kielma Absolutely not, and here's why: My Thoughts, LET'S TAKE A LOOK 1: Police response time is 15 minutes on average. If you are in immediate danger of death or great bodily harm, and you think you can convince the threat to wait 15 minutes, you go right ahead. 15 minutes is enough time to kill an entire family, take anything of value and be long gone before police arrive. I am not betting on my life, my wife, friends and general public lives on that wait time. 2: Law enforcement is not required to protect civilians (DeShaney V. Winnebago, Town of Castle Rock V. Gonzales) The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that law enforcement has no duty to protect you. They are there to enforce laws, meaning they are only required to respond to crimes that have already been committed. So, say you manage to convince the threat to wait 15 minutes and you have a chat over a beer with him in your front yard while you wait. The cops show up. He then proceeds to pick his weapon back up and kill you. Right up until the crime was committed, the police had absolutely no duty to do anything about it. 3: Police response to active threats can be more dangerous than the threat. Those red lines are lines of fire from law enforcement as a response to a hostage situation involving a UPS driver and his two kidnappers. It's amazing that only one person other than the kidnappers and the hostage were hurt, because many innocent bystanders and their vehicles were directly in every line of fire, some even being used as cover by the responding officers. This is unacceptable of anybody who handles a firearm recreationally, much less an entire squad of people who are supposed to be, and expected to be, more responsible than some random civilian. Unfortunately, in most circumstances, adding more people to a dangerous situation only makes it more dangerous for more people. I'll protect myself and my own family and answer questions later. I trust me to respond quickly and justifiably, reliably.

Gaston Glock: Engineer/Owner of Glock... God's Speed Sir Choosing Your Glock: Performance, Size, and Use Explained Gregg Kielma FFL, Firearms Instructor and Gunsmith: for the record, Glock is KING in my world. The best engineered, most reliable, firearm I’ve ever owned. German engineering at its finest. My current carry firearms for the past 35 years is my Glock19 Gen3. 40K rounds run through this firearm and never a jam, ever. The best weapon I’ve ever owned. Nothing better than a Glock, period. Let’s Take a LOOK Glock pistols have been a staple among firearms enthusiasts since their release in the early 1980s. At first, they were greeted with suspicion owing to their polymer construction, but they soon established themselves as reliable, long-lasting, and minimalist handguns. Now with a variety of models and calibers to choose from, Glock has established itself as the leader in the handgun industry, serving everything from law enforcement and military units to civilian shooters. Understanding the various Glock models and their specific uses can be challenging, given the company’s expansive lineup. This article delves into the Glock universe, providing a comprehensive guide to selecting the ideal Glock pistol for various needs, including concealed carry, home defense, professional duty, and competition shooting. Firstly, Glock’s numerical model series is strictly sequential and has nothing to do with the caliber of the gun or its purpose. It merely indicates the order that the models were released into the marketplace. For instance, the Glock 47 (G47) is merely the 47th model produced. When it comes to calibers, Glock has a selection appropriate for many uses, from the common 9mm employed by NATO forces and the U.S. military to the heavy-hitting 10mm Auto, which is best for hunting and repelling big predators. The most common caliber is still the 9mm, owing to its dependability, lower cost, and extensive availability of ammunition. Glock’s 9mm family consists of full-size G17 and G47, compact G19, subcompact G26, and the single-stack G43 and G43X, optimized for various carry and operation needs. Significantly, the Glock 19 has long been a concealed carry favorite, striking a balance of size, capacity, and shoot ability. That said, the new Glock 47 MOS, with its modular design, has presented itself as a full-size model that is capable of utilizing a myriad of slide configurations, including the Glock 19’s. For those who want optics-ready models, the G45 MOS is a “crossover” pistol with a compact slide and full-size frame that works well in self-defense where a reflex sight might give a tactical advantage. For .45 ACP users, the Glock 30 SF offers a short frame with a lot of power. In the subcompact category, the G43X presents an ideal combination of concealment and capacity, suitable for every day carry. For competitive shooting, the extended-barreled G34 MOS presents a longer sight radius and adjustable compatibility for red dot sights, allowing for accuracy and quicker target acquisition. The Glock family also serves those who like to train or plink with rimfires using the G44, a .22LR that replicates the size of the G19 but with less recoil and cheaper ammunition.

Killer of 17 A Minor: Just a Young Punk Killer in Disguise What specific compromises do gun owners believe would be fair when it comes to regulating AR-15s? Good question. Gregg Kielma a FFL, Firearms Instructor, ERT Captain, Gunsmith, nothing can supersede the Second Amendment. However, regarding minors. Let’s Take a Look. Minors need to be stopped. Prosecute minors and minor infractions, even those taking place during the school day, to create a paper trail. The young man being detained by police above had just massacred 17 people in a school shooting with an AR-15 , which he purchased legally. He was able to purchase this rifle because, despite years disruption, vandalism, assault and cruelty to animals, he had a clean criminal record. Long before he committed the massacre that would take 17 lives, the individual above was destroying property. Sometimes it was school property. Other times it was property belonging to classmates and teachers. He engaged in almost daily disruption of school activity. He bullied other students. By “bully” I don’t mean he said mean things. He stalked an ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend and assaulted an African-American schoolmate in an unprovoked attack. He showed people videos of himself torturing animals. He sold weapons (knives) on campus. Because the school superintendent and local sheriff were advocates of “restorative justice” authorities bent over backwards to keep him out of the so-called “school to prison pipeline”. Had he been prosecuted for assault, his criminal record would have prevented him from legally buying any firearm, including an AR-15. There is a simple solution to protect the innocent while also protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of law abiding Americans. Prosecute the following as juvenile misdemeanors. • Vandalism • Assault • Drug possession • Being under the influence • Disruption of school • Defiance of lawful directions by educational staff Prosecute all of these as misdemeanors, generating a paper trail that indicates that someone may not be safe to sell a firearm to. I’m not saying throw all these kids in jail. But if someone is caught tagging their school, put them in front of a judge, and have the judge sentence them to community service. The important thing is to generate an official criminal record that would keep them from purchasing a firearm. Allow that record to follow them into adulthood. If they reach 25 without serious issue, seal the record and restore full 2nd Amendment rights.

How does firearms defense work when you are walking down the street and someone passes you to your side and suddenly pulls out a knife and tries to stab you? How quickly must you reach for your gun before the knife penetrates a vital organ? Gregg Kielma, as an Instructor and ERT says, I teach this all the time. If you’re under a knife attack while walking you’ve forgot situation awareness. Always remember situational awareness. Stay in condition yellow when in public and armed. Move your head around, say aware, watch the environment, avoid putting yourself in a poor situation. Remember to avoid, escape or defend. Keep your distance, because distance buys us time. I, we, you, always want distance and time on our side. Let’s look at the Lt Truller drill. Let’s Take A LOOK Tactical K Training and Firearms Most people misunderstand the drill to mean “a knife beats a gun at close range.” Really, what it means is “a prepared attacker beats an unprepared defender.” It also shows that just having a gun isn’t enough to defend yourself. If someone is already in the process of stabbing you, you will not draw and fire your gun in time to stop them. Your first line of defense is not your weapon, it’s situational awareness. You need to watch your environment. You need to be aware of someone’s body language indicating that they are about to do something violent. When an attack comes, you need to be mobile. In the Tueller Drill, most people stand in place and focus on how quickly they can draw their gun. What you need to do during an attack is not be a static target. Start moving. Create some space between you and the assailant so that you can defend yourself. Plus, knives are not very efficient weapons. If you are moving and defending yourself, it’s harder to get you in an immediately fatal location like the heart. You probably won’t escape a scenario like that unwounded, but you can escape alive.

.22- Penny- .223 for Comparison Question Mr. Kielma: What is a bigger caliber, a .22lr or a .223? Aren't they the same diameter? I was told they dropped the 3 off of 223 because 22 sounds cooler. Is this wrong? Gregg Kielma Tactical K Training and Firearms I occasionally get asked this question. This is my thoughts says Instructor, FFL and Gunsmith Gregg Kielma. LET”S TAKE A LOOK. Gregg what caliber is larger? A .22lr or a .223? Aren't they the same diameter? I was told they dropped the 3 off of 223 because 22 sounds cooler. Is this wrong? Gregg Kielma explains, caliber is simply a measurement of the diameter of a bullet in inches, but has nothing to do with the cartridge, bullet weight, bullet style, the load, muzzle velocity or muzzle energy. All of these are the way one assesses any cartridge/load/bullet combination. Of all of these, the bullets diameter is probably the least important. .22 Long Rifle (.22LR), is the most popular rimfire cartridge, today, and is best suited to target shooting or small game hunting. The actual bullet diameter is .223 to .224 depending on the manufacturer and intended use. .223 Reminton, as well as 5.56 NATO (5.56x45) use an actual bullet diameter of .224 inch and are both popular civilian, and military cartridges. They are very similar but not the same. 5.56x45 NATO is designed for higher chamber pressures than .223 Remington. Both are popular varmint hunting cartridges and are also suitable for whitetail deer sized targets. Historically, the nominal bullet caliber (diameter) is the bore diameter of the intended rifle barrel, prior to cutting the rifling. So yes, a .223 Remington and .22 Long Rifle are generally the same caliber but that is where the comparison ends! The myth uncovered. As for dropping off the 3 on the .223, I don’t believe this will ever happen. Any thoughts friends? Gregg Kielma

Glock Confirms V Series, Discontinues Gen 4 & Gen 5 Pistols Austrian gun company Glock revealed company plans to discontinue a large portion of its pistols starting in November. Glock issued a statement on October 21, 2025, regarding the leak of the company’s plans. “Yesterday, a retailer NOT affiliated with GLOCK Inc. made premature statements concerning the availability of certain GLOCK pistols. The individuals making these representations are not authorized to speak for GLOCK. As part of GLOCK’s commitment to future innovations, we are making necessary updates to our product line to align with upcoming offerings. Our dedication continues to be with maintaining the highest level of quality, reliability, and accessibility that you expect from GLOCK. The GLOCK V Series is here to establish a baseline of products while simplifying our processes.” According to the company, V models will be available December 2025 and will include the following models: • G17 V • G19 V • G19X V • G45 V • G26 V • G20 V MOS • G23 V • G23 V MOS • G21 V MOS • G44 V Glock also said that distributor exclusive models will be available, including: • G19C V • G45C V • G17C V • G19X V MOS TB Glock Store posted about Glock’s plans on social media, saying they’d received word that all Glocks will soon be discontinued except for the Glock 43, 43X, and 48X. Glock G19 According to Glock Store, the discontinued models will be usurped by all new Glock models known as “V Models.” The newer pistols will not come in MOS formats upon launch but will include features that prevent Glock pistols from being used along with switch conversion kits that make them full auto. Glock 17 converted to full-auto Tactical K Training and Firearms reached out to Glock for comment but received no word by the time of publishing. We confirmed with multiple sources close to the company, though, that they too have been informed that starting November 30, 2025, Glock will stop shipping the discontinued models. That said, Glock’s own webpage lists popular models like the Glock 17, Glock 17 MOS, Glock 19 Gen 4, and more as discontinued. According to the page, the decision to cut models out of the lineup was a strategic one. “In order to focus on the products that will drive future innovation and growth, we are making a strategic decision to reduce our current commercial portfolio,” the company said. “This streamlined approach allows us to concentrate on continuing to deliver the highest-quality and most relevant solutions for the market.” Though Glock says the move is to provide a more focused lineup for consumers, California just announced last week that it was banning the sale of pistols that could be converted to “machineguns” — effectively putting an end to sales on most Glock pistols and Glock clones in the state. Though Glock appears to be discontinuing some pistols, it does say support will remain for owners of discontinued models.