Key facts
- Manufacturer
- Glock
- Model
- Glock 19
- Type
- Handgun
- Action or operating system
- Striker-fired, recoil-operated semi-automatic
- Chamberings
- 9×19 mm Luger for the core model; other chamberings and variants are separate records
- Introduced or adopted
- 1988
- Status
- Current model family
What it is
The Glock 19 is a compact semi-automatic handgun from Glock. This record treats the model family as the subject; generation, frame, sight, and finish differences can change the details.
Development and history
Introduced as a compact companion to the full-size Glock 17, the Glock 19 became a common reference point for modern polymer-frame service pistols. Its small size, broad support ecosystem, and long production history explain its continuing visibility in training, duty, and civilian contexts.
Why it matters
The model is useful for studying how a simple polymer-frame design moved from a specialised service concept into a widely recognised civilian and institutional platform. Comparisons must name the generation and configuration.
Safety and owner resources
Use the current manufacturer manual for the exact generation and configuration. Safe storage, local law, and competent instruction remain separate questions from the model history described here.
Sources
Each source is linked to the facts it supports.
- Glock G19 product page
- Type
- Manufacturer
- Reviewed
- August 7, 2026
- Glock technology overview
- Type
- Manufacturer
- Reviewed
- August 7, 2026
Reviewed August 7, 2026 Version 1
Report an error
Send a source for an incorrect or missing fact. Changes are reviewed before publication.
Use the current manual for the exact firearm. Follow all safety and legal requirements.