Glock 19 Upgrades: What Is Worth It and What Is Not

The best Glock 19 upgrades, in the order we'd buy them, are better sights, a red dot, a weapon light and a trigger made for your generation. Here are our picks and roughly what they cost in our merchant feeds today.

• Best first upgrade: Trijicon HD XR night sights, about $140.
• Best red dot: Holosun 507C X2, about $235.
• Best weapon light: Streamlight TLR-1 HL, about $160 to $180.
• Best trigger for a Gen5 or Gen6: CMC 76001-NH Combat Curve, about $125.

Trijicon

TRIJICON HD XR 3 Dot Green Tritium w/ Yellow Front Outline Night Sight Set for Glock 17/19/26/27/33/34 (GL601-C-600835)

In stock

$135.69 at KY Gun CompanyCompare 4 stores+ Add to build

Holosun

Holosun HS507C X2 Red Open Reflex Sight 2MOA/32MOA Circle

In stock

$232.99 at MidwayUSACompare 12 stores+ Add to build

Streamlight

Streamlight TLR-1 HL 1000 Lumen Tactical Weapon Light - Flat Dark Earth Brown

In stock

$163.21 at BattleHawk ArmoryCompare 9 stores+ Add to build

CMC Triggers

CMC Triggers Glock Combat Curve Trigger housing not included - Gen 6 9mm G17 G19G45G49

In stock

$124.99 at Palmetto State ArmoryCompare 4 stores+ Add to build

Work down that list and stop whenever the pistol does what you need. The returns fall off fast after the first three, and a barrel or slide cut bought before new sights rarely changes your groups.

Which Glock 19 upgrades fit your generation?

Triggers and barrels are the parts most tied to one generation. The V and the Gen6 changed enough inside that you can't assume a part made for a Gen5 will fit either of them.

Pick your pistol in the chart to see what fits it. Unknown means the maker doesn't say, so ask them before you buy. If you're not sure which one you own, see which Glock 19 you have further down.

Best first upgrade: Trijicon HD XR night sights

Glock's spec pages list polymer sights as the base option, and we think they're the weakest part of the pistol. New sights are one of the cheapest changes on this page. They pay off most in low light, when you need to find the front sight fast under stress.

The HD XR set puts green tritium in the front post with a yellow outline around it. The front stands out in daylight and glows in the dark. We'd want that bright, high contrast front on any pistol with a defensive role, because your eye goes to it first.

What we like

• Trijicon lists the 17, 19 and 34 on the same part number, so the set moves with you if you change pistols.
• Tritium lights the front at night without a battery, a switch or anything else that can fail.
• It sells for about $135 to $145 in our merchant feeds, and the cards below show today's price.

Watch out for

• Trijicon says this set doesn't fit MOS slides, so look for an optic cover plate on yours before you order.
• Trijicon's fit list doesn't name the Gen6, and every Gen6 ships optic ready. Ask Trijicon first.

If you plan to add a red dot later, buy suppressor height or optics height irons now instead. They cowitness through the optic window and give you a backup if the dot dies, so you don't end up buying sights twice.

The Night Fision set below is that optics height option. Night Fision lists it for optics ready 17, 17L, 19 and 34 slides. It's built to pair with an RMR footprint optic like the 507C on a milled or MOS slide. Its list doesn't name the Gen6 either.

Night Fision

NIGHT FISION Optics Ready Stealth Glock 17/19/34 with RMR/507C/508T Black Front Black Rear Night Sight Set (GLK-001-290-313-ZGZG)

In stock

$85.60 at GritR Sports+ Add to build

Best red dot: Holosun 507C X2

We'd call a pistol red dot the largest single improvement you can make to a Glock 19. You'll also shoot worse with it at first, until you've trained with it.

The dot is faster and more precise once you can find it every time you present the pistol. Getting there takes deliberate practice, because landing the dot in the window on every draw is a skill you build at the range. If you won't put in that work, better irons will serve you more honestly.

The 507C X2 uses the RMR footprint. It bolts to a Gen6 RMR plate, to a Gen4 or Gen5 MOS slide through an RMR plate, or straight to a milled slide.

What we like

• Holosun's multi reticle system lets you switch between a 2 MOA dot and a 32 MOA circle around it.
• Holosun rates the battery for up to 50,000 hours on setting 6, so you won't be changing it often.
• It's widely in stock across our merchant feeds, at about $235.

Watch out for

• A Gen3, a plain Gen4 or a plain Gen5 needs its slide milled before this optic will mount.
• The retail G19 V has no optic cut, because Glock sells the V MOS to police only. You'll need milling there too.
• At about $235, it costs more than every other pick on this page except the Gen6 Radian barrel.

Glock says a Gen6 comes optic ready with three plates in the box, and Frag Out lists them as RMR, DPP and C-More. C&H's G6-RSH below is an aftermarket Gen6 RMR plate, at about $80, and C&H lists the 507C among the optics it takes.

Our red dot plate guide covers which plate fits which optic. The Glock red dot fit checker will tell you what your specific pistol takes.

C&H Precision

C&H Precision G6-RSH Optic Mounting Plate for Glock GEN6 RMR/SRO/Holo Black Anodized

In stock

$79.99 at MidwayUSACompare 5 stores+ Add to build

Best weapon light: Streamlight TLR-1 HL

If the pistol has any home defense role, we don't treat a light as an accessory. You have to identify your target before you shoot, and you can't do that in the dark.

The TLR-1 HL fits every Glock 19 generation on this page, because each one carries Glock's accessory rail. Safariland builds Gen6 19 holsters for rail lights, so it carries over to the newest pistol too.

What we like

• Streamlight rates it at 1,000 lumens with a wide beam that Streamlight says lights up large areas.
• It ships with keys for Glock style and Picatinny rails, and the switch works from either side, momentary or steady.
• It's IPX7 rated, which Streamlight lists as waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes.

Watch out for

• It runs on two CR123A lithium batteries, so keep spares where you keep the pistol.
• The listing here is Flat Dark Earth. Pick the black version if you want it to match the gun.
• A light changes your holster, so buy one cut for the light at the same time as the light itself.

Weapon light holsters are a smaller market than standard ones, and the good options are specific to one pistol and one light. Buying them together saves you finding out afterwards that nothing fits.

The TLR-7X Contour Remote below is the smaller choice, with a grip switch and 500 lumens from one CR123A. Streamlight's Glock version is model 69428, listed for most railed Gen4 and Gen5 Glocks, and Streamlight doesn't list it for the Gen3, the V or the Gen6.

Streamlight also sells a SIG P320 version, and some retail listings describe that one. Confirm 69428 at checkout before you pay.

Streamlight

Streamlight TLR-7X Contour Remote Black LED Light 500 Lumens

In stock

$156.59 at Classic FirearmsCompare 9 stores+ Add to build

Best trigger for a Gen5 or Gen6: CMC 76001-NH Combat Curve

A Glock trigger upgrade is real, and it's smaller than its reputation.

A reshaped shoe changes where your finger sits and therefore the leverage, and most people read that as a lighter, cleaner pull even when the scale reads the same. If you want an actual weight change, the connector and the striker spring are the parts doing that work.

For a carry gun, improve the break and the reset and leave the pull weight near factory. Our Glock trigger guide covers the four parts of the system and which one does what.

CMC's 76001-NH is the rare trigger that crosses generations. CMC lists it for current Gen5 and Gen6 models, with the G17, G19, G19X, G26, G34 and G45 all named on its page.

What we like

• One part number covers a Gen5 19 and a Gen6 19, so it comes with you if you trade up.
• CMC sells it as a drop in for those models, and it's in stock at several of our merchants.
• It runs about $125, close to what Apex's Gen5 kit costs.

Watch out for

• CMC lists Gen5 and Gen6 only, so it won't fit a Gen3 or a Gen4 19.
• Distributors say the V's trigger parts changed, and CMC doesn't list the V. Ask CMC before you fit one.
• This version ships without a housing, so make sure that's the one you want before you order.

Apex and Timney make one trigger per generation instead. Apex sells one Action Enhancement kit for Gen3 and Gen4 and another for Gen5, and Timney sells separate Alphas for Gen5 and Gen6. Apex's Gen5 kit runs about $105 to $120 in our feeds.

Glock's own Performance Trigger is the odd one out. It ships with a Gen5 slide cover plate, and Glock says that plate has to replace yours for it to work in a Gen4. Glock also says a certified Glock armorer has to install it, so you can't drop it in yourself.

American Rifleman's Gen6 launch report says the Performance Trigger doesn't fit a Gen6, and Glock's compatibility list names no Gen6 model. Distributors told Soldier Systems that current Performance Triggers won't work in V pistols either.

Apex Tactical

Apex Tactical Action Enhancement Trigger for Gen 3/4 Glock

Out of stock

$87.99 at Sportsmans Outdoor Superstore+ Add to build

Apex Tactical

Apex Tactical Black Action Enhancement Trigger for Glock Gen 5

In stock

$104.99 at Ammunition DepotCompare 7 stores+ Add to build

Best holster: Safariland 7378 for a Gen3, Gen4 or Gen5 19

A good holster does more for how you use the pistol than most parts on this page. It has to hold the gun securely, present it the same way every time, and cover the trigger guard completely.

Buy the retention level that suits how you carry, and buy a real belt at the same time. Our holster guide makes the case that the belt matters more than the holster does, and we mean it.

What we like

• Safariland's concealment fit chart gives a Gen3 to Gen5 19, the 19X and the 45 the same fit code, so one holster covers all three.
• Our merchants have listed it at about $75 when it's in stock, well under the light bearing models.

Watch out for

• It's molded for a pistol without a light, so adding a TLR means buying a light bearing holster.
• The listing here is right handed, so check the hand before you order.

Launch reviews in Gun Digest, The Truth About Guns, Frag Out and American Rifleman say Gen5 holsters fit the Gen6. Test a tight kydex shell before you carry in it.

Safariland also sells Gen6 19 specific models, like the 6390RDSO below. It's an outside the waistband holster cut for a Gen6 19 carrying a TLR-7, at about $160.

Safariland

7378 GLOCK 19/23 SAF SEV Black RH

Out of stock

$75.00 at BattleHawk Armory+ Add to build

Safariland

Safariland 6390RDSO OWB Holster Right Hand Glock 19 Gen 6 with Streamlight TLR-7 STX Tactical Polymer Black

In stock

$161.20 at MidwayUSA+ Add to build

Do Glock 19 magazines fit every generation?

If your Glock is giving you trouble, we'd suspect the magazine long before anything you bolted on. It's a cheap part to swap and an easy one to test, so start there.

Buy factory or well proven aftermarket magazines, buy more than you think you need, and number them so you can find the one that keeps failing. Factory Gen5 15 round magazines run about $25 in our feeds.

Pew Pew Tactical's Gen6 review says Gen6 magazines are the same as earlier ones and work across generations. Older pistols are less clear. Retailers say newer Glock magazines work in them. Glock's armorer handbook, as 5D Tactical quotes it, says Gen5 magazines don't interchange. Test one in your Gen3 or Gen4 before you carry it. See our Glock magazine guide.

Glock

Glock 19 Gen 5 Magazine 9mm 15-Rounds

In stock

$23.99 at BattleHawk ArmoryCompare 5 stores+ Add to build

Is a Glock 19 match barrel worth buying?

Usually not. We'd buy it last. A match barrel is a real upgrade, and it's also the one people most often buy for the wrong reason.

We think the stock Glock barrel outshoots almost everyone holding it. A match barrel earns its keep from a rest and changes very little about what you can do on demand. If you shoot from a bag and chase group size, buy one. On a timer, spend the money on ammunition.

The genuine exceptions are threading, if you intend to run a suppressor, and shooting cast lead. The Gen3 and Gen4 use polygonal rifling, and if you shoot lead in one, we'd fit an aftermarket barrel with conventional rifling first. The Gen5's Marksman Barrel uses what Glock calls new rifling, and Pew Pew Tactical describes it as a step back from polygonal.

Barrels are specific to a generation too. The True Precision threaded barrel below runs about $155 to $175 and is listed for Gen3 and Gen4 only. Rival Arms makes a drop in for the G19 Gen5 at about $180.

Frag Out and all4shooters report that Gen6 barrels don't swap with earlier ones. Radian lists its Afterburner Ramjet for the Gen6 19 and 45, at about $390.

Rival Arms

Rival Arms Glock 19 Gen 5 Precision Drop-In Barrel, Stainless Steel

In stock

$179.99 at Classic FirearmsCompare 4 stores+ Add to build

Radian Weapons

Radian Weapons Afterburner Ramjet GLOCK 19/45 Gen 6 - Handgun Barrel - Black

In stock

$389.95 at Primary ArmsCompare 3 stores+ Add to build

True Precision

True Precision Glock 19 Threaded Barrel (Spectrum Finish)

In stock

$190.99 at Palmetto State ArmoryCompare 3 stores+ Add to build

What should you skip?

Slide cuts and porting for looks. Lightening a slide changes how the pistol cycles and can make it sensitive to the ammunition you feed it. If a cut isn't solving a problem you have, it's creating one you don't.

Reduced power striker springs on a carry gun. They trade reliability for pull weight, and the warning above covers why that's a bad deal on a defensive pistol.

Grip plugs and slide covers. They change nothing about how the pistol shoots or carries.

A second optic footprint. Pick a footprint and buy into it, because switching means new plates, new sights and usually a new zero.

Which Glock 19 do you have?

Glock's own catalog lists two G19s for retail, the G19 V and the G19 Gen6. The compensated G19C V is a distributor exclusive, and Glock US lists the Gen3, Gen4 and Gen5 for law enforcement only.

The V looks like a Gen5 from the outside, and Glock hasn't published what changed inside. Distributors told Soldier Systems it's internal slide and trigger work, so check any Gen5 trigger part against a V before you buy it.

The Gen6 changes the most. It's optic ready from the factory, with a reshaped grip, a flat faced trigger and a barrel that doesn't swap with a Gen5's. Glock lists it at 22.58 oz with an empty magazine, against 23.63 oz for the V.

Do Glock 19 upgrades fit the 19X, 45, 17 and 34?

The 19 shares a lot of parts with other models. The 45 and 19X put a 19 length slide on a 17 length frame, so most Glock 19X upgrades are the same parts as the 45's.

Glock's parts store lists one Gen5 threaded barrel and one recoil spring for the 19, 19X and 45. Safariland's concealment fit chart puts a Gen3 to Gen5 19, the 19X and the 45 on the same fit code, so one Safariland holster covers all three. Magazines follow the frame, and every part still has to match the generation.

The 17 and 34 take the same sight sets as the 19, and Trijicon's HD XR listing covers all three.

Slimline models share almost nothing with the 19. If you own a 43X or a 48, read the Slimline upgrade guide instead, because standard Glock parts won't fit. For sizing, our 17 vs 19 vs 45 comparison covers which one to own.

How we pick

Every pick has to be listed by its maker for at least one current Glock 19, and sold by merchants in our feeds. We checked each part against the maker's fit list, then against Glock's spec pages and the Gen6 launch coverage. Prices are rounded from in stock offers, and the cards show today's price.