With all the shooting done with Gen5 guns at Glock Professional early last month, shooting at home base was destined to be anticlimactic. There were a few surprises. Due to wear patterns on the barrel and the serial range, it appeared the sample Glock 19 shipped for more investigation was part of the group used at the media event. This sample had the AmeriGlo sights, a factory option on Gen5 pistols – one well worth the cost if you don't have a favored set of sights you want to install yourself. With these, the gun is ready to go as-is. The standard run for me when trying something new is patently unfair to the guns: without shooting it on a target to see where I'm hitting with it, I start at fifty yards on the Competition Target Systems' "ABC" zone steel target. The drill is three hits center from fifty yards, cold, followed by one in the "B" (upper) zone from 25 yards.

Taken by a remote camera just after the second round fired strikes the target (top) from 50 yards.

I used Hornady "Steel Match" ammo, with their 125 grain "HAP" bullet. Surprisingly, the first two rounds were B zone hits – something I couldn't do if I tried. I'd held 2/3 up the way of the body of the target and the rounds went a good 6-7" higher. The third round and round #4 – at the head from 25 – wandered off to the left. An inauspicious start. I ran the rest of that ammo on 46 rounds of the Kansas C-POST annual qualification course – a more forgiving exercise with a large target. Using the IALEFI-Q target from LE Targets, I shot it clean. I reduced some of the close range three-round strings into failure drills.

Not the best days for the shooter, but the Gen5 Glock 19 did fine.

The holster I used was the Safariland Model 578 GLS Pro-Fit Holster It combines the GLS (Grip Locking System) with an adjustable holster body made to fit a wide variety of guns with a single holster. The holster fit earlier generations of the Glock 19 without adjustment and, not surprisingly, it fit the similar-size Glock 30s. Unremarkably, the Gen5 Glock 19 fit fine – again without adjustment. The single magazine pouch I used was from Comp-Tac Victory gear. The following day, I set out to shoot the new Glock on the FBI Instructor Bullseye course on the FBI-IP target from Law Enforcement Targets. I hadn't pressed the rear sight over as I was seeking to confirm the leftward bias I had with the pistol. Using Nosler 124 grain Match ammo, I posted 282/300 – enough to get into class and to stay with the class during the midweek test. More than ½ of the rounds on target were left of the vertical center line – though most points down were clearly earned due to varying grip and shaky trigger control. No real excuses. It's clear the gun will shoot, it just needs steadier hands and eyes. I'll be pressing that rear sight over and rechecking the asym (distance) drill as well as working with some more challenging shooting exercises. For lawful carry, self-defense, skill development, police duty, the Glock 19 has always been the right size. The trigger on this early sample is quite good for polymer pistols, the sights are superb. So far, I'm not seeing the downside to the new Generation. - - Rich Grassi