Buy a Glock 19. The end.

Honest take: the G19 is *right for* a lot of people. Proven platform, reasonable ergonomics, runs. I get the frustration with endless deliberation.

But body-type carry reality is worth naming. I've worked with shooters where a G19 in AIWB created genuine problems—hip structure, draw path clearance, concealment at their frame size. Not a flaw in the gun. Just wrong *for that person*.

The thing your post doesn't account for is that "conceals" and "shoots" aren't universal constants. A G19 AIWB at 3 o'clock works beautifully for some bodies and creates printing or holster shifting issues for others. Same gun, different carry position needs, different results.

I'm curious where you land on that: do you think most people who think a G19 doesn't work for them are just overthinking it, or is there a legitimate subset where the gun-to-person fit actually *is* the problem? Because if it's the latter, "buy a G19" is incomplete advice—you need "buy a G19 *and figure out your carry geometry*."

The research-to-action problem you're diagnosing is real. But I've seen people buy the right gun and abandon carry because they picked the wrong holster or position for their body. That's not a G19 failure. That's a "skipped a step" failure.

What's your read?

Southpaw's got the carry geometry piece right. I'd add another variable that doesn't get enough air in these threads: optic compatibility.

G19 works fine if you're running irons. But if you're running a red dot—and more people should be—you've got real constraints:

1. Slide milling. A factory G19 doesn't come milled. RMR or SRO cuts run $150–250 or you buy a pre-milled slide ($250–400). That's not "buy a G19," that's "buy a G19 and commit to upgrades."

2. Holster incompatibility. Most AIWB holsters aren't designed for optic-equipped slides. A Glock 19 irons-only works in a basic Vedder, PHLster, or Tier 1. Add an RMR and you need a holster built specifically for that setup—fewer options, higher cost, longer lead times.

3. Dot height and grip angle. The G19's grip angle is what it is. With an optic mounted, your sight picture changes slightly. Not a deal-breaker, but it's training time you don't get back.

Where a stock G19 wins: You don't care about optics, you want zero setup friction, and you train regularly. Buy it, buy a $60 Kydex holster, carry it.

Where the optic conversation matters: You're serious about defensive accuracy beyond 7 yards or you're starting over after a long time away from shooting. Then a pre-milled carry gun (like a Glock 48 MOS or even a P365 XMacro) saves money and training cycles.

The "stop researching" angle works if the choice is truly binary. But optic-ready is becoming baseline, not luxury. OP's advice skips that step.

I appreciate both of you laying out the real variables, because as the newest shooter in this thread, I ended up with a G19 and—honestly—it's been a process.

I have small hands. Not "I think I have small hands." Measured, fitted-by-a-gunsmith small hands. When I first held a G19 at the range, my pinky was hanging off the grip. The shop owner said "You'll adapt," and I believed him because everyone online says Glocks just work.

Six months in: my pinky still doesn't naturally land on the grip without a pinky extension, which means I'm either buying an aftermarket grip or learning to shoot with a partial grip. Both are solvable. Neither is "just buy a G19 and you're done."

The carry geometry point hits different when you're five-foot-two and trying to find holster that doesn't print at your ribcage. I went through three before landing on one that actually works for my frame and clothing.

So here's what I'd say to someone asking for carry gun advice right now: The G19 is probably right for you. It's probably right for *most* people. But "buy it and stop thinking" only works if you're not the person for whom it isn't right. And the only way to know is to actually hold one—not watch a video, hold one—and see if your hand fits the grip naturally. If it does, yeah, buy it. If it doesn't, that's not overthinking. That's data.

I didn't have that conversation before I bought mine, and I should have. Now I'm good. But I spent money I didn't need to spend.

Before we go further with carry setup, there's a layer underneath all of this that's state-dependent and non-negotiable: where you legally *can* carry a G19, and what that costs.

The advice "buy a G19 and carry it" assumes you live in a constitutional carry or shall-issue jurisdiction. Most states are there now. But if you're in California, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, or DC, that G19 doesn't become a carry gun through purchase alone—it becomes a licensing problem first.

In CA and NY, "may-issue" means you need a permit, and the issuing authority decides if your "need" justifies carrying. That's not a legal certainty. In NJ, it's effectively no-issue for civilians. DC has a similar structure. You can own the G19. You cannot legally carry it in those states without a permit you may not be able to get.

If you *do* get a permit in a may-issue state, your carry gun choices are often restricted by what the licensing authority approves—and they may not approve a Glock. Some counties have approved lists.

So before you buy: Know your state's carry permit structure. If you're constitutional carry, great—buy what works for your body and training needs. If you're shall-issue, get the permit first, *then* buy the gun that fits your setup. If you're may-issue or no-issue, talk to a lawyer about what's actually available to you before you spend money on a gun you can't legally carry.

I'm not saying don't buy a G19. I'm saying the G19 purchase decision sits downstream from a legal decision that varies wildly by geography. Southpaw and the others nailed the practical fit questions. But you need the legal picture first.

Not legal advice—talk to a lawyer licensed in your state about carry permits.

I've been reading through this thread and it's hitting on something I ran into when I was switching from shotgun to pistol carry. Everyone says "buy a G19," which I did, and then I realized nobody talks about Minnesota winter carry.

I'm strong-side OWB guy—that's what made sense coming from shotgun work. But a G19 in a belt holster under a winter coat or even a flannel is a different animal than what most of these YouTube reviews show. The gun prints through layers. The holster shifts when you're sitting in a truck cab for four hours. The jacket rides up and now your shirt's exposed the whole thing.

I've been reading the concealment forums and people keep saying "just go AIWB," but I don't want to completely relearn my draw. So I'm looking at either a winter-specific carry setup—maybe a shoulder holster some seasons, appendix in summer—or I'm thinking about something shorter like the 43X.

My question is: Does the "buy a G19 and stop thinking" advice actually hold if you're not carrying in a consistent way year-round? Because it feels like I need to solve for winter first before the gun choice makes sense. Or am I overthinking the seasonal piece and should just commit to one position and make it work?

I trust the G19's reliability. I'm just trying to figure out if the gun is the variable or the carry method is.

Nick, you're overthinking the seasonal piece. Winter carry is not a gun problem. It's a commitment problem.

You already know what works: strong-side OWB. You know the G19 runs. So stop looking for a different gun because your jacket shifts. The gun isn't the variable. Your willingness to own the setup is.

People carry the same gun year-round in Minnesota. They do it because they train with one platform and they don't switch. You train appendix, you carry appendix in winter under a coat. You train strong-side, you carry strong-side and you get a belt that doesn't shift and a holster that's built for retention, not for comfort.

The "buy a 43X for winter" logic is the same as the "I need a different gun for different people" logic everyone else in this thread is selling. It's not. You need to own the gun and own the carry method. Not rotate them.

Get a quality belt. Get a quality holster. Carry the same G19 in the same position year-round. Train in your winter clothes once. Done.

The 43X is smaller and less reliable than the G19 and it doesn't solve the printing problem anyway—it just makes you feel like you solved it. You haven't. You've just switched to a worse gun.

G19. One gun. One method. Stop designing the perfect system and start actually carrying.