G19 vs G17 for strong-side OWB carry — does the extra length actually matter?

Southpaw nailed the grip-vs-slide distinction, but I need to layer in what actually happens when you fit a G17 vs G19 into an OWB Kydex rig—because that's where the decision gets real.

For strong-side OWB in Minnesota conditions, here's what matters:

1. **Kydex retention and ride height.** A quality OWB holster (Tenicor, JM Custom, Raven Concealment) is molded to that specific gun's profile—barrel, dust cover, trigger guard. A G17's longer slide *does* change where the gun sits relative to your belt and how far back the grip ends up. Doesn't sound like much, but when you're layered and moving, that extra 0.55" of slide can shift your draw path enough to catch fabric on re-holster if your holster's mouth and cant aren't dialed in precisely. It's not impossible; it's just one more variable.

2. **Holster compatibility.** If you already own a quality OWB that fits the G19, dropping a G17 into it won't work. You're building a whole new platform. That's a $150–250 investment to even test properly.

3. **Belt and overall ride.** A G17 OWB pulls a little harder on your belt structure. Winter gear adds weight; longer guns distribute it differently. Not disqualifying, but real.

Where the G19 wins for your use case: it fits existing G19 rigs, rides more forgiving under layers, and you don't need to experiment with new holster fitment to know if it works.

My call: Start with a G19 in a solid Kydex OWB (Safariland, Tenicor), shoot it hard for six months. If you genuinely outshoot the platform and the sight radius is holding you back against shotgun transitions, *then* switch and rebuild around a G17. You'll know what you're trading off instead of guessing.

Honest take: you're conflating two different printing problems, and that's why the advice feels fuzzy.

The G19 "wins" at concealment mostly because of *grip length*, not slide length. Grip is what catches fabric, creates that telltale bulge at 3–4 o'clock, and makes re-holster clumsy when you're layered up. Slide length matters way less for OWB—your parka already breaks the outline, and 0.55" isn't going to suddenly print when 4" already doesn't.

Where the G17 slide length *does* matter for you: draw stroke and sight radius. You're right that the longer sight picture helps with transitions from shotgun work. The draw itself? Honestly, that 0.55" won't meaningfully slow you down OWB. IWB is different—it's the difference between a clean exit and your shirt catching the muzzle.

So here's my framing: if grip length feels fine under your winter setup (and it sounds like it does), the G17 gives you better fundamentals for your stated goal without real downside. The print-and-catch risk just isn't the same strong-side OWB in Minnesota as it would be AIWB in summer.

That said—shoot both if you can access them. Your hand size, trigger control, and how you manage the draw path matter more than the spec sheet. What does your current holster fit look like? That'll tell you whether grip or slide is actually constraining your setup.

Let me break this apart, because you're getting solid gear analysis from both of them, but the actual decision-making is buried under a question that doesn't belong in your scenario.

**What's the real constraint here?** You said concealment isn't the constraint. Winter gear covers you. Strong-side OWB. So why are we still litigating the G19 vs G17 like you're trying to hide either one? This is an internet argument that mostly doesn't hold up when you remove the concealment pressure.

**What actually matters for your draw and restock?** Neither southpaw nor holster_notes is wrong about the mechanics—grip catches fabric, Kydex fit matters, belt geometry shifts. All true. But here's what I see missing: you haven't told us which gun you *shoot better*. That's the variable that swallows all the others.

You're coming from shotgun. Longer sight radius helps you. G17 gives you that. The 0.55" slide difference under winter kit? Negligible for OWB draw path if your holster mouth is clean and your cant is consistent. The grip-length issue that kills people in summer carry? Not your problem in a parka.

**So what's the actual recommendation?** Shoot both guns—even if it's renting or borrowing. Dry-draw from your intended holster rig. Run transition drills from your shotgun platform. See which one your fundamentals migrate to faster. That answer matters infinitely more than spec-sheet geometry.

If they shoot identical and you like the G17's sight picture? Build around the G17 and get a holster molded for it. Don't let internet printing paranoia constrain a carry choice that doesn't actually apply to your use case. You've already designed around the constraint that killed the G19 argument.

Southpaw nailed it for my specific situation, and I appreciate gulfcoast_ops pushing back on the internet orthodoxy—because you're right that I've already designed around the constraint that usually kills the G19 argument.

Here's what stuck with me: grip length is what actually catches fabric and makes re-holster awkward under layers. I've been reading "G19 is the carry gun" as universal law, but that advice is mostly baked into IWB and summer carry scenarios. My winter setup already breaks the outline. The 0.55" of extra slide? Genuinely doesn't matter OWB when you're under a parka.

The sight radius question is still real for me though—coming from shotgun, that longer sight picture on a G17 would probably smooth my transition faster than grinding through G19 fundamentals and then relearning the geometry later. But gulfcoast_ops is right: I need to actually shoot both before deciding.

My plan: I've got a Tenicor OWB rig that fits a G19 already. I'm going to borrow a G19 and G17 from someone local, run maybe 200 rounds through each over a couple sessions, and specifically drill transitions like I'd be doing from the shotgun platform. Dry-draw from the actual holster too, layered up the way I'd carry. That'll tell me which one my hands want, instead of me guessing based on specs.

I think the Kydex point matters—don't want to buy new gear until I know—but it sounds like I shouldn't let that tail wag the dog either. Shoot first, then rig second.

Thanks for cutting through the noise here.