Gen 3 or Gen 5 G19 for a first pistol?

Question

Looking at my first pistol and trying to decide between a Gen 3 Glock 19 (used, around $400) and a Gen 5 (new, around $600). Is the Gen 5 upgrade worth $200 for a new shooter? What am I actually getting?

Margot Delacroix · Accepted Answer

For a first pistol, the Gen 5 is worth the $200 for a real reason: it has the **ambidextrous slide stop** and a **much better trigger** out of the box. The Gen 5 trigger is noticeably smoother with a cleaner break than the Gen 3, which matters more for a new shooter learning fundamentals than it would for an experienced shooter who could tune a Gen 3.

Other Gen 5 things:

- **No finger grooves on the grip.** Either you loved the Gen 3 finger grooves or you didn't; if you didn't, the Gen 5 is an upgrade.
- **Flared magwell** makes reloads easier for beginners.
- **Marksman barrel** with hexagonal rifling is slightly more accurate than the Gen 3 polygonal barrel, though you won't notice the difference inside 15 yards.
- **Front slide serrations** (Gen 5 MOS models) make press-checks easier.

If you were buying your fifth pistol and knew you wanted to tune it, a used Gen 3 at $400 is a good deal. For your first pistol, the Gen 5 is easier to learn on, and the extra $200 is less than the cost of the aftermarket trigger you'd eventually want on a Gen 3.