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Glock 19 or 21 for closed carry

Eli

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Feb 20, 2011
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Like the title says which would recommend out of the two. The glock 19 or 21 this will be my first firearm and my brother has a 19 which fits awesome in my hands, just not sure if it's good to go with the 9 or 45 both have different perks I'm leaning more at the 45 seems more people stand by it's power and the fact it's been around so long. And could you also recommend some holsters for open and concealed carry. Thanks a lot ahead of time for your help and input also the state that I will be in is VA just in case that matters at all.
 
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Nevada carrier

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I own a Glock 36, Their sub-compact .45 acp design and though I've never heard the term "closed carry" I'm going to assume that you mean concealed carry. There are some good holsters for either mode of carry. For concealed carry, DeSantis makes an IWB holster called the Sof-Tuc. It is designed to allow you to tuck in your shirt and also has an adjustable cant. Being able to adjust it to cant your pistol forward reduces printing a little, but keep in mind this is one of the largest "sub-compact" designed I know and it may or may not be to your liking for concealed carry in this fashion. For open carry, INHO there just is nothing better than a Blackhawk SERPA Level II both for retention and ease of carry. with the paddle you can take the holster on and off without undoing your belt.

The same holsters are available for the larger Glock 30, the double stack .45 ACP variant, but again, this is a large pistol to carry IWB as it is even wider at the grip than the Glock 36, it's single stack counterpart. For the Glock 36, the but plate design isn't the best, but on the plus side, Pierce makes great after market replacements that are pretty cheep. These Butt plates come in +1 and +0, and both make the butt plate a more seamless extension of the grip. To see what I'm talking about, see THIS THREAD talking about how the G36 factory butt plate caused me to get large blood blisters on my pinky finger. I wasn't worried about capacity so much so I went with the +0 replacements, and this took care of my problem perfectly.

Another thing to consider is that the Glock 36 is an "odd ball." It's magazines do not interchange with any other .45 acp Glock magazine. They are single stack, however they require double stack magazine pouches. Think of it as if they modified a double stack magazine to only accept rounds in a single stack configuration. They are a bitt bulky considering that they only carry 6 rounds (7 if you go with the +1 butt plate).
 
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Eli

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Feb 20, 2011
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Virgina
Thanks for the fast reply, and yes I meant concealed carry. The 36 seems just too small for my hands I would also like to stick around the larger sized Glocks just because like i said earlier they fit my hands well. What the rule with printing is or can that be consider brandishing a weapon?
 

45acpForMe

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Nov 21, 2008
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I am for 45acp but that is my opinion. Good arguments can be made for the 9mm Glock with ammo price and capacity.

My KRISS SuperV that uses Glock 21 magazines. So the 30 round mag would be fun to shoot. :)
 

j4l

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Considered the Glock 30? The in-between size of the .45's. Splits the difference in both size/firepower-roughly same size a 19.
Go with the instinct on the .45 -there's a lot of very valid reasons why it comes so highly recommended. There are also equally valid reasons why almost every LE-agency-and the military are trying to get as far away from 9mm as fast as they can.

Ton of options for open carry rigs. Plenty for CC rigs, also, but few that I personally find comfy. Glocks, and the like just feel a bit too wide in the slide for me for CC.
 

Motofixxer

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As for holsters, do a quick search on the site here there are lots of discussion on holsters and what people think of each brand/model.
As for the particular model to carry. There is no perfect piece for every situation. The .45's are pricey to buy ammo for. The 9mm are a bit cheaper to shoot and just as deadly with shot placement. But you will get opinions on both sides. Another option to consider is the size of the .45 compared to the 9mm. In all the models I have seen the .45 is wider. But I haven't compared all the models. Size is a concern when trying to conceal. You can also consider the .40 models. They are a nice middle size and price for ammo. The other selling point for me is that you can just purchase a 9mm barrel and mags and shoot it for much less. So it's like getting a 2 for 1. In addition to my G17 I purchased a G27 the sub compact .40 and put a +1 mag plate on it with a finger groove. It is very concealable but still is very comfortable to shoot with or without the finger groove. You can also use the full size mags, or a 33rd 9mm mag. The versatility is very useful. As stated in the reviews, it appears to be just as accurate as the full size models. I'm very pleased with it. It's my preferred carry piece.
 
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Nevada carrier

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What the rule with printing is or can that be consider brandishing a weapon?

Printing is not brandishing. Brandishing is defined by state law and varies from one state to the next. Some places have rather draconian rules that penalize someone if their concealed firearm becomes visible. Florida is one of these places, until they fix their concealed carry laws.

For the most part, brandishing a firearm means to handle a firearm in a manner that would endanger others. A holstered firearm is not a danger to others. Historically, some law enforcement have attempted to claim that an openly carried firearm is intimidating, and that intimidation constitutes brandishing a firearm. This has never been upheld in any court that I know of.

People make a big deal about printing, but the truth is, that majority of people wouldn't know what they were seeing unless they knew what they were looking for. Another Concealed carrier, or someone intimately familiar would know what they were seeing, but in those cases, those are people on your side, and are not frightened by the idea of someone carrying a firearm, so it's a non issue.

The 36 seems just too small for my hands

Which dimension is it that is too small for your hands? Is it the length of the grip or the circumference of the grip. if it is length, you can get another half inch of grip length by getting the +1 pierce extension. If it's the girth of the grip, the Glock 30 would probably be a better fit as it's considerably wider to accommodate a double stack configuration. the good news is you get 10 rounds rather than 6 on the G30
 
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j4l

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A number of glaring inaccuracies there, but I'll stick to this one for now:

"The .45's are pricey to buy ammo for. The 9mm are a bit cheaper to shoot and just as deadly with shot placement."

Where is everyone buying their ammo at, that they are experiencing such price differences? Every place I've been-most ammo is retailing for about the same price per box of 20/50 regardless of caliber- from .380 all the way up through .500 S&W.
One brand or other-usually some exotic-may stick out more than others-but for most defense-use rounds, there's not enough price difference between the 2 to matter. +/- 1 or 2 $$ on avg.

The whole 9mm/.45 debate thing, I'll leave to history's combat track-record. It more than speaks for itself.
 

j4l

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and, as to size issues:

Model 19: Height - 4.88", Width - 1.18", Length - 6.85"
Model 30: Height - 4.76", Width - 1.27", Length - 6.77"

10ths of an inch in any given direction...hardly noticable when worn/held/carried.
 

irish52084

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Jun 26, 2010
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Puyallup< WA
AS far as printing goes, it's different by state. I used to worry about printing all the time until I got a little education about OC and my state laws. I don't care about printing now, because 99% of people won't notice.
On the 19 vs 21 debate, the 19 is a bit smaller than the 21 in overall dimensions. I don't find any real issue with 9mm or 45acp, they both work perfectly fine with good defensive ammo. I used to be the guy that told everyone to get a 45 if they shot something smaller, and now I don't own a single 45. That's not to say that I don't plan on owning a 45 again, just that I don't think it makes much of a difference if you carry a 9mm or a 45. Worry about training with what you shoot best and shoot the best quality firearm you can afford. If you can only afford to train with 45 75% as much as a 9mm, get a 9mm and train that extra 25%. The difference between a trained shooter with a glock 19 and an untrained shooter with a glock 21 is huge and tips way into the favor of the trained person.
 

Eli

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Feb 20, 2011
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Virgina
lots of good info the 30 does seem like a possibility with the added length with the mag extension. I think i just need to go to a shop and check them all out in one sitting I figured the more info i could get from experienced carriers the better. Also a question if I'm concealed carrying and my weapon happens to come in plan view is that breaking the law in VA? I know that state has no law on open carrying. Thanks agai.n
 

Nevada carrier

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if I'm concealed carrying and my weapon happens to come in plan view is that breaking the law in VA?

No Virginia is an Open Carry state. So long as you are not packing in a location deemed off limits for firearms, you are okay. DO NOT CROSS INTO MARYLAND! Check your states laws to see where you can and can not carry a firearm.

What I am about to say is a matter of personal opinion, it is not representative of everyone on opencarry.org. I personally believe that the sheeple out there are more apt to react negatively when they see someone carrying concealed and the firearm became exposed inadvertently. Conversely, I do not believe that the same sheeple will react negatively to an openly carried firearm. The reason I believe this is simple. They see someone's firearm that was intended to be hidden from view; Their first instinct might be that you have something to hide. On the other hand, the very same person feel more comfortable around someone with a firearm that wasn't trying to hide it. If you were a bad guy, you probably wouldn't be showing off your piece to every Tom Dick and Harry. But the guy who reaches for something on the top shelf of a grocery store flashing a gun thats inside your wast band my lend distrust to anyone who might see. You were trying to hide your gun, because of that you might have some other intent to hide and their imagination begins to run out of control.

Again, just my opinion, but what ever method of carry you choose, commit to it. If you intend to conceal it, make sure you keep it out of sight. If your going to open carry, do so in a manner that lends no doubt that you intend for your firearm to be visible. If your are going to conceal your firearm from view, you have to adjust your attire to that method of carry. you're just not going to be able to have tight fitting clothes, and you might need different kinds of holsters depending on the clothes you wear. You may even need different firearms depending on what and where you are carrying. If you are going to open carry, do so with a holster with some form of retention mechanism. This has less to do with someone trying to take your firearm, and everything to do with your firearm staying in it's holster if you have to run for cover or are in a struggle. Wow, I said way more than I needed to I think.
 
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SouthernBoy

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May 12, 2007
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Western Prince William County, Virginia, USA
Like the title says which would recommend out of the two. The glock 19 or 21 this will be my first firearm and my brother has a 19 which fits awesome in my hands, just not sure if it's good to go with the 9 or 45 both have different perks I'm leaning more at the 45 seems more people stand by it's power and the fact it's been around so long. And could you also recommend some holsters for open and concealed carry. Thanks a lot ahead of time for your help and input also the state that I will be in is VA just in case that matters at all.

You should buy and carry what feels and works best for your particular needs and requirements. If you find that the G19 suits you a little better but would like a more powerful caliber, consider the G23 as it has the same dimensions as the G19. Carrying a sidearm more often than not, comes with having to make a few concessions and compromises and this is to be expected.

Holster considerations should probably be weighted after you have decided upon which pistol you're going to carry. You don't want that to get in the way of taking a good decision about the best gun for your personal needs.
 
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Motofixxer

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Where is everyone buying their ammo at, that they are experiencing such price differences? Every place I've been-most ammo is retailing for about the same price per box of 20/50 regardless of caliber- from .380 all the way up through .500 S&W.
One brand or other-usually some exotic-may stick out more than others-but for most defense-use rounds, there's not enough price difference between the 2 to matter. +/- 1 or 2 $$ on avg.

I normally buy the Winchester target round 100pk at Walmart. They seem to be the best price per round of anywhere I have found. Unless your buying 2000rds+ maybe you could negotiate a better deal. The 9mm box is $24 the .40 is $29 and the .45 is $35+ I think. I don't buy the .45 because I don't own one. As for the defense rounds, I don't really worry about price of those because they aren't used\needed much. Unless you like to target shoot with them. The last time I went to the range I emptied about 5 boxes I think. So the $ per box, does start to add up.
 
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j4l

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Ouch- the white box .45fmj avgs , locally for about 23-25$ /box
 
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