Sig Sauer P320 vs Glock 19

This article will hopefully lay to rest some of the old arguments about which is the better choice out of a Sig Sauer P320 and a Glock 19. Now, as you all probably know it will depend on how, why, and when you want to use your firearm. And obviously, each weapon will have their own individual merits, that will set them apart from each other.

However, what we will do is try to give you an overall review of each pistol and then compare where possible.

Both are striker pistols, meaning that there are no hammers involved in the firing process. The Glock itself actually made this type of striker design more popular. Also, both guns have drops safeties, and neither of these guns has an external safety. Both guns have rail notches, though we’ll discuss the differences with the notches later.

With the P320 being the newer contender on the market, there has been a lot of hype. Yet the Glock 19 has stood the test of time as being a strong go-to, “do everything” type of pistol!

Honestly, we do think either choice will be a good one. Both weapons have solid qualities to act as a service pistol, whilst they also are compact enough to be a concealed day-to-day carry option as well.

Well, the Sig Sauer really doesn’t differ so much other than having some extra modular options. The Glock is renowned for being easy to clean and doesn’t need so much maintenance. Yet, ultimately you’ll have to decide for yourself, but we’ll certainly try and help you along the way.

So let’s explore each pistol in a little more detail…

The Glock 19 “Goldilocks Gun”

So back in 1988, the Glock 19 quickly appeared after the release of the Glock 17. The Glock 19 essentially is a cut down version of the 17, with the grip and the barrel of the gun just sized down. It has been said that the Glock 19 is a “Goldilocks gun” of sorts, in that it’s just the right size.

After initially starting off with sluggish sales, the Glock 19 soon caught on to be very popular as a service type striker pistol. Security professionals, detectives, plain-clothed officers, and many other service professions, soon warmed to the 19’s design. Plus the 19 was simple to use and needed very little maintenance.

Today the Glock 19 still remains to be many people’s favorite for a striker pistol. It can, and has been used as a concealed weapon choice, just as much as a service pistol.

The Sig Sauer P320

One major difference we can point out straight away is how relatively new the Sig Sauer P320 is, compared to the Glock 19. Production started in 2014 with the P320, and it should be said the P320 is a series of striker pistols. The option we’re looking at is the 9mm version, which we think makes for a good comparison with the Glock 19 – which is a 9mm also.

The Sig is a modular system with a polymer frame, which means you can really change things up you’re into customization.

One major point we should express is that the Sig Sauer has sealed a deal with the US Government. The P320 is officially the replacement for older Beretta models, and now is the sidearm of choice for the US military. With such a contract in place, there must be something truly great about this pistol, right?

All Notched Up…

So now we’ll move back into comparison mode and pick up where we left off with the rail notches. The Glock has just the one rail notch available whilst the P320 has four available. With extra rail notches, the Sig can allow for the mounting of devices that wouldn’t do so with just the one notch. So one extra point for Sig so far!

Another plus side feature on the Sig Sauer is that it includes an ambidextrous slide release. Having a slide release on both sides will not only benefit right and left-handed users, but it should allow for interesting training options too. The Glock only has a right-sided slide release.

So already we can start to see little signs to why the military might have leaned towards the Sauer.

One similarity the guns have is that they enable you to move the magazine release onto a side of your choosing.

On the outset, you would think the Sig Sauer should offer more flexibility in grip options. This is kind of true in a way, if you can get a hold of the different grip options available for the P320. The P320 gun itself is like a chassis, with the external plastic frame acting as an interchangeable covering.

Certainly, if you can get your hands on the different sized grip options for the Sig, you’ll surely find a nice fit for your hand shape and size.

The Glock allows for flexibility with an interchangeable back grip only. Now, although this sounds limiting, it does seem to do the job well. You can easily unscrew the back grip and change it up for one in another size. Or you could just do away with the back grip all together for a super compact version of the Glock 19.

The Sauer comes with light night sights, which are arranged into three dots, and work just as well in the day, as they do after dark. The Glock comes with its typical u-dot set-up, which works very well in the daytime, but is not meant to be a night sight.

Of course, it should be easy enough to add a night sight to your Glock, if you so wished. You can also change the sights on the Sig if you wanted too as well.

Without getting too in-depth with this, the Glock 19 does seem to size up as a slightly more compact option. The Glock is slimmer, shorter on the grip and on the barrel if you measure it up flush against the extra little beaver tail on the Sig Sauer. Though if you don’t count the little beaver tail extension, the Sig does come in a little shorter.

With little size differences, the only real issue here we think is if you are carrying your firearm as a concealed carry option. Each gun owner will have their style of carry, and both of these guns probably match up fairly evenly in this department.

It’s worth to point out that the beaver tail on the P320 does a good job of preventing slide-biting. With the Glock, you’ll be resting your hand very close to the slide, which could potentially end up with you getting “slide-bit,” if you’re not careful. The plus side with the Glock though is that you’ll probably get less of a recoil because you’ll be gripping your gun in a higher position.

Both guns are very easy to disassemble; it’s just a slightly different method to do so with each of them. After a bit of practice, you’d probably be able to disassemble and reassemble these guns in a very similar timeframe.

When talking about maintenance, again both seem to stand up pretty similar. With the Sig and Glock being easy to manage and take apart, cleaning and changing parts isn’t a great issue at all.

The Glock looks to allow for a greater range of additional aftermarket add-ons for some interesting shooting options. But ultimately, both guns are intended to be a conceal and carry type weapon, so add-ons really shouldn’t be a major focus in differences here.

As we come close to rounding up our comparisons of these two striker guns, it’s probably good to know about how they feel. They both actually have a great ergonomic design, though we do think the Sig has a slight edge when it comes to a comfortable and safe grip.

The Glock might just have the edge with its trigger, especially when it’s polished. Although, honestly there’s not much in it between these two guns. They both shoot very well, and feel as comfortable as you’d expect from very well-made factory-built guns. They both precede their reputation for being the choice of countless gun owners.

So finally, two of the more important to consider factors could be the cost and weight of these two guns. The Sig P320 is around and about 2 ounces heavier than the Glock. If you want your gun for concealed carry, this weight difference is something to consider.

Pricewise, the Sig is generally a couple of hundred dollars more expensive than the Glock. So the Glock being very similar to this Sig does offer a better deal at a lower price than the Sig.

The Glock 19 Pros & Cons In Summary

The Sig Sauer P320 Pros & Cons In Summary