The Glock 19 had made its reputation upon a trade: take a chunky grip, and serviceable trigger, and have a pistol that works when conditions (or maintenance habits) are not optimal. The Gen6 shifts that bargain by making factory ergonomics and control surfaces more reminiscent of the type of work traditionally done by stippling, undercuts, and add-on “gas pedals” and retaining the well-known Glock manual of arms.
The transition begins as soon as the gun is touched. Swell and undercut of the palm swell of the frame do not convert the pistol into another creature, change the angle of the wrist, or reach the trigger. Glock also made the gap between frame and trigger shorter, an aspect denoted in the shorter distance between the frame and the trigger, and it is reflected in the faster, less picky finger movements of the one who used it, since in the previous generations, they needed to seek the wall with a finger.
Over and above any individual contour, the built-in indexing points is what alters the way the Gen6 is driven. The frame has built-in thumb ledges in it instead of bolted-on, and this provides a reference point that is repeated by the support hand thumb, and an additional support point when the firearm begins to recoil. Since those ledges remain within the range of the regular envelope of the pistol the practical advantage is that one has control without making holster fit a scavenger “hunt” a strategy, which is consistent with the Glock habit of adapting dimensions without disrupting the ecosystem. It also has a change in texture which is significant out of range.
The increased RTF6 coverage by Glock is dedicated to traction in which hands actually slip without the “sandpaper shirt” issue of extreme tape or over-stippling. Glock explained that even the texture of the RTF6 offers a better coverage, even around the area of thumb rest. On the carry, that wider texture footprint aids in the establishment of consistency on the draw, but it also allows contact with skin to be more noticeable than the older frames which seemed smoother on the sides. It is not cosmetic difference, but one of maintaining the gun in place when it comes to making quick follow shots, or when the grip gets wet or when the pressure at the grip alters with recoil.
In the trigger, the Gen6 seems to be the most like a factory admitting years of end-user heuristics. Glock made a standardized flat-faced shoe and retained the Safe Action system. According to official materials, it has a flattened faced trigger design, and this geometry promotes more straight rearward press and a clearer feeling of the finger location in the stroke. A little experimental work has also indicated broad difference in measured pull weight between sample and gauge procedure, but the operative conclusion is less complex: the transformations of shape and reach of the shoe are more practical control than are only the numbers.
The most interesting update of the most mechanical nature is the optics interface. Gen6 abandons the older plate-stacking method of connecting the optic, by sinking the optic further in and with thin polymer shims as a compressible contact-method a crush washer type rather than a rigid spacer. Glock has branded the new system as a special optic ready system and the design concept is obvious, fewer interfaces, deeper seating and less space to move with as the slide cycles. New focus on the appropriateness of correct torque and repeatability during the installation is also emphasis of the ORS approach as the compressible layer will be incorporated into the mounting “stack” as a matter of design.
Beyond the headline touches, the Gen6 looks like a checklist that has been filled: more confident manipulations through deeper markings on the slide, a flared magwell which actually works but does not feel overly-large, internal simplification which even brings 9mm models back to a single captive recoil spring assembly. Glock has also observed that Gen6 barrel geometry shifted, with older barrels not interchangeable, an unglamorous fact, but an indication of real dimensional changes and not cosmetic revitalisation.
The primary trick about the Gen6 is not that it turns into something different when used by the shooters of the Glock 19. And it is that the gap between “factory stock” and “built to fit” has been so much scanned that it has altered expectations before you can get a round off.
