So what happens when a pistol that is known to be reliable finally liberates itself of its longstanding requests to the shooters to “simply live with” the grip and the trigger?
The Glock 19 Gen 6 maintains the operational feel that the model has been default since the 1980s, but is no longer dependent on the old value of rugged functionality at the cost of unquiet ergonomics. The updates to the Gen 6, in a smaller package, sound like the most popular aftermarket wishlist- only done in factories, with the cohesion of a design which generates the driver to actually reconsider its parts that true engineering revisions do not have a bolt-on solution.
The frame, changing land instantly, is in hand. The shaped palm swell and modelled undercut combine enough to put the pistol higher up into contact and the finger reach deeper about to make it less “blocky,” and the backstrap geometry allows more of the trigger face to be accessed without pressing the compromising grip. The more locked-in purchase at that higher level is supported by an elongated beavertail that diminishes the chances of slide bites and ensures that the consistent location is easier across the various hand sizes. The outcome is not a revised table of arms- field stripping and controls are no stranger- but a new base on which the recoil can be mastered and quick follow-up shots made.
The most obvious addition, as far as its visual appearance is concerned, is one of the most useful ones, the built-in thumb ledges. These recessed shelves serve as geometry of gas pedal but they do not stick out on the frame so that they do not interfere with the practical holster fit or give up repeatable reference points to each hand. As an index the ledges, too, promote a safer discipline of the trigger-finger, by providing the finger with a kind of home-feel, until it is firing time. When pushed back, they provide the third point of leverage which enables tracking flatter, particularly when the support-hand thumb is pushed steadily into the shelf.
Gen 6 texture is less ominous but daily implication. The RTF6 design is broader and targets control without making carry an abrasion test, an issue that is roughly evident since most carry pistols live holstered most of the time than in fire. The surface is firm to the hand, yet not so rough as the materials that are used in the production of the tape-like solutions and the extremely sharp patterns that hurt the skin and clothes when worn over extended periods of time.
It is at the trigger update that the Gen 6 is beginning to be felt “built” rather than simply reshaped. The flat-faced trigger shoe alters the force and position of fingers and various tests report that the pull weight is in the 5.65.8 lb range and the break is more predictable and the reset is clearer than many earlier stock Glock triggers. There is one effect in practical implementation that is a rather convenient side effect: an old trick of sliding thin material between slide and barrel to allow repeated presses is not as effective on Gen 6 because of an even more constrained out-of-battery state, which requires other handling styles.
The most mechanically consequential revision is optics integration. Gen 6 takes the place of the older, MOS stack-up with an Optics Ready System that fits the optic further into the slide with polymer compression elements designed to serve the purpose of a shock-absorbing interface, with the optic directly attaching to the slide. This design minimizes interfaces and minimizes deck height to present faster and more naturally acquired, as well as avoiding a previous weak point where screw channels and adhesive may disrupt extractor operation. Internal revisions to this system have also been observed, such as extractor-area alterations and decreased interchangeability with previous-generation barrels and other components, although sight cuts and most external logistics are still common.
In addition to the headliners, the Gen 6 “checklist” items are important since they eliminate friction when dealing with routine. Serrations on the deeper slide can be improved to handle, and a real flared magwell can be reloaded less fussily when in a hurry. On the inside, the shift back to single-stage captive recoil spring assembly with 9mm gives the platform a service focus without altering the nature of the platform.
In the case of the Glock 19 in particular, the Gen 6 is a feasible compromise between out of the box and the sort of ergonomic and control enhancements shooters sought elsewhere in the past, only to now the modifications proclaim themselves in the grip before they appear as entries on a spec sheet. The compact dimensions, such as a total length of 7.28 inches and a barrel length of 4.02 inches, are within the anticipated dimensions.
