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The number of third generation Glock clones is astounding. Some companies are based solely on taking proven designs and finding ways of making them more appealing to their audiences. For example, Shadow Systems has created their own versions of Glock pistols, but they offer customers all of the upgrades that they were going to do anyway, but straight from the manufacturer. My wife recently bought the DR920 and loves it. I, on the other hand, prefer a more hands-on approach. I decided to put together a parts build G19 clone, entirely from non-Glock parts, and put it up against one from the factory.
Factory Glock G19: Specifications
Generation: 3
Barrel length: 4.02”
Overall length: 7.28”
Width: 1.18”
Weight: 22.29 oz
Cost all-in: $820
Factory Glock 19: Upgrades
If you read the specs section above, the price might seem a tad low. It is, and that is thanks to the kindness of my friends, and my willingness to trust them to not ruin my gun. Specifically, I’m talking about the most apparent upgrade. The stipple, grip reduction, and undercut were all done by Dean, my friend from the way back machine. Hey, Dean! The undercut fits my finger perfectly, and the grip reduction makes all other Glocks feel like trash. He scalloped the magazine release, so I could better activate that pesky Gen 3 button. I have a Magpul GL Enhanced Magazine Well on there, which helps with reloads, but it also is the bread in my hand sandwich. The downward pressure from the top of the gun, mixed with the upward pressure from the magwell feels like a warm hug. I also wanted to improve my slide release, but I didn’t want to extend it too much. This Vickers Tactical Slide Stop has been a solid performer for me for over four years now.
Just As Good? Glock 19 vs. Mock 19 Parts Build
The slide was cut for an RMR by Guncuts, a local shop in Colorado, but I’m running a Holosun 508T red dot. My friend Alex hooked me up with the irons. Well, the iron. There’s currently no rear sight. Also by Guncuts, I added forward serrations. This is the original barrel, and the ol’ girl has seen somewhere around 11,000 rounds over the last four years.
Parts Build Mock 19: Specifications
Generation: 3
Barrel length: 4.46”
Muzzle: Strike Industries Micro Comp – Quad
Overall length: 7.74”
Weight: 22.80 oz
Total cost: $1250
Parts Build Mock 19: Parts
In the truest form, I wanted this to be a parts build. The frame is a gray P80, and I’m a sucker for a two-tone gun. I actually started with another frame but had an astounding amount of technical issues. I’ll write that up another time. This frame also uses a standard rail up front. I spent some time on GunMag Warehouse and ended up with a new trigger, some KCI mags, and an optic. This one is the Holosun 407C with a green reticle. The slide stop and magazine release are also from TangoDown.
This Strike Industries LITESLIDE is the perfect aesthetic partner for this frame. It comes ready for an optic and is machined from 17-4 stainless steel. The distinct lines are both attractive and effective. The slide is very easy to grasp and manipulate. The barrel is also from Strike, as is the Micro Comp. The sights are also Strike because…why not?
Glock 19 vs. Mock 19: Accuracy
Now that you know more about the contenders, let’s learn about the game. I fired the same Federal American Eagle 115-grain 9mm from both guns. First, we tested accuracy by shooting a number of groups. What that number was, I do not recall, but these are the best groups from each gun. They were all shot kneeling, two-handed, at 15 yards.
Glock 19 three-round group
Mock 19 three-round group
This is a pretty tough call, since both performed so similarly, so I don’t think I’m even going to call a winner for accuracy.
Glock 19 vs. Mock 19: Size and Weight
Since they work off of all of the same parts and principles, the dimensions are very similar. The biggest discrepancy is in the size and shape of the dots, as well as the added barrel length from the Strike Industries barrel and comp. On the scale, however, the Glock 19 weighed half an ounce less.
Glock 19 vs. Mock 19: Performance
Shootability is a bit of an abstract. To test this, I shot both guns in three different drills. I only counted clean runs, and you can see my best results below.
BILL DRILL
G19: 2.58
M19: 2.43
FAILURE DRILL
G19: 1.63
M19: 1.50
UNKINDNESS
G19: 5.26
M19: 6.81
There seems to be a pretty clear speed advantage with the Mock 19, with Unkindness being the outlier. The Strike Industries comp gives me noticeably less recoil over the standard Glock barrel, as well as the Circle version of the Micro Threaded Comp
Just As Good?
Just As Good? Glock 19 vs. Mock 19 Parts Build
This is difficult to quantify, as so much of it comes down to preference. For some, it’s the journey of building the gun from scratch that gets them going. For others, it’s taking a standard tool and fitting it to their needs over time. Overall, I’m going to give the win to the factory Glock 19.
Getting a gun from the factory greatly increases your chances of getting a functional and reliable gun. Internally, the Glock 19 is basically stock. With the 3.5 lb trigger and 11k rounds, the Glock 19 trigger feels very clean. The M19, being built by a less-than-competent human being, has some slight quirks. Occasionally, the pistol will need a little tap on the backplate because it didn’t return to battery all the way. This could be from underpowered ammo and the comp, but I also tried using some defensive rounds, and the problem still happened on occasion. I was concerned that the cheaper KCI mags were contributing, but they ran great in the G19. In fact, they’ve run well in every gun that I put them in.
If you like the process and intimate knowledge of how your pistol works, a parts build is a great adventure. The same is true if you don’t have $600 to drop all at once on a brand-new gun. Sometimes, getting parts when you can is the only way, and that’s cool, too.
If you want to see all the models Glock offers, head to their website. If that Strike upper got you a little too excited, check out the parts list below. Thank you all for reading.
BUILD PARTS LIST
