Which gun for duty...Glock 19 Gen 3 vs M&P .40FS

357sigger · April 5, 2011, 4:18am

Like it says…which and why? I know what I think I want but I am torn between the two. I need help weighing the pros and cons of each from the M4 brain trust. Thanks in advance.

trio · April 5, 2011, 4:38am

Need more info…duty belt? Concealed?

Also…why the 9mm glock and a .40 M&P? Why not a 9mm M&P as well?

Are these guns you already own? Or are they issued?

Does your agency provide ammo for one or both? Do you have a choice of duty ammo, and if so, what are they? Or are you provided with one specifically?

How much experience do you have with either?

Do you have armorer level support at your agency, or you expected to provide your own?

Are modifications to the gun allowed, or are they defined by your agency? (I.e., could you put the apex kit in the M&P? How about a 3.5 connector in the glock? Are you limited to type of sights? There are more…)

These are just a few of the questions I would want answered before providing advice, and that is just what at near 1 am as I get ready to fall asleep

outrider627 · April 5, 2011, 5:03am

trio:

Need more info…duty belt? Concealed?

Also…why the 9mm glock and a .40 M&P? Why not a 9mm M&P as well?

Are these guns you already own? Or are they issued?

Does your agency provide ammo for one or both? Do you have a choice of duty ammo, and if so, what are they? Or are you provided with one specifically?

How much experience do you have with either?

Do you have armorer level support at your agency, or you expected to provide your own?

Are modifications to the gun allowed, or are they defined by your agency? (I.e., could you put the apex kit in the M&P? How about a 3.5 connector in the glock? Are you limited to type of sights? There are more…)

These are just a few of the questions I would want answered before providing advice, and that is just what at near 1 am as I get ready to fall asleep

Also, why compare a compact model to a full size?

memphisjim · April 5, 2011, 5:16am

i would choose the glock 19
due to experience with it and therefore comfort
both should do fine however

opmike · April 5, 2011, 5:51am

The M&P is sized in-between the Glock 17 and Glock 19.

I suggest the OP spend some more time reading. There is a plethora of information on both of these guns on this forum, and neither one would be a bad choice.

Most of the responses this type of thread will garner will be people simply listing their preferences.

357sigger · April 5, 2011, 5:56am

All replies in red…

trio:

Need more info…duty belt? Concealed? Actually both…my job is mainly duty belt but can require plan clothes work as well.

Also…why the 9mm glock and a .40 M&P? Why not a 9mm M&P as well?
The 9mm glock family is the most reliable of the glock bunch. I wouldn’t want to carry a glock in any other caliber. The G17 doesn’t fit my hand as well as the 19 does. The G19 is what our Asst. Chief is pushing for us to transition to down the road. Our surrounding agencies carry 9mm. I am in a detachment of our department so I can and would rather carry a .40 or .45. A .40 is what I trained on in the academy and I have the most practice under my belt with it. I feel the M&P .40 handles this cartridge the best of any platform I have shot.

Are these guns you already own? Or are they issued? Niether of them are owned right now. None are issued right now and I have the ability to carry what ever I choose. The G19 MAY be issued down the road but it is very far off.

Does your agency provide ammo for one or both? Ammo for training 2x a year is provided as well as duty ammo. What ever I go over can be written off as a work expense. Do you have a choice of duty ammo, and if so, what are they? Duty ammo will either be Ranger T or Federal HST. Or are you provided with one specifically? NO.

How much experience do you have with either?
I have some experience with a g19…I qual’d with it as my off duty…I recently shot an M&P .40 and was more accurate with that.

Do you have armorer level support at your agency, or you expected to provide your own? As of now I am on my own, if and when we transition to an issued gun there would be department armorers.

Are modifications to the gun allowed, or are they defined by your agency? (I.e., could you put the apex kit in the M&P? How about a 3.5 connector in the glock? Are you limited to type of sights? There are more…) Anything that is available commercially is fine but no at home gunsmithing. I would think an apex kit would be fine or the 3.5 connector, provided it was done by an armorer and not me. I don’t want any lighter than a 5# trigger pull for a duty gun.

These are just a few of the questions I would want answered before providing advice, and that is just what at near 1 am as I get ready to fall asleep

357sigger · April 5, 2011, 5:59am

deleted…

outrider627 · April 5, 2011, 5:59am

The M&P is actually just a little bigger according to the numbers.

Overall Heights (taken from respective websites):

Glock 19: 5.00 in
Glock 17: 5.43 in
M&P FS: 5.50 in

mattjmcd · April 5, 2011, 4:43pm

Based on this I’d lean towards the M&P, since it sounds like it’ll spend more time on the belt vs. concealed, and you seem to have a firm desire to carry something chambered in .40. I happen to agree that it’s one of the best handguns in that caliber. It’ll be more ergonomic than the G19, and you can address its major shortcoming with the Apex kit without incurring the wrath of the department.

TOrrock · April 5, 2011, 5:28pm

Take a look at the article DocGKR posted a bit ago…

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19887

John_Wayne777 · April 5, 2011, 5:54pm

Those numbers are not accurate. The Glock’s height number is measured without a magazine in the weapon and with the stock Glock factory sights. Insert a mag and put on aftermarket sights like Henines or Warrens and it’s a different story.

As far as size goes, it runs like this:

G17 > M&P 9 > G19 > M&P 9 c > G26

I’ve owned and carried all those pistols.