9 Reasons Why Navy Seals Use the Glock 19

The Navy SEAL’s standard-issue pistol is the Glock G19. SEALs are allowed to carry their personal choice in 9mm pistols, but many prefer to stick with the standard Glock 19. Here are 9 reasons why.

Rugged Reliability

Since the Glock G19 first came out in 1988, it’s held a reputation for unwavering reliability at all costs. There is no better description for Glocks than raw dependability. The Glock 19 will not win a beauty contest, but it won’t let you down.

The G19 is manufactured to a well-crafted, loose tolerance. That means it’s able to work within a wide margin of operating conditions. For example, if you have ammo that’s accidentally 10 percent less powerful, it will still operate the slide flawlessly.

On the flip side, if you have to fire hot loaded ammo like +P or +P+ (extra pressure), it won’t damage the springs or crack the slide from the extra slide force. Bullets seated a bit deep or shallow? No problem. Tarnished cases or steel-cased ammo will run through the G19.

I talked to a former SWAT member who now teaches tactical shooting. He has been shooting the G19 since 1996. He estimated his Glock to have 85,000 rounds through it since 96, without failure. The springs have been replaced a few times, but he’s had no problem.

Lightweight

The Glock G19 saves weight compared to the Previous pistol of the SEALs, the Sig P226. In fact, it’s 7 ounces lighter, which is quite significant. A lighter pistol is faster to maneuver, and it saves valuable weight in one’s gear.

A full set of military gear (guns, ammo, armor, clothes, pack, etc.) usually weighs around 80 pounds. While gear is necessary, weight burdens and slows the soldier. The MIlitary is always looking for anything that can feasibly cut down on a significant piece of weight.

By switching to the Gloc 19, the SEALs lessened the standard loadout weight by nearly half a pound. Every pound less allows our soldiers to become more efficient.

No Exposed Hammer

The military hasn’t always shied away from exposed hammer-fired guns, but many people don’t trust them. The issue with a gun having an exposed hammer is the possibility that the hammer gets caught on something.

on exposed hammer pistols, the hammer has to go back before it can fire. One can argue instances where in a tussle, there may not be room for the hammer to go back fully.

Another issue with the is that it complicates concealed carry. I’m sure that SEALs could find a time where they need to go unnoticed. An exposed hammer on a concealed gun gives an increased risk of it getting caught.

I’ve seen times where the hammer on a concealed pistol got caught on a shirt while drawing the pistol. The Glock’s more blocky, rounded design is much less prone to getting hung up on things which makes it more applicable for concealment.

Concealable

The Glock 19 is easy to conceal. Tuck it under a loose t-shirt and it’s invisible. Larger pistols are nice, but there are times when strategic concealment is absolutely necessary.

The Glock 19 isn’t very small, but it’s definitely not too big for someone to easily conceal. It’s a step down in size from the full-sized Glock, which is moderately concealable itself. If you’re looking for a concealable pistol that still offers full power, this one’s for you.

It’s not as simple as concealing an itty bitty mini pocket pistol, but it does conceal well, give you the option of an under-rail light or laser, and it offers a decent sight radius for the best aiming out of a concealable piece.

Simple Takedown/ Fieldstrip

Glocks are insanely simple to field strip. I just took my Glock apart with one hand while typing this sentence. I’m working on putting it back together right now. There, done. That took me about 30 seconds one-handed. I will say, it’s a bit of a task with one hand.

a Glock requires no tools and very little fine finger dexterity to take apart. I can do it while wearing leather work gloves. I tried it with mittens, but that didn’t go well.

All you have to do is releaser the magazine, pull the trigger, pull the slide back 1/4 inch, slide the takedown bar down, and let the slide forward. The slide then comes right off with the barrel and recoil spring.

I can remove the slide, barrel, and spring, clean it all out, and put it back together in under a minute while wearing work gloves. When taken apart, the trigger can be cleaned out and greased too. If you happen to need a new recoil spring on the fly, you can swap it easily.

Accurate

The Glock doesn’t have a reputation for being able to split playing cards, but a good shooter can shoot a Glock very well. They are accurate guns. The trigger can be a bit of a learning curve if you are used to a hammer-fired gun, but the Glock can definitely hit its mark.

The striker-fired Glock shoots very accurately as long as the shooter knows how to hold and fire a pistol properly. A good combat handgun should be able to hit a torso target at 50 yards, and that’s not hard to do with a Glock

High capacity

The Glock 19 has a double-stacked magazine that holds 15 rounds. That’s 15 chances to get the job done. In a combat scenario, it often takes 3 to 6 hits with a pistol to drop a combatant. In fact, most combat drills have you fire 5 rounds into a target before moving on. Ammo goes quick. Best to have a lot.

Almost Full Sized

Although it’s concealable, the Glock 19 is functionally full-sized. The Glock 17 is the full-sized version, but it’s only half an inch taller and longer. All the other dimensions are the same. It’s just as wide and the grip is just as big. Any smaller and the average man will have trouble holding the pistol as well.

The grip on the Glock 19, and on the Glock 17 is perfect for the average hand size in the US. Larger than average hands may do better with something a bit wider, and smaller hands may appreciate a thinner grip, but if you’re going to only have 1 pistol, The Glock 19 will fit decently for the majority of men in the US.

No Safety

The Glock 19 has no manual safety. I like that. Police and military like that too. Safeties are one more piece to go wrong. Sometimes we forget to switch the safety off when trying to shoot. It happens. Instead, Seals rely on a good holster that covers the trigger, and safe trigger finger habits.

Glock pistols have several internal safety features that prevent them from going off unless the trigger is fully depressed, so they are still very safe even without a conventional safety.