And just like that, the factory G19L is gone…
On the ramp-up to SHOT Show ’24, Glock’s big announcement for this year leaked out: the terribly named G49.
The so-called Glock 19L, using the compact G19 grip with a full-sized G17-length slide and barrel, has been a thing for years, with folks typically hacking a Glock 17 grip to make it a 15-shot capacity pistol that accepts G19 mags. Others used a standard G19 frame with an aftermarket G17-length slide that was compatible with the shorter frame.
The benefit was that, for many, the G19 is considered easier to conceal with its shorter grip/height than the G17, while the longer barrel and slide give the user a longer sight radius.
The G49 delivers on this concept.
The commercial variant of the G49. Note the “chopped” dust cover leaving an exposed chin on the slide, the standard fixed polymer sights, and the optics plate. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
A crossover that blends the size of a Gen 5 G17/G47 top half with the compact grip frame of the Gen 5 G19, it takes standard flush-fit double-stack G19 mags. Note the ambi slide stop/catch and reversible magazine release.
I reviewed the gun back in March and it, well, shot like a Glock.
The thing is, the company only intended the G49 to be a limited run, and apparently that run has come to an end, with the G49 now being notably absent from the company’s website.
If you are a collector and don’t have one in the safe, you may want to get on that before the rest of the Glock mafia figure it out and prices jump.