Glock 19 BB gun.
This report covers:
- Noticed the BB gun
- How Glock-y is it?
- Same size
- Magazine and CO2
- Sights
- Blowback?
- Power
- Summary
Today we start looking at the Glock 19 BB gun. This report series came about in an odd way. First reader Ian McKee wrote about his experiences shooting a Glock 19 clone firearm that he bought for less than $200. That prompted me to buy one for myself.
I lubricated my pistol with SLIP 2000 EWL and was about to make a video of Glock disassembly an easy way when I discovered the SLIP 2000 had loosened up my pistol and the easy disassembly method no longer worked. Fortunately the normal disassembly now works fine. So instead of making a video I took the pistol to the range and shot it in the report that’s linked above.
Noticed the BB gun
All this association with the Glock 19 brought the BB gun to my attention and I thought a review would be nice, so here we are. When the gun arrived and I removed it from its blister pack I noticed something for the first time. This is a real Glock!
Glock has licensed the gun. From the right rear of the slide.
For many years Glock refused to license any airgun lookalike. I never found anyone who knew exactly why they refused; they just did. There have been Glock-ish looking airguns but none have been real Glocks until now.
When I saw this writing on the side of the test pistol I was surprised. It’s the genuine article! This marks the end of an era and it also means that no Glock collection can be complete without one of these BB pistols.
How Glock-y is it?
The licensing begs the question—is this a real Glock? From a trademark and licensing standpoint it is. But how Glock-y is it really? Well, for starters it feels right when you hold it. The pistol weighs 1 pound 7.5 ounces/ 666.21g unloaded and with the magazine in. In terms of weight and balance feels a lot like my Glock 19 clone or my Glock 36.
Same size
The BB pistol fits my Glock 19 holster perfectly, so the size is right, too.
Magazine and CO2
The BB magazine is a stick type that inserts in the bottom front of the mag well. The Pyramyd AIR description says the mag holds 16 BBs, and I’ll check that when I shoot it.
I was flummoxed when it came to where the CO2 cartridge goes. I looked for a button to depress and found nothing. But behind the base of the magazine the backstrap has a cutout for the insertion of a finger or thumb. Pull the backstrap away from the grip and voila, it comes off exposing the CO2 compartment.
With the backstrap off we see where the CO2 cartridge goes. Notice that the Allen wrench for piercing the CO2 cartridges is in the backstrap.
Sights
Remember that I had great difficulty seeing the sights on the clone? Well this BB pistol has a white outlined rear sight notch that makes all the difference. That’s what the Glock firearm has.
The white outline on the rear sight of the Glock BB pistol makes the sights easy to see and to be more precise.
The slide is not cut for aftermarket optics. So it will be the open sights or nothing.
Blowback?
This pistol does not feature a blowback slide and the trigger, while very much in the Glock style with a central safety blade, always remains extended. Obviously the pistol is only cocked by gas pressure.
Power
The description rates the pistol at 410 f.p.s. which is brisk for a BB gun. Because of the way the magazine feeds I think we can test it with H&N Smart Shot lead BBs too, which will broaden the test parameters—especially when it comes to accuracy.
Summary
I’m looking forward to this test series because this BB gun is realistic enough for good sidearm training. I sure hope it’s accurate!
Am I the only one? Who does not like it at all? Somehow I’m not attracted to any Glock. Why? It’s square, practical, good. And still… nope.
Tomek,
Yes, it does look like a kid’s toy pistol but if you had to carry the real firearm all day you might appreciate it more. It’s adaptable, accommodating, dependable and light weight. Its design may contribute to its function.
It’s reputation and desirability make it a great candidate for an airgun replica. I have a BB version in Coyote Tan myself, believe it is the 19X. It certainly fills the bill as a collectable firearm replica for me.
But true, it simply does not look like a hardcore firearm, but it did change the firearm world.
Bob M,
I think I know exactly what you mean. I think you are 100% right. But still… nope.
Tomek,
Might want to skip the following blogs on this one. You know how Tom can be the great enabler.
Lord knows he convinced me to get one many times. Otherwise, stand your ground and be firm in your conviction to avoid getting one. Good luck!. 😉
Using wheeled machines for comparison and illustrative purposes tomek, FM would say the Glock is like a work truck and say, a P08/Luger more like a sports car.
Well, well,
Just received two more MSN articles on standard transmissions and now “The top 5 guns I simply don’t like”
tomek,
I used to feel that way, and still do for many reasons. But I must say that they do work as advertised.
BB
tomek,
You are not the only one. I do not like the way they fit my hand, I do not care for that funky trigger setup and I have never been a big fan of 9mm. They just do not do it for me. Even the great enabler is not fully enamored with them.
Completely understandable. I carried a 21 and a 17 for the last two-thirds of my career. I own 5 Glocks, and my primary EDC is a 43X. They are plain, and boring, and blocky, and Glock Perfection is 10 years behind everybody else because Glock doesn’t listen to its customers’ desires. They don’t excite me. But they work. Before I retired, my agency had purchased several hundred Glocks over the years: 21, 17, 45, 26, 30… I’m only aware of 1 – just 1 – Glock that had issues from the manufacturer (bad extractor).
This looks to be an interesting series. I have to admit that I haven’t yet tried the H&N Smart Shot lead BBs yet. Looking at the photos in the product link, they appear to be hemisphere shaped. That seems odd to me. It might be worthwhile to compile a list of guns that these work well in. If I have a suitable gun these might work for my indoor range. I currently usually shy away from shooting steel BBs due to the ricochet potential.
Elmer, I think they start off round but flatten when they hit something hard, reducing the ricochet potential.
Elmer,
Those pics are trying to show you that the lead BB deforms when it hit something hard.
And by the way, it’s duck season!
BB
That makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up BB and RG!
So I bought a Glock 19 Gen 4 from P.A. a couple of years ago. It was an exact copy of my niece’s husband’s duty pistol. He was able to attach the light to it and it fit perfectly in the duty holster. Some BBs caused it to jam, though, like Hornadys and Dust Devils. I had some old (ahem, very old) Crosman Copperhead BBs and they created a very dispersed group. I think Umarex BBs did well.
The Gen 4 had a different set up from the Glock B.B. is testing today. The BBs and CO² both loaded into the metal mag, which was heavy enough to drop away. The gun also had a satisfying blowback action.
The Glock 19 replica that B.B. is testing sounds like the Glock 17 Gen 3 with a shorter barrel and slide of the Glock 19. But talking about licensing, P.A.I.R. has many. Glock 17, Gen 3, Gen 4, Gen 5 (3 versions?, at least one of which has slide cutouts for a red dot sight, and another that shoots pellets instead of BBs), Glock 19, Glock 19X, as well as airsoft versions.
Roamin,
Okay, Hornady and Dust Devil BBs are on the list to be tested!
BB
Over the years, I have come to learn that there are many people on both sides of the debate on whether these are great pistols or not. I am one of those in the camp who does not care for these.
It may be rooted in the materials used in the construction of this pistol. I am quite certain that the ruggedness of this is quite serviceable, otherwise it would not be used by so many. My first air rifle had a synthetic stock, so I suspect that is not the issue.
I just do not care how it “feels” in my hand. My experience has taught me that if you do not care for something, you will not likely be good with it. If it is something your life may depend upon, you had better be good with it.
As for a replica, I am quite certain many here know how I personally feel concerning such, as I have expressed my feelings for such before. This is a personal thing and I do not fault anyone for acquiring such. Thankfully, the industry does not rely on people such as myself. Hey, they have to make a living also.
RR-
I share many of your ‘takes’ about today’s pistola.
About plastic in general firearms use- well, there isn’t enough lumber available to have met the demand of consumers during the past 20 years. The great firearm buying spree instigated by the Obama/Biden regimes could only have been accomplished by the use of plastics.
I’m of an age that equates plastic with cheap. The childhood trauma of broken toys reinforced the idea that plastics were temporary at best. But I still have my Stevens 20 ga single shot with Tenite stock in fine shape. It’s about 85 years old. Will the newer polymer guns last as long? Or will they someday become a puddle of goo? Or a brittle paperweight?
The jury is still out. Frankly I just don’t care. I mean I don’t care about plastic in guns. When they serve their purpose- great. Guns are tools. So are toasters. I’ve been wringing out a Shadow Systems MR920(?) for awhile. It works very well. It should. At heart it’s a Glock with the improvements Glock refuses to make. But, I Don’t Care. Not enough anyway. Not enough to remember the model number. If something better comes along, it’s down the road. Just like my toaster.
“The slide is not cut for aftermarket optics. So it will be the open sights or nothing.”
BB,
Can that rear sight be drifted in the notch for windage?
Blessings to you,
dave
dave,
No, the rear sight is cast solid with the slide and cannot be moved.
BB
BB,
That’s too bad; but I suppose they figured a drift able rear sight would add too much to the cost.
However, according to one 5-star review on Pyramyd AIR’s website there is some adjustment:
“…accuracy is about 90% turn it a couple times twisted and then it shoots straight…”
It sounds like they are talking about taking the barrel and turning it, or bending it, in order to adjust the point of impact…interesting.
Blessings to you,
dave
thedavemyster,
If after shooting the piece with a number of different Brand bb and getting a consistent read on that rear sight i would entertain modifying it with a file or making it adjustable.
Attacking that rear sight issue directly with a fine hobby saw and file if the barrel rotation doesn’t do the trick could work well. Any number of ways to cut out the existing sight to then move it even with the white outlined rear sight notch. If all else fails a thin metal plate could be used as a replacement for the rear sight.
shootski
shootski, I concur; I, also, would follow that path. 😉
FM is still waiting for a PCP version of the MP40 in at least .177, rifled barrel. Maybe it’s just him. Maybe he should not mention the war, though they’re ok with that in the Channel Islands today. 🙂 On this date eighty years ago, the Channel Islanders got back their freedom – and their airguns.
Basil,
I mentioned the war but I think I got away with it.
BB Pelletier
The Minister of Silly Walks
I have the same Gen 3 19 being tested here as well as the blow back 19x. Looking back, I never tested the 19 for some reason. The 19x is a lot more fun to shot IMO. It tested very well with a .305″ 10 shot group seated offhand semi-supported at 8 feet with Black Widows. (small bedroom shooting area)
The worst ammo was Black Diamonds, producing a .578″ grouping. I tested 6 different brands of BBs. Others tested were Daisy Premier 0.349, Daisy Avanti 0.571, Umarex Steel 0.552 and Air Venturi Steel 0.465.
I found the 19x to be the most accurate of the CO2 BB pistols that I tested in my collection, bettering the Springfield Mil Spec 1911, Sig ‘We Are the People’ 1911, Dan Wesson 715 2.5″, Umarex Baretta 92 FA and Colt Peacemaker.
Will be interesting to see your results for sure!
Bob
Bob,
Thanks for that information. You’re getting me prepared for the tests.
BB
B.B.
looking forward to this one for sure. Also wondering where it’s made? I would assume it’s not Austria. Not trying to pick at it, just want to know.
Doc
Doc,
It’s made in Taiwan.
BB
I have two models of Glock replicas, the Umarex gen4 BB and Umarex gen5 pellet. The gen4 is extremely realistic with full blowback, lrbho and even field strips like the real thing. The gen5 is slightly more powerful and accurate, but does not have the same level of realism and is essentially a double action revolver with a rotating belt instead of a cylinder. Since the trigger has to advance that belt with each pull the trigger pull is atrocious. Out of the box it made it almost unshootable, but after lubricating the belt with moly grease and silicone spray lube, rotating it manually hundreds of times and shooting a few hundred shots through it, it becomes much, much better.
For training purposes I would opt for the gen4. If I were looking for a co2 pistol for hunting mice or rats at close range then I would opt for the gen5.
For more serious target shooting or hunting I’d opt for a Crosman Mk1 or a Crosman 600.
There’s also two Gen 5 versions that shoot BBs, one is “half blowback” and the other is “full blowback.” Otherwise, I can’t discern much difference.
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/glock-17-gen5-mos-half-blowback-177-bb-gun?m=6576
https://www.pyramydair.com/product/umarex-glock-17-gen5-mos-full-blowback-177-bb-gun?m=6579
Yeah, it’s genuinely hard to distinguish between all the different models considering that they look almost identical and have the same names.
I think there must be close to a dozen different varieties.
The question is, why the “half” blowback? Perhaps it conserves CΟ2 and gets more shots?
My understanding is that full blowback results in more felt recoil and is usually self cocking but tends to use more co2. Half blowbacks more often use double action triggers. I’ve only had full blowback pistols, so my experience is limited.
BB, on the lower right hand corner of my iPad display at least, recently an “assistant” symbol has appeared in the spot that the symbol to click for going to the top of the page used to be placed. This makes navigation of the blog more difficult for me and probably some others. Would you please ask the IT folks to look into this? Thanks.
BB, Just checked it out. I agree with Elmer and there is no obvious way to clear it once entered.
I used the arrow often to check on your comments or review a picture.
Better left to the PA website.
I just checked it on a windows 10 PC. Same thing, the assistant symbol sits right over the top of page symbol. I am using Google Chrome browser on both the ipad and the PC.
Mine too, but on my phone, the Assistant icon sits just a bit to the left. So I accidentally clicked on the assistant, and I figured let’s have some fun:
Assistant
Current Session
7:54 PM
7:54 pm
Hello, what can I help you with?
For quality purposes, all web chat conversations are recorded. If you do not consent, please do not continue with chat assistance.
How do I move the assistant icon?
I’m sorry, but based on your inquiry about ‘How do I move the assistant icon?’, I couldn’t find any relevant topics to assist you. Could you please rephrase or simplify your question? This will help me provide you with the most accurate information. I’m here to help.
How do I move the move to top icon?
I’m sorry, but I couldn’t find any relevant topics to assist you with your question about moving the icon. Could you please rephrase or simplify your question? This will help me provide you with the most accurate information.
Type a message…
While watching the Bill Maher Realtime show yesterday, was treated to a video of an out-of-control robot at a Japanese factory or other facility – the thing got aggressive after being reprogrammed for something-or-other, started flailing its limbs berserk-fashion – unplugging it solved the problem. Mr. Maher is convinced AI and robots are going to take us over if we allow it. Maybe he is being paranoid but it has been said that just because you are paranoid does not mean there isn’t something or someone out there trying to get you.
Companies need to ditch technology that does not work and only annoys potential/actual customers. FM is surprised the Assistant at some point did not reply: “I’m sorry RG – I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
FawltyManuel,
shootski is NOT worried about AI! Here is an exchange with AI platform:
These are results for How can the humans triumph over the Artificial Intelligence?
Search instead for How can the humans triumph over the Artificia Intelligence?
An AI Overview is not available for this search
the above is the verbatim exchange.
SMART in STUPID OUT
shootski
On the same page as you shootski. Not overly worried about AI – more worried about stupid, hubris-afflicted humans misusing what is in the end just another tool that can be used for good or evil.
new spring got delivered today. i’ve taken the crosman mtr77sp apart so many times that it’s a pretty quick process now. the screws spin in place but won’t pull out by hand when they’re most of the way out so i use a 1” long by 3/16” diameter cylinder magnet to spin them the rest of the way out. i use a small bag for the numerous main shell screws and another bag for the handful of different sized screws. unfortunately it’s raining so i was only able to test it with my trusty q tip into a pillow trick. much less shot noise than the optimus spring. as long as it can knock the steel mice over i’ll be content. after some more sighting in that is.
Springman300,
Waited a long time for a powerful AR15 airgun replica and Crosman finally did it with the MTR77.
My first thought was this is too good to be true, it will probably be pulled off the market for looking so close to a real AR15. So, I got both versions. The carry handle and scoped.
Then it had a great sale, so I got another, in case I needed parts when they did. Sure enough, it’s discontinued now.
A lot of droop, but that can be managed. A small price to pay for an outstanding replica.
Having a cutout for the breach is just genius for achieving that AR look. No regrets. A rugged, heavy clone.
My Airsoft version may be a tad more realistic.
What is that to the left of your MTR77 with what looks like 1911 colt pistol grips?
it’s a .177 beeman p1. got it second hand and put the purple hogue grips on it. found the hold needed to get any kind of grouping too tedious for my liking. considered selling it until i ended up getting that folding telescoping stock for it and a 2×20 pistol scope. liked it so much i got a new .22 hw45 stainless look and gave it the same treatment except with olive hogue grips. it’s behind the mtr and only the scope is visible in that picture.
Springman3000,
I notice your barrel and optic covers and thought i would share a cheap alternative that many of us have used for years: Dry un-powdered and un-lubricated Prophylactics will fit almost any size optic, barrel, flash suppressor or moderator. Easy on easy off and waterproof to boot.
They also can be shot through with little to no issues if accidentally forgotten or un-timely in the field.
shootski
Never thought of that, shootski. Good suggestion. Maybe that reputed load of prophylactics that was airlifted to the 6th Army in the Stalingrad cauldron served some useful purpose for those unfortunates – at least to keep K98 barrels dry for a while.
B.B.
Well I sure hope it does not have a 6lbs trigger pull?!
Do you think that the tabs than hold the backstrap in place will wear out over time?
-Y
Yogi,
This seems to be made of a synthetic similar to what Glocks are made of. I don’t think those tabs will wear that fast.
BB
Hi Tom.
A few weeks ago I mentioned a 953 that needed seals and a new bolt head. You linked a series you had put together on an 853 and away I went, fast forward a week and it laid in pieces parts in my basement much worse for my efforts. But there is a happy ending, for $50 Daisy put the mess back together with the new parts required, tested it for leaks, shot it over a chrony (498 to 505 fps) and also test shot for accuracy (.38 ctc) and shipped back to me at no added cost. Keep in mine I sent it to them held together with blue painters tape. Huge Kudos to Daisy for making it better than new for the price of dinner for two at Red Lobster! Volvo
Thanks for your comment, Volvo. I have a couple of 853’s for the kids, and I may forego trying to work on them.
Yeah, the $50 would not make sense in every case but I felt it was a bargain since buying a new one is not an option. About 15 years ago I picked up a new old stock 880 from the 1970’s for a song, wish I would have known about the factory service back then.
Volvo,
What a save!
BB