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.
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
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
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.