Glock 26 vs 19 Comparison: Which to Choose for Concealed Carry

Similarities

The biggest similarities when looking at the Glock 26 vs 19 are that they are both chambered in 9mm and are double stack pistols. Thus, their widths are virtually the same.

The Glock 26 can use all double-stack Glock magazines, including magazines designed for the Glock 19. If you wanted to get crazy, you could even put a 33 round mag in a G26.

Good luck concealing that though!

Though the G19 is about 5 oz heavier when fully loaded, that's not a big enough difference to factor into your decision of which to carry.

Last off, the prices of these two 9mm handguns are usually about the same.

Differences of Glock 26 vs 19

Unlike with our G17 vs G19 comparison, I think the differences between the Glock 26 vs Glock 19 are actually quite pronounced.

Concealability and Comfort

The Glock 26 is 0.87" shorter than the 19. In the concealed carry world, that's a huge difference.

The Glock 19's longer frame is more likely to noticeably show through your shirt than the G26 depending on your holster configuration and attire choices.

Glock 26 Gen 4 in Alien Gear Holster

The shorter slide of the G26 is also going to make concealed carrying it more comfortable because less gun and holster will be stuck down your pants.

Lastly, the G26 is small enough for pocket carry in a jacket, whereas I feel the Glock 19 is too large.

With all of that said, the Glock 19 can still be used for concealed carry, particularly by larger individuals and when dressing for cooler times of the year. You'll just be less comfortable and likely need to put more thought into your outfit from a concealment point of view.

Performance and Comfort When Shooting

When comparing the Glock 26 vs 19, the smaller size of the 26 brings some significant benefits in terms of comfortably concealing it, but this comes with tradeoffs.

For starters, many people will find that their hands are too large to fully fit on the frame of the G26. I have pretty average hands for a guy, yet even I can't get my pinky finger comfortably on the G26. The picture above shows the problems faced if you have slightly larger hands than average. For this reason, many people choose to add base plate extensions to their magazines for use with the G26.

By contrast, the Glock 19's frame is large enough for almost all shooters to grip comfortably.

Everyone likes to ask about the difference in the accuracy of the Glock 19 vs 26, but the reality is there shouldn't really be any drastic difference if you become competent with both handguns. With that said, there are a few factors that can lead shooters to perform worse with the G26 compared to the G19.

Grip is an essential factor in shooting accurately, especially when taking multiple shots. If you can't get a full grip on a G26, it's likely to effect your performance with the pistol, particularly with your ability to manage recoil. The lighter weight of this pistol can also increase perceived recoil compared to the Glock 19, though I actually think the 26 is a good shooter and less snappy than many other small handguns.

The other major tradeoff is the Glock 26's shorter sight radius (the distance between the front and rear sight). You'll likely find that this makes it more challenging to shoot accurately, particularly at longer distances.

Capacity

For many firearm owners, including myself, magazine capacity is one of the biggest factors when choosing a concealed carry pistol. The Glock 26's 10 round capacity is the minimum I'd consider from a concealed carry pistol.

Though you can, of course, use larger magazines with the Glock 26, that kind of negates the point of buying such a small pistol. Honestly, the SIG Sauer P365 might have spoiled me, but 10 rounds from a pistol this fat seems kind of silly to me. By comparison, the P365 is 4.3" tall and 1" wide with a 10 round capacity, compared to the G26 at 4.17" tall and 1.3" wide.

If I'm going to sacrifice magazine capacity, I'd personally choose a thinner/longer pistol rather than a shorter/fatter pistol like the Glock 26. The thickness of a concealed carry firearm and holster play the most significant factor in terms of comfort for me. That's why I strongly prefer the Glock 43X or Sig Sauer P365 for concealed carry.