Stop Buying the Glock 19

My primary handgun is a Glock 19. I'm not here to trash it. I'm here to tell you that after watching 4,500+ expert reviews from 270+ independent channels, the data says you have better options — and nobody's telling you about them.

Walk into any gun store. Ask what you should buy for your first handgun. Three names come out before you finish the sentence: Glock 19. Sig P365. Smith & Wesson M&P.

Go home. YouTube the same question. Same three guns. Every list. Every forum. Every Reddit thread since 2015.

They're not wrong. But they're not the whole picture.

We ran the numbers. The Glock 19 appears in 289 expert video reviews across our research. The Sig P365 is in 274. Together, those two guns account for more YouTube review coverage than the next eight guns on this list combined. That's not because they're 6x better. It's because the algorithm rewards what already has volume.

When you look at the moments where an expert has two guns on the table and gives a direct verdict — the comparison data, the head-to-head tests — the picture shifts. Hard.

Here are 10 first guns that deserve to be on your list. Okay, 11. Fine — 12 if you count the one we couldn't stop ourselves from mentioning at the end.

Why You Keep Hearing the Same Three Names

This isn't a conspiracy. It's content economics.

Glock has the biggest marketing budget in the handgun market. That budget buys police contracts, which generates "duty-proven" credibility, which drives YouTube reviews, which the algorithm promotes because those videos already have views, which incentivizes new reviewers to cover Glock because it performs well in search. The Sig P365 cracked through on genuine innovation — nobody had done a micro-compact with that capacity before. The M&P rides Smith & Wesson's 170 years of institutional weight.

The result is a feedback loop where great guns with smaller marketing budgets get buried under an avalanche of Glock 19 content.

But the experts know.

When Tactical Toolbox made his "5 Best First Handguns If I Started in 2025" video, only one was a Glock. The rest? Walther PDP. CZ P-10C. Springfield Echelon. Shadow Systems. When Tactical Considerations built his budget first-pistol list, it was the Arex Delta, Canik, Beretta APX A1, and IWI Masada. When PewView named his "Best Value Under $500 for 2025," it was the CZ P-10C.

The experts already know. The headlines just don't reflect it.

The List: 10 Guns (Okay, 11) That Beat the Big 3

This isn't ranked. It's organized by narrative — strongest case first, budget options last. Every gun earned its spot through expert consensus, not sponsorship deals.

1. CZ P-10C — The One That Actually Might Kill the Glock

The CZ P-10C is the most dangerous gun on this list. Not because of what it does — because of what it means for Glock's dominance.

It fits Glock 19 holsters. Read that again. You can take your existing Kydex rig, slide a CZ into it, and it works. Garand Thumb tested this on camera. Hickok45 confirmed it. That alone should terrify Glock's marketing department.

But it gets worse for them. The trigger is better out of the box — smoother pull, shorter reset, tactile and audible. Garand Thumb called it "smoother and lighter than a stock Glock" in a review that's been watched 1.1 million times. The barrel is beefier with full chamber support. The grip angle is more natural for most shooters. And it streets for $390–$450 — about $100 less than a Glock 19 Gen 5.

Watch Garand Thumb's trigger comparison at 11:41 →

There's a story here, too. Larry Vickers — a legend in the firearms training world — publicly criticized the P-10C's magazine release, claiming it was "impossible to depress" with a loaded magazine. Garand Thumb addressed it directly on camera, systematically testing the magazine release with various round counts and debunking the claim. That video has 1.1 million views. The gun earned respect the hard way.

PewView named the CZ P-10C Comp the "best value under $500 for 2025." A former CIA officer called it "a superior alternative to the Glock." Hunt Fish Shoot's verdict: "top-tier for self-defense, better out-of-the-box features than a standard Glock 19."

If you came here looking for a single answer, this is it. But keep reading — your use case might point somewhere else.

Street price: $390–$450 (Optics Ready ~$475)

2. Canik TP9 / Mete / Rival — The Value King Nobody Can Ignore

Canik has a coverage problem. Not because the reviews are bad — because there are too many models with confusing names. TP9SF. TP9 Elite. Mete SFT. Mete MC9. Rival. Rival-S. TTI Combat. It's enough to make a new buyer's eyes glaze over.

Here's the shortcut: if you want full-size, get the Mete SFT. If you want micro-compact, get the Mete MC9. If you want competition-ready, get the Rival. They all share the same DNA — and that DNA includes what multiple experts call the best factory trigger in a striker-fired pistol.

Hunt Fish Shoot put the Mete MC9 head-to-head against the Sig P365, Springfield Hellcat, and Taurus GX4. The Canik won. Best trigger. Best magazine release. Only one in the group with an ambidextrous slide release. The verdict wasn't close.

Watch the MC9 declared winner at 16:03 →

GUNBROS did a blind home defense pistol ranking — they shot each gun without knowing what it was, then ranked them by feel. The Canik TTI Combat landed alongside the Walther PDP as their preferred real-world picks. That video has 3.9 million views.

The knock on Canik is that it's Turkish. Some buyers hesitate. But these guns are referenced across 282 expert videos in our research. That's more coverage than the CZ, FN, Walther, and Beretta on this list combined. The experts aren't hesitating.

Street price: TP9 Series $380–$450 | Mete MC9 $450–$530 | Rival $580–$680

3. Walther PDP — The Ergonomics Play

Everyone talks about the Walther trigger. And they should — Hickok45 called it "just outstanding for a polymer striker-fired pistol" with "light take-up, a clear wall, and a very short reset." That's Hickok45. The man has handled more handguns than most gun stores have sold.

Watch his trigger assessment at 3:08 →

But the real story is the ergonomics. The PDP's grip texture is aggressive without being sandpaper. The bore axis is low. The SuperTerrain serrations on the slide are deep enough to rack with wet hands or winter gloves. Hunt Fish Shoot ran the PDP F-Series against two other compacts and it won the comparison. Spartan Defense recommends it as a beginner pistol specifically because of the reliability, ambidextrous controls, and that trigger.

The PDP is slightly larger and thicker than a Glock 19 — Hickok45 noted this in his review. If concealment is your top priority, that matters. If shootability is your priority, the PDP wins.

One thing to watch: Walther's model lineup is getting almost as confusing as Canik's. PDP Compact. PDP Full Size. PDP F-Series. PDP Pro. PDP Pro SD. If you're buying your first one, start with the PDP Compact. It's the most versatile.

Street price: PDP Compact $599–$650 | PDP Pro SD $800–$900

4. M&P Shield Plus — The Sleeper From a Brand You Already Know

This one's going to confuse people. "The M&P Shield is one of the Big 3 — why is it on the sleeper list?"

Because the Shield Plus isn't the Shield. And most people don't know the difference.

The original Shield was Smith & Wesson's micro-compact champion for years. Then Sig dropped the P365 in 2018 and changed the entire category. By the time S&W responded with the Shield Plus in 2021, the Hellcat and Glock 43X had already captured the market's attention. Hegshot87 made an entire video about it: the Shield Plus "died" because S&W was late to the party. Not because the gun was bad.

Watch Hegshot87 explain why at 12:15 →

The Shield Plus brought 10 and 13-round capacity. A new flat-face trigger that replaced the hinged design everyone complained about. It's still thin and lightweight. And because the market already moved on, you can find them for $360–$450 — less than a P365 in most cases.

It's a mainstream gun that got lost in a marketing timing problem. If you already trust Smith & Wesson, this is the one to look at.

Street price: $360–$450

5. FN 509 — The Military Reject That Shouldn't Have Been

FN submitted the 509 for the U.S. Army's Modular Handgun System trials. Sig won. FN lost. And then FN released the gun commercially — and it's arguably better for civilians than what the Army picked.

The 509 is a hybrid: Glock 19-length slide on a Glock 17-length grip. That means 17+1 capacity in a package that carries like a compact. Fully ambidextrous controls — slide lock and magazine release on both sides. The trigger is smooth with a short reset and no finger pinch, which is a problem on a lot of polymer guns.

Hickok45 put it best: FN reportedly fired a million rounds during MHS testing. After his review, he bought one for his personal collection. That's the strongest endorsement Hickok45 gives — he doesn't say "buy this," he just quietly buys one himself.

Watch his verdict at 22:40 →

The 509 doesn't get recommended as a first gun because FN doesn't have Glock's marketing budget or Sig's military contract bragging rights. But it's a stronger choice than either for a shooter who wants full ambidextrous controls and above-average capacity in a compact frame.

Street price: $550–$650 (Tactical/MRD $730–$930)

6. Beretta APX A1 — Italy's Most Slept-On Pistol

Steal that title from PSR's video, because he's right.

PSR put the Beretta APX A1 on a table with six other pistols: the PSA Dagger, Canik TP9 SF, Sig P320, Arex Delta L, Glock 34, and S&W M&P 9. Then he shot them all back to back. The APX A1 had the softest felt recoil and flattest shooting of the group. Not the Sig. Not the Glock. The Beretta nobody talks about.

Watch the 7-gun comparison at 15:01 →

The APX A1 runs on a modular chassis system — similar to the Sig P320. You can swap grip frames without tools. Beretta actually submitted a different gun (the M9A3) for the Army's MHS trials, but the APX design is more modular than what they entered.

The trade-off is real: the trigger is mediocre. Hickok45 called it "mushy but perfectly functional for duty." PSR agreed — it's not going to win a trigger comparison against the CZ or Walther. But for a first gun where recoil management matters more than trigger feel? This is the dark horse.

Beretta runs rebates regularly. We've seen the APX A1 drop to ~$330 after rebate. At that price, it's the best-shooting gun per dollar on this list.

Street price: $380–$450 (rebates drop to ~$330)

7. Arex Delta — The Import Nobody Expected

Slovenia isn't the first country you think of when you think firearms. But Arex is a state-of-the-art military manufacturer operating 24 hours a day — James Reeves visited the factory and came away impressed enough to run 1,000 rounds of steel-cased ammo through the Delta Gen 2 without a single failure.

Polenar Tactical — who are Slovenian themselves — did the most thorough review. The Delta Gen 2 features fully ambidextrous controls, a modular chassis system (the serialized part is removable, like the Sig P320), metal sights compatible with Sig P226/P320 aftermarket options, and a trigger with a crisp break at about 6 pounds with a tactile, audible reset. Their verdict: "Approved by Slavs."

Watch Polenar's full verdict at 16:57 →

Ian McCollum at Forgotten Weapons — a channel known for historical firearms, not product reviews — did a dedicated video on the Delta Gen 2, framing it as "how gun designs iterate and improve." When Forgotten Weapons covers a modern production pistol, it's because the engineering is interesting. He tested it on steel and concluded it's a standout for its $350–$450 price point.

Tactical Considerations included it on his budget first pistol list. It fits most Glock holsters, though the frame is slightly slimmer so the fit is loose. NATO-ally military pedigree. Full ambidextrous controls. Under $450.

Street price: $350–$450

8. S&W CSX — The Odd One Out (In a Good Way)

Every other gun on this list is a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol. The CSX is aluminum-framed and hammer-fired. It looks like a shrunken 1911. It feels like nothing else in the micro-compact market.

Here's the twist that surprises everyone: the all-metal CSX is lighter than the polymer Shield. James Reeves weighed them on camera — 19.82 ounces versus 20.25 ounces. Aluminum's strength lets the frame be thinner than polymer needs reinforcement to be.

Watch TFB TV's breakdown at 10:00 →

Now, the honest part. When the CSX first launched, it had a trigger problem. A "false reset" — a tactile click that felt like the trigger reset, but wasn't. Hickok45 did a full review and refused to recommend it for carry because of this issue. That review has 372K views. He was right to flag it.

Smith & Wesson listened. The E-Series CSX fixed the trigger. Hickok45 followed up with a second video — "Is the CSX a better pistol now?" — and confirmed the fix. That's the kind of manufacturer responsiveness that earns trust.

The CSX is for the person who picked up a 1911 and thought "I want this, but smaller and in 9mm." If that's you, nothing else on this list scratches the same itch.

Street price: $540–$600

9. IWI Masada — The Israeli Workhorse Nobody's Talking About

IWI makes the Tavor. They make the Galil. The Jericho. The Uzi. They build weapons for the Israeli Defense Forces — one of the most combat-experienced militaries on the planet. And then they made a $400 striker-fired 9mm and apparently forgot to tell anyone.

The Masada shows up on Tactical Considerations' budget first pistol list. It shows up in "10 Guns Everyone Is Rushing to Buy in 2026" roundups. Hickok45 reviewed it, noted the competitive price point, and praised the feature set for the money. And yet it has a fraction of the coverage that guns with less impressive pedigrees get.

Watch Hickok45's take at 1:31 →

The honest knock: Hickok45 noted the Masada he tested shot low — he had to hold at the top of targets to get center hits. That's a sights issue, not an accuracy issue, and it's fixable. The grip texture also drew mild criticism for being too smooth.

At ~$430–$490, you're getting Israeli military engineering at Canik prices. The Masada doesn't need better marketing. It needs people to stop scrolling past it.

Street price: $430–$490

10. The Tie: Taurus G3C & PSA Dagger — Two Philosophies, One Budget

We couldn't pick one. Two completely different approaches to the same problem: "I need a reliable 9mm and I have $300 or less."

Taurus G3C — The Redemption Arc

Taurus spent a decade as the punchline of every gun store joke. Then the G3C happened.

Colion Noir shot it and said what nobody expected: "This should have been the first gun I ever shot." He pointed out that for $200–$300, the build quality and aesthetics "far exceed expectations, making it look like a more expensive $400–$500 firearm." The trigger has what he called "trigger training wheels" — take-up that guides you to a predictable wall for fast follow-up shots.

Watch Colion Noir's first mag at 3:43 →

Honest Outlaw keeps it on every budget list. The G3C isn't going to win a trigger comparison against the CZ or Walther. It's not trying to. It's trying to be the best gun under $300, and it is.

Street price: $210–$260

PSA Dagger — The Audacity Play

Palmetto State Armory looked at the Glock 19 and said "we can build that for $299." And they did.

Glock magazines. Glock holsters. Glock aftermarket parts. Not-Glock price. The Dagger is as close to a direct Glock 19 clone as exists, and it showed up in Garand Thumb's pistol mud torture test alongside the Sig M18, S&W M&P 2.0, Walther PDP, and Desert Eagle. A $299 gun running the same gauntlet as $600+ pistols.

Watch the PSA Dagger in the mud at 4:05 →

Tactical Considerations included it on his budget first pistol list at $299. The main criticism is the hinged trigger design. If that doesn't bother you, you're getting a Glock 19 for half the price.

Street price: $250–$350

The tie-breaker: The G3C is for the person who wants an original design that earned respect the hard way. The Dagger is for the person who wants a Glock without paying for the name. Both work. Both are under $300. You could buy both for less than a single Walther PDP.

One to Watch: Derya DY9

We said 10. The tie made it 11. And we couldn't leave without telling you about #12.

The Derya DY9 is a Turkish-made, Glock-magazine-compatible pistol that streets for around $250. InRangeTV's "TURGLOCKEN" review pulled 688K views — and their conclusion was that it "outperformed many more expensive American-made pistols in out-of-the-box reliability." They ran 500 rounds through it. One malfunction, attributed to the factory magazine spring. They even tested a Glock 49 slide on the DY9 frame. It worked.

Mrgunsngear put 1,000 rounds through it — zero malfunctions across Glock, Magpul, and X-Tech magazines. Street price under $300. Optics ready. For $250, that's an absurd amount of gun.

It's too new for deep expert consensus. We're watching it closely. When the major channels weigh in — and they will, because a $250 Glock-mag pistol is too good a story to ignore — we'll update this article.

Watch InRangeTV's TURGLOCKEN at 8:10 →

Street price: $250–$300

The Price Lineup

No spec table. Just the money.

Under $300: Taurus G3C (~$250) • PSA Dagger (~$299) • Derya DY9 (~$250)

$350–$500: Arex Delta Gen 2 (~$400) • M&P Shield Plus (~$400) • Canik TP9 Series (~$420) • Beretta APX A1 (~$400, ~$330 after rebate) • CZ P-10C (~$420) • IWI Masada (~$460)

$500–$700: S&W CSX (~$570) • FN 509 (~$600) • Walther PDP Compact (~$625) • Canik Mete MC9 (~$490) • Canik Rival (~$630)

$800+: Walther PDP Pro SD (~$850) • Canik Rival-S Steel (~$850+) • FN 509 Tactical ($730–$930)

Before You Buy: Check Your State

The Gut Check

If you've read this far and you're still not sure — buy the CZ P-10C. It does everything the Glock 19 does, fits Glock holsters, has a better trigger out of the box, and costs $100 less. That's not a hot take. That's what the data says.

But if you want my gun-counter answer? Buy the one that fits your hand. Go to a range that rents. Shoot three of these. Buy the one that made you smile.

And if your budget is $250 and you're stressing about it — get the Taurus G3C and spend the savings on ammo and a training class. The gun matters less than the person shooting it. Always has.