I have a Glock 23. I want a Glock 19. At the moment and near future I do not and will not have the funds to buy a Glock 19 for a good while, nor will I be able to save enough for a good while for a new/different firearm. Should I try to save for a conversion barrel & possible G19 extras/parts to convert my G23...or should I try to save for a long time for a new/used G19... or should I privately sell my G23 to get most of the funds for a G19 new or used... or just trade my 23 for a used 19? I find the G23 a bit too snappy these days and I'm thinking of switching to 9mm, but I feel that I'd miss my 23 for some reason. I just got a Shield in 9mm and I'm liking the lower recoil and lower cost of ammo, and the bigger capacity in the Glock 19 vs 23 would be nice. What are your suggestions? I wish I could have both so maybe that answers my own question, but I want some opinions. Thanks.

I went the other direction; I used to have a Glock 19 and now I have Glock 23s. I also owned a Glock 17 for a while. Effectively, I replaced my two 9s with a pair of Glock 23s.

Some of the pros of the .40 cartridge are:
--Increased availability over 9mm (especially during buying frenzies)
--Police surplus ammo (commonly online)
--Enhanced barrier penetration over 9mm

As for defense loads, I like to say "It is hard to find good 9mm hollow point loads, but it is hard to find bad .40 hollow point loads." Almost any off the shelf big box hollow point .40 load will work well, while the opposite is true of 9mm.

As for the recoil, .40 has more, true, that's simple physics. I think it's worthwhile. The standard 180 grain has the sectional density of a 230 grain 45 Auto, with the velocity of a 185 45 Auto. .40 operates at the same pressure as 9mm--it is a myth that it is a "high pressure" cartridge (as if that means anything, anyway.)

I am a fan of .40 S&W for a lot of reasons, some of which I have mentioned above. If you have any further questions I'd be happy to offer my help.

This is a question that's likely to drift into the old caliber war issue
with people lining up on either one with lots of reasons why it's
obvious that their favorite caliber is second to none. I'll just say that
I'm a 9mm fan and let go at that. Since you have the Shield in 9mm
and have limited funds it makes sense to sell or trade your 23 and get
a 19. I have a Glock 19 and think it's Glock's best model overall.
You've already stated some reasons why the 9mm is a good choice,
availability and price. With limited funds it only makes sense to buy
ammo that fits both guns. You might miss the 23 but your new or new
to you 19 will console you.

Or....or.....Glock 26

Just bought one and really like it. Very easy to conceal with the short grip, but I shoot it well already. It'll actually teach you about proper shooting grip if you let it which I didn't realize but I'm happy to have discovered. 9mm is everywhere, and it's cheap. So is my carry ammo, 147 gr Speer Gold Dots which are a well proven SD round that performs very well. All in all, I've become a 9mm fan, and a bigger G26 fan. Previous carry guns were swapped according to clothing...LCP or Sig 229 in .40. Now it's the same gun, all the time no matter what.

If you want a 19, buy a 19. Don't spend money to make a 23 into something it's not. . .

__________________
Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Trade for a 19.

I think the answer to your question is clear. You obviously would like to keep your G23 so just save your money and buy a nice used G19.

How come on absolutely every gun forum the answer is absolutely always "both" !

It depends completely on how patient you are.

Impatient: trade your 23 for a 19 (be sure to get enough magazines in the deal).
Patient: you already have a 9 mm you like, and you might miss having the .40, so save up.

PS "Want" and "feel" are dangerous emotions when it comes to buying guns .

__________________
Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

All you need to shoot 9mm from a G23 is a conversion barrel. We shoot my G23 with a conversion barrel all the time. I even use the G23 magazines. I wouldn't carry it like this, but for cheaper range time it works.

If you want 2 Glocks then save up money. If you want one over the other then sell or trade into the other. The only one I would consider doing a caliber change would be 40/357sig. Anything else and you run the risk of having problems and not knowing where to start looking.

Prices have gone down. I find used G19 s all the time in the $350 range

There are good quality aftermarket barrels for the Glock that fit like a glove. Check glockstore.com for good options.

If you're wanting to abandon .40cal, trade for a G19, but if you want to keep shooting .40 along with 9mm, get a quality aftermarket conversion barrel.