Your 19 should have checkered targets, not combats. Combat stocks were smooth and will have finger grooves while targets will not have finger grooves and will be larger at the bottom of the grip than combats would be.
19s can be hard kicking guns if you are shooting 158 gr. .357 Magnums. I used to used Pachmayr presentation stocks on my 19s and 29s routinely, since I used to shoot a lot more than I do now. I still keep a couple pair around and will put them on the gun if I am going to shoot much.
As you say, they are not much to look at, compared to a pretty set of wood stocks.