The Glock 19 is imperfect. There’s nothing wholly controversial here in this statement. But the G19 is effective. How else would it have risen to its current place at the top of both Duty and EDC guns?
Its imperfections, though, have allowed aftermarket parts companies to thrive. Lone Wolf has long been at the top of the Glock mod list. Lone Wolf was making parts way before the slew of new frames became available—back when DIY gun guys were grinding down frames with Dremmel sanding wheels and stippling in wild patterns.
Lone Wolf’s role, then, was metal. Thinning out the slide and adding new grip texture was one element, but providing personal expression in the slide’s defining features or performance upgrades in barrels became a business model.
Glock was (and is) all about uniformity, but Lone Wolf was one of the first companies dedicated to making personal expression through the Glock canvas accessible and affordable. Now, they’re taking these lessons in a new direction and packaging these upgrades as a complete package.
The Dusk 19
Lone Wolf begins their Dusk 19 build with an homage to Gen 3 G19s. The basic size, shape, and functionality will follow that model. The idea, though, is all that remains of the source material.
It isn’t enough to do what Glock does. What would be the point? The Glock-style game is all about acknowledging what Glock has gotten right and making the changes that allow for better performance.
Anything that might be described as radical departures would not be recognizable as Glock in origin (after all, most double-stack, polymer-framed handguns of a similar length owe something to the roads paved by Glock).
The Dusk 19, though, does make some serious changes.
Grip Angle
Many guns have a 22-degree grip angle, while the Dusk grip is more like 19 degrees. While there are interchangeable back straps, the grip can be set up to taper down in a very thin profile that feels noticeably different in the hand.
The grip angle debate goes back a long way. Some will cast it as a difference between European guns like the Luger and the 1911, but it was common even in companies like Colt, where grip angles varied based on gun model. Still, many like how the 18-degree grip angle on the 1911 points, so it is making its way back into production guns.
The Barrel
Lone Wolf barrels are not the most radical departures, though they do have traditional rifling. These are made from stainless and have a PVD coating. The threaded barrels are well worth the extra cost and open up many more possibilities.
While the drop-in slides from Lone Wolf have additional milling, this one is mostly unadorned by the extravagances of longitudinal or spiral fluting and doesn’t have any flash or bling in its finish. This is a solid performance barrel made to exacting standards, not meant to be seen as a fashion piece.
Frame Textures
When Polymer80 changed the plastics game in the Glock aftermarket world, stippling fell out of fashion. Now, plastic frames are much easier to build to a specific set of unique dimensions or requirements. Lone Wolf has revised the grip texture and added a bit more at the rear of the frame to allow for an even higher grip.
In addition, they’ve thinned out places where mass obstructed an optimal shooting grip. The underside of the trigger guard is cut back to accommodate as much of that middle finger’s knuckle as possible without sacrificing strength.
Sights
One of the first upgrades on any old Glock mod was its sights. When shooting suppressed, it helps to have sights the size of boat sails sitting up on the slide. These are almost that big and ideal for both fast acquisition and seeing over the top of a can. They’re made by Lone Wolf and are a nice addition.
The rear sight is flat-black with strong striations, while the front incorporates a glowing dot. Even so, the front blade remains thin. A tall front sight that is thin enough for fine-tuned shot placement and still built around a dot is a rarity.
Shooting the Dusk 19
The grip texture on the frame is hard to describe. In places, the geometric texture feels debossed, sinking into the surrounding frame. But then the sides—what might be compared to grip panels—feel embossed. They sit proud of the frame, which is more like really thin grips on a 1911. Odd as this is, the grip is effective.
Ahead of the trigger guard, on the sides of the frame, are flares for placement of support. This is a big win as it solves a common inadequacy of the Glock design without making the frame any larger.
On the bottom of the grip, the magazine well is flared. Like many others, this is both functional and minimal, as the lip is kept small, so it won’t make concealment awkward. This allows for easier magazine changes. Like every self-respecting clone, the Dusk 19 will run on Glock mags. It ships with a Magpul version, but any of the G19-sized mags will work fine, and the higher-capacity mags will work, too, if you don’t mind the extra length.
Trigger Performance
I’d hoped for a shorter travel and reset on the trigger. That may be the only expectation I had of the design that wasn’t met, though. As is, the travel is hardly excessive. It hits a nice, clean break that is predictable.
The flat-faced design of the Lone Wolf trigger is a nice change, too. The safety bar is wide and doesn’t feel nearly as obvious as the thin blades do. As triggers go, I have a couple of issues with this one. However, as Glock triggers go, it is not bad and an improvement over factory designs. This is another one of those places where I feel compelled to compare apples to apples; if we were talking about Walther triggers, this one would have some catching up to do. But we’re not.
When all of this is combined—the textures, grip angle, trigger, and sights—the Lone Wolf Dusk 19 performs as it should. The upgrades make the ergonomics more conducive to fast follow-up shots. The gun’s light weight makes it move fluidly. It is easy to control and hold down, though, too, which seems contradictory.
Will the shift work for Lone Wolf?
The Lone Wolf site now asks a literal question: “Are you ready to join the pack?”
This is an interesting move. I’ve always understood the crux of Lone Wolf’s message to be wrapped up in their moniker: Lone Wolf. Glock was the pack. The customization made possible by Lone Wolf is what allowed us to stand apart from the pack and to be lone wolves.
The invitation to join a group of Lone Wolf lone wolves seems paradoxical. But maybe I’m overthinking this. That’s highly likely.
Perhaps Lone Wolf as a company is less about customization and more about functional refinement. The Duck 19 is certainly a gun that provides meaningful upgrades to a platform that has built its reputation on reliability alone.
Being part of the pack brings with it another big benefit: price. Glock mods were cheap, but once metals were involved, the prices skyrocketed. The Dusk 19, by standardizing some of these options, has allowed Lone Wolf to work at volume, which equates to price cuts, making the final product accessible. At just under $700, this is one of the most affordable of the refined clones.
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