Soli, you will not be dissapointed. I feel that the G19 is the most versitile 9mm Glock.
mdbuckle: I believe the cheapest I have seen a new Glock 17 is for $799, the G19 with Barsto barrel costs $1099. Considering the barrel probably costs $300, thats not too bad. I know its expensive compared to what a G19 costs in the US, but with our current rules, this is just how it is.
Shelby: I did some research and it seemed like no one locally could blacken stainless steel, so I found a company called Caswell Plating, they have a website, just google it. It is a fairly simple process, the surface has to be prepped with a 50% mixture of muriatic acid/water to remove surface oxides, then using the stainless blackener liquid from Caswell in a 30% mixture give or take (30% concentrate) dip it in for only a couple minutes.
Both ends of the barrel need to be plugged, to protect the chamber and bore.
So far it seems to be durable enough, also the barrel protruding never rubs anything so it will last a long time. It darkens it to a nice phosphated look, not as dark as the factory barrel, but in Canada this is the best we can do.
If you need more info, pm me.
Ahab