Glocks are fantastic weapons and the 19 is super versatile.

Keep an eye out on some of the online ammo tracking websites. You can get some really good deals on bulk 9mm, even with shipping. I second the idea to dabble in reloading if you shoot a lot - I did caliper measurements on new ammo out of the box, and bullet seating depth had a huge variance from round to round. Reloads on a decent press with good dies are much more consistent, surprisingly.

On the AR's I have a Colt LE6940 and an LMT MRP. The fit, finish, smoothness and trigger are better on the LMT, but the colt is a solid gun and just as reliable. I haven't put an extensive number of rounds down the pipe of any other manufacturers, but can highly recommend Colt as a good sub $1000 gun (if you shop around).