anyone else find the 43X inferior to the G26?

I own and have carried a 43, 43x and now 26 MOS.

I was just having this conversation with a co-worker about the progression of CCW/EDC. Started with a 27, went to the 43, then 43x, and now a 26 MOS. What’s old is new again.

The only appreciable difference is in the slimness of the 43/43x/48s. This will be dependent on the person and their body type, but I can definitely tell a difference. Not so much that the 26 is uncomfortable but enough to notice.

For me, that’s the only real advantage of the slimlines. The shoot ability of the 26 is something that is only understood when you have a chance to shoot it, especially coming from a slimline. The 43/43x feels great in the hand but is not fun to train with. It is the only Glock frame that gives me Glock bite and I don’t even have large hands. The 26 however punches above its weight and really does feel like a much larger gun when you shoot it. The baby Glocks are arguably the most versatile guns in the lineup and when I threw an MRDS on the 26, it really changed the game for me.

43x gone

Shield and 365 still here

365 is snappy but much better than 43x

Shield is nicer to shoot but trigger guard is small if one ever wears gloves

26 is a small big gun (shoots like a full sized with no ammo issues and much lighter recoil)

Been down the road twice with the 43 and 43X and sold them off both times. I did not find them as reliable as the rest of the tribe with me shooting them, probably a grip thing and I could not perform well on drills with either gun. I shoot the 26 very nearly as well as a 19, but as a pocket pistol it is a big lunk of a thing.

The 43X conceals like a 19 and shoots like a 43. The 26 is the opposite.

If you can live with the capacity and the short grip I think the 26 is one of the best guns Glock makes.

Never had reliability issues with 43x, and never felt it was cheaper in any way than 26. I didn't carry 43x as much as 48. I thought that I'd outperform 48 with 26 but when timers and targets said their word, the word was "no difference". Draw was actually a little faster with 48 because of a longer grip. I got rid of 43x/48 because printing was very close to that of 19, not because they didn't shoot for me.

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Originally Posted by YVK

Never had reliability issues with 43x, and never felt it was cheaper in any way than 26. I didn't carry 43x as much as 48. I thought that I'd outperform 48 with 26 but when timers and targets said their word, the word was "no difference". Draw was actually a little faster with 48 because of a longer grip. I got rid of 43x/48 because printing was very close to that of 19, not because they didn't shoot for me.

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A Glock is pretty much a Glock, and I don't think of any model being made "cheaper," although some are priced less. I agree that I have found the 26 to shoot better and be more reliable.

It is interesting that the 43/48 series of Glock pistols seem less desirable than the larger ones, while the 365 family seems to be a step above the 320 series.

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Originally Posted by hk45

I find the 43X to be much snapper, more prone to failures, cheaper feeling, and just all around interior to the G26. I know it's slimmer than the G26, but that doesn't make up for the other issues I found w/ the 43X. I feel like I'm alone in this view. Anyone else?

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I feel lik 99% of people find a g43x inferior to a g26

I've bought, shot and sold three G43X/G48s at this point. They do NOTHING that a G26 doesn't do EXCEPT carry better IWB. Which I rarely do anymore. So, for me, they're snappier, have slicker grips, and are harder to shoot for accuracy or at speed than the G26.

I don't own either of the mentioned Glocks right now, and probably won't again. For me, the P365MS is a MUCH better option than the G43X, and the P365XL MS is similarly much better than the G48.

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Originally Posted by YVK

Never had reliability issues with 43x, and never felt it was cheaper in any way than 26. I didn't carry 43x as much as 48. I thought that I'd outperform 48 with 26 but when timers and targets said their word, the word was "no difference". Draw was actually a little faster with 48 because of a longer grip. I got rid of 43x/48 because printing was very close to that of 19, not because they didn't shoot for me.

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I have 2 G48s and shoot them a ton. Ones a original silver slide and the other is a MOS with TLR sub and 407k.
Never had any reliability issues with either of them.
They are just as accurate as my G19 but split times are slower. By way of comparison one of my drills is doubles on a steel IPSC at 12yds. My G19 splits are usually about .23-24 while my G48 is .28.
They are just as fast to draw to first shot as my G19. But they definitely take some conscious focus on gripping tightly to squeeze performance out of them.
I really like them but do agree that they don’t conceal that much better than a G19. The back corner of the butt prints about the same but they do have less belt buckle area bulge.
My G43 on the other hand disappears even with a pinky extension.
No experience with a 26 so I can’t really compare.

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Originally Posted by GJM

A Glock is pretty much a Glock, and I don't think of any model being made "cheaper," although some are priced less. I agree that I have found the 26 to shoot better and be more reliable.

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I don't think the issue is they are cheaper. However, they are slimmer and lighter... by design. Less mass is going to behave different. I feel the thinner frames flex more under recoil.

I've had and continue to have great luck with my 43 and 48. I learned very early on with these pistols:

1. Stay away from +P. I run 147 HST standard pressure and it runs great and recoil is manageable. If you want to tone it down even more, Ranger 147 SXT.
2. Replace the torture device Glock calls a trigger. Both my 43 and 48 came with triggers so sharp I could shave with them. Even smoothing them out didn't help much. The protruding trigger safety stings a bit more than the heavier models. I use Apex as the trigger safety fully retracts into the trigger when pulled.

AS always, YMMV.