Which is more concealable, Glock 26 or 43x?

[HammerStriker]

Howdy,

I currently own a Sig P365 and am considering picking up a Glock 26 or 43x. I have never fired the 43x, but have shot a rental G26 and own a G19. I was surprised by how much better I shoot the G26 vs my Sig P365. I seem to struggle a bit with thin grips like on the p365 and the S&W shield --I consistently hit left with these guns. The fact that I can shoot the G26 like a bigger gun - pinky dangling from the grip doesn't seem to impact my shooting--has drawn me towards it. But I keep hearing that the 43x is the better of the two and that it may conceal better because it is thinner. Does anyone here have experience with both the G26 and 43x? Which conceals better?

Thanks!

[diananike]

Speaking from an appendix carry standpoint.
The G26 won’t have as much print from the back corner of the grip which is the usual offender for printing when carrying appendix.
There will however be more bulge from the width in your pants fly area.
I’d say the G26 conceals better but doesn’t carry as comfortably as the thinner 43x.
A good holster with wedge and wing and a quality belt and well chosen shirt and the 43x is very concealable.

[pangloss]

I'm a long time G26 owner. I bought a 43x and sold it after 150 rounds, so for me the G26 is better. Having said that, I would like to try the 43X again. Can you rent or borrow a 43x? I drop all the way down to a 43 most of the time now. The 43 is super easy to conceal, but you do give up a lot.

[Sero Sed Serio]

Speaking from an appendix carry standpoint.
The G26 won’t have as much print from the back corner of the grip which is the usual offender for printing when carrying appendix.
There will however be more bulge from the width in your pants fly area.
I’d say the G26 conceals better but doesn’t carry as comfortably as the thinner 43x.
A good holster with wedge and wing and a quality belt and well chosen shirt and the 43x is very concealable.

I also find a longer grip to cause more printing issues than a thicker grip, whether AIWB or behind the hip. The slightly chonkier G26 makes a slightly bigger bulge, but I don’t get the corner of the mag poking like I do with G19 length grip.

The only advantage I see to a G43X/48 over a G26 is that it’s easier to get a firing grip in the holster, but I see no real concealment advantage over a G19. I also struggle with shooting narrower guns well, so any slight concealment advantage that the 43X/48 offers is more than offset by my diminished performance, to say nothing of the narrower reliability envelope. On the other hand, the G26 offers enough of a concealment advantage, and has a much narrower gap in speed and accuracy, to justify the slightly slower draw stroke because it takes longer for me to acquire a proper firing grip.

Personally I see the 43X/48 as the worst of both worlds between the 19 and the 26. I also think that, with a combination of flat floor plates and +2 floor plates, the G26 makes a very compelling argument for a one gun only candidate.

YMMV, of course.

[G19Fan]

Howdy,

I currently own a Sig P365 and am considering picking up a Glock 26 or 43x. I have never fired the 43x, but have shot a rental G26 and own a G19. I was surprised by how much better I shoot the G26 vs my Sig P365. I seem to struggle a bit with thin grips like on the p365 and the S&W shield --I consistently hit left with these guns. The fact that I can shoot the G26 like a bigger gun - pinky dangling from the grip doesn't seem to impact my shooting--has drawn me towards it. But I keep hearing that the 43x is the better of the two and that it may conceal better because it is thinner. Does anyone here have experience with both the G26 and 43x? Which conceals better?

Thanks!

G26 weights more and larger grip

You can swap around some p365 grip modules too

[Dov]

I also think that, with a combination of flat floor plates and +2 floor plates, the G26 makes a very compelling argument for a one gun only candidate.

YMMV, of course.

This matches my experience, I normally front pocket carry pair of G26 because pain issues prevent me from using any IWB or even tight to body OWB belt holsters.

With my preferred Duluth cargo pants I can pocket carry with the +2 mags and for my hands G26 with +2 mag fit better than G19. I traded my G19 years ago for second G26.

I step down to G26 with flush 10 round mag for other pants, or if I have to the J frame for dressier clothes.

I love the J frame but can't really practice with 38 cal one enough anymore because of age and pain issues and haven't gotten a 32 replacement yet.

But I shoot G26 even with flush mag far better than J frame, this was true even when I was younger and practicing more with the J frame than the Glock

If you can afford it I'd say buy one of each, because we are all different and what works for one doesn't always work for someone else.

I gave up on the mini 32 and 380 single stack pistols because I just couldn't maintain solid grip on them under recoil single handed, which I feel is a requirement for CCW. They always squirmed in my grip for anything but very slow fire, because grip was to thing for me. But my gf can handle Ruger LCP fine and doesn't even consider something like J frame a practical pocket gun because it is to big.

[DLWinner]

The G26 is what you want

[rob_s]

After 28 years of on again off again carry with varying frequency, for me it s all about the thickness of the gun and the holster.

Grip Printing I can deal with, barrel length I can deal with, but a big fat honking pistol shoved in my (perhaps specially purchased) pants just isn’t for me.

I want something that I can take on and off, or not carry at all, in the same pants I wear all the time. No junk carry, no pockets, just a good thin holster behind my right hip IWB.

So for me, the slim line glocks beat the fat bodies every time.

The gun you have…

[camsdaddy]

In regard to to carry the 26 will be more concealable and the 43x will be more comfortable. There are those that swear by one and detest the other. I would say definitely try both

[Noah]

The 26 will shoot a lot softer and have a more hand filling grip than the 26 or 365. The 43X... will carry and shoot about like the 365 you already have. Perhaps a Wilson P365XL grip module would split the difference? It is more hand filling.

[RJ]

If you have a P365...I would vote "neither" (I've owned both a 43X and a 26) and would instead explore other options.

For example, a Talon grip panel may help if you need more girth. The Wilson Combat grips for the P365 and P365XL are also "rounder" (although the trigger reach is about the same). Some have good luck with Hogue grip sleeves. Hockey tape might be worth looking at. Or simply swap the fcu into a P365XL grip module, and poof, you have a P365X. Going up the scale quite a bit would be using an X Macro grip module, but that get's you into G19 territory, but with 17 round mags and more than likely a swap to the XL slide (although a P365 slide will work, just looks stubby).

Now if you've considered all those already, of the two options, I'd pick the 43X all day every day and twice on Sunday (actually I preferred the 48). However, comma: I found the 26 carried with 12 round OEM mags about the same as a G19, so I did. Which made the 26 redundant. It's also heavy, relative to capacity. I sold it without any remorse. I found the 43x very snappy with carry ammo (GD 124+p), and even a tungsten guide rod (net +0.9 oz) from Lenny did not help. I would say the 43X was more concealable for me than the 26; the 26 I carried AOWB in a Mitch Rosen Upper Limit I had for my G19; the 43X I used a JM CK (I think it was an AIWB 2.5 WC).

The 43X got traded for the aforementioned G48, which was almost the perfect carry gun, excepting IT would not run my carry ammo after I had the slide milled for a 407k. So I sold THAT for a 365X a few years ago and haven't looked back, not once.

[lee n. field]

Howdy,

I currently own a Sig P365 and am considering picking up a Glock 26 or 43x. I have never fired the 43x, but have shot a rental G26 and own a G19. I was surprised by how much better I shoot the G26 vs my Sig P365. I seem to struggle a bit with thin grips like on the p365 and the S&W shield

I've noticed that with my XDS. Hard for me to shoot it well.


--I consistently hit left with these guns. The fact that I can shoot the G26 like a bigger gun - pinky dangling from the grip doesn't seem to impact my shooting--has drawn me towards it. But I keep hearing that the 43x is the better of the two and that it may conceal better because it is thinner. Does anyone here have experience with both the G26 and 43x? Which conceals better?

Thanks!

[WobblyPossum]

If I were you, prior to spending the $500 for a new handgun I would spend the $60 for a Wilson Combat P365 or P365XL grip module. They completely transform the P365 to me. If you have trouble with your regular P365 because of how thin the grip is, the Wilson one will fill your hand better and likely allow for better control.

[jf837]

I will echo what many others have stated. I have previously owned a 43x and 48. For me, they concealed much like the Glock 19 that I carry most of the time. For the times that I feel the need to go smaller due to printing in certain clothing, I carry a 26. For the rare times that I need to go really really small, I step down to a 43. For my body type, the grip is the first thing to print when carrying AIWB at 2 o'clock. The bulge of the 26 is less noticeable than the grip of the 43x/48. Also I shoot the 26 closer to a full size gun than the slimline guns. YMMV

[psalms144.1]

I've owned and extensively shot the G26, G43X, P365XL and P365. Of the four, I think the P365XL with a WC grip module is the pick of the litter. The G26 is slightly more "shootable," especially with +2 base pads, but is a lot chunkier and harder to conceal than the P365XL. For me, the standard size P365 is mostly for pocket carry, or IWB when I'm going for the lightest pistol I can carry.

So, I'd definitely try the WC grip modules first before trying the G43X (which I REALLY did not like, never meshed with, and couldn't shoot worth a darn), or the G26

[Duelist]

Howdy,

I currently own a Sig P365 and am considering picking up a Glock 26 or 43x. I have never fired the 43x, but have shot a rental G26 and own a G19. I was surprised by how much better I shoot the G26 vs my Sig P365. I seem to struggle a bit with thin grips like on the p365 and the S&W shield --I consistently hit left with these guns. The fact that I can shoot the G26 like a bigger gun - pinky dangling from the grip doesn't seem to impact my shooting--has drawn me towards it. But I keep hearing that the 43x is the better of the two and that it may conceal better because it is thinner. Does anyone here have experience with both the G26 and 43x? Which conceals better?

Thanks!

The G26 is the superior pistol for me. I also do not do well with super thin or smaller gripped pistols - YMMV if you have smaller hands. The G26 shoots like a bigger gun, the butt (when carried with flush 10 rd magazines) conceals better than longer grips, and it runs perfectly on full-size reloads. Fits in G26-34 length holsters.

I don’t even own a G19 - I even sold my G19X. (I *might* try a grip-chopped G19 sometime).

I carry my G42 if I need something truly thin and small and am willing to compromise my grip because the .380 shoots better and faster for me in that particular size envelope than the 9x19.

All of my striker guns have SCDs, besides the G44. If they weren’t around to use, I’d not have a single one of them - that is why I have Glocks and nothing else striker fired.

All that being said, I have a 442 in my pocket right now. Low back is sore, and the thought of strapping a pistol to my belt after work today was a non-starter.

[KevH]

Neither.

The Glock 19 is as small as I go for carrying a semi auto IWB or AIWB.

When I first got hired as a cop (and was super skinny) I carried a Glock 27 IWB off duty in a VM2-style holster made by Mike Taurisano.

I had it stuck in my head that because it was smaller it would be more concealable. I was wrong. I actually found a Glock 22 or 1911 much more concealable than the G27 and the G27 got traded away.

The larger gun (and holsters) distribute weight more evenly and create less pressure points and actually conceal better on most people.

My off-duty and BUG for the past 17 years has been a J-frame 90% of the time. If I feel I need something bigger I bring a bigger gun.

For me the Glock 26 is a fanny pack gun. I don't care for the slimline Glocks due to less shootability and less reliability than their full size versions.

The Glock 42 is a whole different ball of wax and an excellent little 380 ACP.

[AZ6K]

Ok, so to add some, and confirm what some have already said. Left hand shooter, IWB at 8:30 - 9:00. All holsters are Crossbreed super tuck, mini tuck holsters. Also have small hands/short fingers. 6'3" tall, 225 lbs.

G48 - had several - bought these prior to buying the 43x's - thought the longer sight radius would be an advantage - liked the slimness but the barrel was long enough that it would poke my hip when sitting causing an uncomfortable situation. Sold 2 of them, have 1 in the safe that needs to find a new home. Did not find the recoil to be much different than the G43x guns.

G43x - have 2 now - MOS and non-MOS versions. Just put an EPS carry on the MOS gun - like both guns. Have Talon grips on 1 and a Hogue grip sleeve on the other - trying to decide which I like better. Also using the Gee plate on the stock magazine - helps me orient my grip when pulling from the holster. As an aside I tried both aftermarket 15 round magazines and was not comfortable with either brand so I scrapped the idea of using them. Gun feels thin on the hip - the grip length is noticed a little more than the width of the gun. I have also not had reliability issues like some have mentioned once I quit trying to qualify the 15 round aftermarket magazines. Probably have 300 rounds of the HST thru these guns and a lot more range ammo. I roll my own so I load 147gr as my practice rounds to mimic the weight of the HST 147.

G26 - Gen 5 - like the gun, but don't like the larger grip as much. Have tried the factory +2 mags, and the G19 15 round mags with the grip sleeve - both work ok but are approaching the size of my G19. I also have the factory 10 round magazines with the Gee plate and find them a great way to get my orientation on the grip when drawing from the holster. I don't notice the grip length with the 10 rounders, but I do notice the back of the slide tends to poke my arm more than the slimline guns and it is slightly annoying.

G43 - have one and use the Taran Tactical +2 floor plates - with them it is almost as long of grip length as the G43x, and only holds 8+1 vs the 10+1 of the G43x. Just bought a Magguts for the factory mag to make it 8 rounds - it is shorter than the TT floor plates and does not give me as much purchase for my pinky. I seem to prefer either full pinky or no pinky - not inbetween like the Magguts setup.

P365 series - have 1 plain and 3 x's - no xl's. Nice guns with great capacity. Have used both the Hogue grip sleeves and the Wilson grip modules and like them both. Have tried both the regular and XL Wilson grip modules and both work well - I do have a pocket holster that I use when taking the dogs out at night at the cabin so the regular 365 length grip works the best for that. When testing with water/soapy water the Wilsons give me a better grip on the gun. Love the idea of the interchangeable grip modules - a long time coming in my mind. My issue with the Sigs is the problems when they first came out, and the "robustness" of the fire control unit. I only bought them after watching this forum for quite some time when the hive said that they were now good to go. One of the guns came with the curved trigger which I didn't like so I bought an OEM flat trigger and replaced it myself. YouTube helped, and I am also an engineering by education and a toolmaker by trade so it was not that big of production. Once inside the fire control unit there seemed to be more small, thin, somewhat fragile parts in there that make me a little nervous. Granted the FCU is well supported in the grip module so it does not stand alone. My lizard brain just is not convinced of the robustness of these guns, even though there has been a lot of good success with them by the great shooters here on the forum.

I know a lot have talked about the recoil - I am not particularly recoil sensitive. My carry ammo is HST 147 gr standard pressure - can definitely tell the difference between that and range ammo, but I figure if I ever need the HST in real life the adrenaline will be flowing and I won't notice the increased recoil.

As an aside I just got certified as a Glock armorer 2 weeks ago so learned a lot about the guns that I didn't know.

So parting thoughts - shoot as many as you can and try carrying if you can - what works for some does not work for others. And it is easy to get into analysis/paralysis with these things.

Good Luck with your choice!!

[Rex G]

Slightly shorter overall height spec, versus slightly slimmer overall width spec. One is better for some, while the other is better for some. The collective “we” cannot answer for any one individual.

The well-documented, problematic Recoil Spring Assembly in the slimmer Glocks may or may not have been well and truly resolved, by now.

Personally, the G26 is the better fit in my hands, so, is my choice. (For size reference, I must buy Size L gloves, to fit the main part of my hands into the gloves, but, my skinny fingers are not long in length.) The tiny, incremental concealment differences are not nearly as important, to me, as being able to quickly obtain a proper grip at the outset of the draw. So, I have not paid attention to the Recoil Spring Assembly issue.

[JHC]

I’d say the G26 conceals better but doesn’t carry as comfortably as the thinner 43x.
A good holster with wedge and wing and a quality belt and well chosen shirt and the 43x is very concealable.

IMO not one more syllable needed to be added to this bottom line.

[Le Français]

I actually found a Glock 22 or 1911 much more concealable than the G27 and the G27 got traded away.

The larger gun (and holsters) distribute weight more evenly and create less pressure points and actually conceal better on most people.


That sounds like an issue of comfort more than concealment. The G27 is a G22 with a whole bunch of material chopped off both ends. It stands to reason that it will conceal better on anyone except those born with a G22-sized alcove somewhere on their body. Claiming the contrary is a little bit like saying that a Lincoln Town Car limo is easier to hide than a 4-door Town Car.

For context, the G22 and G27 have been my EDC pistols at different times, for several years each.

[flux]

G19 and G26 remain my go to guns . BUT having had excellent results with the G48, invluding many females who preferred carrying it vs G26. They also prefered the G48 over the G43x in terms of the way it shot. I feel the same. Hilton Yam posted some results of the G43x bs 48 over the timer which was interesting. Though i carry the G26 and 19 nore, I like the way the slimlines carry though, wont be getting rid of my G48 anytime soon.

[psalms144.1]

Another thought that constantly pops up with me - what is the mission or role of the potential replacement? If you want something that's VERY concealable, you're unlikely to get anything that's VERY shootable. I constantly find myself trying to make my standard P365 do things that are way outside it's intended operational box - like shooting 100 yard steel standing off hand. That's hard enough for me to do with a dot-equipped 2011 nowadays, so the fact that I can get 5 or 6 out of 10 on the IPSC steel at 100 with a truly pocketable iron sighted pistol should make me happy, not sad that I missed 4 or 5.

If you want a gun that shoots like a full-size "carry" pistol, you need to really look at the G26, or P365XL/Macro - the G43X isn't likely to do that for you any more than the current P365 does. If you want a 9mm that fits in shorts pockets, the G43X isn't going to make you happy, and the G26 is CHONKY for that role.

And, out of left field, the Shield Plus is larger than the 365, smaller than the G43X, with the same capacity. I find its grip to be exceptional, and if it was a tiny bit smaller (small enough to fit in my cargo shorts pockets), I'd go with that option in a microsecond.

Just things to keep in mind as you go through your decision process.