Contemplating being done with the G43

[Clusterfrack]

@TGS, this makes complete sense to me. I gave my G43 to Girl#1, and haven’t replaced it. Her hands are the size of a child’s, and she shoots it like a boss. Well, like a very small boss.

A LCR 9 works as well or better for me in the small gun role.

And a G26 is almost as concealable, but far more capable. It even fits in the front pocket of my kayak PFD.

[GJM]

An advantage that the 43X has over a 26, is it comes optics ready from the factory. If you carry a red dot, and want a factory red dot solution, the 26 is a non starter. Hopefully Glock rectifies that with a 26 MOS soon.

It is nice that you can lego 43, 43X and 48 pieces to get the configuration you want. Hopefully Glock also makes the 26 compatible with the 19/19X/45/47 family.

[Duelist]

The G26 is the biggest gun I’m going to consider carrying on the daily. The G43 is a little thinner, but not much lighter. I’ve thought about getting one, but haven’t and probably won’t - I’d rather have a spare G26. I ended up with a pair of G42s instead of a 43 because SWMBO likes them and will shoot them, they are noticeably lighter, and this way I only have to stock oddball magazines and holsters for one tiny Glock model instead of two. The G42 works when the bigger guns don’t.

And I still carry my 642 an awful lot.

[pangloss]

I like my 43. I can conceal it better than my G26. The 43 disappears AIWB under the lightest weight tee shirts I own. I can also pocket carry the 43. I get a better caliber, more rounds, and a faster reload than I do with a J frame. I usually run the factory +2 extensions on my Glock 26 mags. I started doing that before I bought my first G19, so maybe I should reexamine.

Having said all of that, the other micro nines on the market offer a lot over the G43...

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[1911Nut]

I have XL hands (wear a size 12 glove).

I have a G43 with a Holosun 407K optic on it. (Directly milled by JagerWerks).

I like it better than any small revolver I have ever carried and can shoot it better than I can shoot a revolver, too.

I agree that it has its shortcomings and certainly has a limited range of applications that fit my needs. Bur it serves those limited needs well.

Think I will keep it.

I tried very hard to like the Sig P365XL (with and without the same Holosun 407K) before returning to the Glock, but simply did not like the ergonomics of that pistol.

It's important to note that I don't have the energy or ambition to fiddle around much with mini guns and certainly hope I never have to see the elephant with my G43 (or any other mini gun) as my ONLY tool to deal with the problem.

[Lost River]

The 43/48 is neither fish nor foul for me. The vast majority of the time, I can conceal a G19 ( G26 for you) and have a gun that is far more capable to be shot rapidly and well. This is from a guy who's EDC was a G35 AIWB 90% of the time until COVID when I have been a bit more casual and not wearing a sport coat as a cover garment.

The few times a year when I think I want to go smaller, my response has been to go old skool with a j-frame. Even that is a bit of a size compromise as I put on a bigger set of grips because that was a software solution to the hardware problem of shooting the gun more to get better with it outside of the 0-5 yrd window.

Dump the G43. You could get a 26 and have the grip thinned down and likely have a much better set up for the youngsters in the house.

Alternatively, the pivot away from Glock completely to the SIG 365 platform is a way to go.


Let us know what you do.

I carried a G34 for an EP gun and used it off the clock too. IWB it really is just as easy to hide as well as most anything else and I don't think most realize until shown how close it is in size to a 1911. People used to think it was nuts until I put the two side by side, and the epiphany happened. Then when I explained the weight and capacity advantages, I did not seem quite as much like a knuckle dragger.

[arcticlightfighter]

I like my 43. I can conceal it better than my G26. The 43 disappears AIWB under the lightest weight tee shirts I own. I can also pocket carry the 43. I get a better caliber, more rounds, and a faster reload than I do with a J frame. I usually run the factory +2 extensions on my Glock 26 mags. I started doing that before I bought my first G19, so maybe I should reexamine.

Having said all of that, the other micro nines on the market offer a lot over the G43...

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I just bought another 43...I had gone away from it shortly after they were first offered and carried it for a year..the trigger was horrible.

I tried the 43X and had the Shield Arms 15 round mags (which are excellent BTW) but it was so close overall to my 19 that I sold it.

This new 43 has a much better (subjective) trigger and I can carry it in an ankle rig or as a BUG with the 6 round flush fit factory mag. In this capacity it will replace my J frames with an additional 2 rounds and a flat magazine reload if I want.

I can carry it with the Shield Arms + 2 baseplates with two additional reloads in the same configuration which is how I carry it in plainclothes assignments.

I just like the compact size and weight as well as different mag configurations. Also, hopefully Shield Arms will be releasing their much anticipated Glock 43 mag...

I try as much as I can to pick the right EDC which is largely dependent on the environment and what I am going to be doing. As much as I enjoy J frames, and as well as I can shoot and reload them, these days especially I like the option of more rounds for multiple threats if necessary biut still in a compact size.

I live in downtown Saint Paul and driving through Minneapolis these days I would probably feel better with my AR pistol.....

[willie]

I can't hit the side of a barn with a 43 because my extra large hands swallow it. Therefore the 43X has caught my eye. When comparing the 43 to a 26 or 19, weight enters the equation, especially if the 19 carries 16 rounds.

[JPedersen]

The 43 and 43X are different animals despite sharing 43 in their name.

I only have a little 48 experience, but have experience with a number of 43X pistols. Zero reliability issues with any of them. I find, compared to a 26, the longer grip of the 43X makes it easier to draw, easier to hang onto, and easier to drop the magazine than a 26. The thinner slide is easier for me to conceal than a 26.

If you look at the Glock pistols on the shelves at gun stores, the 19 and 43X are clearly two of the most popular models, and it is hard to find a 26.

The 43 probably made sense when the regular Shield was the competition, but in a world of the 365 and Shield Plus, the 43 seems large for its capacity, and hard to shoot.

GJM took the words right out of my mouth! I see very little advantage to the 26 over the 19 frankly …


I have had 3 x p365’s and they were all great. Nothing bad to say except first 2 were standard and no availability of a SCD of sorts sent me back to the 43x when a small gun was needed. I experimented with the manual safety p365 but could not get a hang of TVs safety on a CCW setting as it was small … so back to 43x W/ SCD for npe small gun.

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[Paul D]

I have both G26 with a H507k and an iron sighted G43. Carrying both in an Enigma under my scrubs with the scrub top tucked in, the G43 wins out in concealability and mental comfort. Even the 43X feels like it is going to show through that polyester fabric. I sometimes have to go into a NPE, so concealment is paramount. I definitely don't shoot it as well as the G26. With 7 shots in the gun, I practice only immediate incapacitation drills without reloads. Oh yeah, it's a pain to do a long practice session with that gun.