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.