Glock 43X - A tool that fills a need

[sirgilligan]

Previous Review of Glock 43

I found the right 9mm for my wife, and I like it too.

My wife carries a S&W J-Frame in .22 Magnum while jogging and such. She has shot my various CZ's and while she shot them ok, she was not able to be consistent while chambering a round. The BHP's have more purchase, but the springs are even stronger. So, the revolver has worked fine.

I have been looking at small handguns that she could shoot. I rented a Glock 43 and a S&W Shield a while back and they just didn't satisfy.

The Glock 43X with the additional length of the handle does the trick. My wife handles it well. She racks the slide consistently. At first she was pulling the rounds all over because she was overly concerned with the recoil and the slide somehow getting her. But she kept asking me to reload the magazines and kept shooting. She has never done this with any other semi-auto. For her it is a full-size gun. It fills her hand.

I ran 20 rounds through it, a friend another 10, and my wife ran 50 through it. No issues at all. 115 gr FMJ and 115 JHP.

At approximately 20 feet (maybe 22'ish) we pulled up two racks of steel plates, 5 on each. My buddy took his Wilson Combat EDC and I took the 43x that I had only shot 10 rounds through it before. I said go, and never missed a plate, and beat him, he was just dropping plate 4. Now, yes, that is about the shooters and not the guns, because neither failed. The point is, he is usually better than me, and with a new gun I was not expecting such. I was able to get on target quick. The recoil was not "flippy" for me, so I just went down the rack, that extra grip length is just right. Just the stock sights. We were outside in good day light.

My buddy then took the 43x and burned through a rack. He said, "that gun is fast". He didn't miss a plate either. He has a Glock, I am not sure which, but a full-size, that he never carries because it just doesn't point well for him. He said this 43x is different.

So, my wife has a 9mm she likes, finally, and we all shoot it well. For her, it is full-size in her hands, and she operates it well. Good job to my wife. I recommend giving it a try. And yes, this is the first polymer gun to actually be purchased in our house.

 

[jmr40]

I've been a Glock guy for years. I don't have an irrational love affair with them. In fact have tried other designs multiple times hoping I'd fall in love with something else. But I've kept coming back because nothing else works as well for me. I bought one of the G43's when 1st introduced, and for whatever reason didn't shoot it well. I always felt it was just that individual gun but I let it go. A few months ago I happened to catch a local gunshop one day sale, $400 OTD for any Glock 9mm. They had G43, G43X, G48, G26, and G19 too choose from. I already had a G19 and didn't feel the G48 or G26 did anything I couldn't do with the G19. I decided to give the G43 another try and this one is shooting great for me.

In my opinion Glock should have just offered 10 round G43 mags with a built in mag sleeve instead of making the 43X. That is what Sig did with the P365. It comes with flush fit 10 round mags, but extended 12 and 15 round mags fit it. You'd have had the same gun, but with the option of using shorter mags for deeper concealment. But the 10 round G43X and G48 mags don't even fit the standard G43.

I bought some 2 round mag extensions for the G43 and feel it is a good compromise, I have 2 of each depending on the need. I don't have anything against the G43X. I'm betting your wife loves it. But for me the more compact size was more important. Some pics of my G43, Sig 365.

Sig with 10 round mag, G43 with 6 rounds



With 12 and 8 round mags

 

[george29]

View attachment 858661 I just bought the G48, after initially putting down money on a 43X, same as the G43X but 1/2 longer barrel.

 

[Palolosj]

The G48 is good for both carry and range use. The version having steel sights and tritium inserts is only about $30 more than one with plastic sights. The metal is more durable and inserts make gun easy to locate in the dark providing tritium is not too old. Nice.