Glock 43 Issues - As a longtime owner and frequent user of full size and compact Glocks, it was music to my ears when the company finally announced a subcompact 9mm that wasn't as bulky as the Model 26. The six plus one capacity Glock 43 was a welcome addition to my EDC when it was new .
This relatively flat gun is easy to conceal, but still large enough for serious shooting duties. With the controls in all the same places, the same polymer sights, and a trigger built just like my Gen 4 Glock 17, it was very quick to use as everything felt familiar. There are no thumb guards to remember, no grip guards to accidentally disable, no mile-long trigger pull, and no hair trigger. The slide is thin enough to hide the waistband, but not thin enough to do well for more than heavy motor activities. And if you're left-handed, the page release is reversible.
Glock 43 Issues
I carried that 43 for two years and did a lot of qualifying with it. A couple of students even bought their own 43's and it was quite fun to shoot small matches with the same model gun. It also helped us all be better prepared since the 43s are our everyday guns.
Glock 43 Subcompact Semi Auto Pistol
Like its larger Glock counterparts, the 43 never malfunctioned. No matter what brand of ammo or case type we used, it worked perfectly reliably, as did my teammates' 43s.
A small downside to the 43 is that, unlike other Glocks in my collection, the magazines are not interchangeable between guns. 43 Mag's stepped, very low double stock configuration is not standard and wide, standard Glock.
Seven rounds in total is not too much. When carrying a 43, I always carry an extra mag for peace of mind.
A few years after the release of the 43, Glock announced its successor, the 43X. It's similar to the 43, and the same holsters fit both guns, but the 43X has a 10-iron mag for a little extra gear. I borrowed a 43X from a friend to try and found the handle too long to conceal it well. So I stayed with my 43 a little longer. At one point I tried an aftermarket eight-round magazine, but it would only run properly if it only held seven rounds. The increased size of this sign led to the same problem I had with the 43X. So I put the six round mag in the gun and the other in my pocket.
Glock 43: The Best Concealed Carry Gun?
The great thing about the 43 and 43X is that there are many holsters for them. IWB, OWB, you name it, every holster manufacturer makes a 43/43X gun holster, including Bravo Concealment. This is a big advantage, as choosing a holster is sometimes a more difficult task than choosing a gun. The same goes for aftermarket options.
It's been a while since I first bought my 43 and other companies have started making concealed carry guns that have the same footprint as the 43 but with a relatively larger capacity. Sig Sauer was the first to issue their P365 with their 10-round magazines, soon the factory 12- and 15-rounders would fit and work. The bull followed G2C with a 12-round mage. Then Springfield Armory shook up the concealed carry world with its 13+1 Hellcat, which is almost the same size as the P365. All of these guns are slightly thicker than the 43, but generally shorter - as close to concealed carry as the market currently offers.
It's unfortunate that Glock hasn't moved on with their high capacity carry gun yet. 43 is a reliable, concealable shooter, but has been overshadowed by newer, higher-powered subcompacts. Also, the 43 is still over $500 in most markets. Due to a combination of these factors I recently sold my 43 and realized that the small sig had become my carry gun of choice and I could put that money towards a new firearm I had my eye on.
If you're considering a 43 or already own one, don't let that put you off. There's nothing wrong with that---but it no longer leads the pack at the intersection of efficiency and concealment.
Glock 43, Ice Blue Glock 43, Ice Blue Glock, Glock, Ice Glock 43
Eve Flanigan is a defensive shooting and concealed carry instructor based in the American Southwest. Today, he works full-time in the firearms industry as an instructor and writer. Flanigan loves helping new and old shooters develop the skills they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.
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