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Last week, GLOCK released news of their new Slimline pistol series: the GLOCK 43X and the GLOCK 48. The G43X generally follows the same slide/barrel length as the wildly popular GLOCK 43, but with a “compact” frame – meaning about G19 in length. It’s still a single stack gun, though with a redesigned magazine to facilitate 10 rounds in a slim package that’s not terribly longer than the original G43. It’s just as long as the stock G43 including a magazine with the Tango Down Vickers +2 Magazine Extension – which yields 8 + 1, instead of 10 + 1 as with the G43X.
The GLOCK 48 mates the G19-ish (though slimmer) barrel/slide length with the G43X 10-shot single stack frame for an altogether appealing slim pistol.
A bit of explanation is in order. For years, people like me who couldn’t reach the trigger of double-stack DA guns like the M9, the M5906 and others wanted a single stack gun that would fit while having an action that didn’t make the uninitiated faint at the sight of a 1911 carried in Condition 1.
S&W gave us the Third Generation autos in a compact size – the M3913/3914. These things were ideal – except trying to find aftermarket gear like holsters. Remember, this was in a time when the minority of states were “shall issue.” There was little market for concealed carry.
It was also the bad old days of the Bill Clinton Memorial Gun & Magazine Ban of 1994, a law full of idiot ideas on controlling the population – and the police in small towns – while doing nothing whatever to address violent crime. A 10-shot or less auto made plenty of sense for those of us who could lawfully carry concealed.
The Shall Issue train rolled down the track, the Clinton Citizen Control act “sunset” and small guns and carry gear became gold.
Now we have many small guns made by a variety of manufacturers and lots of carry gear makers – but we also have the voice of the people. Lots of these people are part-time pistol packers, not dedicated to the art of self-defense, not members of the industry or of corporate/government security and enforcement assets. Sadly, they are loud on the ‘information cow path’ as they rail against the “bad idea” and outdated concept of the guns here under examination. Meanwhile, they carry their guns in the car not willing to pack service- or service-compact guns with a spare magazine as they blame ridiculous (and stupidly named) “gun free zones” for their unwillingness to actually wear the gun.
This is too bad, as their type has infiltrated formerly free states and is allowing passage of gun and magazine bans – putting guns with cartridge capacities like the GLOCK 43X/GLOCK 48 back into the spotlight.
Consider that the G19 of a type I’ve carried continuously since 2001 isn’t the ideal fit for me – or many others. It’s close enough and I’ve made it work. It took three cases of ammo consumed at law enforcement ranges and in some classes before I felt somewhat confident in my ability to hit with it.
I’m not seeing that with the G43X. Like the S&W M3913 before it, it falls into a ‘just-right’ category. Before someone screams “Kahr K9,” I was carrying one of those in one of the early magazine assignments I had early in the writing career. It was a great feeling gun, with a terrific DA-style trigger mated to a striker firing mechanism (no hammer). Aside from some minor issues of the day, like aftermarket support, there wasn’t a thing wrong with it.
It’s still out there, selling fine. The GLOCK market isn’t the same though; it’s made up of people either issued or formerly issued that make of firearm or of people who see what the cops carry and correctly infer that carrying the same type of heater could be smart.
I look at it this way: magazines are cheaper, holsters for the existing G43 are plentiful and thus far seem to fit the G43X, and GLOCK armorer training will carry over to the new guns. Sights are already out there too.
For those stuck in nanny-states with moronic magazine bans, the 10-shot magazines make sense.
What about the SIG P365 and the S&W Shield? They’re still out there, selling every gun they can make. They have great aftermarket support. The Shield was my go-to when age related infirmities caused me to have to give up the G19 for a short time last year. I still have it and have no reason to divest myself of it.
This line is another in a long line of good choices. We’re blessed with lots of choices, good choices manufactured by good people trying to bring diverse products to market – so who are we to complain?
So here’s the ‘411’ from factory spec sheets –
G43X
Barrel: 3.41”
Slide Finish: silver nPVD
Length: 6.06”
Height: 5.04”
Width: ca. 1”
Weight: 16.4 oz.
Capacity: 10 rounds
Ships: 2 magazines
G48
Barrel: 4.17”
Length: 7.28”
Height: 5.04
Weight: 20.74 oz.
I found the G48 to weigh in at 17.6 ounces on my scale – with empty mag in place. The G43X was 16.8 ounces, similarly fitted. I compared them to the Ruger LCRx 357 from my pocket – loaded with Federal 110 grain 38 Specials – which gave a weight of 21.6 ounces. Trigger presses were weighed on the Wheeler Engineering Professional Digital Trigger Gauge. The G48 averaged 5 lbs, 1.3 oz. The smaller gun averaged 5 lbs, 2.8 ounces.
As of this writing, the guns hadn’t been fired much. Weather and holidays combined to limit me to a single trip. I used the Safariland 7371 ALS Concealment Paddle Holster for the GLOCK 42/43 – it fit the G43X. Firing Federal “Aluminum” 115 grain FMJ, I found I couldn’t tell which gun I was shooting without looking at the side of the gun. There was no perceptible difference in recoil. I segregated the guns for a pair of groups from fifteen yards into a single 16.5x24” USPSA-style silhouette. Fired standing, the G43X put five rounds into the reduced “A-zone” while five rounds from the G48 went a little low on the head box in a slightly smaller group. From the same distance, five rounds of Super Vel 115 grain Solid Copper HP +P went into just under two inches from the longer gun. Ten rounds of Remington 124 grain Golden Saber printed a vertical string (indicating it was my grip, not the gun) with five of those rounds into less than two inches.
Both guns have to face the inspection of Legendary Lawman Chuck Haggard (in tomorrow’s Tactical Wire), shooting from fifty and 25 yards as well as the Comparative Standards.
We’ll keep you posted.
- - Rich Grassi