Glock 43 30 Stick - I noted here on the blog that I am against the early adopter philosophy, especially when it comes to mechanical devices. Therefore, when the Glock 43 was released in mid-2015, I did not rush to buy one. On my mind were some of the issues with Gen 4 Glocks, especially in 9mm (how many of our readers suffered from "brass in the face" issues?). Knowing that Glock tends to value their reputation and provide quick solutions to problems with their products, I decided to wait a bit.
Along those same lines, I didn't envision a role for the Glock 43 to fill right away. My Glock 19 and 26 covered my primary concealed carry needs, with a Ruger LCP covering my non-permissive environment (NPE) requirements.
Glock 43 30 Stick
Upon the release of the Glock 43, the only criticism I consistently read (mechanically) was its fairly heavy trigger pull compared to its larger 9mm brethren. I understand that Glock made this a little easier / softer with a different connector, although some still complain (according to the date of manufacture, mine has the original). Other criticisms were about its size (some wanted one the exact size of the .380 ACP Glock 42, others wanted one with the profile of a Glock 19 but slimmer, etc.) - you can't please everyone - and its capacity, which is 6+1. With the trigger issues supposedly improved a bit and the magazine capacity to handle the aftermarket, I started casually looking at Glock 43s, renting one at the range and putting a box of ammo on it. I liked it, but I didn't feel the need to buy it right away.
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Luckily, about a year ago, a member of a local firearms forum listed a Glock 43 for sale. I looked it up online, but couldn't buy it. Incredibly, despite its low price ($430 I think), there were no takers. When the seller dropped the price to $415 and brought out a third magazine, I immediately contacted him and made the deal. The pistol was essentially new; the seller said he put three magazines (18 rounds) total through it as he had bought two Glock 43's, carried one and basically just tested it. The interior of the pistol was pristine with no marks on the barrel and the interior still coated with that copper colored anti-seize lubricant that Glock uses at the factory. The seller even covered the transfer fee to a local FFL!
It has taken me a while to put the mandatory 500 rounds into this pistol as I have been focusing on other things. However, now that my round count through this Glock has reached that number, I feel I can give my overall impressions.
Reliability wise, I have yet to have any malfunctions with the Glock 43. I have shot a few magazines with Speer Gold Dot 124 grain +P, and the rest are a mix of Sellier and Bellot, Fiocchi, Blazer Brass 124 grain FMJ Ammunition and then several brands (Winchester and Blazer Brass) of FMJ 115 grains. To date, I have not tested any steel or aluminum cased ammo.
In the accuracy department, our Facebook followers have seen this photo illustrating me successfully passing the Dot Torture at 3 yards:
Tfb Review: Tyrant Designs Glock 43x/48 I.t.t.s. Trigger And Magwellthe Firearm Blog
I also regularly shoot a form of recoil practice, where I fire 5-shot groups into a 3×5 card, trying to keep all of my shots on the card as I recoil. My best score to date has been keeping all shots out to 15 yards, which to me is pretty good and on par with how I shoot my other Glocks. I've shot 25 yards with the 43 on a few occasions and still struggle a bit, but I do with all my pistols. I've seen photo evidence of Kyle Defoor putting ten-shot group numbers in the 90's at a B-8 repair center, so the pistol is certainly capable.
I've seen a few people online complaining about too much recoil with this little pistol. No doubt the smaller, thinner frame and lighter weight will result in a stronger and/or different recoil impulse than something like a Glock 19. However, I consider myself at least slightly sensitive to recoil (eg I hate shooting .40 S&W Glocks), and I don't find the Glock 43 recoil objectionable.
In the area of fit and finish, I have no real problems with the Glock 43. Mine has the "grey" colored slide so common on Gen 4 (and some later Gen 3) Glocks (no longer the Teflon type, "Fry Pan " Finish from some of the earlier models), and shows some scratches/scratches and "wear", but the finish seems quite durable and not a problem. larger siblings and small needles throughout the grip to improve grip. I also like the Gen 4 style magazine release, which is easy for me to reach with my (right) shooting hand.
Finally, we need to address stealth, as that is really what this pistol is all about. If one goes to the Glock website and looks at the various dimensions of the Glock 43 and compares them to other Glock models, one can find that there is really no difference between it and the Glock 26. The 43 is narrower than just about 4 mm. , and is lighter in weight by about 4 ounces (according to Glock's official website). However, the nature of the Glock pistol line is such that there really isn't much difference between "close" models (Glock 26 vs. Glock 19, Glock 19 vs. Glock 17, etc.). In fact, some recommend "skipping" models if you buy multiple Glocks (for example, buy the 43, 19, and 34, skipping the 26 and 17).
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I found that the Glock 43, despite what the numbers say, is much easier to conceal than any double stack model. It's so light it's barely noticeable, and while only slightly thinner than the Glock 26, those few millimeters seem to make a world of difference. That being said, the Glock 43 is still a belt mounted option for me. If you don't have large pockets AND, unlike me, don't mind carrying a pin pistol in your pocket, the Glock 43 is probably best carried in a "traditional" fashion. I am exploring some deeper concealment options for the 43, but that will be for a separate article. To date I have only seriously worn AIWB in a kydex holster designed as such.
I'm not against mods if they improve my overall performance/usability, but I tend to prefer a "less is more" approach. Consequently, my mods to date have included new sights, a new slide lock/release, and fixing magazine capacity issues.
For the sights, I've gone with the same type of scope that all my other Glocks currently use, the Ameriglo I-Dot Pro. As described in my article here, I like the bright orange dot, the i-dot night vision image, and the price. Ameriglo makes scopes specifically for the Glock 42 and 43 (ie the scopes they make for the larger Glocks will not fit). With the Glock 43's short sight range, the front sight takes up more space at the rear sight than the I Dot Pro on my other Glocks, but overall the scope image is virtually identical, allowing consistency in training and practice. These sights usually cost around $80.00.
When possible, I prefer to use the slide release/stop lever to release the slide and holster on my loads, and on this little pistol I sometimes had a bit of a hard time finding the lever. So, just like with the sights, I decided to use the same parts I use on my other Glocks, installing a Vickers/Tango-Down Slide Stop. On the Glock 43 this installs a bit differently (only two pins on this pistol instead of three on other 3rd and 4th generation Glocks), but I watched a quick YouTube video and I was good to go. I installed this part about 200 rounds ago and have had no hiccups (and with this gun, you reload a lot!). They can usually be found for around $25.00.
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To overcome the capacity issue, I've tried two different charger extensions so far: Pearce +1 and Vickers/Tango Down +2. I have two of each and they have all worked perfectly to date. I like the Pearce for carry as it doesn't add much more than the +0 extra that comes in one of the magazines that comes with every Glock 43 from the factory. It has the same grip structure as the pistol grip itself, so it looks and feels great and offers a great position for the little finger of your shooting hand. Easy to install and uses the original charger spring. I have had good luck with Pearce extensions on my Glock 26 and also on a Glock 30 that
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