{"id":415573,"date":"2024-01-10T15:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T21:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/?p=415573"},"modified":"2024-01-05T11:36:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T17:36:44","slug":"review-glock-43x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/review-glock-43x\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Glock 43X"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although it wasn\u2019t the Glock 43X that first brought the slimline\/single-stack series of guns to the typically double-stack Glock world, it’s definitely the one that\u2019s gotten well-deserved attention. It\u2019s affordably priced, fantastic for concealed carry, and well-made \u2014 what\u2019s not to love? After dedicating the time and ammo into putting the Glock 43X through its paces at the range and for carry use, we\u2019re reporting back to you with our results.<\/p>\n

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The Glock 43X is a subcompact gun chambered in 9mm. (Photo credit: Kat Stevens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What is the Glock 43X?<\/h2>\n

Launched in 2019, the Glock 43X is seen by many shooters as hitting the sweet spot between the Glock 43 and the Glock 48 (more on the latter, later). The 43X is a subcompact chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. This gun’s creation had something to do with one of the things some gun owners don\u2019t always enjoy about the classic Glock design: its thick double-stack style. While that comes in handy for capacity, it adds bulk and weight. Enter the Slimline frame of the Glock 43X. It\u2019s sleek and comfortable, offers decent capacity, and retains the basic attributes of the original Glock line of guns.<\/p>\n

Basically, the Glock 43X was created as a modern carry gun operating off Glock’s well-known and popular features. It\u2019s a Gen 5 Glock, which means it benefits from all the improvements of the latest generation. The barrel is better, the grip doesn\u2019t have finger grooves, and it comes standard with better iron sights (among other things).<\/p>\n

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The Glock 43, picture left, was the company’s first single-stack. The Glock 43X, picture right, is a slightly larger and far more popular single-stack. (Photo credit: Kat Stevens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What are the Glock 43X specifications?<\/h2>\n

The Glock 43X’s features are optimized for concealed carry. It has a 3.41-inch barrel and compact frame that keep it small enough for truly easy concealment. Coincidentally, the Glock 43X was announced alongside the Glock 48. The 48 is virtually the same gun except for a longer barrel. Because the 43X has that slightly shorter barrel, it\u2019s a lot easier to carry in an AIWB (appendix inside waistband<\/a>) holster. It\u2019s surprising considering the barrel length difference is less than one inch, but it does make a difference.<\/p>\n

The pistol has upright serrations at the back and front of the side to make manipulations smoother. The Gen 5 grip doesn\u2019t have finger grooves, but retains the expected Glock texture for a sure hold during live fire. The 43X has a reversible magazine release. This is useful for left and right-handed shooters, but great for serious shooters working on mirror shooting (which is if you\u2019re right-handed, but shooting with your left, and vice versa). The beavertail on this gun is built-in unlike other models with interchangeable backstraps. However, because it\u2019s already the ideal size, that\u2019s not likely to be a problem.<\/p>\n

This gun has a better trigger than previous generations and also benefits greatly from the use of a Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB). The improved barrel does excellent things for accuracy and longevity. The Glock 43X has an overall length of 6.50 inches, width of 1.10 inches, and height of 5.04 inches. It weighs 18.70 ounces empty. With a flush-fit magazine<\/a>, it has a 10+1 capacity. As with all Glock guns, the 43X doesn\u2019t have an external thumb safety. It utilizes the Glock S.A.F.E. Action system of internal safeties. Over the years, those safeties have more than proven their worth.<\/p>\n

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As you can see, this really is a subcompact, but remains comfortable to shoot. (Photo credit: Kat Stevens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How does the 43X shoot?<\/h2>\n

Testing included a combination of defensive loads and target rounds. This included Blazer 9mm 115-grain FMJ<\/a> (full metal jacket), Federal Syntech 9mm 124-grain TSJ<\/a> (total synthetic jacket), Hornady Critical Defense 9mm 115-grain FTX<\/a>, and Winchester Silvertip 9mm 115-grain JHP (jacketed hollow point). Throughout testing, the Glock 43X cycled everything reliably and had no failures of any kind.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re expecting the usual Glock feel, you\u2019ll find out the Glock 43X is a bit different because it has that slimmer profile. It fits well in my hands and is the right width for me to get a solid grip on it without feeling like it\u2019s undersized or otherwise awkward. This is a well-balanced gun that produces negligible felt recoil and muzzle rise, unlike some subcompacts. The factory sights are great out of the box but, if you prefer to upgrade, there are endless aftermarket options.<\/p>\n

The Glock 43X is both accurate and precise. It shines best within 10 yards, which is unsurprising given the barrel length, but remains relatively accurate at 25 yards as long as your shots are slow and deliberate. With its 10-round capacity, you might find yourself wanting a spare magazine for carry purposes. That\u2019s never a bad idea. If you\u2019re going to do that, also spend some time on magazine changes. That spare mag doesn\u2019t do a lot of good if you can\u2019t swap them out quickly.<\/p>\n

Overall, this is a nice little gun. It\u2019s not so small that it\u2019s frustrating or difficult to shoot and it\u2019s not so large that it\u2019s bulky. It really is an ideally-sized handgun for defensive purposes \u2014 especially if you intend to carry. It\u2019s really no wonder it\u2019s the go-to concealed carry gun for so many people. This is a reliable, durable gun that\u2019s comfortable to shoot and delivers nice groups on target.<\/p>\n

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A diagram of Glock’s S.A.F.E. Action system. (Photo credit: Glock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Should you get one?<\/h2>\n

Glocks are great guns for a lot of reasons. They cycle well and remain at an affordable price point. If you don\u2019t want to put the money into a brand new one, odds are high you can find a good used gun. For a solid daily carry, the Glock 43X is a good fit while it also makes a fantastic first gun.<\/p>\n

Regarding the lack of an external safety (because that\u2019s something that comes up a lot), it\u2019s worth mentioning how the S.A.F.E. Action works. It features three different safety mechanisms including a trigger safety, firing pin safety, and drop safety. According to Glock, these mechanisms are designed to continue functioning reliably in temperatures ranging from -40 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. While external safeties can certainly be nice features, there\u2019s no situation in which a safety is a replacement for following the rules of gun safety and proper handling. The lack of that external thumb safety on a Glock shouldn\u2019t stop you from getting one.<\/p>\n

If you love the Glock 43X but wish it was just a little bigger, try the longer-barreled Glock 48. Generally speaking though, the 43X is perfect for most shooters. Slimline, subcompact, ridiculously durable, reliable, and fun to shoot. What\u2019s not to love about the Glock 43X?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Glock 43X is one of Glock’s most popular pistol offerings. We ran one through the paces to give you an in-depth look.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":415576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2333],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-415573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-firearm-reviews"],"small_media_thumbnail":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/glock-43x-1-300x225.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=415573"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415573\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":418574,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/415573\/revisions\/418574"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/415576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=415573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=415573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunmagwarehouse.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=415573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}