Have you ever wanted a Glock, but small? Meet the Glock 43.
The Glock 43 is just that, a subcompact 9mm with stealthy and comfortable carry in mind. The 43 was a precursor to the upgrade 43x, which made considerable improvements to major aspects of the original Glock 43.
The question is if the Glock 43 is a great firearm all on its own. Keep reading to see my thoughts on the Glock 43.
Glock 43: The Specs
This pistol is tiny. And of course, it was designed this way with concealed carry in mind. The Glock 43 is remarkably small and can fit in pockets (or a safe) nicely as well as ankle holsters and bags of all sorts. This pistol is the perfect size for really any kind of way you want to carry it, but it does have its limitations.
The stock magazine doesn’t hold much. You’ll only have six rounds to work with which is a big problem for me. In a dire situation, I don’t think six rounds will cut it especially with adrenaline running heavy and pistol rounds propensity for requiring more hits than you might think. You could grab up a revolver that has virtually no chance of jamming up and getting you hurt.
It’s worth noting that the Glock 43x remedied that problem entirely by including a 10 round mag.
Recoil An Issue?
Let’s talk about recoil. Bottom line for subcompacts: it always sucks. The frames are not big enough to mitigate some of the acute force from a 9mm, so you’ll find that recoil is actually a little more of a struggle than with a compact. The kick is snappy, but not uncontrollable. With that being said I don’t really bring my 43 out unless it’s to drill.
The Glock 43 has retained Glock’s trademark reliability. I only experienced a couple of jams in 1000 rounds. Reliability is a big aspect of choosing a carry pistol; the 43 provides that if you’re inclined to carry it. It’s not likely to fail on you.
Accuracy is decent. I’m typically not shooting past 25 yards when it comes to subcompacts and the Glock 43 performed just fine within that range. I did personally have an issue where I noticed I was flinching a little bit as a result of the snappier recoil. After resolving that, the 43 performed just fine at 25 yards.
I must admit that I really do like the look of the Glock 43. I’ve always been enamored with a tiny version of my favorite pistol. It’s identical to the compact G19 and the full-size G17, just scaled down a bunch. It’s still very much a Glock 43 in both function and looks.
I do have to mention that the price is absurd at $529, the same as a Gen 4 Glock 19. There is zero chance I will buy this as anything other than a collector’s item or to review.
Image: Creative Commons.
Glock 43. Image: Creative Commons.
Image: Screenshot.
Image Credit: Glock.
The Glock 43 is alright, but definitely not something I’d rush to buy. It functions fine but lacks decent capacity and the recoil is unpleasant (something especially important when considering purchasing this for someone as a gift), but if you like Glocks, then this would be a pretty good addition to your collection if you don’t mind forking out the money.
Meet the Glock 19X
Glock 19X and Glock 44 side by side. Image Credit: 19FortyFive Original Image.
Glock 19X. Image Credit: Original Image from 19FortyFive.
Glock 19X. Image Credit: 19FortyFive Original Image from August 2022.
Glock 19X. Image Credit: 19FortyFive.
Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.
