Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Have you had a Glock 43 long enough to evaluate?

What don't you like? Would you buy it again? Did you consider a G42?

Looking at one for a possible purchase for my wife (if she likes it).

I wish that Glock had rounded the front of the trigger guard instead of putting the ringer rest on it. That "feature" is pretty much useless to most people on all Glocks, but it is more annoying on a pocket pistol. Other than that, it is great, and my wife likes it, too.

That is exactly what swayed me away from it. After pocketing it and then the LC9S Pro it was a pretty easy decision for me. The Ruger with all its rolled edges and tapered slide it just carried better. In a woman's purse that might not be a problem though.

i love mine both of them. we have a 42 and 43.

my only complaints:

the slick grip

the trigger

fixed both

ghost trigger and robar

I really like that grip.

I have a 42 and a 43, I like both of them, if I were to sell one it would be the 42 its a little big for a .380. The 43 is a nice gun and surprises me with its accuracy for such a small gun.

I wonder if that square guard can be rounded off and sanded smooth? Can a 43 be ordered with night sights or is that strictly after market.

As far as I know, Glock no longer offers night sights from the factory; strictly aftermarket.

When did they start this?

I got my 43 in May with factory night sites.

Dink

I think it might be a distributor thing. IE, Davidson's or RSR orders a boatload of them.

It is a fairly soft polymer and quickly succumbs to files and sandpaper. Depending on the final finish a 600 grit should blend things pretty well.

A lifelong friend of mine who is retired military and law enforcement is now a firearms instructor. After handling his 43 over the weekend, I picked mine up today at another buddy's local shop.

I'm going to set it up just like my pal did his, with the Crimson Trace Green Laserguard, the Taran Tactical +2 magazine base pad and a Sticky Holster.

My S&W Airweights are jealous already...

Share some details with me on the ghost trigger and robar please rockchucker.

what I like best about my 43, is it shoots like a big gun and hides like a little gun

Never been a big Glock fan, but this G43 has completely won me over. I've run the snot out of mine through all sorts of courses and drills, and so far, it has proven itself extremely reliable.

As for issues, sights, grip, and mag base needed attention:

I am currently running HDs (orange), and am most pleased. We run a timed steel combat course for duty pistols, which I stretched out to 30 yards for the longest shots, and I was cleaning the course with very fast times testing those sights on my little 43. Good light to poor light, they worked well.

I do not care for hard stippling or skateboard texture on this type of pistol, as I've ruined too many shirts and jacket linings over the decades. What I now prefer are the rubber textured Talons. From Sunday church to sweaty/dirty use of force training day, they work.

Do not really care if I add rounds, but I do like the pinkie hook I gain from the Pierce + 1. I get an excellent "big gun" 2-handed straight thumbs grip with these, and they make hooking and indexing my grip when drawing out my pocket holster much easier.

The trigger guard thing noted above, I do not see. You never stick a bare 43 in a pocket, unless you care to shoot yourself. Trigger and guard are always covered by a proper pocket holster,if soft, prior to going into the pocket. It would require a hard shaped holster that prevents the trigger guard and trigger from dragging the pocket opening to be safe, which defeats the purpose, in my opinion. I use an iwb hoster for that purpose, but for pocket carry, they are designed for the pistol to be drawn quickly, not reholstered quickly. I like the DeSantis and have seen zero problems with the square guard.

Outside of this, I highly recommend the Speer Gold Dot short barrel +p 124gr for reliable performance with the reduced velocities of this pistol.

Best

Thanks for all the input.

Sakoluvr: I picked one up at a bargain price from one of my OCD gun buddies - he literally buys guns he doesn't really need or wants but if they are the "latest thing" he jumps on them and nearly as quickly tires of them and sells them.
Anyway I have the Model 43 now and enjoy its size and design.
It has been shot less than 50 times so far by both owners and no function issues to date and was not in need of any sight adjustment at all.
I may either trade it off for a Varmint Rifle or keep it and familiarize the VarmintWife with its use.
Her Smith & Wesson Model 60 is just to minty and valuable to leave with her anymore.
The Model 43's sure seem to be popular and the gunshops I frequent most often, sell quickly the few Model 43's they get in.
By the way one of my favorite gunshops has been selling handguns (of all types) like hotcakes for the past month!
I say it would be a fine choice for your wife.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Seriously? Your wife isn't worth a minty model 60?

Have had both since they first became available. Wife shot both and choose the 42 for everyday carry. She already has a Glock 23 for home/field use.

I'm trying out the 43 for now. Grip fits my hand better than the Glock 26 I was carrying.

I have had the pleasure of owning a G42 for a year now, and a G43 for about 4 or 5 months.

I like them both, to tell the truth. The G42 is softer to shoot. Empties seem to roll out of the ejection port and over my knuckles. Accuracy is very good. It has earned a place here at my house.

I like the G43 as well. While a touch larger than the G42, the G43 competes with the Smith and Wesson Shield, Ruger LC9s, Springfield XDs 9mm, and I suppose the Kel Tec PF9.

Very easy to carry, IWB is no problem. I have been carrying it in an ankle holster for the last couple or three months and can say that it is far more comfortable and concealable than the G27 in that role.

In terms of accuracy, the G43 shoots as well as my G42 and G19. If loaded with +p ammo, it does get a little lively, but in the backup gun role, or for off duty carry, I am more than happy with the setup.

Oh, most of all, reliability in my pistol has been flawless. I estimate 600-800 rounds through it at this point, various ball and JHP combinations. No problems of any kind.

I bought the Glock 42 and my Wife liked it so well I bought her one also.

Then the 43 came out, and I traded up.

I seem to be able to "hit" just as well with the 43 as the 42 and the 43 has more power.

As mentioned, it carry's like a small Pistol and shoots like a big Pistol.

I've probably got 300 rounds through my 43. It's running GREAT!

Would I buy another? YES, in a heartbeat!


Virgil B.

This pistol is begging for the Big Dot Tritium sight

This^^^

My little girl just bought a new Glock 43.

It has a front only red night sight, factory installed.

She is also trading up from her Glock 42.

Virgil B.

2nd this

I am surprised at how well I can hit steel plates past 40y with mine.

I honestly forget it is on me many times and the mags can be carried in Leatherman belt sheaths.

Like this...

Sneaky bastid. Good on you.

That's what I have on mine. Done a couple of other upgrades as well. Love it!

I now have one coming in with the Talo front night sight.

My Dad has the 43 and loves it. I went the Shield route, and don't regret my decision. I like the extra round the Shield offers over the 43, and the Shield just feels and points better in my hands. YMMV.

I'd rather carry one of the tiny 380s but I'm carrying the G43 right now because its small enough, nice to shoot and 100% reliable with all the various types of ammo I've run through it.

For reference I've owned a Colt Mustang 380 and currently have a Ruger LCP 380, Kahr CW380, Sig P938 9mm. Also, I've carried the G42 and G43 at the same time and could feel no difference which is why I went with the G43.....

I don't understand the benefit of this. If you can't see the rear wights in the dark, where do you put the front Talo sight? Maybe it works for some people but as for me, I'd rather have the standard issue sights, and if I wanted night sights I'd get them aftermarket for front and rear.

Steve.

Quick closer range shot you only need to see the front dot and fire. You will not be off target. I can't imagine trying to align front and rear when drawing on someone close and shooting fast. I am not talking about a 25 yard head shot here. When I practiced in a dark room I either had the front sight visible and in alignment with rear U shaped notch OR I did not see the front sight because it was blocked by one side of the rear sight. With a little more practice the front sight was where it was supposed to be for a close range shot. Seems like a good way to learn point and shoot. I don't know crap about handguns and probably should not have commented anyway! HA!

Hoping someone will comment that does this stuff for a living...

Seems like it would be a good idea to practice point and shoot in the darkness with a front TALO sight.

Steve.

I like to see the rear sight within my sight picture, just prefer it doesn't compete too strongly against the front. A slightly subdued rear having a wide U-notch keeping the right angles along the information line seems to work well for me.

In tritium I like the dot over dot sights like the Warren Tactical two dot. The rear dot isn't outlined with colored paint and is smaller than the front. The rear smaller dot is subdued and gives a yellowish tinted dot. The front is outlined with white paint which makes it fast to pick up in normal daylight. The tritium dot is larger than the rear and glows strong green. Ignoring dots allows a precision shot with a clean sight picture. I have a set on my M&P 9Pro 5" and a Glock G20 SF 10mm.

I bought a G43 as a backup to replace my S&W 642 that I carry on duty with my G17, and to replace my G26 for off duty carry. I tried to like it and I just couldn't get there.

I shoot my G17 a lot and like how the G26 has the same grip circumference and distance to the trigger. The G43 caused me to have to use a different part of my finger to keep from pushing shots left. So, rather than learning the G43, I just went back to carrying the G26 as a BUG and as an EDC.

In light of your reasoning, I can't see any way you hare-lipped yourself.

Bad guys come out during the night and they usually bring their friends. I see the 43/26 series as a 3-10 yard gun. Its nice to think that they won't get that close, but it'll happen fast with hands full of groceries or maybe keys getting into your car. Focus on the front sight and hit the trigger. Your probably not going to have the time to line up all three illuminated dots. So a dull/blackouted out rear sight will work fine.

Besides its what all the cool kids are carrying now days.

A buddy got a free carry gun out of it!

Good for the both of you.

Ha, he actually lost it in a river when he fell out of my boat. Its somewhere on the bottom of the Snake River.