Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 43x or 48?

What’s the Fires consensus? (For carry).

I bought the 43X

I've got both. Really liked the 43x when I bought it, then I picked up a 48 and the 43x stays in the safe. I can shoot the 48 better seems to carry better

48 for me all the way. Plus the PSA 15 round mags and it’s a slim 19.

I got the 48 a few years ago because the Glock 22 was getting to be heavier than I wanted for everyday carry. First week with the 48 I shot the highest score I ever shot in a qual. I like it a lot. And it’s color coordinated with my truck. My truck is black and silver also. Things like that are important to a guy.

I’m a 1911 guy, never held a Glock I liked the feel of. When the P320 came out, I had high hopes for it. Nope, didn’t like it.

We couldn’t get the 43x up here, but the 48 was allowed. Bingo, the first Glock that I liked the feel of it in my hand.

I laid my hands on a black 48 with the night sights and several magazines.

I vote for the 48.

I've got lots of Glocks, and have had more in total since the 1990s (a few have moved on), and the one and only Glock that gives me slide bite is the 43X. After experimenting with different ways to grip it (because I loved it, conceptually), I ended up selling it because no matter what I did, it would bite me. I got bit with it worse than any Browning Hi Power or old school 1911A1. Odd, because I never get bit by Glocks, even, by my 43 or 42.

I have a an X and i wish I'd never bought it---but after I invested a ton in upgrades --foolishly----I'll never get my $ back--1911's forever

I handled a 43x a good while. then the 48. The 48 came home & I was even happier with my choice after shooting it. Haven't had much interest in my other Glocks after getting the 48, love the thing.

I bought the G48 for wife as a Christmas present. She loves it and shoots it well. I like as it slimmer and easier to conceal. But it her gun kept on her side of the bed. I would buy another one but I am carrying a G43 most of the time now.

My brother in law has the 43x, and my shooting buddy has the 48. I've shot both guns a fair amount.

They are the same size frame, so the grip is the same size and they are both 1.10" thick. The only difference is the length of the slide. I've never found that slide length impacted concealability. It's grip size that makes the difference.

If your eyesight allows you to use iron sights effectively, you'll probably shoot the 48 more accurately. If you need to go with a red dot, get the 43x MOS and don't look back. (As previously suggested, get the aftermarket metal 15 rd mags and the metal mag release. Both my bro-in-law and my friend have them, and they work flawlessly).

I would avoid the shield magazines (the above mentioned aftermarket metal ones that require a metal mag catch), as there have been problems with some guns. Plus, you can’t use your factory mags with the metal catch. Palmetto state armory makes a metal/poly hybrid 15 round magazine that uses the stock magazine catch. Reports are that it is more reliable than the shield mags, costs less, and keeps factory mag compatibility by preserving the stock catch. I’ve got 8 and they have all been flawless.

Thanks for the info. I also have been considering them for a few weeks now.

Shield mags have been flawless for me in a 48 and 43X.

I use both, but generally prefer the 48 with a Holosun.

Palmetto State Armory makes a G48 metal 15 round magazines. They run just fine in my wife's G48. They use the Glock factory mag release so the plastic factory mags can still be used. They can be hard to find as an in stock item.

Check the pistol closely before buying. My 43x has the worst quality control of any firearm I have every owned. Slide to frame fit is a awful, slide rocks like a teeter totter. Trigger was over 8 lbs, trigger blade was sharp enough to draw blood. Fliers are so bad as to make it more of a pattern. My old 43 would shoots circles inside the groups of the 43x. I wish I would not have traded the 43.

To make it even worse, the market has fallen and prices are so low on Glocks that used ones are worthless. I have been to two shops and none of them will take Glocks in trade.

Why don't you let Glock know and see if they'll fix it?

I don't think it's just Glocks. It's all plastic pistols. The market is flooded.

These are perfect to carry , just slightly larger than the 43X .

I prefer the 43X. Top is one I assembled with an OEM frame and Brownells slide. I use the 15 round Shield mags in that one. Lower is an MOS with a few mods. I run OEM mags with weighted baseplates in that one. Both have functioned flawlessly so far.