Glock 43, 10 yards rested, 100 grain hardcast, loaded on the light side with 4.5 grains of Bullseye. Probably about 1100 fps. It's not a target pistol. But it seems to hit close enough to where you point it.

There's not much if anything bad to say about the Glock 43, IMO. I would consider it a definite EDC option. It conceals just a smidge better than my current EDC, which is my Gen 5 Glock 26. I like the 26 a little better, though, just because you can keep loaded mags for it in the glove compartment (or your pocket) that are designed for the 19, 17, and 18, i.e., from 15 to 32 rounds per mag. There are some ten round extended mags for the 43, though.

I almost bought the 42. But I chose the 9mm over the .380.

I've found a 100 grain bullet that expands at the upper end of .380 velocities but it sacrifices penetration as a result. It's no trick to take it to 1250 in the 9mm,...maybe even more. But I wanted to see if the Glock 43 would cycle it at around 1100 fps.

I was using the 100 grain cast bullets to check the 43s function at 1100 fps with a 100 grain bullet. No problem. It tosses the brass a good distance. In fact, it makes me wonder if the recoil spring in the 43 is a bit on the light side. A 100 grain bullet at 1100 fps will definitely rack the slide.

You must have some big pockets. I thought my G42 might be a pocket carry option but in normal jeans forget it. Might be perfect if I ever start wearing some oversize bib-overalls. Nice shootin' by the way.

No,..I'm not going to try to pocket it. In fact, I've given up on pocket carry for any of the small pistols,...too slow to get one out of your pocket. That's the main reason I stepped up in size from the LCP Max to the 43. I like the Max, but as long as I'm going to IWB carry a handgun, it might as well be a 9mm and it might as well be the size of a 43.

First Glock I've ever owned. It works very well for a 9mm pistol its size. As far as I can tell, it doesn't give up anything to a full size pistol except maybe capacity. It shoots and hits just like the rest of them.

But then,..the way I figure, it's going to be over one way or another by the time a person fires 7 rounds.

I'm generally with you on pocket carry. I even carry my Sig P238 IWB most of the time, when I carry it. On rare occasion, such as when going to the doctor, I pocket carry the Sig in an Alabama brand Kydex pocket holster.

Just curious.....did you consider the Sig P365?

I've considered about every firearm out there at one time or another. There's many good compact 9mm handguns out there these days. It comes down to flipping a coin. The Glock 43 has turned out to be better than I expected. Today I found that it will cycle and shoot accurately when loaded with cast bullets at 1100 fps. That makes me believe that it will function and shoot accurately with about any reasonable load that I come up with.

I don't know how many compact 9mms will do that. I think I'm going to keep it.

I can comfortably pocket carry a G43X in the pockets of my Duluth Trading jeans.

https://www.amazon.com/mic-holster/s?k=mic+holster


Try one of these.

No, it doesn’t.

Something else you're an expert on?!! If you didn't suffer from CHPD (chuckle head personality disorder) you coulda been a contender!

But anyway,....pick your 9mm of choice and go shoot a 15 shot group at 10 yards off a rest.

,...and there can't be any powder burns on the target, now. We know how you can be.

It’s a great little carry gun

Yeah but if you actually need to use it, why give up the 15 round capacity models ?the 48, 43x etc

Does your Glock 17 shoot worse or the same?

You have a lot to learn about handgunning.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

Your ballistics are almost identical to the Hornady Critical Defense Lite. That is a 100gr Flex Tip at 1125 fps.

Yeah. I was considering the 43 to be a .380 +P+ when I bought it. I've found that it works very well at that power level.

And yet another thing you're an expert at!!

I wouldn’t say I am an expert but I do understand the basic principles.

If you ever wanna learn, just ask.

For a small pistol that's not bad. A real step up from 380 power level, but still pleasant to shoot.

I'm sure the pistol is capable of better. My eyes aren't particularly good these days. I can see the sights well enough. But the circle on the target is fairly blurry when my focus is on the front sight.

I hear you on the eyes. No way I can get the front sight in focus anymore. Embrace the blur.

I did set up a pistol with a RDS recently. That does seem to help out some, but there is a learning curve. Only one thing to center on the target though, blurry or clear.

I don't have a 43 anymore, but it is a solid gun in its size range. Considering that a 100 grain hard cast flat point starting at 940 fps out of my .380 slightly outpenetrated a 9mm 124 grain Gold Dot fired out my 9mm with the same barrel length, I am curious to know what a 100 grain hard cast starting at 1100 will do. You probably could dial it back a little and lessen the recoil with no appreciable loss of damage to the target.

As far as Critical Defense is concerned, I wouldn't trust it against barriers.

I tend to agree there. Going with the lighter weight bullets like sub-115gr, and at sub-9mm standard velocity, penetration has to be there. Expanding bullets in that range of weight/speed give up too much penetration for my liking.

With the 9mm dropping into 380+P territory, cycling issues could start to appear. That is something to be aware of and keep an eye on.

Yeah. I was wondering how it would cycle with a load as light as what I was putting through it. I chose Bullseye because it's a fast powder and I thought it would generate a quicker impulse on the slide. I don't know if it does or not. But the brass was getting tossed pretty good and the slide locks open when the magazine is empty. It doesn't appear that cycling is going to be an issue with this load.

Flatnose bullet?

This is the bullet I'm going to load in the 9mm. I use them in my .380s also. This is 926 fps. Maybe 8"? Another 175-200 fps should be just about right. Any more and I'm thinking they might start breaking apart.

Yeah. 100 grain 22 bnh cast flatnose. They're okay to play around with. But cast bullets in the 9mm have some drawbacks. The grease groove on this particular bullet is positioned fairly high so you have to seat the bullet deep to have it contained in the case. The 9mm is already a high pressure cartridge and seating the bullet deeper than normal will push pressure up quick.

It's a variable that's impossible to gauge.

But, as mentioned, I was loading them light to check for functioning. So I wasn't concerned. I wouldn't use them if I was chasing velocity, though.

These. I originally bought them to load in .380 cartridges.

https://rimrockbullets.com/xcart/tsh-380-9mm-100-gr-fp-per-300.html

I've read some seriously bad things about those. Sure they expand, but no penetration. From what I've seen they'd be the last bullet I'd load.

I share those same concerns with ammo that is outside the usual norm for the caliber. It sounds like that contingency has been handled.


If you are talking about a carry load, I wouldn't rely on that one holding up against any kind of barrier. Once I get into the realm of duty calibers, I just stick with the stuff the cops carry because it has been highly vetted. Stuff like 124 and 147 Gold Dots and HSTs can be purchased online under $50 per 50 round box, and you only need a couple of boxes to start and a box a year for replacement. Then you can make up a practice load with Berry's to mimick the recoil characteristics. If you are talking woods walking and such, I would up the hard cast bullet to a 148 Rim Rock Outdoorsman. The Buffalo Bore +P ammo using the same bullet functioned fine in my 43.

YMMV

Rim Rock makes the 100 grain 22 bnh flat point bullets that Buffalo Bore uses in their .380 +P loads, also.

That's the bullet I was using to test function in my 43. People (including Glock) say not to shoot cast bullets in their polygonal barrels. But I didn't figure a 22 bnh bullet at 1100 would leave any lead behind,..and they didn't. They seem fairly accurate, also.

I felt the G43x was a little snappy compared to a G26. I've always smoothed and polished the feed ramps on Glocks. If not you stand a good chance of smashing the plastic shot shells.

No way I'd carry that Berry Bullets bullet. Look at the next 300 pound black dude you see while getting some fried gizzards and say 'Yeah, I think 8 inches of penetration will suffice.'

You're Maser,....right?

No, I don't run to hotels when the news says there might be a 1/4" of ice.

Tell me what was wrong about what I posted. I'll tell you want, PM Ted (Mackeysagebush) and ask him if I'm Maser.

You old fuggs are funny

I don't know if you're right or not. Tell me about all the 300 pound black dudes you've shot with that bullet and what the results were.

Never said I shot one, but if you think a bullet that expands wildly, and only penetrates 8 inches is the right pick for a 300 pound black dude that is 3 feet betwixt the withers, then I hope you have a good insurance policy for the wife..

I'd rather sling your 100gr cast bullets than the Berry HP at anything that wishes me harm.

Okay,...tell me about all the 300 pound black dudes you've shot with that 100 grain cast and what the results were.

Tag for future, thanks all for your information.

Did you have to stay at a Holiday Inn last night? You are one stupid old fugg.

lol,...your feelings get hurt easily.

You need to toughen up! The world is hard on you sensitive types.

I would never ever rely on Critical Defense not enough penetration for me. Shallow penetration is a good way to not stop an intruder quickly enough.

Love my little model 43!

I carry my G43 about 90% of the time. Loaded with
147 grain HST ammo, and an 8 round (Tango down/Vickers +2) magazine in my off side pocket.

Ron