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The Glock 43x is a subcompact 9mm pistol designed for concealed carry.
The Glock 43 can trace its roots to the 1982 introduction of the Glock 17 pistol. While not the 1st polymer framed handgun, it made a massive impact on the firearms market. Manufacturers who originally poo pooed the idea of a plastic handgun, soon found themselves making a copy of it and some even got sued for making too close of a copy.....
It didn't take long for Glock to be inundated with requests for a compact version and in 1988 they introduced the model 19.
Fast forward to 2008, the desire for a smaller compact handgun for concealed carry led to a trend of small 380 auto pocket pistols, nearly every manufacture made one and they sold well. See that story here.
That trend slowed down and now the trend is a subcompact 9mm, Glock introduced the 43 in 2015, The 43 was a true pocket pistol, but still lacked a grip frame long enough to get all your non-trigger fingers on the gun.
Glock dutifully answered the call by lengthening the grip frame a little more than 3/4" gaining 4 more rounds in the magazine. The X could stand for ten (as in the Latin numeral for ten) or it could mean "cross-over" which Glock has used on other models that borrowed parts or design features from other Glock pistols.
Introduced in 2019 the 43x gained favor quickly with the concealed carry crowd.
A video on Instagram posted by Shark Coast Tactical, showed nearly every member of their team naming the 43x as the best carry gun available.
Specs:
Caliber: 9 x 19mm
Barrel length: 3.41"
Overall length: 6.5"
Height: 5.04"
Width: 1.1"
Weight: 16.4 oz
Capacity: 10 rounds
Trigger pull weight: 5.4 lbs
The Glock 43x has a grip frame of similar size to the G19, but is shorter and thinner. See the comparison below from Handgun Hero.
I have owned a G19 for more than 3 decades, I have shot it a decent amount and carry it often. It is my #1 choice for concealed carry.
I recently bought the 43x while looking for a better gun for concealed carry as well as for my wife to carry.
When I first picked up the pistol it felt familiar, just like the G19 but a little thinner. All the controls were where a Glock owner would expect them.
When I buy a new gun, I almost always take it out to shoot a box of ammo through it as a test, testing the magazine and making sure the gun functions.
The G43x not only worked flawlessly, but also was very accurate. Shooting at a discarded propane tank at 50 feet +/-, I could not miss, pretty good for the 1st time handling the weapon. My wife also liked the gun, finding quite accurate and precise. In addition, she had no trouble loading the gun and cycling the slide, a complaint often levied at semi-auto pistols by women.
I'm not sure my recommendation is worth any more than then next guys, but I will tell you this, try the gun out, borrow or rent one at your local range and see for yourself.
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