I attended a special GLOCK event last night where I got the opportunity to put some rounds through the brand new GLOCK 43. Like I’ve said, on spec, the handgun looks like it fills a much-needed hole in my personal arsenal — a handgun that can be either a pocket pistol or a holstered sidearm depending on the weather. Something I can slide in my pocket and forget about…until I need it. Now that I’ve actually had some trigger time with the gun, I think I can make a more informed decision. And that decision is . . .
I really, really need to buy one.
The GLOCK 43 addresses all of my complaints about the GLOCK 19 when it comes to concealed carry. Instead of being a massive and chunky boat anchor, the gun is sleek and svelte. I could slide it in my pocket and it disappears without an issue…unless there’s an RSO behind me watching to make sure I don’t go home with any extra door prizes. The slim profile also means that I can wear tighter shirts without worrying about printing, which has become a more important factor now that I’m about 50 pounds slimmer than I was at SHOT Show.
The grip is where things really take off for me. The G19 has a set of ridges molded into the grip that my hands never seem to fit properly, and that make it uncomfortable to hold for me. With the G43, the ridges are gone and the gun is actually fairly plain. There’s some stippling, but that’s it — and I like it. It feels great in my hands.
The baseplate on the magazine really does make the difference here, though. With the extended baseplate — giving the shooter a full three-finger grip — the gun is perfect. It rides in my hand exactly where it feels comfortable, and shooting the gun is a joy.
But when you insert a mag without the extended baseplate, things start to go off the rails especially in the accuracy department. I can keep the gun dead on target while mag-dumping at 10 yards with the extended mag, but with the flush-fit one I start throwing rounds off the silhouette. Moral of the story for me and my big hands: always use the bigger mags.
The GLOCK guy came right out and said it during the briefing: “We fully acknowledge that we missed the mark” in terms of the release schedule. Then again, I’m betting they wouldn’t have sold nearly as many G42s as they did had this puppy been available first. I like it — I like it a whole lot. It’s the perfect firearm for my personal needs, and I couldn’t be more excited to actually buy one (a phrase I never thought I’d say about a GLOCK product). Which is why Dan is going to review it.
Stay tuned.