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[This article was originally published at firearmrack.com and is reprinted here with permission.]
It appears that the Sootch00 GLOCK 43X review was published ahead of the January 2nd date by mistake. While that sucks for Sootch, it does allow those of us who weren’t privy to the new gun to take an early look at the GLOCK 43X as well as a glimpse of the GLOCK 48.
I guess it is fortuitous that we weren’t offered the chance to do my own GLOCK 43X review ahead of the release date and been bound by a non-disclosure agreement, I wouldn’t have been able to publish this post. Expect an editorial at some point about new product releases, companies blacklisting reviewers, and the pitfalls for the shooting community.
It appears that the sale sheet that RECOIL obtained is 100% genuine, every spec listed seems to mate up with the info that they were given in the initial GLOCK 43X leak last week.
At the time this is being written, Sootch’s GLOCK 43x review video is currently unlisted, but able to be embedded. If the video is still live, it should be found below.
GLOCK 43X vs. GLOCK 43
So now that we have some screen grabs from the GLOCK 43X review, time to dig into some of the details. The GLOCK 43X compared to the GLOCK 43 is, as predicted, a GLOCK 43 slide stuck on a slightly wider frame to accommodate the new 10-round magazines. More on the magazines in a bit.
As RECOIL predicted, the gun will have slide serrations both front and rear. A nice touch, even if executed poorly. The serrations are just too close to the muzzle and force the user to place their hand dangerously close to the muzzle.
I do have to say that while I haven’t handled the gun, the pistol looks unfinished due to the slimmer slide. I would have much preferred to see a slide that was the same width as the frame not only for aesthetic reasons but also to allow MRDS sights to be mounted as well as offering more purchase area when running the gun hard.
While I only grabbed a screenshot from Sootch’s GLOCK 43X review of the recoil spring, I am 99% sure that the slide on the GLOCK 43X will work on a GLOCK 43 frame. I suspect they used the same internals as the 43 to include the locking block. It just wouldn’t make sense to design all new parts.
You also should note the lack of an ambi slide stop cutout. Why GLOCK didn’t take the time to bring the new pistols up to Gen 5 configuration I just don’t understand.
Will The GLOCK 43X Fit GLOCK 43 Holsters?
Will the GLOCK 43X work in GLOCK 43 holsters? I honestly don’t think it will. I believe that the extra width of the grip is going to impact fitment in good Kydex holsters. It might fit fine in the leather whatever-the-heck brand holster that most of the targeted demographic own, so that might not be much of an issue. More on who I think this gun was built for in the conclusion.
I snapped a photo of my GLOCK 43 in my Tenicor VELO holster and indicated the area with an arrow that I feel will prevent most GLOCK 43 holsters from accepting a GLOCK 43X.
Do GLOCK 43X Mags Fit In The GLOCK 43?
The short answer is no. Sootch even addresses this in his GLOCK 43X review, but we are going to dive into why it won’t fit beyond the fact that it is wider.
Looking at the magazine in the photo, it appears that GLOCK took the 10-round GLOCK 19 magazine and removed the extra space in the rear of the liner resulting in what is more like a 1.5 stack mag. With the GLOCK 43 magazine being more of a 1.25 stack mag, the new one will not work in the older GLOCK 43.
Looking at the back of the magazine you can see how the witness holes are very different. When you compare the new GLOCK 43X magazine to a 10 round GLOCK 19 magazine, it isn’t hard to see how similar they are.
I snapped a photo of a damaged 10-round GLOCK 19 mag that I cut open to show the liner more clearly. When I say that GLOCK removed the extra space in the rear of the mag, the “hippy” areas that I have indicated with arrows are what I am talking about.
The GLOCK 43X / GLOCK 48 magazine will also have a redesigned follower that is more like the double stack GLOCKs than the flat follower on the GLOCK 43. The new follower design supports my assumption that the GLOCK 43X / GLOCK 48 mag is closer to a double stack than a single stack.
GLOCK 43X vs. GLOCK 48
So what is the difference between the GLOCK 43X and the GLOCK 48? Sootch lays them side by side in his GLOCK 43X review to give us a better look.
Sight radius and a slightly longer barrel it appears. From what I can tell, the frames are literally identical in the same way that the GLOCK 45 frame is identical to the MOS GLOCK 17 frame.
You can see the bottom of the slide will have a port in it to allow the front sight to be changed just like the GLOCK 34 or GLOCK 17L slides.
Who Was The GLOCK 43X and GLOCK 48 Built For?
Strangely Sootch doesn’t really address this in hid GLOCK 43x review, but two thumbs way up right? Plainly put, I think that this pistol was built for the Fudd community. Why do I say that? I am glad you asked.
The nPVD coated slide classes the pistol up, something those 1911-toting Fudds have historically complained about on black “Combat Tupperware” pistols. Everyone knows that silver is more fancy, even if there is little to no functional benefit to the coating on the exterior of the slide.
My assessment is that the GLOCK 43X was one of those guns where someone said “Why the hell not, we have the frames and the slides. Gaston Jr., go fire up the internet machine and tell people that we innovated something that competes with the SIG P365.” It happens every now and again in the gun industry, most of the time it is an AR that doesn’t make a ton of sense that exists only because the company has the parts.
While I don’t have a picture of Sootch holding the GLOCK 48, I really feel that guys his age are the target demographic for the GLOCK 48. Now Sootch may not fall into the demographic squarely, he is a bit more forward-thinking than your average Fudd. (That was supposed to be a joke, no need to get butthurt.)
I should probably expand a bit on what I mean by older guys that think they understand firearms well, but really don’t being the target market. I am talking about that guy that dismisses MRDS sights like the Trijicon RMR or DeltaPoint Pro because battery-powered sight will get you kilt on da street. We are also talking about the same guy that blames his poor shooting on sight radius because the internet told him that longer slides are more accurate.
Is the GLOCK 48 Worth Buying?
I can only speak for myself, but I will absolutely not be buying a single stack GLOCK 19 …. I mean a 1.5 stack GLOCK 19. I personally have no problem concealing an ATEi milled Gen4 GLOCK 19 C with a Streamlight TLR-7 and a Trijicon RMR mounted in the PHLster Spotlight I recently reviewed.
I just don’t see the benefit to the .16″ thinner gun that I have to buy all new magazines for AND a new holster. To top it off, the lack of a rail means that there are no decent light options and the GLOCK 43 width slide means that the only MRDS that I would be able to use is the fragile Shield Sights RMS-C.
No thanks, the GLOCK 19 is a better option when you look at it objectively.
Is the GLOCK 43X Worth Buying?
Again, I have to say flat out no. I just don’t see the upside to replacing my well-loved GLOCK 43 with a GLOCK 43X. Not only does the new gun have a longer, harder-to-conceal grip, but I would also have to buy all new magazines and holsters.
I just don’t want to do that, mostly because there likely won’t be any good options like a Tenicor VELO, Harry’s Holster, PHLster, or Henry Holster out when the pistol launches. I personally would rather go through the process of buying a new car from the sleaziest car salesman on the planet.
Again, no thanks. The GLOCK 43 is a better option for the intended role when looking at it objectively. If we really want to be pragmatic here, the SIG P365 is really the best option for a deep concealment gat that retains some capacity.
Conclusion
While most people think that the GLOCK 19X was GLOCK jumping the shark, I think that the GLOCK 43X is that moment. Had they redesigned their magazine and stuffed 10 rounds into a gun the size of a GLOCK 43, maybe just a touch wider without adding any length to the grip, that would have been a much better design in my opinion for the intended use of a deep concealment piece like the 43.
A swing and a miss GLOCK, try again next year, please.
Are you going to see the GLOCK 43X reviewed here? Probably not since this post will undoubtedly anger the GLOCK mothership and I’m not going to buy either the GLOCK 43X or the GLOCK 48. They just don’t fit any of my needs better than existing models when it comes down to it.
This article was originally printed at firearmrack.com and is reprinted here with permission.