Glock 43 initial impressions

[ray1970]

Picked up a Glock 43 today. Thought I would share my initial impressions.

First, even though it is a pretty small handgun, it "feels" like a Glock. Points like a Glock, trigger feels like every other Glock, controls feel the same, etc.

Also, after handling it for a bit when I picked up the 19 it felt like a huge pig. The 19 that always seemed so light weight and compact suddenly felt bulky and heavy.

I don't have a scale suitable for weighing them but did want to take a few measurements. A comparison to the 26 is what's really called for but I don't own one. The overall length and height are nearly identical between the 43 and the 26 so I thought I'd focus on the difference in width. I am assuming the 26 and 19 are probably the same width so comparing the 19 to the 43 should get me in the ballpark.

So, the slide on the 19 measured 1.005".



The slide on the 43 measured .860" wide.



That's only a difference of .145" if I did the math right. In other words, just a bit over an eighth of an inch. Doesn't really seem like much but the 43 definitely looks thinner in that area.

Next, I was curious about the thickness of the grip. My numbers probably aren't exact since both pistols have Talon grips installed but close enough.

The grip on the 19 was 1.208" wide. Nearly an inch and a quarter.



The 43 came in at .957". Just under an inch.



That's about a .251" difference. Pretty much a quarter inch.

Here it is fresh out of the box.



And here it is with the Talon grips.



I need to put a good set of sights on it and find a good holster or two or three for it but don't have plans to do anything else to it.

My one minor complaint is the trigger itself. It uses the one with the ridges on the face. I prefer the smooth trigger face. I might have to do a little sanding and polishing to change that.

I'm the kind of guy that wouldn't feel uncomfortable carrying a five shot revolver in 38 Special so having a couple of extra rounds in a thinner platform and the ability to reload quickly should suit me just fine.

I'll get a range report up after I get a chance to shoot it.

[ray1970]

And, for a size reference, here it is next to my cell phone.

[hurley842002]

No wonder it looks so small, you have one of those phones the size of a tablet.....lol jk, actually looks like my phone (S5?)

Thanks for the initial impression. Personally, without shooting one, I think Glock did a pretty good job on their first single stack 9mm. If I hadn't literally just bought a Shield roughly a month ago, I'd probably have a 43 right now. Maybe we can do a joint review between the Shield and 43, side by side at the range sometime.

[ray1970]

No wonder it looks so small, you have one of those phones the size of a tablet.....lol jk, actually looks like my phone (S5?)

Thanks for the initial impression. Personally, without shooting one, I think Glock did a pretty good job on their first single stack 9mm. If I hadn't literally just bought a Shield roughly a month ago, I'd probably have a 43 right now. Maybe we can do a joint review between the Shield and 43, side by side at the range sometime.

Yes, that is an S5. So it is kind of a big phone anyways. Lol.

I'd love to shoot the 43 and the Shield side by side. I really wanted to like the Shield (since it's a good deal cheaper than the Glock) but it just didn't "feel right" when I handled it.

I'm hoping to maybe hit one of the indoor ranges this weekend if I can squeeze it in.

[drift_g35]

Did you throw some new sights on it or is glock shipping new sights now?

[lex137]

Get these +2 base plates.
http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/...cc31d1da6d9347

[ray1970]

Did you throw some new sights on it or is glock shipping new sights now?

Crappy stock sights. You might have been looking at the sights on the G19. I need to order a set for the 43.

Get these +2 base plates.
http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/...cc31d1da6d9347

Thanks for the link. I'm actually thinking about scrapping the finger extension thing on the one mag it came with in favor of another flat base plate. This was bought to be a dedicated carry piece and I want to keep it as compact and light weight as possible. Good to know there are options out there though.

[hurley842002]

Did you throw some new sights on it or is glock shipping new sights now?

I'm guessing the 3 dot sights are from the 19..

[lex137]

They also have a +1 extension that's a very close to the flat base plate.
http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/...roducts_id=288

[ray1970]

They also have a +1 extension that's a very close to the flat base plate.
http://tarantacticalinnovations.com/...roducts_id=288

Thanks. That might be worth looking into when they come back in stock.