I had a 43 and sold it because it only held 6 rounds and that kept me with longing for my trusty Detective Special.

Then I got a SMOKING deal on a Springfield XD Subcompact. WOW, I get a whole bunch more bullets! However, it was heavier and extremely top heavy, but stupid reliable. It's been my carry for a while.

Well, today I was looking to get one of those Springfield Hellcats everyone is all twitterpated about. All they had was these monstrosities with compensated barrels and electric sights for $800+. You gottabefukkinkiddinme. Worse then the XD.

A little further over was something I hadnt seen yet, a Glock 43X. It was nearly the same size as the Hellcat, maybe a 3/8th inch longer, but the mag capacity was the same for a whole lot less.

It fit my hand perfect and didn't need a mag extension.

Well, I bought one on the spot. After ringing me up, I discuss needing a holster for it. That;s when we opened the box. There were no sights on it. No, this isn't the one with the electric sight. They failed to put sights on it and it somehow got through QC.

They had to do a return and they said they would just put sights on it and price it up for the difference and handed me a new pistol.

Here's a comparison between the XD and the new Glock. I do believe Glock listened to the complaints and remedied them. This is as far as I'm concerned a home run.

I love mine and I'm betting you'll love yours, it's a great gun.

The XD has a light years better trigger.

I put the Ghost on my 43 and it was like butter and light.

I just ordered the Ghost disconnector for it.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
https://shieldarms.com/glock-43x-48-15-round-mag

Oh, hell yeah!

Y'all are going to get me spending on this toy!

They must have left the sights off so you could have it milled for an RMR?

I may have a need for the 43X as well...

There is one already milled.

I think It's the 43X MOS. I looked at and didn't like it.

I like simple without the extra weight of a dead battery storage container.

Congrats. I also started with a G43, never did like the low mag capacity but never got comfortable with the various baseplate solutions, but still shot a ton of rounds through it. Still own it but haven't shot it in a long while. Last year I added the G43X and I do like the gun a lot more. It's what the G43 should've been in the first place (stupid Glock product planners).

But I have a dilemma. I already went down the P365 rabbit hole so the G43X doesn't really fit any particular need, other than it's the "I'm a Glock Guy so it's the micro compact I'm supposed to have" kind of niche gun. But I'm honest enough to admit that I like the P365 a bit more. So what's a "Glock Guy" supposed to do?

Enjoy yours. It's really one heck of a pistol.

I do like mine - including a crap-ton of mags. However I’m looking to go to the Glock 26 for my next gun…

The Glock has so much perfection it doesn't even need sights.

Ah yes the G43X. The gun that caused me to dip my toe back into the waters known as Glock. I am very glad that you like yours.

Lock N load

Michael
USMC Ret

I had a two tone XD subcompact for awhile. Great gun, but I really didn't need it because I had a G27.

Marzy, I replaced my G19 with the G43x added night sights, shield mag catch and shield mags. Love it! It’s what I’ve wanted for years, a thinner Glock that is the size of a commander 1911, with more ammo.

I polished all the internals and the trigger is better now. Is the ghost disconnector that much better? I’ve never had one.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Is the ghost disconnector that much better? I’ve never had one.

We'll find out next week! I'm not adding anything that can possible snag or pop the mag out unexpectedly.

I looked at a G26 and could find no advantages over the 43X. In fact, the G26 was every bit as a second thought to get a subcompact to market as the Springfield was.

Just curious... how did they "just hand you a new pistol' after you had purchased that one?

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
In fact, the G26 was every bit as a second thought to get a subcompact to market as the Springfield was.

Oh, yeah, it was a "second thought". Good grief.

When was the G26 introduced? At the time of introduction, what law was in force which may have affected the design of the G26?

What is the maximum factory magazine capacity of a G26, and why is this so?

If the G26 is a second thought, you should have a second thought like that once in your entire life. Ridiculous

BTW- Springfield? You mean SA, Inc? The copycats of the firearms world? Hell, even their name is appropriated.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I looked at a G26 and could find no advantages over the 43X. In fact, the G26 was every bit as a second thought to get a subcompact to market as the Springfield was.

Historical context and semantics both come into play here.

In 1994 when the G26 was introduced, it was definitely a true "subcompact". The only other 9mm "subcompact" semiautos available at the time were stuff like Officer 1911s and the S&W Chief Special series. The G26 was similar in size to those (if not a bit smaller), but with almost twice the capacity, and the ability to accept magazines from its larger brethren. It was designed around the smallest a standard Glock platform could be while still accepting 10 round flush magazines of the standard Glock pattern. It was a big step in subcompact design at the time.

Its just that the "subcompact" definition has changed/expanded in the 27 years since the G26's introduction. With the recent explosion in Concealed Carry availability and popularity in the last couple decades, there's been a huge uptick in demand for smaller and smaller semiauto pistols for carry (often in the pocket), just in larger calibers than the early tiny pocket guns that tended to be in underpowered calibers like .25 or .32. But yet, these new tiny 9mm carry guns are all still being lumped into the same category of "subcompact" as larger offerings like the G26.

For example, there were still "subcompacts" being released just a few years back that were still relatively large G26-style guns, such as the P320 SC or PPQ SC. Yes, they are "subcompacts" in that they are smaller and more concealable than the Compact version of their families of handguns. But no, they don't come close to equaling the diminutive size of the newer style of tiny pocket-sized "subcompact" guns.

So folks will read about two different guns, both being described as "subcompacts", and yet then are disappointed to find that one is about twice as large as the other.

This is why I think there definitely needs to be a separate/different category for the newer generations of tiny 9mm semiautos. Terms like microcompact and ultracompact are frequently used informally, but would be useful here as a formal category.

Let the G26 et al remain as "subcompacts", and title the tinier, pocketable guns something else. Then people won't bitch that the G26 and its competitors aren't really "subcompacts", when in fact its the newer smaller guns that are not truly subcompacts, but something else entirely.

quote:

Originally posted by specter77:
Ah yes the G43X. The gun that caused me to dip my toe back into the waters known as Glock. I am very glad that you like yours.

Lock N load

Michael
USMC Ret

How has your experience been thus far?

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:

quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Is the ghost disconnector that much better? I’ve never had one.

We'll find out next week! I'm not adding anything that can possible snag or pop the mag out unexpectedly.

I looked at a G26 and could find no advantages over the 43X. In fact, the G26 was every bit as a second thought to get a subcompact to market as the Springfield was.

I would strongly disagree. The G26 (and 27) were both exceptional for their time. (I know, I was working then and I had to go through all kinds of craziness just to get one...).

There are still a lot of people who happily carry the 26 over the 43 or 43X. Some are old timers like me who bought one back in the day, and still trust it. Others are newer shooters who like the ability to use mags from the bigger pistols.

The 43 and 43X are also great pistols, but I think the 26 has some advantages I'd like to explore.

Just my 2 cents...