quote:

Originally posted by Sigmund:


G-43X. Light, flat, good capacity, and Glock reliable!

It’s G-19 capacity in a single stack. Around my city where “nothing ever happens” I’m comfortable carrying my LCP I, but there are times I want more firepower. My G-19 used to fill that role, but with the Shield mags I now have the same capacity in a lighter single stack. The G-43X also works better in Smart Carry than the G-19.

You can’t go wrong with any of the suggestions. Congratulations on your retirement!

^^^ Then there's always THIS option!
I really gravitate towards my 43X a lot while I'm off duty. And another +1 for the Shield Magazines. Same amount of firepower in a smaller, slimmer package and having the option of an RDS.

quote:

How would you compare the G48 to the P225/P6 platform?

MUCH thinner and lighter feeling but spiritually in the same wheelhouse so to speak. Stock for Stock the Glock is easier to shoot but the SIG is going to be more accurate at range as its weight as well as the way it fills your hand will make longer shots a bit easier IMO. At the end of the day the SIG feels like a service weapon while the G48 feels like a carry gun.

All that said the G48 really is a spiritual successor to those single stacks of the past. Good barrel length, good sight radius, better capacity at 10+1 vs most of those older guns being 8+1 and just ridiculously easy to carry. Like I have a Hellcat Pro and that is carry with cheat mode activated, the G48 is carry with God mode activated.

Are the P225 and G48 1:1 comparable, no. Can the G48 act as sort of a modern P225 in most practical ways and uses, absolutely.

I don't have personal experience with either the Shield mags or the PSA mags but they do give you the option of higher capacity. I tend to lean towards the utmost reliability in my carry guns so I have stayed bone stock, with the Glock 10 rounders and in my, albeit limited, shooting up to this point they are 100%. The other "benefit" to less ammo is a little bit of lighter weight. I might try a PSA mag or two in the future but would likely run it downloaded to like 12-13 as I think everybody trying to squeeze a whole box of ammo into a mag the size of a Pez dispenser is both difficult from an engineering perspective and creates undue stress on base plates, feed lips etc. I run my Hellcat mags full but they have shown to be hell for stout but I don't +1 them. Now all that "advice" is coming from an ignorant, shooting hack on the interwebz so.....salt....grain...something something.

Take care, shoot safe,
Chris

Thanks for all the input and ideas, gives me a lot to consider.

I think the next step is to head to the nearest stocking dealer and put my hands on examples of a G19 and G48 to see which one fits and points best. Since I’ve got a Gen4 G17 and have been carrying around a Gen5 G45 for over a year, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea how those feel. For those who have added an RDS to their MOS pistol, what type of mounting plate did you use? The supplied one from Glock or aftermarket? If aftermarket, which one? It’ll help in my shopping or maybe Christmas wish list.

Again,mthanks for all the responses, if anybody has more ideas or suggestion, more information is always better.

quote:

Originally posted by kartracer:
Thanks for all the input and ideas, gives me a lot to consider.

I think the next step is to head to the nearest stocking dealer and put my hands on examples of a G19 and G48 to see which one fits and points best. Since I’ve got a Gen4 G17 and have been carrying around a Gen5 G45 for over a year, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea how those feel. For those who have added an RDS to their MOS pistol, what type of mounting plate did you use? The supplied one from Glock or aftermarket? If aftermarket, which one? It’ll help in my shopping or maybe Christmas wish list.

Again,mthanks for all the responses, if anybody has more ideas or suggestion, more information is always better.

For me, aftermarket.. Forward Controls plate. I have them both on a G17 and a G19, both RMRs.

Primary Arms provides a LE discount but link below for reference. They make them for the RMR and Acro footprint.

Link

quote:

Originally posted by Blackwater:
As long as the G19 is a Gen 5 it’s almost as good as a G45.

Absolutely agree. The Gen 5 G19 checks almost every box. Easy to conceal. Easy to shoot. Parts & accessories galore. 15 rounds in a tiny mag. A gun that's compatible with the bigger mags and one that has been fully vetted for decades.

Sticking with 9mm? Gen5 G34. Or some fun with the Gen5 G17L, though I admit it's been a bit on the sillier side for me with that one given its 6+" barrel. The reason why I'd go larger rather than smaller comes down to what I feel is superior ergonomics with the larger frame. In Gen5 form the guns are really damn good shooters. My G45 is the favorite of the bunch, but I'd have no reservation picking any of the three longer siblings for the range or home defense.

When it comes to the Gen5s I strongly prefer the grip of the fullsize frames over the compact G19. Something was lost in translation from Gen4 to Gen5 with the compacts; I was quite happy to see that the finger grooves were gone but for some reason the backstrap hump became more prominent, perhaps as a result front strap changes or perhaps not. Or maybe it's due to my small hands. Didn't matter if it was the 19 or the 23; neither feels as right for me as they've done in earlier iterations. Despite 34+ years of shooting and usually preferring either/all of the G19, G23 and G32, the grip shape of the Gen5 compacts have thrown me for an annoying loop. I have a Gen5 19 but it's turned out that I continually shoot my Gen3 and Gen4 19s better.

I've not been as much of a fan of the G48/G43X as I have of other "micro" 9mm designs by other gun makers. The slim Glocks are not bad per se; it's just that I think there are other designs that are superior for me. Even though I'm supposed to be a Glock guy, I've wound up shooting others like the Shield+ and Canik MC9 better which is the ultimate and most important measuring stick to go by.

But if you're open to other calibers, it be the Gen5 G20 all the way. Ten mike mike for the win.

sig sauer 365 legion sold all my glocks after shooting it just once, 17 rd in compact size feels great shoots even better.

I think it would be hard to go wrong with either the 19 or the 48. I have owned a number of 19’s, and in every generation except the Gen 5 so far. It’s just an iconic pistol and somehow, the perfect size. No need to go through that, it’s been well covered, but it’s a great choice.

I briefly owned a 48, and I really liked it, but I had a friend who just had to have it and we made a trade. I keep saying I’m gonna buy one to replace it and I keep just carrying my G45 instead anyways because I’ve completely stopped caring about printing altogether and just carry and keep one handgun around at all times instead of dicking around with shuffling handguns in and out of the safe. I still have two Glock 19’s and a 17 that haven’t been out of the safe for about two years now.

First off, congratulations on your retirement, 44 years is legendary.

My suggestion would be either a Gen5 19 MOS or the 45 which you're already familiar with. The one thing those two have over the 48 is mag compatibility. Your 17 mags will work with either, the 48 mags won't. The Glock 19 has been the bellwether of the Glock lineup for many years now. While the entire Glock lineup has a great reputation (minus possibly the G44 and the G36, my opinion), the 19 tops just about every inquiry of which is best.

As far as optics, I've used the Glock mounting plate and it has done just fine. I had my 19 topped with a Holosun 407 for a while, but found I shoot it as well if not better with good old iron sights. Good luck in your search, and yes, retirement is all they say it is.

Plates...

The Glock factory plates are trash and not worth your time. I have had very satisfactory results with C&H, however they are a fairly polarizing company. I think part of that comes from being the big guy. I will say this, however...I recently took off a plate from 2021 or so and the difference in machining quality between the old plate and a newer one was significant. The plate fit the cut tighter and did not have machining marks.

I think there are some nice things about their features, but I understand why some people look elsewhere. Forward Controls Design, Calculated Kinetics, Eleven 71 Design, Arise Manufacturing, and Onus Group are also well reputed.

For the 43X/48 you may not actually need a plate. The MOS models come with a Shield RMSc cut. The Holosun EPS Carry, which is probably the most popular dot for those guns, comes with a plate to adapt it.

If I picked a Glock for a static defense weapon, in the house, garage or maybe even in the vehicle, hands down, it'd be a Glock 19 or similar. I have a PSA Compact Dagger that is a clone of the 19, and it shoots fantastically and really fits my hand. But, for me, the way I dress and the area of the country where I live, it is just too large for carry.

So I've chosen the following: Glock 43, Glock 43X and Shadow Systems CR920 (nominally a 43X clone with a higher mag capacity). The SS 920 comes with a front night sight, but the Glocks needed night sights added. The holsters are all interchangeable as is the manner I carry extra mags.

I've been through all the micros, the P365, The Hellcat, etc. and, though some were "close" to what I was looking for, none shot or carried, for me, as well as these I've chosen.

Yeah, I'm always looking for something "better" and the new HK CC9 looks promising. So I'll buy it from my favorite LGS and give it a try.

I've never even touched an HK so, we'll see.

But I'd bet, in a month or two, I'll be back to those three I listed above.

Bob

Can never go wrong with a 17 or a 19

Congratulations on your retirement and thank you for your service. I recently retired in January myself and am loving it. I believe you will too. I carry a Glock 19 Gen 4 the most. I have the G45 and G26 Gen 5 as well but I prefer the overall size and comfort of the 19. I recently built a 19 Gen 3 slide with optic mounted If I choose to carry with the optic.

Enjoy retirement!

Personally, I am not a fan of the Glock 19’s “slightly shorter butt,” which is made more annoying by the beveled-off lower rear corner. I never found a G19 grip any easier to conceal than a G17 grip, and, the G17 was always noticeably more accurate, for me, presumably because the G17’s grip makes firm contact with the “heel bone” part of my hand, resulting in better stability, and better comfort while shooting. I have large-enough hands for this to be important. Others’ hands, and experiences, will vary.

I retired from LEO-ing in early 2018, and put my G19 pistols away, in the safe. It simply made more sense to carry one of my full-sized G17 Gen4 pistols, and if a blocky Glock was too big, to carry a revolving pistol. I started accumulating more Glocks with full-G17-sized grips, including a G19x, and a Wilson Combat-ized Gen5 G17. There has been no particular hurry to add a G45, because I already have the size-equivalent G19x.

I do find “baby” Glocks to be useful, though I mostly shoot them only with my still-healthier left hand. My gimpy right hand needs the “orthopedic” G17-sized grip.

First off, thanks, everyone for the kind wishes for retirement, it's getting real as time winds down and I'm fine with it. And I really appreciate all the information and ideas posted here.

I finally got time to get into the local dealer this week and spent about 45 minutes playing with both a G19 and G48, both MOS versions. Then I left for an appointment, planning to order a G19 through the Blue Label program. When I returned, I asked to see them both again and ended up changing my mind and left with the G48MOS Blue Label they had in stock. The slimness of it and the better pointability (for me, anyway) was what helped the decision. And I'm still fine with that decision, day later.

Now I need to find some range time, with my older son, who happens to be a department firearms instructor and find at least one good leather holster for it. I prefer leather due to my "softer" spots adjust to a handgun in leather better than kydex. I've tried kydex with some of my other guns and some work good and others have caused some to a lot of discomfort. But I'm open and looking for recommendations for holster choices. I carry my M&P Shield IWB at about 3:30-4:00, right side and if this maker was still in business, I'd have already ordered one.

So, what would you suggest, or what do you use yourselves that works for you? Not opposed to anything, but since this G48 really isn't that much bigger than the Shield, it might just get carried more.

I prefer a hard shell kydex holster to fully protect a striker guns trigger. But my leather holster for my G48 is the DeSantis Mini Scabbard.