All good things must come to and end, and it’s time to wrap up my ongoing review of the Glock 43. I kicked this series off last July with my first impressions of the G43, and then followed that up with a report on the gun’s reliability and accuracy with several different loads. Late last year I also offered a few thoughts on optimizing the G43 as a defensive tool. After that last article, I slowed down the testing process in order to work on some other stuff, but I took a couple of range trips in the past few weeks so I could officially pass the 3000 round mark. Today, I’m offering a few final thoughts on Glock’s single stack 9mm pistol in the video below.
If you’re looking for more in-depth comparisons between the Glock 43 and some of the other popular 9mm carry pistols, check out Jim’s take on the G43 versus the Sig P938. And in the near future, be on the lookout for Melody’s thoughts on the G43 as she compares it to the Smith & Wesson Shield she’s been carrying for the last couple of years.
Video: Glock 43 Final Update
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Hey guys, I’m back with one final update on the Glock 43 — the single stack subcompact 9mm. I’m up to just over 3000 rounds through the gun and I’ve got a few observations I wanted to share before I wrap this one up and start reviewing some other stuff.
My last video update was back in the Fall and I talked about accuracy and reliability. The gun was running just fine out of the box, but then started having some problems with the aftermarket base pads I was using. Taran Tactical +1 and +2 base pads would frequently cause failures to feed with heavier hollow point bullets.
After we ran that vide, Scott from Taran Tactical got in touch with me and sent me a couple of the extra power magazine springs they had been working on. They seem to have completely taken care of the feeding issues I was having, and now Taran Tactical is shipping those new mag springs with all of the extended base pads they sell for the Glock 43. So thumbs up to Taran Tactical for being on top of that.
I still highly recommend you test your carry ammo if you use these or any other aftermarket base pads. Not every Glock 43 is going to be exactly the same, and small semi-autos in general are more susceptible to feeding problems than larger guns, so test fire a couple of boxes of your carry ammo anytime you change something.
With the spring issue taken care of, I’m pretty happy with these basepads. I still hate that Glock hasn’t made a factory extended magazine. But for an aftermarket part, these are pretty good. They’re made from solid aluminum, they’re pretty low-profile and don’t seem to be any bigger than they have to be. The +2 base pads seem to be pretty popular, but I actually prefer these smaller +1 basepads for concealed carry. That gives me seven rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber but it does not stick out any further than the factory 6-round magazine with the pinky extension on it.
A while back, I replaced the factory sights with Trijicon HD night sights. The big orange ring on the front sight is a huge benefit, especially on a small gun like this. It makes getting back on target much easier during strings of rapid fire. One of the best things about any Glock is the aftermarket support, so even if you don’t like the Trijicons, there are plenty of other sight options out there if you need an upgrade.
The major complaint I’ve had with the Glock 43 is the trigger. It has smoothed out a little since it was brand new, but it’s still really stiff, even by Glock standards. I’ve even tried a couple of aftermarket connectors and they helped a little bit but not a lot. I still find myself jerking shots off target really easily when I’m trying to shoot quickly. I really have to make a conscious effort to slow down just a little bit if I want to make sure I’m going to hit the target.
You could say that’s just the nature of shooting these small guns, and that’s true to an extent — they’re always going to be more difficult to shoot. But with the other small nines I’ve carried and practiced with a lot, I was able to get to a point where I could run them almost as fast as a compact double stack pistol and still guarantee center mass hits out to seven yards. That was the case when I carried a Walther PPS and also with the M&P Shield. But I just have not been able to get used to the trigger on the Glock 43.
But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend the Glock. The trigger thing is highly subjective and is dependant on hand size and technique and a bunch of other factors. So I certainly wouldn’t call it a deal breaker, it’s just something to be aware of.
Before working with the Glock 43, I would have absolutely considered the PPS and the Shield to be the best of the super-compact single stack 9mms. Now I would add the G43 to that list. All three of them are really good options for this size category. Even with the trigger issues and the lack of factory 7 and 8 round magazines, I think a lot of people are going to find the Glock 43 just fits their hands a little better and might be a little more concealable. Less experienced shooters are going to find it to be a handful, at least at first, and people with large hands might have a hard time getting used to it. But for those times when a double stack is just too big to carry, the Glock 43 should definitely be on the short list of guns to consider.
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Here, I am reposting my comment which was removed. I have no idea why you removed it, maybe I hit a nerve, you know, the nerve of truth. “There is nothing wrong with the trigger on the model 43. The problem is with the shooter. The best trigger in the world will not fix the worst shooter in the world. Suck it up and learn to shoot”.
We don’t delete comments for “hitting the nerve of truth”, we delete comments when they demonstrate an inability to have a civil conversation.
It takes time for people to retrain WHEN not used to the Glock trigger. Police departments that switched to Glock found they had to retrain their officers because of the “light’ trigger on the Glock. I have a 3.24 pound trigger on a COLT ENHANCED. It takes me several rounds to get used to it. SO it not a suck it up item, to learn to shoot, It is light trigger retain. Im sorry but your post sounds kind of snotty.
Here, I am responding to your reposting. “There is nothing wrong with what the poster put about a 43 he shot. It’s his post on his companies website. If you got scrubbed, well, the best blog site can’t fix the worst blogger in the universe”, yeah, that kinda thing. Stick your nerve back in your pants.
Thanks for the info, I’m seriously considering picking one up, and found your info very helpful.
The SIG 938 is very accurate, It is a hand full also. LOL. Love mine. It is one of 3 SIGS. I love them all. SIG 228 is damned accurate at several distances. 938 is very concealable with a N8-2 pro holster at appendix carry.VERY good SIGLIGHT nite sights, I might add.
Is enjoyed your review. I am highly surprised that the Ruger LC9s would not make it on the short list. I realize there are a dozen others, Kahr, Sig, etc, but is seems the Ruger LC9s is probably the most comparable to the glock43 in size. The Shield is certainly “more” gun dimensionally.
Regards
There are so many great single stack carry guns on the market now, it boils down to individual likes such as how it fits the hand, where it will be carried and such. I don’t think you could go wrong on the Ruger, S&W Shield or the Glock or several others. Do your research and try them out at the range. I’ve had all three plus a couple of others and each had it’s own pros and cons. So many little differences that one person may never notice but another may really have a problem with.
I like my glock 9/19 with the full grip better.
I own a M&P Shield and a Glock 43. After shooting both guns on a almost weekly basis since October, putting a whole lot of assorted 9mm down range I came to the conclusion that I like and shoot the Shield better than the Glock.
I should mention that I am a Glock-fanboy, but I found the grip on the G-43 to small for my hand (didn’t want to use duck-tape to enhance the grip area), I had to re-adjust my hand for a quick reload, didn’t like the 6+1 round capacity, and the trigger wasn’t similar to the other Glocks I own (wasn’t in the mood to buy after market parts to increase capacity or to help with the trigger either).
In the end, I’m a Glock-fanboy carrying a S&W, go figure…
I purchased my M&P Shield 9 2 yrs ago on a friends suggestion prior to getting my CHL. I’ve practiced with it, passed my exam with it, and each week participated with it at our local club IDPA matches all of last year. It is also my EDC. To date I have fired over 7355 rounds with not one single malfunction as far as feeding or ejection. Overall the pistol is still tight but the trigger & action has smoothed out beautifully. I also another shield however in .40, and a kahr K9. I did have the chance to shoot a friends, Springfield, XDm .45 compact, H&K P7 (amazing pistol!) and a G42… All pistols mentioned are very capable for self defense, however when it comes down to it, when my life is on the line. I trust my M&P Shield.
Now that’s some shooting and impressive reliability that is on par with my ultra-trusty G19, thanks for the report. I’m down to the PPS M2, Shield or g43 (all 9mm) but the Shield appears to have set the bar for the single stack 9.
Great video, good job! I know there are a lot of videos on the sheild 9mm performance center, but would love to see you do the same thing with it that you did with the g43. A real video about the gun that actually show all its qualities and faults. Thanks and keep it up lucky! Btw I know that Chris is the one in the lucky suit!
Just got a 43 and the trigger pulls right at 5 lbs. Which is better than most stock Glocks and better than my Shield at ~6.5. I like both the Shield and the 43 but I’m selling the shield since the glock is more concealable due to the shorter height and I can keep it on target better with multiple shots of +P due to the shape and texture of the grip. It’s also more pocketable, at least in my pockets, than the Shield.
Your stock Glock 43 trigger breaks at 5 lbs? Did you measure that on a trigger pull gauge? That would be, by far, the lightest G43 trigger I’ve heard of.
Measured it multiple times. I’m actually really, really surprised. This is the lightest out of the box Glock trigger I have measured (I have 6 of them). I have a tweaked G34 that breaks at 4.5 and a tweaked G17 that breaks at 5 and it definitely competes with those triggers. I just bought it last week. Either I got the good end of Glock trigger variation or Glock heard people complain. I measure my pulls right in the middle of the trigger safety.
That’s interesting. I wonder if yours is a fluke or if they’ve actually changed something.
I just was dry firing a new 43 in my friends shop and without a gauge I will say it was half as heavy as my year old 43
I vote for they changed something. Mine was 10 lbs. I sent it in and it came back geatly improved and the paperwork lists having installed a new connector