The Glock 43 is designed as a secondary handgun for law enforcement, military, and self-defense environments. Glock wanted to create a gun with the same standard it set for other models (17,19,48) while making it as compact and small as possible. This gun works great for an ankle holster, purse, under a jacket, or on your hip because of its 6 inches in length and only weighing 2 lbs.

The Glock 43 is a Single Stack 9mm Luger pistol that was designed to fit a broad range of shooter profiles.

Fully loaded, this pistol only weighs 1.25 lbs and is only 6 inches long, making it one of the most compact pistols on the market. The Glock 43 is easily concealable while never taking away from mobility and comfort.

As small as this gun is, it’s made with the same care and attention to detail as the famous Glock 19.

Glock 43 Specs

• Price MSRP: $469.00-$700.00
• Weight: Unloaded= 16.2 oz
• Loaded= 20.4 oz
• Height: 4.2 in
• Barrel Length: 3.41 in
• Overall Length: 6.2 in
• Width: 1.06 in
• Magazine Capacity: 6

Glock 43 Features

• 9mm Luger
• Beaver-Tail Grip
• Single-Stack
• Safe-Action System synonymous with Glock
• Easily allows customization with different triggers, grips, and sights

What is a Single-Stack 9mm Pistol?

Characteristics such as single-stack and double-stack in the gun world are often thrown around like everyone knows what that means. Luckily, there’s a very simple explanation for the differences between the two.

A Single-Stack handgun means the rounds in the magazine are in single-file (one on top of the other), whereas, a double-stack handgun refers to the magazine having rounds staggered. A single-stack gun allows for the gun to be slimmer and much less bulky than a double-stack handgun. The single-stack handgun does limit the amount of ammo you can carry per magazine, while a double stack can carry significantly more ammo. The downside to a double stack would be the increased width and weight relative to the single-stack gun.

Hopefully, this will give you an understanding enough to know if you need that extra ammo or you’d like a slimmer, smaller gun.

Glock 43 Explained

The Glock 43 is designed as a secondary handgun for law enforcement, military, and self-defense environments. Glock wanted to create a gun with the same standard it set for other models (17,19,48) while making it as compact and small as possible. This gun works great for an ankle holster, purse, under a jacket, or on your hip because of its 6 inches in length and only weighing 2 lbs.

Glock Safe Action System

The safety in a Glock is a three-part safety system that is designed to operate independently of each other to ensure there are no misfires or inadvertent fires.

Glock Trigger Safety

The first is the safety trigger, which requires the shooter to pull the trigger while depressing the lever at the same time. This safety feature prevents the gun from going off if it’s dropped. At first, a Glock can feel unsafe with no safety switch, but the more you practice with the gun and work with it, the more you’ll understand how safe this trigger lever is.

Firing Pin Safety

The second safety feature is the firing pin safety lever, which blocks the firing pin from striking the bullet until the trigger and safety lever are pull in unison. The best part of this feature is that the trigger has to be pulled back completely for the firing pin to be released from the safety lever. You can also pull the trigger slightly and if you change your mind to fire, you simply release the trigger and the safety pin will remain blocked.

Drop Safety

The drop safety involves the trigger bar preventing the firing pin from moving forward by locking the firing pin to the rear until the trigger and safety lever is pulled in unison. Once the trigger bar is released and the round is fired, all safety features are reengaged, instantly until you repeat the three-step firing mechanism.

Glock 43 Vs. Glock 19

To give you an understanding of the main differences between a Glock 43 and a Glock 19 we created a table below for you to look at. The most significant difference is the magazine capacity and the weight of each gun.

Glock 43 VS. Sig Sauer P320

The debate whether Sig or Glock makes a better gun is similar to asking which game console is better, The Playstation or X-Box. We created this chart to show you the similarities and differences so you can make the best choice for you and your needs. Both companies are incredible gun manufacturers with outstanding reputations. The biggest differences between these two are the weight, length and magazine capacity. Many people can make a case for the Sig with its 15-round magazine, but the Glock 43 is great in terms of size, control, and purpose.

Glock 43 Problems

The first problem with the Glock 43 is the magazine capacity with only 6 rounds. We find this to be the biggest knock on the Glock 43, but we think people are misunderstanding the purpose of this gun. This gun is designed to be a secondary gun or a concealed carry gun that gives you more mobility. We recommend you carry the Glock 19 for an everyday carry gun and use the Glock 43 as a secondary or concealed carry. The second problem with the gun is for men and women with larger hands having trouble handling the gun. Think of Shaq holding a tennis ball and how awkward that looks, but replace a tennis ball with a handgun and it can become difficult to handle for larger adults. The big complaint is bigger shooters tend to pull their shots because their hands wrap so far around the gun. This issue can be solved with practice and potentially different hand or trigger placement. The final issue we have with the Glock 43 isn’t their fault, but it should be addressed, anyway. The Glock 43 is so new that there are not a lot of accessories or attachments available for this gun yet (Relative to other models). Over time, this issue will be fixed, but for now, it’s going to take more time to find the right accessories.

Glock 43 Magazine

The magazine holds 6 rounds, is very easily dropped and changed, and locks into place as good as any other Glock magazine. Although the capacity is smaller than most other Glock’s, the 43 single-stack magazine is what gives this gun an edge. By taking down the capacity, this Glock allows the gun to be even more compact and concealable.

Glock 43 Sights

The standard sights for the 43 are very diopter sights and provide a big enough sight picture for every kind of shooter. The only change you could make to the sights that would have some benefit would be to get the TRUGLO bright sight.

Glock Accessories

Accessories on any gun are designed to increase the effectiveness of the gun or simply make the gun more aesthetically pleasing. One thing to think about in choosing whether or not to put accessories on your handgun is, how is it going to make the gun better? If any accessory you want to put on inhibits the effectiveness of the gun, then you should remove it or not put in on in the first place. We are all about making our guns as awesome as they could be, but safety and effectiveness are what will save your life, not whether or not you have a pink or red safety select trigger. With all this being said, we have plenty of options to help enhance your Glock 43.

Grips

The grip of a gun can be the difference between life and death in a self-defense situation or winning and losing a competition. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of gaining and maintain the right grip on your handgun.

Beavertail Grip

A Beavertail grip is a soft rubber sleeve you place on the grip of your gun to increase control of the gun during a fire. These grip sleeves are very comfortable and come in almost every color imaginable and for a very cheap price. We recommend this kind grip for the guys with larger than average hands who have trouble with such a slim and light handgun.

X-Grip

The X-Grip for Glocks is an alternative to the Beavertail and sleeve style grips in that it attaches to the frame of the pistol. This is great for smaller handguns, such as the Glock 42 and 43 because it adds a couple of inches of grip to the frame for more control and support. This is another option for guys with larger hands or for shooters who feel they need more room on the pistol grip.

Holsters

Holsters are often overlooked when buying a gun, but they’re just as integral to safety, functionality, and comfort as anything. We prefer holsters that can handle being dropped, scraped, and thrown around while remaining functional. The following holsters fit everything we look for in a holster for the Glock 43. The Leather WIng below is an excellent fit for most handguns, click on the picture to learn more.

MFT Glock 43 Holster

Due to the small size of the Glock 43, you need a specific holster that can fit the gun, the MFT is the one we prefer. It’s ambidextrous and fits either inside or outside your waistband, which gives you more options for each shooter’s comfort. Coming in at $50.00 for a new holster, this is a great price for what you get out of it. With some holsters on the market, you will have trouble fitting guns into them if you have added anything to the gun. TFT thought about this and made sure to give extra room for sights or optics that you may want to add.

Galco’s World Best Concealment Holster

This holster is specifically designed for optimal concealment in your waistline while providing easy access and comfort. The holster has two snaps that can easily be attached and removed without worrying about drawing too much attention yourself. This holster is a little more expensive at $125.00, but if you want a concealed carry holster, this is a great one to choose. The only negative about this holster is it’s only made for right-handed shooters. Hopefully, this issue will be fixed soon and lefties can feel a bit more included.

Conclusion

The Glock 43 is an excellent concealable gun that provides great combination control, weight, and size. With only a 6 round capacity, the Glock 43 can be shied away from by most self-defense gun owners. However, the overall functionality of the gun makes up for the small magazine size. With many aftermarket accessories to choose from, you can customize this gun enough to turn any negative into a positive.

The Glock 43 is also highly recommended for smaller shooters, such as most women and men with smaller hands. Whether you’re an experienced or beginner shooter, you’ll have everything you’re looking for in a dependable and accurate handgun.

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