Glock 43 and Glock 43X

Single Stack, polumer framed, small sized pistols are a seemingly good choice for the everyday concealed carrier to buy to do exactly that--concealed carry. It goes without saying why people gravitate towards these types of guns, but in case you weren't aware: they conceal well, they are lightweight, and are fairly easy to manipulated and operate withe controls that will fit most hand sizes. So with all to the choices on the market with claims of high quality that essentially do the same thing?
The Glock 43 and Glock 43X were introduced, although at separate times, to help meet a certain demand that gun owners across the country needed met. Something small, in a decent caliber, that was easier to conceal compared to their full size counterparts. Hundreds of thousands of people flock to Glock's slim line of pistols because all of the criteria of the requirements listed above were met to a standard that is above and beyond some of the cheaper gun manufacturers "quality control" checklist. It is BECAUSE they are Glock pistols, people know that they can trust their lives, reliably, to these little 9mm subcompact/mico compact pistols. But for someone who is newer to the firearms market, or someone outside of the Glock legacy, how can one decipher which one out of these two pistols meets their needs the best?

The Frame:

One of biggest differences between the Glock 43 and 43X is the frame size, which falls in line with magazine capcity and interchangeability. Although they may look very similar, the Glock 43 and 43X do not share the exact same frame, even if it looks to be so at first glance. The Glock 43 is the smaller of the two, and is sporting a capacity of 6 rounds +1 in hte chamber of 9X91 Parabellum ammunition. The magazines of the Glock 43 DO NOT fit and function in the frame of the Glock 43X--they are way too short, but the same could be said about the magazines of hte 43x....they just don't fit into the 43X has a frame that is a little bit wider as well as longer externally, with the internall dimensions that have been slightly altered from its predecessor the Gloc 43. It may not make very much sense, but when feeling and shooting both of the guns side by side, you will come to realize by having a little bit "beefier" of a frame, recoil management and muzzle flip become a little easier to handle, thanks to the Glock 43X having a longer frame to grip onto. One would think that having the bigger frame would be advantageous in a gunfight, not only due to the increased capacity (10+1 or 15+1 if using the Shield Arms aftermarket magazines), but it comes at a cost. Concealability. The butt of the gun is always the hardest thing for anybody to conceal and Glock 43K, having a longer frame, sticks the butt of the gun further out when carrying, whereas the regular Glock 43 is much easier to conceal, especially if one uses the factory flush fit 6 round magazine. Now, if dressing around your gun is a concept you are willing to practice, then that may not matter very much to you, but during the summer months, people like to wear thinner and less clothes, so keep that in mind if you plan to carry either of these guns during the hotter months.

The(Lower)Internals:

One of hte greatest aspects of the Gock Pistol is the Modularity/Interchangeability, and the Glock 43/43X are no exception. All of the internals, trigger bar, trigger housing, ect, seem to interchange between both gun without isssue. So if you're thinking that one of these guns, in comparison to the other, has a better or smoother trigger pull, they don't. That shoudn't be a deciding factor in why one would choose on the these pistols over the other. But, if trigger pull is a concern for one who may have dexterity issues, or perfers a lighter pull, the aftermarket doesn't come up short for either of these two guns, and customizing either of these for performance or personal perference is as easy as purchasing your favorite parts through your perferred aftermarket vender or retailer, and knocking out a few pins for ther parts swap.

The Slide:

Choosing between the two pistols in question whenever it comes to slide size, and barrel length, really is a brainer. They are quite literally ALMOST the same. The external and internal dimensions of both the Glock 43 adn Glock 43X slides are the same, and they are interchangeable between both guns. However, as of the writing of this article, the only advantage one has over the other is the addition of front slide serrations on the Glock 43X, and the silver factory color (same pistol). Some people might not find those two attributes distinct enough to choose the Glock 43X over its counterpart, but for those who like to do press checks or for those who like a pistol in a color other than black, like two tone, then it could potentially be a game changer. The serrations on both pistols are deep enough to be able to manipulate the slide with ease (for most shooters), and sport the same classic vertical, symmetrical, rectangular slide serrations. Both come with factory polymer U notch sights, but let's be honest here, most people change out their sights to something better not long after they purchase a glock, so that's something that, in a manner of speaking, doesn't matter either when comparing both guns side by side.

Holster Availability:

This is anohter thing that really shouldn't be a deciding factor as to which one of these guns to go with. Glock, being one of the most, if not the most, famously popular pistols on the planet, means that holster availability for these guns is second to none. Form IWB Kydex Appendix Rigs to leather 3 O'clock holsters, pretty much every carry style or meterial choice is available for there two guns, and many holster making companies compete drastically to get your business for your recently purchased Glock pistol. Aside from the concealability aspect the we discussed earlier in this article, neither of these guns has a difference in muzzle length to be able to say one is better than the other. Some holsters even fit both guns, so, per say, it doesn't really matter which one you go with from that aspect.

The Price:

Writing not applicable in this section is a little bit too lazy for my taste, but there really isn't too much of a difference in price between the Glock 43 and the Glock 43X. Of course, this depends on where you do your shopping, and if any retailers have any sort of deals going on at the time of purchase. Generally speaking, both pistols hover shipping/handling/shipping insurance.

The Bottom Line:

So knowing all that, which one is better? Well, it really just boils down to personal preference, but with that beign said, if I only had to choose one gun, out of the two, to buy, carry and potentially defend my life with, I would have to go with the Glock 43X. The size of a gun, to me, doesn't really matter because I can always throw on a larger T-Shirt or a vest of some type to help conceal whatever gun I'm wanting to carry, so I generally omit that as a deciding factor whenever I'm looking to purchase a new gun. I am a huge fan of two tone, or multi colored firearms, as long as it is done tastefully, and the Glock 43X just looks absolutely stunning, in my opinion, with a sliver slide. Besides, I could always get another one is black if I came to change my mind about the aesthetics of the gun....because as we all know, two is one, and one is none. The Glock 43X also has greater capacity, which to me, if I could get a gun with better capacity at virtually the same price, why wouldn't I? On Top of that, Shield Arms also offers 15 round aftermarket magazines, which increases standard capacity by 50%, something that isn't offered with the regular Glock 43 (at least this is the case at the time of writing this article). To top it all off, I prefer to have front cocking serrations in order to do press checks with, which I do everyday before I holster my guns for carry, so again, if I could get a gun that has front serrations for the same price as the other, why not? The Glock 43X just seems like a better choice for the way that I carry, and the preferences I have towards my carry guns. Others may disagree, and that's ok. Just remember to do all of your research before purchase and decide what will work best for you, because you really can't go wrong with either. My advice, try to test fire both guns before you purchase. That should help you decide.