[yep380]

If you’re buying a new gun, the P365 or Hellcat is the answer.

If you already own a G43, carry 6+1 and carry a spare mag or two. Mix in mag extensions only if you have thoroughly vetted them with your preferred carry ammo.

 

[HonkeyFries]

Good luck on your quest. I am so glad I don't worry about it.

Right. G19 daily carry, 43 is for pocket carry only, adding more size makes that undoable.

Maybe a steel mag that holds 10 or 11 is coming.

 

[Deaf Smith]

My Glock 43 replaced my S&W J .38 Centennial.... the 43 IS NOT my 'main' gun. Glock 26 is that. Now I might go one day to my Glock 48 but I am in no hurry (and yes I love the SIG 365 but again, not gonna drop what works for me just to get the newest thing.)

My 43 has a Tartan Tactical 1 shot extension on it's mags. 8 in the gun, 7 in the spare. Good enough for a light weight carry.

 

[GlockyQ]

... . If anything, I think they would change the 43 to accept the 43x width magazine and make a shorter 43x magazine for a flush fit magazine.

Actually that would be my dream Glock for CCW - G43X “Short” to have the grip length of the original G43 and hold 8 rounds in a flush-fit magazine. Of course, I would still use MagGuts if that ever become available for G43X “Short” to make my dream gun carry 9+1 rounds in the small package.

 

[walkinguf61]

Actually that would be my dream Glock for CCW - G43X “Short” to the have grip length of the original G43 and hold 8 rounds in a flush-fit magazine. Of course, I would still use MagGuts if that ever become available for G43X “Short” to make my dream gun carry 9+1 rounds in the small package.

The change in the lower wouldn’t cost Glock much to retool to, nor the magazine change. A black lash from the 43 buyers might be the reason they haven’t make the change.
Too bad the Glock doesn’t use a chassis system so guys with the original 43 could switch over -lol.

Is the original 43 still a top seller or did the competition take a enough of that market from Glock for a change?

 

[vindibona1]

I recently bought a 43X and it feels great in the hand but its not quite a pocket carry pistol. I have one 43X slide finish eating kydex holster and another on the way.
I'm going to try inside the waistband carry again even though I'm sure its going to bug me.
The 43X is my first of the slimmer Glocks and I assumed the longer 43X mags would fit the G43.
I'm glad I found this was not an option before buying a G43. I don't like negative surprises.
It bugs me that the G43 uses a 6 round only (Glock) magazine. I could live with it if the reload was higher capacity.
When I carry one of my G26's I have been using the factory 10 round mag but always carry a G17 mag for the reload.
I's also bought some Magpul 12 round mags for the G26's.
I saw the "Mag guts" option for the G43 and it looks complex and is expensive.
Why doesn't Glock make a +2 extension for the G43? I'm sure it would sell well and would cost pennies to make.

I'm starting to think that IWB is an acquired taste along with finding a holster you can tolerate. Hiding the 43x is a bit more of a challenge than those with shorter grips. But the narrow grip helps. It seems that everything is a tradeoff. More rounds in a thinner slightly longer handle vs less rounds or a fat handle, or a short fat handle with less rounds.

I never thought I could ever carry IWB, especially appendix. One whim I bought an inexpensive leather IWB/OWB holster, largely to see if I could actually tolerate IWB. I fully intended this to ride on my hip, and it can. But with an over-shirt rather than a split cover jacket, appendix seemed more accessible. I was surprised how tolerable it is, though I wouldn't go as far as to say comfortable, but IWB isn't comfortable on my hip either, maybe even less so. I'm not a skinny guy, so I was surprised that I could actually do IWB/Appendix. But it seems to fit my contours better. I seem to have found that position almost by accident just messing around with it and actually kind of like it. I'm actually ok sitting in a chair or in the car with this latched onto the front of me. Color me surprised. I don't think I'd like IWB kydex. Maybe one day but I'm not there yet.

 

[pntblnk]

@vindibona1 Not sure what model holster you have there but with a foam wedge on my kydex holsters, I forget its there after ~30 minutes - standing or sitting. A Kore or similar ratchet style belt makes AIWB simple with minor adjustments if / when needed.

 

[vindibona1]

@vindibona1 Not sure what model holster you have there but with a foam wedge on my kydex holsters, I forget its there after ~30 minutes - standing or sitting. A Kore or similar ratchet style belt makes AIWB simple with minor adjustments if / when needed.

That one is a Versacarry Protector 2. I had a 35% discount coupon and with another special deal I had got that and two mag holsters for $29. I have a decent (maybe even good) leather OWB holster from "The Holster Store" in Floricda for hip carry. I hear kydex scratches the finish on these Glocks which leaves me not so eager to try one. Maybe when the newness wears off of my 43x in 5-10 years?

 

[boilergonzo]

Glock doesn't see a need.

I agree they are slow to recognize market needs. It is a bad habit of theirs.And that is clearly a problem, based upon widespread laments about this issue. Sure, Glock is selling guns (everyone is!). But people are buying guns like the Hellcat and 365, new guns that are taking huge bites out of the pie. The 365 was the top selling gun for nearly three years, and the Hellcat bumped it out. Yes, Glock's are still selling, but that is a LOT of sales to pretend you don't care about. Lee Iacocca mocked Japanese cars and teflon kimono's in an effort to convince people US cars were superior. But give people a reason to shop around, and the next thing you know there isn't a car manufacturer from the Big Three even ranked in the top 5! VW, Toyota, Renault/Nissan, Stellantis (Fiat/Peugeot), and Hyundai/Kia are bigger than the "Big Three" (yeah, yeah, the Fiat, Peugeot ownership does also own Citroen, Opal, Lancia, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Dodge/Chrysler so if getting owned by a mega-company counts, Chrysler is #4.). The point being, complacency and ignoring pleas and feedback from your customers is not wise...

People can say "Glock can sell all they can make", etc., but the reality is they are going to have to compete, and the G43 has deficits that turn off a huge portion of the gun-buying market.

I still recall people saying (ad nauseum) that Glock didn't need to make a smaller gun than the G26, "there is no need!". But Glock owners were clamoring for a smaller 9mm. and were ignored by Glock. And had to watch for YEARS as S&W stole sales. And when the G43 finally DID arrive? Glock fans sounded the hallelujah chorus! Rejoicing filled the land! It was awesome! This thing people swore nobody wanted or needed was an amazing piece of work by Gaston's Geniuses!

Because the gun people didn't want or need, actually WAS wanted and needed. Desperately. Despite assertions to the contrary from some Glock loyalists.

Fast forward, and here we are again. Glock slow to market (again), ignoring begging for better capacity in a small gun (again), and their customers being utterly neglected (again).

Poor market awareness, poor planning, obstinate resistance, or overly-challenging engineering? Which is the reason? Who knows. What we do know is that Glock is ignoring people like the OP (and me) who are baffled that Springfield, SIG, S&W and others can make mag extensions and small guns with better capacity but Glock is unwilling or incapable of getting an offering in a timely fashion.

They will get there. Late, but they will get there. They know they cannot afford to relinquish that much market share and remain relevent, so they will eventuall come around. And when they do, people will raise the hallelujah chorus (again) for an item they "sour-graped" away when Glock didn't have it.

If Glock made a true competitor to the 365 or Hellcat (gotta have similar size, reliability, AND capacity!), and I will be first in line to try to buy one. My first 365 is three years old. If prior performance is an indicator of future performance, Glock will release their answer in about two years!

 

[CREE LED]

"Maybe when the newness wears off of my 43x in 5-10 years?"

I've already got a slightly shiny corner. It shouldn't take that long.
Went to the LGS and commented on the kidex working on the finish on the 43X and he immediately agreed with me saying..." I put a Gen5 in a new kidex holster to check the fit and got a drag mark on the slide the FIRST time."

 

[CREE LED]

I just can't carry a Glock with a round chambered pointed at my "junk". I'll carry empty chamber and have to rack the slide... or carry in the 4 o'clock position.
I know that's not going to go over well on this forum... but I'm just being honest.
I will pocket carry with a holster that points to the right in my right pocket.

 

[walkinguf61]

I agree they are slow to recognize market needs. It is a bad habit of theirs.And that is clearly a problem, based upon widespread laments about this issue. Sure, Glock is selling guns (everyone is!). But people are buying guns like the Hellcat and 365, new guns that are taking huge bites out of the pie. The 365 was the top selling gun for nearly three years, and the Hellcat bumped it out. Yes, Glock's are still selling, but that is a LOT of sales to pretend you don't care about. Lee Iacocca mocked Japanese cars and teflon kimono's in an effort to convince people US cars were superior. But give people a reason to shop around, and the next thing you know there isn't a car manufacturer from the Big Three even ranked in the top 5! VW, Toyota, Renault/Nissan, Stellantis (Fiat/Peugeot), and Hyundai/Kia are bigger than the "Big Three" (yeah, yeah, the Fiat, Peugeot ownership does also own Citroen, Opal, Lancia, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Dodge/Chrysler so if getting owned by a mega-company counts, Chrysler is #4.). The point being, complacency and ignoring pleas and feedback from your customers is not wise...

People can say "Glock can sell all they can make", etc., but the reality is they are going to have to compete, and the G43 has deficits that turn off a huge portion of the gun-buying market.

I still recall people saying (ad nauseum) that Glock didn't need to make a smaller gun than the G26, "there is no need!". But Glock owners were clamoring for a smaller 9mm. and were ignored by Glock. And had to watch for YEARS as S&W stole sales. And when the G43 finally DID arrive? Glock fans sounded the hallelujah chorus! Rejoicing filled the land! It was awesome! This thing people swore nobody wanted or needed was an amazing piece of work by Gaston's Geniuses!

Because the gun people didn't want or need, actually WAS wanted and needed. Desperately. Despite assertions to the contrary from some Glock loyalists.

Fast forward, and here we are again. Glock slow to market (again), ignoring begging for better capacity in a small gun (again), and their customers being utterly neglected (again).

Poor market awareness, poor planning, obstinate resistance, or overly-challenging engineering? Which is the reason? Who knows. What we do know is that Glock is ignoring people like the OP (and me) who are baffled that Springfield, SIG, S&W and others can make mag extensions and small guns with better capacity but Glock is unwilling or incapable of getting an offering in a timely fashion.

They will get there. Late, but they will get there. They know they cannot afford to relinquish that much market share and remain relevent, so they will eventuall come around. And when they do, people will raise the hallelujah chorus (again) for an item they "sour-graped" away when Glock didn't have it.

If Glock made a true competitor to the 365 or Hellcat (gotta have similar size, reliability, AND capacity!), and I will be first in line to try to buy one. My first 365 is three years old. If prior performance is an indicator of future performance, Glock will release their answer in about two years!

We can’t blame Glock because Sig was inventive enough to come up with p365. Everyone was screaming for a Glock single stack at the time. Glock was slow but delivered. Glock’s response to the Sig P365 was pretty quick considering how long it takes to develop new platforms.

Glock could just give a magazine option to increase capacity but would it effect the reliability. Has anyone done a mud test with the P365? Has anyone done a mud test with the shield arms 15 round magazine with the Glock 43x?

I haven’t looked yet.

Has shield arms designed a larger capacity mag for the regular Glock 43 but hasn’t produced it yet?

Interchangeable magazines was one of Glock’s selling point with one or two exceptions which includes the 43.

Glock’s answer to the Sig P365 doesn’t cost them any real extra money to produce unlike a Sig p365 clone.

So I think a two wait for the Sig clone is about right .

 

[PilatusTurbo]

I so wanted to love the Glock 43. I don't see a point to the X iteration of guns, like the Glock 19X, or 43X. To me, concealing a longer grip is the toughest part to do, under my shirts. So far, to the point that I took my P365 XL slide, and converted a P365 grip module into the P365L. I grip chopped an older gun, like some have done to G19s to make them G26 grip lengths. I'd never buy a Glock 43X, but that doesn't mean they are bad. Just means I don't care for it.

I think Sig really knocked it outta the park with the P365, as it shoots like a much bigger gun. So does the 43, but 6 rounds that I'll probably never end up needing, messed with my feelers, too much. I tried the Magguts +1, as I didn't wanna take a small gun and add base plates that essentially make it a larger gun. They seemed to work, but in the ammo nightmare, it's tough to really put something like those through the paces I normally would to ensure reliability.

The Glock 43 was the best gun ever designed in that size category. Until the P365 came along. I ended up selling the G43 two months ago, after having it just a month or two. I held the G43 and the P365 the night I bought the G43, and my old love of Glocks prevailed. I realized, a month later, that I really wanted the P365, so I went back and got it. The XL came weeks later, when I could finally find one. Sold the G43 to offset costs and not lose my rear end.

My buddy loves the G43, and his wife liked it and shot it so well, so she took it from him. To each their own. I just so wish the Glock 43 held more rounds, without extending the grip length like the 43X. It's no longer the same gun in my mind with that longer grip. I say have the small gun that you can use larger mags with sleeves on them, which Glock totally owns magazine compatibility... until the 43 and 43X. I still don't get that one, at all.

 

[CREE LED]

I was going to buy a 43 until I found out the 43X mags would not work in the 43.
I own a 43X and was thinking I'd pocket carry the 43 with pearce +1 base plates... and carry a 10 round 43X mag for reload.
I still might get the 43 but the excitement has evaporated for now.

 

[pntblnk]

[

I hear kydex scratches the finish on these Glocks which leaves me not so eager to try one. Maybe when the newness wears off of my 43x in 5-10 years?

The gun is a tool...would you not use a hammer to drive a nail? Wear it, use it, shoot the hell out of it and if the slide gets worn... refinish it and start over.

 

[CREE LED]

I really wish I could download that attitude..... SERIOUSLY!
I was raised to keep everything as new as possible. Wife will make $ BANK $ selling my stuff if I croak.
I think I'm going to just let the finish go to hell on the 43X and see how that feels. Got to start somewhere.

 

[vindibona1]

[

The gun is a tool...would you not use a hammer to drive a nail? Wear it, use it, shoot the hell out of it and if the slide gets worn... refinish it and start over.

While I appreciate that mode of thinking...
One of my trumpet teachers once remarked that the way I care for my musical instruments is "legendary" . I've got several musical instruments that are approaching 50 years old, played often and their age shows as age, not as abuse. While I look at these things as tools, I see why there is no reason you can't take care of them while using them well. I suppose if I were in LE or the military I'd look at it a different way. JMO

 

[pntblnk]

I really wish I could download that attitude..... SERIOUSLY!
I was raised to keep everything as new as possible. Wife will make $ BANK $ selling my stuff if I croak.
I think I'm going to just let the finish go to hell on the 43X and see how that feels. Got to start somewhere.

Didn't mean to sounds like an a$$. Clean my tools regularly and take care of them as best I can...but use them hard as they were intended.

 

[John_AZ]

Agree. My guns are cleaned more than most other do, and springs and replaced obsessively. But they show their use from holster wear and honest duty use.

 

[CREE LED]

"Didn't mean to sounds like an a$$."
You didn't.... I'm serious.. life is too short to be so worried about scratches on mass produced pistol. I need to work on this.