[Lab4Us]

There's a difference. Up to you whether it's "big" or not.

View attachment 1219869

Nope. 6.0, 220. That .24 off the width wouldn’t make it any easier to conceal for me, I can see how it might help the thinner crowd though!

 

[CSG]

Spare mag should be carried for malfunction, capacity is just a bonus.

I understand and do not disagree with that POV. But one has to find what works best for their daily needs. Not being a gunfighter like so many here seem to be, I suffer with carrying other EDC things than a spare mag. The statistical probability of me needing a spare mag is even smaller than my needing my weapon for some random assault. The pleasure of living out in the country near a small (but growing) community where street crime is pretty well non-existent.

 

[Pat Riot]

Okay. Reading through this thread had me reviewing my two favorite LGS distributors sites to see what kind of G43s they could get me. Decent pricing, lots of variants. Then I went and did a compare on the Glock site with the Gen 5 G26 and G27. It it just the lighter weight everyone lIkes? I can’t imagine 1/4“ width makes too big a difference and the 26.5 and 27.5 seem even shorter.

i have a 27.5 and try to convince myself everyday I have enough 9mm guns (Echelon on my shoulder 😂). But as close as these three are, I’ll probably skip the 43 and if I did add another 9mm Glock would probably opt or 26.5 MOS, especially with the no plate Holosun available.

Almost joined the club. Glock talked me out of it!

View attachment 1219867

I had a Gen 3 G26. I called it “the hockey puck”. To me it was too wide for its size. Profile-wise it’s pretty much the same size as the 43. The hump comes up a little higher and the grip is a little larger in the front to back dimensions.
I have large hands but the width or thickness of the 26 was a turn off for me. I sold it. If you can you should rent or borrow one and shoot it to see if you like it.
I tried and bought a 43. That .24” of difference between the 26 and the 43 doesn’t sound like much but to me the 43 wins hands down.

I hope you like the 26. It’s a fine pistol, really accurate for its size. It just didn’t work for me.

 

[GlockyQ]

I have to ask…wouldn’t the cost of Glock replacing all those parts almost buy a new G43?

Actually, my local FFL/indoor range (run by very nice folks) shipped the gun to GLOCK for me, and GLOCK went above and beyond what I expected (= I was willing to pay for the slide). GLOCK did not even charge me a penny when they replaced the chipped slide and all internal parts! You can tell I'm an even bigger fan of GLOCK as a gun manufacture now.

 

[bowzette]

Actually, my local FFL/indoor range (run by very nice folks) shipped the gun to GLOCK for me, and GLOCK went above and beyond what I expected (= I was willing to pay for the slide). GLOCK did not even charge me a penny when they replaced the chipped slide and all internal parts! You can tell I'm an even bigger fan of GLOCK as a gun manufacture now.

Interesting how folks are different. I have medium to maybe a bit wider than medium palms but nubby fingers. I have a 43, 26 and 19. I much prefer the hockey puck thickness of the 26 over the 43 for shooting. I shoot the 26 and 19 close to the same. I use the standard 10 round mag and tucking the pinkey under the grip doesn't bother me. I like having a fistfull of grip and plenty of room for my support hand palm to bury itself into the grip. I admit the 43 is easier to carry. At least right now as I'm 15-20 lbs overweight or "too short for my weight"

 

[Pat Riot]

Interesting how folks are different. I have medium to maybe a bit wider than medium palms but nubby fingers. I have a 43, 26 and 19. I much prefer the hockey puck thickness of the 26 over the 43 for shooting. I shoot the 26 and 19 close to the same. I use the standard 10 round mag and tucking the pinkey under the grip doesn't bother me. I like having a fistfull of grip and plenty of room for my support hand palm to bury itself into the grip. I admit the 43 is easier to carry. At least right now as I'm 15-20 lbs overweight or "too short for my weight"

It definitely is weird. I wear XXL gloves yet the 43 with an extension on the mag is just fine for me. The 26 was totally awkward for me. I think a lot has to do with finger length, flexibility and how one’s hands and fingers articulate.

 

[Pat Riot]

Doh! Double Tap!

 

[GlockyQ]

Interesting how folks are different. I have medium to maybe a bit wider than medium palms but nubby fingers. I have a 43, 26 and 19. I much prefer the hockey puck thickness of the 26 over the 43 for shooting. I shoot the 26 and 19 close to the same. I use the standard 10 round mag and tucking the pinkey under the grip doesn't bother me. I like having a fistfull of grip and plenty of room for my support hand palm to bury itself into the grip. I admit the 43 is easier to carry. At least right now as I'm 15-20 lbs overweight or "too short for my weight"

I've carried a G43 for only 6 and a half years - far shorter than how long I carried my G19 gen.2 or G26 gen.3. But the grip of the G43 feels much better in I have small hands than the thick/wide grips of the G19 and the G26. So, I actually enjoy shooting the G43 much more than shooting the G19 or the G26.

 

[0.0-idontrun]

The weight difference and the thickness (I carry AIWB) are two big factors with me wanting the G43 instead of the G26. Also the size just seems to fit so well.

 

[GlockyQ]

The weight difference and the thickness (I carry AIWB) are two big factors with me wanting the G43 instead of the G26. Also the size just seems to fit so well.

Very true.
I compared the weights of my "G26 and a flush fit mag with 10+1 rounds of 124gr HST +P" (750g) and my "G43 and my custom 8-rounder mag with 8+1 rounds of the same ammo" (650g). The G26 with 10+1 rounds was exactly 100g (= 3.5oz) heavier than the G43 with 8+1 rounds. That does not seem much but it still makes a big difference, especially when carried AIWB or IWB....

 

[bowzette]

I definitely understand the "love" for the 43. I now live in Florida and my uniform is shorts, tee shirt, or Hawaiian shirt, and sandals. Until I lose some weight the 26 won't work with most tee shirts. If I could only get the 26 to carry like the 43, or the 43 to shoot for me like the 26! At what I would anticipate being typical self defense range the 43 is plenty accurate and I have an 8 round capacity which is fine for me. But at 12-15 yards I would much rather have the 26. I was shooting steel yesterday about 12 yards and consistently hitting a 12" plate with a Ruger original LCP .380 that weighs 9.5 oz unloaded and basically doesn't have sights. The 43 is much easier to shoot than the LCP. So within "non-felony range" the 43 will do the job. I have said before if I could only have one Glock it would be the 26. If I could have two Glocks they would be the 19 and 43. Fortunately I have all three I gave my 17 to my son years ago and sold a 34 as I wasn't shooting competition. I don't like pistols larger than the Compact size and sold all my large, heavy revolvers.

 

[joh31281]

From an article on NRA ShootingIllustrated.com regarding learning to shoot a revolver . . . .

I walked into this class thinking “Why would you rely on a gun that held just five (or six) shells when you can use one that holds ten or more?”, but Claude explained that after combing through five years worth of “The Armed Citizen” columns on Shooting Illustrated’s sister site, American Rifleman, he found only one incident that couldn’t have been solved with a five-shot snub-nosed revolver.

 

[Sticks49]

I love my 43's, it disappears in a muddy river iwb holster, its reliable and ok to shoot... I love my 19s and have a 26 I've been trying to carry more but the 43 shines in the ccw department! I currently own 2 43's they won't go anywhere but have no experience with the 43x... I will note I don't really like shooting the single stack glocks, but its a tool not a range gun! View attachment 1219672
View attachment 1219671

Exactly, it's an EDC not a competition gun. Even Lenny Magill, owner of the Glock Store, carries the 43X EDC.

 

[bowzette]

The recent threads re: the 43 got my "43jucies" going again. Just got back from the range. Shooting a difficult target designed by KR Training Systems in Texas-4 different shape and size targets with 4 different colors, and numbers 1-3 at 12.5 yards. Transitioning between targets and shooting 1-2 second intervals due to the range rules. I shoot a highly modified S&W Victory22 with TK goodies, a significantly modified Ruger LWC 9mm 1911 and the Glock 43 with DP FO front sight and steel rear, some grip modifications and a Precision Overwatch drop in trigger kit but using the Glock Connector (the PO connector would cause unintended double taps). The Victory and Ruger are very accurate and I was really pleased at how accurately the G43 did in comparison. The Victory weights at least 36 oz and the Ruger 29 oz. I could shoot the 43 almost as well (or as badly) as these other pistols at that distance. The circle targets are only 3" and I can barely see them with my old eyes, but I was hitting them well.