Master Review Glock 43: Reliability Stats, Mods, and Best Accessories

I’m a gun nerd, you’re a gun nerd, we’re all gun nerds, and we spend way too much time reading about potential firearm purchases. I don’t know about you, but I get tired of checking out a million different articles and videos to learn about a gun. This article is designed to save you all of that hassle. I’ve combed the internet for the best articles, reviews, accessories, and modifications for the Glock 43, and put them all in one convenient article. Keep reading for all the details.

The Purpose of the Glock 43

The first thing you need to consider, when evaluating any firearm, is the purpose for which it was built. The Glock 43 was designed as a more compact concealed carry firearm. Historically Glock sold two firearms for concealed carry, the subcompact Glock 26, and the compact Glock 19. Both of these firearms have double stacked magazines, which means they have excellent capacity, but they are rather wide in hand.

The Glock 43 is a single stack magazine, and is much narrower. Consequently, it is easier to carry, and it prints less. It does lose some magazine capacity, with the factory magazines. These are the following types of folks that the Glock 43 is best for.

Who Should Carry the Glock 43?

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• Those with significant practice on other Glock models
• People with smaller hands
• Folks who prioritize reliability over looks
• People that want wide aftermarket support for holsters and gear

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If you have a lot of time on Glock pistols, then it really makes sense to stay with this platform for a carry gun. Sure there are other, “more popular” pistols out there, but it doesn’t make any sense to relearn a manual of arms, for a new brand, just because gun magazines like a certain model this year.

Glock also has a slightly different grip angle on their firearms, that takes a little getting used to. If you were to switch between a Sig Sauer, and a Glock, you would find that they don’t point the same due to their different grip angles. This doesn’t make either one bad, but it will require reps and time practicing to make sure you can point the gun on target.

Glock 43 for Small Hands

This gun is also great for folks with smaller hands. Many of the reviewers noted the pistol has a diminutive grip circumference, and it also has a shorter reach from the end of the back strap to the face of the trigger.

Consequently, if you’re a lumberjack who goes to arm wrestling tournaments on the weekends, this may not be the gun for you. A few reviewers were able to induce malfunctions if their thumbs contacted the slide stop, or other portions of the slide. This is nothing against the Glock 43, as almost all pistols will malfunction in these circumstances.

Glock 43 Aftermarket Support

It’s no secret that Glock sells millions of pistols annually. This means that other companies will produce aftermarket products allowing you to modify your pistol to your particular desires.

Now, most of you who’ve read my articles in the past know I never recommend altering internal parts for a carry or duty gun. The likelihood of creating an unreliable gun increases proportionally with the amount of parts you swap out. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything to your Glock.

There are dozens of companies that allow you to change things like sights, lights and lasers, and other mostly cosmetic changes. It’s also nice to have a wide variety of holsters to choose from.

The Glock 43 Overview

The Glock 43 is a subcompact, single stack pistol, chambered in 9mm. It has a standard magazine capacity of 6, meaning that you can carry the pistol with 6 bullets in the mag, and one in the chamber, for a total of 7 rounds. Here are some of the basic stats for the pistol.

This is Glock’s smallest, most concealable pistol. Most reviewers noted that they preferred shooting this pistol with a magazine extension, which would allow the shooter to to rest their pinky finger on the pistol grip. For those that like to pocket carry, the pistol is definitely small enough to carry, without the extension. Check out this video for a great review.

Honest Outlaw has a great channel. He is a good shooter and has reviewed enough firearms to discern between the minutia that matters, and useless fluff.

Glock 43 Trigger Weight

Other reviewers note that the trigger comes in right around 5.5 lbs in weight. As anyone who’s shot a Glock can tell you, the triggers aren’t going to win any awards, but they aren’t overly heavy and they are predictable. Yes there are aftermarket triggers, but you should stay away from them if you are carrying this for self defense. I’m sure they are fine products, but you don’t want to open yourself up to reliability issues, or legal issues by modifying a gun you might use to save someone’s life.

Glock 43 Accuracy

Most reviewers are reporting that this pistol will group between 3-4 inches at 25 yards. This can be ammunition dependent, with some folks shooting as large as 8 inches groups at 25 yards, with certain types of ammo. This doesn’t mean that that ammo is bad, as you’ll find that most firearms tend to prefer certain loads.

Realistically, this is fine for self defense. If you read this article, about the 11 traits of firearm self defense encounters, you’ll see that the average engagement distance is closer to 2.5 yards, rather than 25 yards.

Glock 43 Reliability

This is the big issue for me. I don’t care to own a firearm that will not work reliably . Manufacturers can now produce relatively cheap firearms with excellent quality control, which means there should be no allowance for unreliable guns. Cue boomer 1911 screeching.

If you watch this video, you’ll see that the gun functions flawlessly, until you start modifying it. Even a small change like that Ghost connecter, created some issues.

Other reviewers have regularly shot thousands of rounds with no cleaning and minimal maintenance, such as adding lube. This is more than reliable enough to use for self defense purposes.

Now I don’t want you to think I’m against having fun with Glocks. Check out this custom Glock 17 I put together last year. I’ve changed nearly every stock part on the pistol, and it has functioned flawlessly. It can be done, but I would never carry that pistol for self defense.

If you like fitness, shooting, and pretending to be an operator, then  click here to join the Tier Three Team. It’s totally free, and over seven thousand members get the latest articles sent directly to their inbox.

The Glock 43 Competitors

There have never been more choices for compact carry pistols than now. There is the Sig P365, which has been incredibly popular for several years. There are also excellent offerings from Smith and Wesson, and Springfield Armory.

Even Glock competes with itself, as it produces several compact, and subcompact firearms. If you want a double stacked package with nearly the same dimensions as the Glock 43, then you can pick up the venerable Glock 26. Similarly, if you want a little more capacity, or a larger frame, you can pick up the mega popular Glock 19.

The Glock 43 vs. The Glock 43x

Glock has also released a newer variant of the Glock 43, called the Glock 43x. Practically speaking, this pistol has a longer pistol grip, that will accommodate a larger magazine capacity (10 vs 6 rds), while retaining similar other dimensions.

The Glock 43x seems like a bit of a strange bird to me. If you want a compact pistol, then you probably shouldn’t lengthen the grip, as that is the part of the gun that causes the most discomfort and sticks out when carrying. To my mind, it would make more sense to just carry a Glock 19 at that form factor.

Now that we’ve covered the reliability, accuracy, and the basics of the Glock 43, let’s talk about some holsters, lights, and aftermarket gear.

Glock 43 Aftermarket Gear

There are a few key pieces of gear that many shooters commonly purchase with their firearm. Often times folks will choose to upgrade things like night sights, or attach a light/laser system. Because this firearm is meant to be carried, the first type of aftermarket accessory we should look at are holsters for the Glock 43.

Glock 43 Holsters

Most folks will carry a pistol this small using some version of an inside the waistband holster (IWB). However, some prefer to carry in a more traditional, outside the waistband style holster (OWB). Here we will discuss options for both.

Glock 43 Inside the Waistband Holster

I’ve used 3-6 o’clock IWB holsters for many years and they are my preferred carry method. The internet will tell you that you must appendix carry or you’re doing it wrong, but I don’t subscribe to that notion. I’ve found that holsters from Crossbreed work very well for my purposes. Check out this holster below.

This style holster hooks over your belt with metal clips, and rests inside the waistband. The leather backing helps to distribute the weight evenly across your back, making this a comfortable choice for many different body types. I’ve used this holster with my Sig 239 for about 5 years, and it’s just as good as the day I bought it.

Glock 43 Outside the Waistband Holster

I’ve found that outside the waistband holsters work very well for nearly everyone, regardless of body type, but the are much more comfortable for larger people. They also have the added benefit of being more accessible when drawing, as they aren’t pressed so closely to your torso. Check out this holster from Raven Concealment.

This holster is made of kydex, and relies on friction to retain the firearm. I have not personally used this holster, but Raven Concealment is a quality manufacturer with a sterling reputation. I would have no issues ordering equipment from them. The only downside to this style holster is that it is slightly harder to conceal, and if you are open carrying, there is no retention device to help secure the gun. This brings us to our last holster.

Glock 43 Holster With Retention

Until I started doing my research for this article, I was unaware that Safariland made a retention style holster for the Glock 43. Sure enough they do, and it looks pretty slick.

If you haven’t used holsters from Safariland then you are in for a treat. They are by far the most secure holsters available. This holster is an outside the waistband model, with a level 2 retention lock, that must be depressed by your thumb, before the pistol can be drawn.

I personally do not recommend open carrying, but there are some situations where it can make sense. If you do want to open carry, then you should use a holster like this Safariland ALS. Otherwise, you run the risk of being disarmed and having your weapon used against you. If that sounds outlandish, just search on Youtube for videos of guns being taken away.

Now that you’ve got some solid choices for holsters, let’s talk about fixing some of those capacity issues, by adding a magazine extension.

Glock 43 Magazine Extensions

There are many choices for magazine extensions. If you watched that Lucky Gunner video above, you’ll understand that you need to pick an extension with a new, more powerful spring. The factory spring is not strong enough to work in a longer magazine. Checkout this extension from Tango Down.

This extension fits nicely with the stock Glock magazines. It’s made of the same type of plastic as the magazine body, and it allows you to fit your pinky on the grip, giving you a full hand firing solution. It also allows you to store 8 rounds in the magazine. This means you can carry a total of 9 rounds in the firearm.

Glock 43 Metal Magazine Extensions

I know some of you prefer metal parts over plastic. To each their own, but I’ve still got you covered with a few choices to increase the capacity of the Glock 43. Check out this magazine extension from Taran Tactical.

Taran tactical has many options for their products. You can get different colors, and you can also get different sized extensions. They have simple basepads, plus two round, and plus three round extensions. The plus two and three round magazine extensions do come with more powerful springs. These are the magazine extensions I used on my custom Glock build, and they have performed quite well.

Now that we’ve beat magazine extensions to death, this leaves us with our last section, lights, lasers, and dots.

Glock 43 Lights and Lasers

Some of you might be thinking that because the Glock 43 doesn’t have a rail, that you can’t add any lights or lasers. You would be wrong. Streamlight makes a light laser device that attaches to the trigger guard. They also make a light only version if that’s your style. These are both Amazon affiliate links.

The light pictured above is the TLR 6 light laser device. It is a one hundred lumen light, and a visible red laser. It’s quite compact, and it gives you the ability to positively identify your target, which is crucial. I think visible lasers can be useful, but they aren’t a deal breaker for me. This company also makes a holster that will fit the Streamlight TLR 6 and the Glock 43 (Amazon Affiliate Link).

Glock 43 Red Dot: RMR CC

Many of you will want to put a red dot on your concealed carry firearm, but that can be a challenge on subcompact firearms like the Glock 43. Trijicon has recently addressed this issue, by creating the RMR cc for smaller pistols (Amazon Affiliate Link).

This optic has a slightly smaller footprint, designed to accommodate single stack width firearms. The red dot has some significant advantages over traditional irons. They are also more than reliable enough for concealed carry.

You have several mounting options for red dots, but I highly recommend getting your slide milled so the optic can sit as low to the bore axis as possible. It makes a more compact package, and many shooters find it easier to transition from irons if the optic isn’t way over the slide. Check out this pistol from Fabricated Arms.

I highly recommend contacting Chris from Fabricated Arms. He milled my custom Glock slide, and did amazing work very quickly. He can also cerakote the slide for you as well. The picture above is an example of some custom slide work he did on a Glock 43.

Final Thoughts

The vast majority of reviewers praised the Glock 43 as a compact and reliable firearm. I think Glock did a great job with this pistol, even if it is somewhat limited in round capacity, from the factory. As always, it’s important to actually practice with your firearm, using the same concealed carry equipment and ammo you would normally use.

Ammo can be a bit hard to get a hold of but I did find this deal on some bulk practice ammo, and that should go pretty far in acclimatizing yourself to a new gun and set up. It goes without saying that you need to run your self defense ammo through the firearm during practice as well. I recommend at least 500-1000 rounds of practice ammo and 100-200 rounds of duty.

This will ensure you can operate the firearm with unconscious competence, and it will allow you to figure out where you like to wear your holster and what type of garments work best with the gun. Now get out there and get training!

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