Some of the buzz going into this year’s SHOT Show centered around Glock releasing a larger version of the popular 9 mm G43. The G43 is an excellent pocket gun, and easy to conceal with more traditional carry modes, but it has limited capacity and can be punishing to shoot much in training and practice. To address these concerns, Glock developed the ‘Slimline Series’ G43X and the G48.
The heart of the new pistols is a redesigned magazine that packs 10 rounds into a grip just three-quarters of an inch longer than the G43. It’s fractionally wider as well, but in a way that keeps the gun concealable and shootable for hands of all sizes. That does mean that you can’t swap magazines between the G43 and the G43X/G48, just between the G43X and the G48.
The trade-off is worthwhile so that shooters are no longer as likely to hang a pinky, off the bottom of the grip and therefore be able to manage recoil more effectively. As slimline guns, though, the shooter will still be able to reach and operate all of the gun controls as well as they could on the G43.
Much like the G19X, the G43X is a cross between the G43 and the G48. The difference is entirely in the slide length: the G43X maintains the approximately 6-inch slide length of the G43. Meanwhile, the G48 is nearly an inch longer while all else remains the same.
A limited number of existing holsters for the G43 already work with the G43X and even the G48. Other accessories, like back plates for the G43 slide also work interchangeably with the G43X and G48. We’re told that that’s because the changes that make the new guns possible are all in the frame and not the slide.
They’re both compelling entries into the increasingly crowded slim carry gun market and with retail prices expected to be comparable to the G43, likely to be a popular option.
