Glock introduced the G43X this year to offer a higher capacity single-stack, which was a pleasant surprise for many shooters. Essentially a taller G43, the G43X holds 10+1 rounds versus 6+1, though the magazines are thicker and will not work in a G43.
Glock retained the short 3.41-inch barrel of the G43, though the G43X sports one of Glock’s new Marksman barrels. Another contrast is the silver “nPVD” finish on the G43X’s slide for a little sex appeal, though an all-black version is also available. Front cocking serrations were also added, though they are a bit perfunctory.
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Our sample pistol came fitted with a set of outstanding AmeriGlo night sights that provided an excellent sight picture. The rear sight was blacked out and serrated, and the front sight had a high-visibility orange ring for fast acquisitions.
During our evaluation, Terrill commented on the quality of the sights, though the trigger tended to pinch his finger while firing. He liked the reversible magazine release since he is a lefty, but he did not care for the lack of a manual safety—a common theme for him for the majority of the pistols we reviewed.
The high point for me was the concealability of the slender frame in contrast to a G19, and the superb sights. Everything else was, well, Glock-ish. I was able to shoot extremely tight groups with it, though the pistol printed left about 2 inches at 7 yards out of the box.
As expected, the reliability was superb, and the overall experience was that of a typical Glock. There’s no question that Glock pistols enjoy a fantastic reputation for quality—and for good reason—but it’s been a while since the company has done something different other than change caliber or size.
