How do the G43 and G26 shoot?

The 26 is pretty similar, recoil is slightly more noticeable with the shorter grip. The G43 isn't what I would call a handful exactly, it isn't a lightweight .357 Magnum, but it is significantly harder to shoot than a 19 or 26.
 
Spartan said:
Maybe consider the 43X or 48.
Same length and height as the 19 but thinner.
The 48 is an inch longer.
Both shoot well.
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The 48 is the gun all of us who lived through the 1994-2004 AWB wanted Glock to make; slim, lightweight, and optimized for the 10+1 capacity. I carry one fairly regularly and I enjoy shooting it. When I go to the range with it I find it accurate and easy to control. When I go to the range with it and a 17, 19, 45, or 49 I realize how much more it actually recoils than any of them. It isn't bad, but it is noticeably more.
 
My wife’s EDC is a G48. It’s an excellent pistol. I’ve had reliability issues with the 43 and 43x resulting in failures to return to battery with certain 147 grain HP ammo. The solution has required frequent RSA replacements. This has been discussed at length on pistol forum and elsewhere. The 48 has had no such issues for me likely due to the heavier slide. For a smaller/female hand the 48 seems to be a solid choice as my wife can shoot it quickly and with precision.

For me the 48 is just too small so I prefer to carry something in the 17/34/47/49 grouping.
 
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I’ve had a G26 and a G19 for a very long time. For me the G26 shoots really well. I can make hits out way beyond what you would think a little gun would be capable of. If you don’t run longer mags or extensions it is noticeably shorter than a 19 - I have a sleeve type pocket holster that works in cargo shorts / pants with roomy pockets which is pretty much my normal attire. The shorter grip also doesn’t print as much in a belt holster either

Bonus is if you have larger 9mm Glocks - any mag will work , bigger bonus if you have one of the many PCCs that use Glock pattern mags
 
jska said:
I had the pleasure of shooting a G19 (courtesy of @beeleafs) and I liked it a lot. I was wondering how the G43 and G26 compare.
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Have owned all three.

Only two I have left are the 19 and the 43. It’s not that the 26 isn’t a great pistol…it is, but we just didn’t hit it off.

If I were limited to one Glock and only one, I’d choose the 19, purely from a capacity standpoint.

I shoot the 43 better than I ever did my 19 and it stays on my side from the time I get up until the time I turn in. Yeah…I have favorites and the 43 is one of them.👍
 
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I feel I am qualified to offer a vocal opinion on this. I have carried G43s, a G43X, and a G26s for quite a long time. In fact, the G43X and G26 are the guns I have carried longer than any other for concealed carry (and off duty LE). The G26 was first, right after it came out. I carried that one for about a year and traded it on something else (don't recall what). Went a few years with larger guns (mostly G23s, G17s, and G19s.) Then around 2007 (?) I picked up a used one and (as was my practice at the time for all Glocks) had a set of TruGlo TFOs put on it. At that time, I had a G26, a G19, and a G17, all with TFOs and I later shot them all in GSSF. The G26 was SURPRISINGLY accurate! I had that G26 for about 5 years give or take, and it was my primary concealed carry gun. After a while I decided I needed something smaller gun and bought a G43. The MAIN purpose for it was riding in the top of my body armor as a back up gun. I DID carry it on my hip concealed some but felt it was TOO small (and too low capacity) for a fighting gun, except in the hottest of weather. That is STILL my assessment of the G43. The capacity thing is just my feelings-I know the average gunfight will not last 6 rounds but I always feel I'll have something outside "average".

I always ran the G26s with the + 0 pinky extensions from Pearce. I could never accept the two finger grip. I also find the pinky extensions also aid in recoil control and a more confident master grip at the beginning of the draw. G26s are fat and chunky but can be ran well if you are dedicated. The capacity is plenty in a concealed carry handgun.

The G43X is my favorite off duty (concealed carry) gun of all time, so far. I run 2 spare mags (ran Shield mags for 2 -3 years but after having trouble last December at qualification I am back to OEM) and the gun is so small and light I feel my hip sometimes to make sure it's still there. The G43X's shorter muzzle is easy to carry, almost never poking out from the hem of my outer garment.

In order, I'm highly suggesting the 43X, then the 26, and way down the list would be the 43.
 
I have both the 43 and a pair of 26’s and I’ve had a 48. I’m of the opinion that the 26 is one of the best big little guns. It fits my hand very well and to me is as controllable under rapid fire as my 19’s if not more so. The only tricky part with it is reloads. I wear a 2xl glove and my palm swallows the bottom of the grip as it does for the 43 as well. I carry a 26 just about everyday IWB at 3 o clock and it conceals well but is fairly easy to draw out of a Dara mid ride holster. If I could change a thing it would be to give it a thinner slide for iwb comfort.

The 43 is mediocre for me. I can’t shoot it as fast as I’d like and that’s due to the grip circumference. I only carry it when I can’t carry a 26. It’s a great ankle gun.

The 48/43x are actually my least favorite Glock. They’re thinner in the grip than they need to be IMO and I couldn’t shoot either one very well. I like the concept but think the execution was wrong.
 
C-doodle said:
If you've got a place to shoot I can bring a g43 and a 43x for you to try out. Also have a g45 with a bunch on junk on it.
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I’m in Burlington and I normally go to RAD range, but I would certainly take you up on that 😁
 
Dale Gribble said:
Have owned all three.

Only two I have left are the 19 and the 43. It’s not that the 26 isn’t a great pistol…it is, but we just didn’t hit it off.

If I were limited to one Glock and only one, I’d choose the 19, purely from a capacity standpoint.

I shoot the 43 better than I ever did my 19 and it stays on my side from the time I get up until the time I turn in. Yeah…I have favorites and the 43 is one of them.👍
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My thoughts exactly. I like my G19 but I carry my G43.
 
The G26 is one of the few subcompacts that shoots like a full-sized service pistol. Everyone hates it until they actually shoot it and it can take any standard Glock magazine. I would highly recommend one over a slimline Glock.

The G43 is a snappy boi, only has 6 rounds, and is BTFO by the P365/Shield+ IMO. I think the Glock 42 is the sleeper of the slimline Glocks because it's so easy to shoot being a locked-breech .380ACP and it's size/weight.
 
I do really like my 43. It shoots great.

But I would really like a 43X. The longer grip makes getting it out of the holster easier and recoil control is easier for me.
That will be my next Glock. It's perfect. Wouldn't mind a 48, too!

I actually carry the G42 a lot. Love that little guy.
 
The smaller the pistol the harder it is to shoot, obviously.

2 finger grip often time means less control and more muzzle flip but with a good grip it's totally doable.

Slimline pistols recoil energy is spread out over a thinner area, so the force is more concentrated, = more felt recoil.

The 43 suffers from both. I agree with @Slimer that the 42 is a sleeper, shoots very well since it's one of the rare browning action 380s out there.

From there you kinda pick your poison between the 26 and say a 43x. Personally, I don't find a 19 or even a 17 sized pistol meaningfully harder to conceal and I don't really like compromising, so I just carry a larger gun.
 
These are my primary carry guns.

Oddly enough, I find the 43 a bit easier to shoot and it is definitely easier to pack. I can’t explain it.

The 26 stays around because it has a superpower other compact nines don’t, it takes double stack Glock mags.
 
fieldgrade said:
I shoot a G43 as well as I shoot any fullsized gun inside 10 yards, which is its intended purpose for me.
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What he said goes true for me too. At spitting distance the Glock 43 does a phenomenal job. I would rather have it than nothing. A big fat slab of gun you leave at home is of no use.
 
Other than the 43x fitting better in my medium-sized hands, I did not notice much of a difference between it and the 19. They both shoot well. I've shot them back-to-back in the same range visit. Never shot the standard 43 or the 26.
 
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G19 is a big gun, especially when compared to the 43. The 43 is not a target gun and really the 19 isnt either but they will shoot where you point them with decent ammo. I carry my 43 a whole lot more than my 19. I keep the 43 and a S&W Bodyguard 380 in my touchdown/junk drawer that my keys and wallet go in once home. I grab one of them when heading out.
 
I carry either a 43, 26, or 19 daily.

Just put an RMR cut slide and Holosun on my gen 3 26. Planning to test drive it this Sunday to confirm function.

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I owned a 48, a 43x, and a 43xMOS. That frame size just doesn't work with my hands and I shoot them poorly compared to either the full size or the 43.

I can hit an 8" plate at 50 with boring regularity with the 43. It shoots bigger than it ought to.
 
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I’ve never had a 43 (on my list). I’ve owned and shot the 17, 19, and 26. All are great options depending on your personal needs. For me if I had to keep one it would be the 26 for it’s versatility. It’s relatively small, shoots like a big gun, and can use the 15 and 17 round mags.
 
I also just purchased an advantage arms .22 conversion kit for the 26 pictured above. With that I have the ability to shoot .22 now in the 26, 19, and 17 size frames. I already have a G44 (G19 sized .22) and a conversion kit for the 17/34 that I run on my 34. Cheap practice.

I am impatiently waiting on a slide from Nelson Precision for my 44. It's RMR cut and will be getting the same Holosun my carry G19 has. Already has the same light.
 
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Wish they’d make a .22LR conversion kit for the 43.

and a threaded barrel…that’d make an awesome suppressor host.
 
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I own quite a few Glocks and really love the 17 which was my first then got a Vickers Tactical version with the RTF2 frame. I had a 19 but just didn’t shoot it as well. My EDC used to be a 43 but I never liked the short grip. I finally traded in for a 43X and it’s perfect for me. I know some say it’s snappy but I don’t feel that it is. I think it shoots smooth and easily controlled. I also picked up a 19X last month and haven’t even shot it yet. I can conceal even a 17 pretty well and I’m of a slim build. You’ll love the 43X if that’s the way you go.
 
@Dale Gribble i emailed them too, and got a response of we currently do not make one for those Glock models however we are always developing new products so keep watch on our website.
 
Big Dave said:
After a while I decided I needed something smaller gun and bought a G43. The MAIN purpose for it was riding in the top of my body armor as a back up gun.
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Out of curiosity, if you don't mind answering, do you mean the 26 or the 43 in the top of the body armor? And carried in an admin pouch, some sort of holster or just literally crammed in between the shirt and the backside of the carrier?
 
Geezer said:
My thoughts exactly. I like my G19 but I carry my G43.
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I love my 19X but carry my 43 more than I care to admit….even over the P365. I carry my 43 with a Pearce plus one or magguts plus 2 in it. So 7+1 or 8+1….then a spare 8 round mag. Hope I never have to say “ damn I wish I had 10 plus rounds instead.”
My thought is two fold 1) carry a gun…if you don’t carry it it’s worthless. 2) practice what you carry with before you buy the latest greatest blaster…I am guilty of buying stuff myself. My point is everyone fussed about the Glock 43 capacity….yet in 2015 when it came out we all flocked to it and bought it and 6 plus one was fine then. We then got in our minds capacity was inadequate for the 43. However, has there been any documented cases where a civilian carrier actually died because the 6 plus one capacity of the 43? I do know there are tons of documented cases of shootings where people were not carrying at all despite owning a 1911, Glock 17 etc etc.
 
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commiecuriocollector said:
Out of curiosity, if you don't mind answering, do you mean the 26 or the 43 in the top of the body armor? And carried in an admin pouch, some sort of holster or just literally crammed in between the shirt and the backside of the carrier?
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My vest at the time split about halfway up, and the main pocket held the main ballistic panel and the front portion was to hold a trauma plate. There was actually a gap there that the G43 would ride in. It never came out or fell out. Probably did that for 18 months give or take.
 
Big Dave said:
My vest at the time split about halfway up, and the main pocket held the main ballistic panel and the front portion was to hold a trauma plate. There was actually a gap there that the G43 would ride in. It never came out or fell out. Probably did that for 18 months give or take.
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Cool deal, that makes sense, some strange places work even when they really probably shouldn't.
 
Big Dave said:
My vest at the time split about halfway up, and the main pocket held the main ballistic panel and the front portion was to hold a trauma plate. There was actually a gap there that the G43 would ride in. It never came out or fell out. Probably did that for 18 months give or take.
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Georgia State Police have been issuing Glocks for years to their officers. They had the 45GAP then the 40 and then went with the 19/17 and 45 and now the Gen 5 Glock 45 in MOS. That being said they have issued back up guns for years. They use to issue the baby Glock in 45GAP then the 27 and then a Glock 42 before switching to the Glock 43 when it came out and still isssue it now. In fact it is required to be carried on duty if I remember correctly. So, yeah the 43 capacity isn’t what some may think is sufficient but it is one heck of a small and reliable CCW/back up gun.
 
Radar said:
Georgia State Police have been issuing Glocks for years to their officers. They had the 45GAP then the 40 and then went with the 19/17 and 45 and now the Gen 5 Glock 45 in MOS. That being said they have issued back up guns for years. They use to issue the baby Glock in 45GAP then the 27 and then a Glock 42 before switching to the Glock 43 when it came out and still isssue it now. In fact it is required to be carried on duty if I remember correctly. So, yeah the 43 capacity isn’t what some may think is sufficient but it is one heck of a small and reliable CCW/back up gun.
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Sheesh, talk about indecisive. GSP sounds as bad as some of the guys on here trying to decide what is appropriate for 60 degree, lawnmowing carry.
 
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