I carried a Glock 27.3 as my primary ccw and BUG as a LEO.   I rarely carried a different handgun concealed from when I purchased my Glock 27.3 in 1999.   In 2014 I was retired from LE and when Glock introduced the Glock 42 I bought an early example.   I still mostly carried the Glock 27 but I really like the Glock 42 lighter weight.   In 2015 I bought an early Glock 43 and basically quit carrying my Glock 27.3.  My Glock 43 fit in the same IWB holster as my Glock 27.  I really like the narrower profile of the Glock 43 and mostly lighter weight.   I carried the Glock 27.3 IWB at 3-4 O Clock with a +1 extension or flat mag base plate if I needed concealment.  I also used to carry the Glock 27 in an ankle holster with the nine round flat base plate.


When I carry my Glock 42 I carry 6+1 with two spare seven round mags (+1 Pearce grip extension) for 21 rounds.  When I carried my Glock 27 I carried either 9+1 or 10+1 with on spare 10 round mag.   When I carry my Glock 43 I carry 6+1 and two spare seven round mags.   When I carry my Glock 48 I carry 10+ 1 and one 10 round mag.   I have also carried PSA 15 round micro dagger mags in my Glock 48 so 15+15 for 30 rounds on my person.


I like the Glock 26/27 but the ability to use the same mag as my Duty belt weapon or other officers is a non issue while retired.  My daily activities and attire dictate which weapon I conceal carry.   I carry the Glock 43 the most followed by my Glock 48.   I carry the Glock 48 in colder weather and the Glock 42 when it gets very hot and sticky.   I rarely carry a Glock 42 in a pocket holster or ankle holster but it is still an option.   I find I can shoot any of my Glock pistols well and feel well armed with the Glock 48, 43 or 42.   I noticed when I stood up I had to adjust my trousers more carrying the heavier Glock 27.   Adjusting your clothing is very noticeable and is an indication a person is armed.

Glock 43 versus 27.3



Glock 27 behind Glock 43



Glock 27 with Glock 43 in rear



Glock 27 compared to Glock 48 in rear



Glock 27 in my IWB next to 48 in IWB.

Glock 27 with +1 mag IWB next to 48 IWB



Glock 43 IWB next to 48 IWB



If I could have only one small Glock it would be my Glock 43.  I have green tritium night sights on each pistol so sighting is basically the same for each.





Glock 42 weight with empty mag 13.76 ounces, loaded 15.87 ounces
Glock 26.3 weight with empty mag 21.52 ounces, loaded 25.75 ounces
Glock 43 weight with empty mag 17.99 ounces, loaded 20.64 ounces
Glock 48 weight with empty mag 20.74 ounces, loaded 25.12 ounces

Since I got carried away in this thread another picture.  The Glock 43 can be pocket carried but the Glock 42 is better.   The Glock 26 or 48 don’t work for me in pocket carry because of weight or physical size but everyone physical size is a factor.

Uncle Mike’s pocket holster for G-42, Glock 42 in IWB holster, Glock 43 in Remora pocket holster.

I have a 26 clone and a 43x clone. The 43x is my daily. I find the thinner profile to be more comfortable to carry and shoot.

Glock 43 X is the way to go. I carry the Glock 43XMOS and it’s perfect.

I purchased the G43 to replace my EDC (at the time) G26 I had been carrying as my main for several years. Long story short, it did not replace it.

Right after I bought the G43, and 6 extra mags I took a two day handgun course with it at my local range. I think we capped at about 650rds total over those two. I realize the G43 is not meant for that, but I wanted to really put it through it's paces.
It wore a scar into my shooting hand on the knuckle of my thumb.
It ran reliably, 100% after about 50 rounds. A few failures to feed that were easily handled.
It got hotter, faster than my G26 would have.
Of course it's snappier, and you are giving up 4 rounds. I wasn't grouping great with it, but I chugged through the course. Afterwards I just didn't seem to care if the G26 was a little wider. It handles and shoots miles better. I decided to move on from the 43 almost immediately after the class. It being thinner, and lighter just didn't matter enough to me at the end of the day.

I carried my G26 with the Magpul 12rd magazine. To me, that was the best setup for the G26.

See if there is a local range that will rent you a 43, or if you have a friend that owns one. It's worth looking into.

I haven't carried my 27 since I got the 43.  Feels like a huge difference.

Also- almost immediately then got a 48, since the 43 wasn't the easiest thing to shoot....

My suggestion-  just skip right to the 48.

I normally carry a 43 as my CCW. I have carried a 26 quite a bit too.

The 26 is way more gun. But the 43 is practically invisible to carry.

I'm not a Glock guy.

Was fingerings a G48 at the gun store, and walked out with it.  Not my favorite pistol but it's a good one.

I'm issued a 43 as a BUG at work so I do carry it off duty. Because of the limited capacity, I stick an extra magazine in my pocket.

At times, I just put it in a cargo pocket and don't have any issues with it bothering me as such.

I still love the 26 and what it offers, nothing wrong with a 43 though. Just not enough to warrant me to change and I like being able to use my g17 mags as a backup.

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I picked up a G43 (bottom) to go with my G43X (top). I'm not a fan of the G43. I get nosedive jams with Federal HST 124grn.

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My 43X feeds everything.

I find the grip on the G43 is just too short / small. Adding a +2 mag base makes it just as long as the G43X.

I ultimately wanted to replace my Ruger LC9S Pro and the G43 doesn't do it.

my off duty has been the G43 since it came out. If i could do it again with all the options now, I would not chose the G43 just because of the limited capacity.

I have the 43, 43X and 48. I went back to the 26.

My first pistol was a Glock 17 that I bought almost 30 years ago. I started carrying a G19 about a decade ago and have shot a lot of different Glocks. The G43 is the only one that ever had issues cycling certain types of ammo. I wanted it for deeper concealment and for IWB carry in the Texas summer heat. I tested over a dozen different types of ammo because of the reports I’d seen about it being finicky. My preferred 147 gr HSTs would nose dive just like the post above while 147 gr Gold Dots would cycle reliably, so that’s what I ended up carrying in it. My theory is that it’s a combination of smaller / weaker springs that can’t feed the ammo upward fast enough and the lighter weight slide that can’t “power through” when rounds get hung up on the bottom edge of the feed ramp. It’s especially problematic when using longer rounds and/or JHPs with a particularly sharp edge around the hollow point (like 147 gr HSTs).

I found it was very temperamental with aftermarket mag extensions. I would not use the factory mag spring with any extension. I ended up carrying it with a Pearce +1 baseplate with the finger rest, which I found much more comfortable while not sacrificing concealment. The Pearce extension worked reliably with +10% power mag springs from the Glock Store but would allow the last few rounds to nose dive if using the original factory spring. I carried TangoDown +2 extensions with their included spring, and those worked reliably too. My one TTI +1 never worked well, even with a +10% spring, allowing rounds to nose dive also. Once I was confident in the Pearce and TD extensions, I carried the G43 regularly for about six years. I never shot it very well and wasn’t satisfied with the capacity, so I’m in the process of switching to a P365XL.

I’ve got most of the Glock models and carry Glock on and off duty.

The G43 is only used when I just can’t carry a gun. It has replaced the J-frame for those duties.

When I’m off I routinely use a G43X, G48 or G26

The G26 is difficult to beat. Capacity, size and capabilities are all solid.

Recently swapped by G26.4 for a G26.5 MOS. Put Dawson sights on it and zeroed before adding a Holosun SCS dot.

This was shot at 25 yards at a quick pace.

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EDC. I haven't found one that fits my use better.

Yeah..... someone on arf several years ago mentioned that he had failures with 147gr HST in his 43, so I took mine to the range to re-check that.  Had the same thing loaded...

Sure enough, it choked almost immediately.

Been carrying a 43 for a couple years, now. It basically disappears; but you're giving up capacity and a full grip.

Just bought a 43X MOS last week and I'll be switching to that due to wanting a more comfy grip and more rounds while keeping things OEM with the exception of a RDS/night sights.

Ive run a G26 as a bug for work since 2010. I shoot it nearly as well as my full size duty weapon. I tried the G43 since it is thinner and lighter, but I wasnt able to shoot it nearly as well as the G26. I know lots of folks that have them and like them, but it for me the g26 works better.

When you absolutely need a tiny gun and don't mind seven or eight rounds (I used a Pearce +1), it's fine.  I carried one for several months, but I have decided that I would prefer to have more ammo because of the area where I live (DFW).  

I carry a 43 daily. I love it. Lightweight and compact. It’s what a carry gun needs to be. It’ll do what needs to get done, and it’ll be there to do it. A lot of people go on about capacity, but I think it’s overthought. Capacity in a carry gun is overrated.

I've been carrying my 43 in the summer and my 20 in the winter. Ordered a 29 this morning because of NY threatening to ban Glocks. The 43 is going to be semi-retired to be only my hiking gun

When I need small, 43 is a great fit in a pocket holster.

I like 26 best.

If and when I open carry, 43X. It’s got a light and rds.

Love the 43. Hides and carry's well.
Better than a G26 under t-shirt.

Wife carries either a 43, P938, or P238, depending on what's happening that day. She likes the grip of the 43 over the 43X/48, so we put a 43X slide on it with an RDS. Runs the Z9 mags; I replaced the springs in the mags and need to go test it. It was leaving 1 round in the mag, but slidelocked.

Thinner is usually better for concealment.

Put it in a gallon ziploc bag with charcoal for about a week.

I'd soak/wash the rubber grip sleeve with Simple Green or Super Clean then let it air dry.

That's where I'd start.

If it came with the case, toss that. Clean everything real well, including the inside of the magazines.

I'd try some ammonia, or in a baggie of kitty litter/oil dry (some diatomaceous earth).  Charcoal mention is a good idea as well.

Just strip it, hose it down with windex well a couple times and rinse between spraying, then rinse with HOT water, dry well, and lube. You can buy lots of fancy shit but windex or some other decent glass cleaner with ammonia cleans baccy smoke, tar and nic residue and odor like you can't believe.

Yep your right, Windex cleans it. But I can't see a just a pistol smelling that bad... Lol I'm a heavy smoker.  It probably the case it's in.

Spray everything down with WD40 or your gun oil of choice.

Let it sit for a bit.

I bought a stock off of the EE a couple years ago and here’s what I did:

Dryer sheets in a ziploc bag, remove all air around the gun, let sit for about 24 hours or so. You can do this multiple times.

Eventually, the stock did not have any odor at all. In this instance, I’d also assume the hogue has soaked up some of the odor, so I would toss that and buy a new one. I suspect rubber is harder to remove that odor from than polymer.

Get an ozone machine like they use in a car for dead bodies.  Mags, accessories, firearm, etc and either put it in a room with the door shut or build some kind of container.  Might have to do it a couple of times.

I drop my entire pistols in ultrasonic cleaners.  Toss the case and the grip.

I’m imagining that the foam in the case is the worst
stink.

Taylor Freelance still has +1 extensions on clearance for $10 if you want to change out any.  


https://www.ar15.com/forums/handguns/G43-1-10-Taylor-Freelance/13-213257/

Glad you got it off.

You can also put a dryer sheet into the case and close it for a while. I usually use dawn dish soap to clean and it has been great at removing any smell. Not sure if it'll remove smoke smell but I don't see why not.

I’ve had no issue with Glock 43 magazine springs but I got better service life out of factory Glock 27 magazine springs than Wolff springs.   If I could get factory Glock mag springs I would use them unless I was using a +3 or more extension.