The “Industry Day at the Range” is often the most fun portion of SHOT Show because you have the opportunity to shoot firearms you either could never afford, are not legal where you live, or might not see on store shelves for a long time. With the already surging popularity of the Glock G43X and G48 which were recently announced, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to test and shoot them myself! I was not the only person to have that same train of thought.

The lines were incredible at SHOT Show’s Industry Day at the Range just to catch a glimpse of these pistols. This alone was great evidence to the G43X’s and G48’s popularity, but what is it about them that is making them so desirable?… A great overview of these new pistols from Glock can be had from our in-house Glock aficionado James Reeves of TFBTV. Check out his announcement video from January 2nd below:

What is likely making these such a home run for Glock is that these new models are a culmination of feedback and features poured into new carry guns. You have the smooth front strap (no finger grooves) which is iconic of the Gen5 Glocks that an innumerable amount of people requested. You also have the addition of front slide serrations as well as the rear for shooters who choose to rack their pistol from the front.

One characteristic that has never been present on a factory model Glock before is a stainless slide. This is only in its curb appeal or appearance though. The actual finish is a silver nPVD which is a durable finish similar to that found on the G19X. Both the G43X and G48 boast a match-grade GLOCK Marksman Barrel (GMB).

If you are wondering about the finish on the slide of the G48 in the photo above, that is not one of those hip battle worn finishes you see floating around the industry. You could call that an nPVD finish that thousands of people have shot at Range Day. The dirt simply wiped off when I handled the pistol for that picture which was pretty impressive. A solid tip of the hat to the nPVD finish that Glock employs.

Another reason why the Glock G43X and G48 were such standouts at Range Day were their thin nature. Easy to conceal and carry, but not so small that you cannot easily handle and control them. These are pistols that we absolutely will be seeing and hearing a lot about in 2019. Their current MSRP is benchmarked at $580 which is right in line with a lot of their other Glock models.

So what do you guys and gals think? Are the new G43X and G48 pistols you would be willing to carry? Do you like the small upgrades applied to these compared to a standard model G43? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.