TFB Review: Glock 43X MOS - My First Glock -The Firearm Blog

Glock is a brand that certainly needs little introduction in the year 2023 but here are the cliff notes for those who may not be familiar with the company. Glock is a brand of polymer-framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered the Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was the top performer in reliability and safety tests. Glock pistols have become the company’s most profitable line of products, and have been supplied to national armed forces, security agencies, and police forces in at least 48 countries. The focus of this review will be on the Glock 43X MOS which is a concealed carry-minded pistol that was originally released in everyone’s favorite year of 2020.

Glock Pistols @ TFB:

The Glock 43X MOS was purchased independently by the reviewer and Glock has had no input on this review.

After recently moving back to America from a 3.5-year deployment to Europe, I decided it was time for me to get myself a concealed carry pistol. After scouring the internet for hours, I landed on the Glock 43X being the best pistol for the money. Lucky for me when I went into my local gunshop they had a 43X MOS in stock and I snatched it up quicker than the babysitter’s boyfriend when the parent’s car pulls up. I would also like to point out this is the first Glock I have ever owned and I think that’s an interesting perspective for this review.

Specification – Glock 43X MOS

Caliber: 9mm
Barrel Length: 3.41-inches
Overall Length: 6.06-inches
Overall Width: 1.10-inches
Trigger Distance: 2.64-inches
Weight with Mag: 23.07-ounces
MSRP $550

Special features – Glock 43X MOS

Obviously, the most notable feature of this Glock is going to be the addition of the Modular Optic System or MOS. The MOS uses the RMSc footprint for mounting optics, but Glock sells many adapter plates to fit whatever optic you would choose to run on this handgun. I think this is a fantastic feature, and all pistols from this point on should have an option for an optic cut from the factory. The cut on the G43X MOS is very low and will help you nestle your optic of choice into the slide. What sight did I choose? Well, I pulled the trigger on the Vortex CCW pistol optic a few months back. This optic does have its quirks, but that’s for a different review.

Ergonomics – Glock 43X MOS

The Glock 43 that came before the X had a much shorter grip and only held six rounds in the magazine. The G43X increased the length of that grip and gives you 10 rounds in a flush-fit magazine. For me, the grip size on the G43X is perfect, for a concealed carry handgun. I still get a full grip on the handgun while it’s not so long that I can’t conceal it. The forward and rear slide serrations are welcomed on this handgun and give you extra points of contact to rack the slide or to do press checks on the range.

The grip no longer has finger grooves. I know this is a hot subject of debate for many people but personally, I’m not a big fan of the finger grooves, so I’m happy to see them go on this particular handgun. When I first started using this gun, I found the slide release difficult for me to utilize. Coming from a SIG P226, I was used to having a very large slide release when operating a handgun. Thankfully, after a few mags, I adapted to the low-profile slide release on the Glock 43X, and have grown quite fond of it. Lastly, I would say the texture on the grip is serviceable – you get a good amount of traction for your hand, but not so much that it’ll start to become irritating after a long-range session.

Concealability – Glock 43X MOS

Given the size of this pistol, it’s much easier to conceal it than a full-size pistol like my P226, and yeah, that kind of goes without saying. The butt of the G43X is a little bit longer than the G43 so it’s not quite as concealable as that pistol but I think the trade-off for a higher round count is worth it. Also, I prefer to be able to have a full grip on my guns whenever possible. The overall width of this handgun is only 1.06 inches or 27mm (for reference the Gen 5 Glock 19 has an overall width of 1.34 inches or 34 mm well).

This may not sound like much, but every millimeter matters when you’re trying to conceal it underneath your shirt. I found the Glock 43X MOS to be very easy to conceal even after I mounted an optic on the slide. Also, I’d like to give a shout-out to James Reeves for telling me about the VEIL Solutions Ghost holster which is what I primarily used to conceal carry this pistol.

Accuracy – Glock 43X MOS

This pistol does come with Glock’s marksmanship barrel and while I think that’s a great feature, I’m certainly not a good enough shooter to utilize its full potential. I found shooting the G43X very difficult at first and it took me a lot of concentration to be able to land accurate shots on target in quick succession. After about 500 rounds through this gun, I’ve definitely gotten used to it more and can post up decent groupings at 10 yards. The gun is certainly very accurate but small handguns are always more difficult to shoot than larger handguns.

Maintenance – Glock 43X MOS

Field, stripping, and cleaning this pistol is a little bit different than what I’m used to with SIG P226 but still very simple. All you have to do is remove the slide and essentially the entire gun comes apart and is very easy to clean and maintain.

Reliability – Glock 43X MOS

In the 500+ rounds I have fired through this pistol at this point in time, I have had zero failures to feed. This gun has been 100% reliable for me but I also have only been shooting 115-grain ball ammunition through it.

Accessories / Mods – Glock 43X MOS

Being that this is a Glock, there are going to be pretty much an unlimited amount of aftermarket accessories available. You can purchase magazines, mag wells, optics, triggers, slides, you name it you can replace it on this pistol. For my Glock 43X MOS, I decided to take advantage of the MOS cut and attach a Vortex Defender CCW, and also installed the Shield Arms mag catch to use their S15 magazines. The Shield Arms mags increase the capacity from 10 rounds to 15 in a flush fit magazine. I won’t go into too much detail on the magazines in this review, so just click the link here if you want to learn more about them.

And one issue I do have with the Shield Arms mags is that once I install the metal mag catch from them, all of my Glock factory mags will no longer fall free from this handgun. Not really the biggest deal in the world but still a minor issue. In my opinion.

Cost – Glock 43 X MOS

I believe when I purchased the base G43X MOS, I paid about $550 for it. I think that’s a really reasonable price for this handgun when you compare it to the competition. The SIG P365 will run you around $600 and the Springfield Hellcat will cost around $480 both without optic cuts.

Conclusion – Glock 43X MOS

Check Prices on Glock 43X MOS Pistols

Ever since picking up the G 43X MOS, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. Coming from full-size aluminum frame pistols, I found it difficult to shoot this handgun at first but it has since grown on me. Currently, I EDC it either on my belt, in a fanny pack, or in my backpack. For me, it’s the perfect size where it is still very concealable while being comfortable to shoot. The price is fair when you compare it to its contemporaries. My only issue with this pistol isn’t even with the pistol itself but more so with the aftermarket mag catch I installed. If you’re looking for a great carry option that has an optic cut, with a high magazine capacity, I think the Glock 43X MOS is hard to beat.

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TFB Review: Glock 43X MOS – My First Glock