Glock Model 43 durability

[Petrol & Powder]

The Glock 43 has been out for a few years now. While I don't own one, I know lots of folks that do own the G43.
I've yet see one break or wear severely but I thought I would cast a broader net.

Anyone have information on Glock 43 durability? Good or Bad?

[rintinglen]

One of the guys at the gun club has one that he claims has had 1200 rounds in the last year and a half. He seems content with it and has no complaints. But I have no personal experience with it. They are not available for sale in CA thanks to Ole Horizontal--with an accent on the first syllable--and that is where I lived until my retirement in 2020.
For me, the Glock 43 fills no need that I didn't already have scratched. I have a Kahr CW9, and an S&W Shield which more than adequately meet my compact 9 mm needs.

[JoeJames]

My G43 fits my needs perfectly. As reliable as a hammer, I carry it in the summer with a Blackhawk tecgrip pocket holster in the back pocket of my cut-offs when I am walking the dog around my place. Here in Arkansas about all you have to worry about would be feral hogs and feral dogs. Course they are unobtainable now, but I tried several different brands of 9mm, and mine liked the Sig Sauer 115 grain V crown Critical Defense best. That figured since it was the most expensive at the time.

[Petrol & Powder]

Prior to the introduction of the G43, I recommended the Micro Kahr pistols in 9mm.
Glock FINALLY made a compact single stack 9mm. I think they missed a lot of sales because they were so slow to bring out a single stack 9.

I took a different path many moons ago and dedicated to the snubnose DAO revolver concept. I'm too set in my ways now to change.

I've handled the G43, shot a couple but I don't own one. I've yet to find anyone that has a negative comment about the pistol.

[tai95]

My EDC is a 43. I have put thousands of rounds through it and have had zero issues. I always compare it to an AK doesn't seem to matter what you do to it, it always go bang when you pull the trigger.

I have bigger hands so the only thing I did was buy the +2 floor plate so my pinky had something to get a grip on.

[zarrinvz24]

Prior to the introduction of the G43, I recommended the Micro Kahr pistols in 9mm.
Glock FINALLY made a compact single stack 9mm. I think they missed a lot of sales because they were so slow to bring out a single stack 9.

I took a different path many moons ago and dedicated to the snubnose DAO revolver concept. I'm too set in my ways now to change.

I've handled the G43, shot a couple but I don't own one. I've yet to find anyone that has a negative comment about the pistol.


The only negative thing people have to say about it is that they took too long to bring it to market, should've released it at least a year earlier same time as the G42. The funny thing is that when the G42 was released there were people that claimed to have seen stacks and stacks of single stack 9's in the warehouse and that they would be released soon. Of course everyone called them crazy at the time. . .

I have one and its had no issues. It just disappears in IWB or pocket carry during the summer.

[rockshooter]

I have fired thousands of 135gr cast thru mine- seems to work just fine. I did replace the trigger with a flat-face one as the original bites my fingertip.
Loren

[Plate plinker]

Works great for me. I had carried a Kahr P9 for years but the P9 is very snappy. The G43 is very tame in recoil compared to the P9. The 43X feels even better in the hand so........

[dougader]

I also EDC the G43. Used to have a very nice Sig P365 but even though it was rated for +P ammo it would not handle my Federal 124 grain HST +P worth beans. Sold the P365. Recoil was like I was shooting an old IPSC 9mm Major load with a PF of 175, and the primers were FLAAAAAAATTTTT.

Same load in the G43 shoots like a dream.

[Winger Ed.]

When the tupperware gun first came out, one of the gun magazines fired the first issue Glock 40,000 times without cleaning it.
It might have been a ammo issue, but they had two 'stove pipe' jams for the whole testing session.

That'd be reliable enough for me.

[onelight]

I don't have any Glocks anymore but one of my shooting buddies had a lot of models and I shot and watched him shoot his 43 at least 1000 rounds with no malfunctions . In my experience which is a lot with subcompact autos the 43 is as reliable as you can get with a subcompact semi-auto . I would not expect them to hold up like a 17 or 19 or even a 26 . The only Glock I have had experience with that had chronic problems was my model 36 , but the smaller and more compact you make a gun for a particular cartridge the pickier they get on grip and what you feed them . I prefer other pistols to Glocks but that is just my personal preference and not because of reliability.

[Lefty Red]

I have the 42, 43, and 36. Just like the single stacks. They are light and small enough for me to carry, and they are reliable. All of mine are current productions, 2019 or newer. I can’t remember having a malfunction with any of them. Being smaller, compacts, the 43/42 MIGHT have a lower round count than say a 19/17. But I would say it’s still higher than the rest of the smaller, subcompact field out there. And by a large margin.

I did have several problems with a 42 and 36 that were both made in the first year of their manufacturing and they were jam o mastics! So much, I would not touch a 36 until just last year. But don’t remember the 43s having any problems, at least mine didn’t, and I got my first one within 6 months of production.

I do run an aftermarket floor plate on the G43, a GEE Plate, that allows my two finger grip to be more secure as I tuck my pinky when i shoot. But all of my G43s have been flawless with the PG+1, Gee Plate, or TT+1 plates.

Lefty

[tai95]

When the tupperware gun first came out, one of the gun magazines fired the first issue Glock 40,000 times without cleaning it.
It might have been a ammo issue, but they had two 'stove pipe' jams for the whole testing session.

That'd be reliable enough for me.

I get some grief from friends about my love for glocks. I always tell them to go to Iraqveteran8888 on youtube, and watch his Ultimate glock meltdown video. He runs over 1200 rounds full auto until it wont shoot anymore. The gun is actually melting and shooting pieces of itself. Once it cools and he looks it over he found the problem replaces a few pieces and it keeps running. The abuse he does in 8 minutes is more than the average person will do in a lifetime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub4OswUhLwo

[Ural Driver]

It's a Glock.....(that's Austrian for "tough as woodpecker lips")

Only ever saw one Glock break from actual use. Belonged to a friend of mine who was a competitive shooter. It was back when they first offered the .357 Sig. He had something like 20/30,000 rounds thru it when the slide cracked. He told the regional Glock Rep, who passed that info on to the factory. They promptly replaced it with a new one reportedly saying "that ain't supposed to happen".
My friend has yet to ever have another issue with any of his Glocks.

[Idaho45guy]

the 43/42 MIGHT have a lower round count than say a 19/17. But I would say it’s still higher than the rest of the smaller, subcompact field out there. And by a large margin.

Uh, no.

The Glock G43 holds 6 rounds of 9mm. That is one of the lowest capacities of a sub-compact 9mm.

My P365 holds 10 rounds. The Hellcat holds 11 rounds. Both are smaller than the G43.

The G43 is a great little pistol, but it's Achilles heel is it's low capacity compared to the competition. As one noted gun reviewer said, "The G43 is for those who want the ugliness of a Glock while being hampered by the capacity of a snubnose."

[Petrol & Powder]

Thanks for the responses. I am not inquiring about the reliability of the Glock 43. They are clearly reliable. In fact, all Glocks are extremely reliable.
I'm asking about the Durability of the Glock 43.

[Winger Ed.]

I'm asking about the Durability of the Glock 43.

You'd need to get with a chemist to find out how many years the plastic frame will last before it splits or deteriorates.
As far as I know, the first ones are still on the job, so its probably quite awhile.

[Petrol & Powder]

You'd need to get with a chemist to find out how many years the plastic frame will last before it splits or deteriorates.
As far as I know, the first ones are still on the job, so its probably quite awhile.

I was thinking more along the lines of round count, but thanks.....i guess.

[Lefty Red]

Uh, no.

The Glock G43 holds 6 rounds of 9mm. That is one of the lowest capacities of a sub-compact 9mm.

My P365 holds 10 rounds. The Hellcat holds 11 rounds. Both are smaller than the G43.

The G43 is a great little pistol, but it's Achilles heel is it's low capacity compared to the competition. As one noted gun reviewer said, "The G43 is for those who want the ugliness of a Glock while being hampered by the capacity of a snubnose."

I was talking about round count in accordance to life of the firearm, not its capacity.

And as far as it’s capacity, I’m more than comfortable with it.

[Idaho45guy]

I was talking about round count in accordance to life of the firearm, not its capacity.

And as far as it’s capacity, I’m more than comfortable with it.

Oh, gotcha. Makes perfect sense now. And I agree.

[Lloyd Smale]

mines probably up over 2k. Its never missed a beat with anything jacketed or cast. runs like, well a GLOCK! Im not going to war with a small 9mm pistol on my hip. So round count doesnt mean much. What matters is the first one or two go bang every time. Try to find one case where a civilian shot 10 rounds defending himself. Most likely if your in a gun fight and you dont stop it in the first two shots your probably going to the hospital or morgue. I carry a gun like a 43 or shield and dont even carry a spare mag. To me its about like carrying a 5 gallon gas can in the back of my pickup in case I become so stupid that 25 doesnt get me to the gas station. Guess a guy could carry a 10 round gun two spare mags and a 380 in an ankle holster with 2 spare mags and be prepared for an all out war. I dont live in a city or even go to one. I live in an area where ive never even heard of any ccw holder needing to use his gun. No need up here to get out of bed and sling an ar15 over your back. Heck id feel just fine with one of my lcps in my pocket and even sometimes DARE TO GO OUT INTO THIS DANGEROUS WORLD with a naa 22 and forgive me but occasionaly go out with a belt clip knife. A Glock 43 is a FINE ccw gun. Probably not many any better for the job. Only thing ill say about mine is price. I payed 500 bucks back in the day for it. Sigs and hellcats go for about the same. Back when i bought it i could buy 2 smith shields for the same price and have 4 of them today. 3 9s and a 45. to me there every bit as good as any of those guns at a much lower price.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Glock should go back and revamp the magwell to except the G43 X and G48 magazines so you could stick a 15 round mag in it or carry one for back up

[Petrol & Powder]

Glock should go back and revamp the magwell to except the G43 X and G48 magazines so you could stick a 15 round mag in it or carry one for back up

They already did that, it's called the G26 :bigsmyl2:

OK, I'm just kidding, I know the difference. The real attraction of the G43 is that single stack design and overall slim design. Yeah, you could gain a few more rounds in that single stack configuration if the magazine was longer, like say in the G48 OR if it could acept a longer mag. However there comes a point where the overall size of the gun IS the primary concern, even eclipsing the possibility of greater capacity.

I don't think Glock was thinking capacity when then designed the G43. I think they were (finally) seeking to build the smallest pistol they could that was chambered in 9mm Luger and was reliable.

Glock was losing sales to competitors that were offering pistols in that class. It almost seemed that there was an internal company resistance to building a single stack 9mm.

[35remington]

My brother has a well documented 8K and counting through his before relatively inexpensive 9mm ball in generic boxes became unobtainium. He has fixed or replaced nothing. Some slide wear from kydex but nothing else worthy of note.

Flawless with all and some hollowpoint testing. Save for Winchester “Made in USA” brand steel case brown box FMJ with the rough zinc anti corrosive coating on the case. That would fail to extract about four rounds per fifty. Did the same in a Shield, an EC9s and the Ruger 9mm carbine of recent vintage. We stopped using that.

Little evidence of any wear on the gun due to shooting. His 43, that is.

[Lloyd Smale]

They already did that, it's called the G26 :bigsmyl2:

OK, I'm just kidding, I know the difference. The real attraction of the G43 is that single stack design and overall slim design. Yeah, you could gain a few more rounds in that single stack configuration if the magazine was longer, like say in the G48 OR if it could acept a longer mag. However there comes a point where the overall size of the gun IS the primary concern, even eclipsing the possibility of greater capacity.

I don't think Glock was thinking capacity when then designed the G43. I think they were (finally) seeking to build the smallest pistol they could that was chambered in 9mm Luger and was reliable.

Glock was losing sales to competitors that were offering pistols in that class. It almost seemed that there was an internal company resistance to building a single stack 9mm.

yup i like mine just the way it is. I dont worry about these new 9s like the hellcat and sig that hold 3 or 4 more rounds. Never heard of a civilian ever needing to shoot that many in self defense. proably 95 percent of conflicts are over with one round and maybe some rare ones with two or three. Your not a soldier or a police officer thats going to be in a prolonged fire fight. Even that said police got by with 6 rounds for decades and the military got along with 7. Nothing wrong with having more but it isnt a feature im willing to pay 50 percent more for.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

It would just be nice to have the same compatibility with the G43 and G 48 as the G 26 G19 G17 is all

[txbirdman]

I like the single stack Glocks better than anything they’ve put out. Thought about getting a G48 or G43X with the Shield mags to replace my highly bubba’d G19. I’ve tried most everything to get that G19 to work for me. Including Apex trigger and modified grip frame but no joy. Still it’s a great pistol but I carry a Sig P365 instead. Bought the Sig when they first came out and it’s been flawless. Carry it every day with Alabama pocket holster (10 rnd) or Hume belt slide (12 rnd). Saw a video the other day about a deputy being attacked by a guy with a club. Took 12 rounds to stop the guy. Average number of rounds to stop a bad guy are just that. Reminds me of the statistician that drown in a lake that was only an “average” of 6 inches deep. ��

[Idaho45guy]

Never heard of a civilian ever needing to shoot that many in self defense. proably 95 percent of conflicts are over with one round and maybe some rare ones with two or three. Your not a soldier or a police officer thats going to be in a prolonged fire fight. Even that said police got by with 6 rounds for decades and the military got along with 7. Nothing wrong with having more but it isnt a feature im willing to pay 50 percent more for.

Another perspective...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT25vIOxk8M


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck-QT32c8NM

[Lloyd Smale]

Another perspective...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT25vIOxk8M


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck-QT32c8NM

all that proves is you can find someone that wants to be on youtube to say about anything. Just like the chev guy bashing the ford guy. I say show me the money. Show me real world stats where civilians shot more then a couple rounds in self defense. Its VERY rare even to find a carreer police officer that has let alone someone like me. Im not lugging around a full sized gun and two extra mags all day long when the worse crime in this area is probably some welfare trash trying to steel a shirt from walmart. If im out in public and have a lcp in my pants pocket i feel more then comfortable. A shield or 43 glock or something simular? Im ready for anything any civilian is going to face. Bottom line is if your facing a threat to your life (which you must to be legaly shooting) then if you dont put the guy down in a couple rounds chances are hes going to put some in you and there going to carry you away. Training means a heck of alot more then what caliber you have or how many rounds. Even that isnt the total answer because I believe youve been in combat and you know as well as i do that when the bullets are flying it weeds out the wanabes wearing camo head bands that talk the talk from people that walk the walk. 50 rounds do you no good if your shaking like a leaf and wetting yourself. bottom line is if you fit into that catagory (WHICH MANY DO) that 15 round mag can be a dangerous thing. but as usual you post something derogatory EVERY time i post. Tell you what. You use what you want and ill use what i want. You give your advice and ill give mine. I guess its up to the other members to decide whos to take. But your childish constant attack show your true colors. You just cant stand not being THE GUY!

[Petrol & Powder]

We're getting awfully far afield from the issue of durability, but I'm going to weigh in here.

I think intelligent people understand that discussions concerning handgun capacity very quickly devolve into unwinnable arguments - FROM EITHER SIDE OF THE DISCUSSION.
For every hypothetical argument proponents of high capacity can put forth, the people holding the opposing can counter. And that works both ways. The "low capacity is adequate" crowd can put forth hypothetical scenarios that are equally prone to challenges from the other side of the fence.
The same holds true for anecdotal evidence. For every account in which low capacity was adequate, the high capacity crowd can offer a story where more capacity was needed.

I will say that one can create a training scenario that favors a shooter with a high capacity gun. That doesn't mean you will always need a high capacity gun to survive every possible deadly force encounter. Nor does it mean that a low capacity gun will always be inadequate. It just means that particular course of fire favors a high capacity gun.
A trap shooter can shoot a perfect round with a gun capable of shooting one round at each target. But if you're shooting doubles, you pretty much have to have a gun that is capable of at least two shots before being reloaded.

I think we can all agree that if a situation arises in which you need a firearm for self-defense; it is far better to have a gun than to not have a gun.
We carry handguns because you cannot go through life holding a pump action shotgun or AK-47 at port arms 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We wouldn't get much done if we had to hold a long gun in both hands all the time.
The compromise is a handgun, usually a concealed handgun.

Is high capacity desirable ? - YES
Is high capacity ALWAYS practical ? - NO.

The reason small guns exist is for ease of carry and concealment. That is an intentional compromise and a calculated risk.

If you KNEW you were headed into a deadly force encounter, your very first option, and your very BEST option, would be - Simply DON'T GO !
I don't believe that people who select low capacity handguns for self-defense are making an uninformed, reckless decision out of ignorance. Nor do I believe that people who select a higher capacity handgun are making that decision based on unrealistic fear or sheer paranoia.

[Petrol & Powder]

And while we're on the topic of handgun capacity, allow me to make another point.
The fact that someone fires a lot of rounds doesn't prove that a lot of rounds were absolutely needed to end the encounter.

Comedian Ron White has a standup routine about being ejected from a bar by several bouncers. He said, "I didn't know how many of them it was going to take to kick my ***........but i knew how many they were going to use"!

A person facing death is under extreme stress. Putting a few more holes in the guy that's trying to kill you isn't evidence that you HAD to fire more shots, it's just evidence that you fired several shots. It's not as if someone under extreme stress is going to fire one round and pause to see if it had the desired effect.

[onelight]

Reliability merges with durability at some point . If you have a thread like this and you don't have a bunch of folks telling of all the problems they had and how the gun broke , and several with 1000 rounds or more and it's a Glock I'd say that is a pretty good sign :)

[Papercidal]

Mine has about 6,500 rounds through it with no issues, is way more comfortable to pocket carry than my j frame and has 3 more rounds on tap.

[Petrol & Powder]

Thanks Papercidal.

[Lloyd Smale]

there a great gun and up there with the best on the market for ccw carriers. Pretty tough to argue it. That said it might not be for everyone. Choice in a carry gun is a very personal thing. Some have no problem carrying a full sized 1911 or a glock 17. Some like a smaller gun thats right in the middle like a 43 or a shield or hellcat or something similar. Some think thats to big and to much of hastle and carry a lcp or a alloy j frame in there pocket. Some even think thats to big and carry something like an naa 22lr. ME? i use them all depending on the situation and where i am and what clothes im wearing. Bottom line is any of them is better then a stick or a knife. but the middle ground guns and add to that the J frame thing seem to satisfy more people then the rest combined. One things for sure. I dont know a single person that chose a 43 glock that felt he made a bad choice. Durability?? There a glock! Enough said!!

[dougader]

I pocket carry a j-frame S&W and a G43... usually at the same time. There are pluses and minuses about both but I find them equally easy to pocket carry.

I've had mine for several years, but could only hazard a round count.

I had a P365. It's a wonderful little pistol that - despite being rated for +P ammo - would not handle my carry load, the Federal 124 gr HST +P. Flattened primers and recoiled like I was firing 9mm Major loads with a 175 PF. Sold the P365 and kept the G43... despite the superior trigger and larger round count of the P365.

The G43 handles the HST +P load with aplomb. With a Taran Tactical +1 base plate I'm at 7+1. Two spare mags with +2 base plates and I've got 16 additional rounds. Not bad for a trip to the market for eggs and milk.

[Petrol & Powder]

The Glock 43 was introduced in the spring of 2015. It took a while for it to be really available, so I'm going to say it has been around roughly 5 years.
I have NO doubts about the reliability of the G43. It is unquestionably a reliable pistol.

The ONLY way to determine the durability of an item, is through the passage of time. We now have about 5 years worth of time with the G43 and the reports on durability seem very positive.
Thanks to all that responded.

[osteodoc08]

I’ve got a 43X. My most perfect CCW to date. I’ve had it over a year. Maybe 2K down range with 135gr plated and 5.3gr of BE-86. No hiccups, malfunctions, jams. Nothing. It just runs. Certainly 2k for a modern pistol is nothing, it’s my only sample of 1.

[FergusonTO35]

Biggest thing I like about Glock is they stick with one design and just upsize or downsize it according to needs. Ruger has become really bad about discontinuing an auto pistol right about the time that it has all the bugs worked out and has earned the respect of the shooting public. Then they roll out something entirely new that is probably no better than what they had before and maybe worse.

[Plate plinker]

Biggest thing I like about Glock is they stick with one design and just upsize or downsize it according to needs. Ruger has become really bad about discontinuing an auto pistol right about the time that it has all the bugs worked out and has earned the respect of the shooting public. Then they roll out something entirely new that is probably no better than what they had before and maybe worse.

Agree very much. Seems some companies change everything so it is back to square one if you switch models. That would be frustrating.

[AnthonyB]

No experience with the 43, but have a 48 and love it. I have at least 1k of cast loads in mine with no malfunctions. Not a pocket pistol, but much easier to shoot than the P365. Don’t have enough rounds through my wife’s 365XL yet for a comparison between the 48 and XL. The Glock’s capacity doesn’t bother me at all.
I had a locking block break on my first Glock 30. No reason I could determine; it just broke. Replaced it and have been running cast through it ever since.
Tony

[FergusonTO35]

Agree very much. Seems some companies change everything so it is back to square one if you switch models. That would be frustrating.

I had a P95 and SR9c and they were both excellent guns. Then Ruger threw them overboard for the Security 9 and RAP, neither of which are any better and (I think) are inferior to the former two. I replaced them with a Glock 19 and 26 and haven't looked back. Still love my Ruger revolvers, .22's, and long guns but I'm done with their centerfire auto pistols.

[762 shooter]

I’ve got a 43X. My most perfect CCW to date. I’ve had it over a year. Maybe 2K down range with 135gr plated and 5.3gr of BE-86. No hiccups, malfunctions, jams. Nothing. It just runs. Certainly 2k for a modern pistol is nothing, it’s my only sample of 1.


^^^^^^^
This with a Shield Arms 15 round mag.

762

[smokeater]

FergusonT035 I can not resist your remark about Ruger. I feel exactly the same way plus, they will bring out a handgun especially and while they have all the extras one could ever hope for, they completely ignore others. I had a Ruger 22/45 and while you could find all sorts of doodads for the Mark Series the 22/45 had hardly anything even trying to find a holster from Ruger was almost impossible. Fast forward, I finally was able to buy a GP100 recently and now Ruger has quit offering the replaceable front sight for it which was and still is a desirable feature and on new models is dovetailed in. Love Glocks, S&W and Rugers but sometimes their marketing dept drives one batty

[Hanzy4200]

I have probably 2,000 rds through mine. Not much all things considered. It's been 100%, as expected. I see no reason it would differ from any other models in the lineup.