Glock 26 vs 43 and 43X Comparison: Choosing a Concealed Carry

Similarities

All three pistols in this comparison are subcompact 9mm handguns designed primarily for concealed carry. The Glock 26 and 43X both have a 10 round magazine capacity, while the 43 only holds 6 rounds.

They also all have roughly the same barrel length, though I generally don't worry too much about barrel length for concealed carry pistols because it won't have a significant effect on accuracy and performance, particularly for the most likely self-defense situations.

The G43's weight when loaded is roughly 80% of the G26, but the differences in weight between all of these firearms aren't significantly going to affect comfort or felt recoil.

Glock 26 vs 43 and 43X Differences

Now that we've covered the commonalities between each of these pistols, let's look at what separates the Glock 26 vs the 43 line.

Magazine Stack, Capacity, and Size

The Glock 26 has a double-stack magazine, whereas the 43 and 43X are single-stacks. This allows the 43 pistols to be thinner than the 26, which is the most significant difference separating these firearms.

If you want a small concealed carry weapon that's comfortable to wear in a concealed carry holster every day, you have to choose one that sacrifices some things.

The Glock 43 gives you a short and thin pistol, with the tradeoff of only a 6 round magazine capacity. Personally, I don't feel comfortable carrying a pistol with so few rounds. Though this is undoubtedly the most comfortable option to carry in an IWB holster, I don't want to have this gun for protection against multiple threats. It's also not unheard of for attackers to not be immediately neutralized after 6 or more shots.

Both the G26 and 43X hold 10 rounds, the minimum capacity I'm comfortable with. These two handguns, of course, had to be designed a little bit larger than the 43, but they did so in two different ways.

As a single-stack pistol, the design of the 43X chooses an increased height to achieve its capacity. I prefer the thinness for pistols I plan to carry inside my waistband. Despite being thin, it's not too tiny to comfortably grip for most people. The increased length also allows you to entirely fit your hand on the frame, unlike the G26 which leaves many peoples pinky finger hanging off of it.

The G26 is short and thick, even being dubbed the "fat baby Glock" by some. In addition to not being the most comfortable gun to shoot without an extended magazine base plate, it's nearly as thick as a Glock 19 and 17. This makes it less than ideal for carrying IWB. I've also heard others complain that the short frame of the G26 makes it harder to consistently draw from a holster, though I haven't had any major issues with this myself.

While I prefer the 43X, the Glock 26 does have a significant upside of being able to accept all Glock double-stack magazines, including aftermarket Glock magazines. For concealed carry, this gives you the option to carry 15, 17, or even higher capacity magazines as a backup. In my mind, this at least partially makes up for some of its faults.

Personally, the only time I'd consider a G26 as my concealed carry is if I was planning to pocket carry it in a jacket. With that being said, many firearm owners have used it as their CCW for years.

Final Thoughts

When comparing the Glock 26 vs 43 and 43X, I'd personally only recommend considering two of these three pistols.

While it's super small size has appeal, the 43 just holds too few rounds for me to feel comfortable recommending.

The 43X is my favorite of these options, and I even think it's the best Glock for concealed carry (for most people). It's thinness, particularly the thinness of its slide, makes it more comfortable for IWB carry and it's the only pistol on the list that I find comfortable to shoot.

Though many people like the Glock 26, its frame is a bit too short for my liking. This can make it difficult to shoot and draw from your holster. It's also thicker than I prefer for IWB carry.

I would, however, consider it if you're using a magazine with an extended base plate, especially in a non-IWB setup.