The concealed carry market has never been bigger. At this point, we have literally hundreds of guns to choose from. What we’ve seen is a rise in a new type of concealed carry firearm. A weapon a little larger than a pocket pistol with a higher capacity, and a larger grip that’s easier to handle. This new type of concealed carry pistol maximizes the efficiency of a small and thin gun that’s easy to carry and allows for a capacity of ten or more rounds in most cases. SIG Sauer started this new trend with the SIG P365 and the industry was quick to follow. Roughly a year later Glock hit us with the redesigned Glock 43X. They took the Glock 43 and extended the grip to accommodate ten rounds and produced a gun that could rival the SIG P365. Does it? That’s what we are here today to figure out.
WHAT THE P365 AND GLOCK 43X HAVE IN COMMON
Before we throw these two guns at each other in a head to head contest I wanna talk about what they both have in common.
Both guns are striker-fired, 9mm, subcompact handguns. Both use a partially cocked striker and both are fed from a box magazine. These guns are small, thin, and light. They are designed to be easily carried and concealed for day to day use. Both the Glock 43X and SIG P365 come from reliable companies with excellent reputations for quality, accuracy, and reliability. SIG and Glock are constantly competing for their share of a crowded market for military, police, and civilian purchases. Regardless of which gun you purchase you will have an excellent firearm.
SIZE SHOWDOWN
When it comes to concealed carry the size and weight of a firearm makes a huge difference when it comes to daily concealed carry. When we look at these two guns the little differences can be a big difference when it comes to daily carry.
The Glock 43X has a slightly longer 3.41-inch barrel compared to SIG’s 3.1-inch long barrel. The overall length is where we see a big difference and the Glock 43X is 6.5 inches compared to the P365’s much shorter 5.8 inches. The Glock also weighs 23.07 ounces compared to the lighter P365 which weighs 17.8 ounces. Overall the Glock 43X is a larger and heavier firearm. This can make it easier to handle and shoot. It also has a longer sight radius which can contribute to an easier to shoot gun. However, the SIG’s smaller size makes it easier to carry on a day to day basis.
CAPACITY COMPARISON
The big deal with these guns is the fact they are hardly bigger than pocket pistols but on average hold 40% more ammo than a standard handgun. Both guns come with ten-round magazines. The Glock 43X magazines are separate from the Glock 43 and the extended Glock 43 magazines will not function with it. The primary benefit to the SIG P365 is the ability to utilize 12 and even 15 round magazines. These are SIG OEM magazines and allow for even greater capacity versus the Glock 43X. These magazines do make the gun longer, and heavier, but the increased capacity may be worth it to some.
ERGONOMICS
The gun’s have similar ergonomics. They lack manual safeties, although SIG does have a separate model with a manual safety designed for Massachusetts. Ergonomics can be very personal to some people so this may be something you need to decide for yourself. There are several features I like on both guns ergonomics wise we’ll talk about now.
Neither gun has slide bite, even with the highest of grips. The original Glock 43 would eat up my hand, but the 43X features a much longer beavertail and that is something I really like. It aids in protecting my hand and offering more leverage over the gun as it recoils. The SIG P365 doesn’t have a longer beavertail, but it doesn’t bite the hand. What I do like about the P365 is the undercut near the trigger guard. This allows for a high and comfortable grip to increase control and accuracy as well. Both guns have reversible magazine releases. The Glock 43X sports front and rear serrations as does the SIG P365. The guns are both simple, and the controls are laid out for easy use. Both guns are easy to handle, and the weapons are intuitive and easy shooting.
ACCURACY AND TRIGGER
Both guns are inherently accurate pistols. You won’t have any issues hitting your target. Which gun is more accurate? Well in my experience I find the SIG P365 easier to shoot accurately, especially at longer ranges.
Backing off to 25 and even to 35 yards I have no issues placing ten rounds into the chest of a target. The Glock 43X and I have less time together, but at 35 yards I was struggling to get decent groups on the chest of a target. The main reasons being the rather crappy sights Glock’s include on their weapons. The SIG P365’s trigger is also smoother, which aids a little in the gun’s accuracy. The P365’s sights are absolutely fantastic and that makes this an easy shooting gun. In terms of speed and accuracy, I found both guns to be pretty even when it comes to double taps, Mozambique drills, and other speed based drills.
FEATURES
The Glock 43X comes in either black of nPVD silver finish and comes with Glock’s plastic factory sights. It comes with two round mags and the traditional Glock Tupperware. It’s a simple pistol.
The P365 comes with two round magazines, one is flush and one features a pinky extension. It also comes with SIGs XRAY3 sights that are both day and night sights. Their sights have tritium inserts and the front sight features a green ring around it that sports a nice sized green insert for quick front sight acquisition. One of the key features of the SIG P365 is the ability to pop out the fire control unit and easily swap between frames. Mine is currently situated in the SIG P365 frame from Icarus Precision, an all-metal frame that offers a slightly larger grip for my 2XL sized hands. The ability to easily swap frames is a cool concept and I hope to see more of in the future.
WHICH ONE FOR YOU
Both guns are excellent weapons. Both are incredibly reliable and both are more than capable of giving you an edge as a concealed carrier. I prefer the P365 personally, but if you carried a Glock 43X you are still well-armed. The P365 offers more features and a higher capacity should I want it. I’d have no issues carrying either weapon or trusting my life to either one. I’d imagine the biggest decider will be personal preference. The P365 just does more for me.
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