After an oppressive cold-weather season, I finally got the opportunity to shoot some guns that accumulated during the Latest Ice Age. The occasion was the yearly geezer qualification, LEOSA shoot at the local sheriff’s range. I was limited on time – and didn’t want to get in the way of others trying to make their annual certification – so I only took the guns to actually certify with along with a rimfire to get someone else to shoot.
As the newest and hottest revolvers hadn’t shown up yet, I used the stand-by from last year, the GP-100 7-shot 357 snub out of the Simply Rugged “Sourdough Pancake” holster. I did have a relatively new release for the auto pistol side, actually a pair of the Slimline GLOCK pistols, the G43X and G48. As it’s a police qual and relatively easy to ‘pass,’ I elected to use the shorter gun, the G43X.
I drew it from the Safariland Model 7371 7TS Holster – the synthetic (“SafariSeven”) ALS holster. The initials refer to the “auto locking system,” where simply seating the gun latches it into the rig. Drawing by closing your thumb over the thumb tab, the ejection port lock is moved out of the way and you draw from the top.
Consistent with the micro-nature of the guns the 7371 is made for, the holster is equipped with the tiny 571BL Paddle. It covers a very small area compared to the previous Safariland paddle versions yet seems to be as secure in the waist band.
I loaded with Winchester “White Box” from the “big box” store, ammo featuring a 115 grain FMJ. I expected no real surprises from the little gun and made the mental note that, as with most GLOCK pistols, I favored left with it. Hold a little right.
Right. Like I’d remember to do that.
I found that the first, close range strings involving moving and shooting, I shot faster than I really wanted to. I’d like to say how much I observed the sights but the fact is a remote camera showed I really wasn’t looking all that close. Still, those first six rounds clustered into the center of the target. I made a mental note to slow down.
As I continued, I found the cycling impulse was abrupt and ejection was enthusiastic. In fact, our range officer commented on the distance the pint-sized cannon was throwing the empties. And he wasn’t the only one to notice. I was still tending left and contrived to throw one at fifteen yards, saving the “clean score” for the final 25-yard strings.
Still, not bad for a “sub-service size” handgun. Career reserve officer/firearms instructor Myron Stucky asked to shoot it. I was happy to get his input on the new gun from GLOCK. He used Federal American Eagle ball. Early on, he noted the trigger. “That’s better than my GLOCKs,” he said.
Later, he asked if I liked the finish. I replied that I liked what I saw on the target more and wasn’t concerned about the aesthetics. He admitted he liked the silvery tone on the new slide. He ended up posting a 92%, but it was his first trip with a Slimline GLOCK in 9mm too.
I’m about ready to conclude with this and while I’d hate to have to choose between the longer G48 and the G43X, I have to say the X-ray is a better fit. It fits every G43 holster I’ve tried, the short length minimizes the chance for an effective gun-grab on a drawn handgun and the shortened sight radius is no real problem at fifty-yards and in . . . if you can shoot.
It looks like GLOCK has yet another winner in the G43X.
- - Rich Grassi