Glock 32 vs Glock 43: Which One To Choose For Concealed Carry?

“Glock 32 v Glock 43” is one of the many debates that try to establish which baby Glock is more suitable for concealed carry.

As we all know, the best CCW (concealed carry weapon) should be incredibly portable, concealable, and a top-performer — regarding accuracy and precision. It should also be easy to use and affordable for you.

So, which of these two Glocks scores higher than the other in all or most of these areas?

The following post will discuss more details about the two weapons to help you make a wiser decision on which one is ideal for you.

As usual, I’ll begin our comparison by outlining the specifications of the two weapons…

Glock 32 Specs:

Glock 43 specs:

From the two diagrams above, you can get a quick glimpse of the differences in the dimensions, caliber, weight, trigger, barrel rifling, and the magazine capacity of the two weapons above.

Now let’s discuss the two guns in more details.

Glock 32

This particular Glock has enjoyed a unique following for years due to chambering in the .357 Sig round.

Compared to the .357 Mag 125-grain loads for the revolvers, this round enables the handgun manufacturers to come up with auto loaders with capacities equating to the .40 S&W designs.

Multiple law enforcement agencies - including the Delaware State Police, Montana Highway Patrol, Tennessee Highway Patrol, to name but a few - have switched to the Glock 32 and other .357 Sig configurations.

And that can be explained by the desire to have a cartridge that easily penetrates obstacles like car doors. While all your self-defense situations may not always involve a car door, you’ll agree with me that the extra velocity offered by this round will facilitate better expansion and reliability.

Talking of the conceal-ability of this gun, I believe it has the perfect size for a gun suitable for CCW. That is, it’s large enough to comfortably handle all the full power loads while being small enough to be easily concealed. If you stash it inside your belt holster, it’s pretty short grip will get easily covered, which isn’t always the case with most handguns.

Its size enables you to carry it in a shirt holster or belly band, in a concealed manner.

When it comes to performance and accuracy, no one can doubt the .357 Sig. Right out of the Glock 32’s 4″ barrel, this round is intended to come near to the sheer awesomeness attributed to the .357 Magnum. In other words, it’s deadly!

And just like its ancestor, you can count on this cartridge to bring the non-civil disagreements easily and quickly.

The only issue I have with this cartridge is its cost and availability. While you’ll get the quality defensive loads at a cost that’s more or less with the .40S&W and 9mm, the price of practice ammo tells a different story.

The two cartridges show quite a difference in price, and reloading them will not save you much cash.

What would happen if you shoot this in a less ideal shooting form that’s likely to occur in a self-defense situation? Will it deliver excellent performance?

One thing I can assure you is that Glock 32 scores highly in this category. It doesn’t always require you to assume the classroom approved stance and grip. In a hectic situation, you can still use it effectively — e.g., when holding the gun upside down, with two fingers, or with the weak hand.

Overall, Glock 32 is a great gun designed to drive nails. It comes with just the perfect size for comfortable carry and concealment while being big enough for excellent grip and control. Caliber loading is pretty aggressive too.

And just like all the other Glocks, this gun is highly reliable and easy to maintain.

And oh! With an estimated price of $539.00, this is quite a deal! What do you say?

Glock 43

Then we have Glock — a single stack, 9mm handgun regarded as the most anticipated release in the history of Glock!

The size of this Glock is its most discussed feature among shooters. Why? Because this is a subcompact gun… it’s a real slimmie, real thin pistol. Its frame measures over 1” wide, and the slide width is only 0.87-inch.

The gun was released at a time when the market was in dire need of a carry gun with minimalist approach. Its overall length is 6.26-inch. With a trigger distance of 2.6 inches only, handling this gun is quite easy for shooters with small as well as big hands. You’ll get more than sufficient space on the gun panels to obtain a secure grip (even under the 9mm recoil).

To add to its conceal-ability nature, this single stack pistol holds 6 rounds, making its slim profile ideal for small carry.

There’s a brief that the smaller a gun is, the nastier it usually is to shoot. That’s probably because the mass needed to soak up the recoil and acquire the target faster, eh?

However, shooting this nice little gun will truly change your perspective.

With 2 or 3 finger grip (depending on the magazine), this gun will feel pretty comfortable when shooting. I’ve seen most folks admit to the fact that recoil wasn’t an issue with the 2-handed grip. While most subcompacts will require you to do some unusual finger placement on the trigger for effective shooting, this isn’t the case with this baby Glock.

The trigger reset distance is around 1/8-inch and quite crisp. If you fall into the category of shooters who manage trigger reset after shooting, then you’ll love this Glock as it’s easy to work with.

The listed price for this gun is $589.

Overall, Glock 43 is a subcompact gun that has a truly perfect size for a carry gun. It’s also super-lightweight which further enhances its portability as a CCW. It features nice controls and trigger which will give you a great shooting experience. Reliability is part of Glock family, so you won’t have any issues with this Glock.

Final Thought — Glock 32 vs Glock 43

So, which of the two glocks, Glock 32 vs Glock 43, should you go with?

Honestly, both Glocks are solid choices and making a decision can be tough.

Both guns have a compact size, with the Glock 43 having a subcompact size. They don’t show any significant difference between their prices, so you can’t choose one over the other with the excuse of saving some cash.

You should let your specific needs and personal preferences speak for you when choosing between these two guns.

Or you can rent each of these guns, take them to the range, and see which shoots best for you. FYI, I also have the Glock 43 vs Glock 25 comparison, if you want to allow an additional thought.