Practise with that pistol
Lessons learned with a Glock 43
PICKING THE RIGHT carry gun was a momentous decision for me. Aside from the obvious considerations of reliability, concealment, ergonomics, and shooting performance, in South Africa we have the added hurdle of a lengthy licensing process. We can only possess one self-defence firearm, which means your choice will be with you for many months or even years to come.
I knew that I wanted a sub-compact, which helped to narrow things down to a double-stack Glock 26 or a single-stack Glock 43. I eventually settled for the G43, figuring it was the best option in terms of concealment and my outdoor lifestyle spent in shorts and T-shirts.
When I finally received the license for the G43 I found that the pistol concealed well, was easy to draw, and felt secure in my hands with the pinkie extender fitted to the magazine. I felt confident that I had made the right choice, and for a brief period, I completely forgot about all the negative remarks commonly heard about a micro/sub-compact: More training is needed to master shooting well, it’s snappier in the hand when firing, needs more attention to the trigger pull, has a shorter sight radius, etc. Notwithstanding the negatives I was supremely happy… Then, I took it sport shooting.
I competed in an IDPA match carrying the same as I do every day, in an IWB holster (3 o’clock) and the pistol concealed under a T-shirt. I was immediately humbled by the pistol’s limitations, as well as my flawed shooting fundamentals.
It was an eye-opening experience. Not just because my ego was shot full of holes, but because I was suddenly aware that I may have to rely on this compact combination of polymer, steel and springs to save my life. I was no-where near skilled enough with the G43 for such a situation.
Prior to shooting the Glock in an IDPA match, I had regularly competed with my full-sized CZ P-09, right from my first match. Despite the two experiences being years apart (and many competitive matches and tens of thousands of rounds later), I fared better in that first match (with zero competitive experience) with my P-09 than I did with the Glock 43. Keep in mind that I’m now a reasonably experienced shooter.
I HAD DRY-FIRED the Glock many times before attempting that IDPA match, and used thousands of rounds on defensive live-fire drills. So, how did I go from being a competent shooter with a full-size pistol, to what looked like a novice fumbling mag changes and staring blankly at a firearm that just didn’t want to fire when I pulled the trigger?
I immediately realised that pressure from competing led to several problems. Firstly, my draw definitely accounted for a big part of the problem. I wasn’t gripping the pistol properly. Surprisingly, my strong hand wasn’t the problem. Instead, the added speed and pressure of the match highlighted a glaring flaw in the way my support hand married up against the Glock’s tiny frame.
Being a pocket-sized pistol, there’s not a lot of space on the frame for my support hand and, when grabbing the gun at speed, it’s easy to use a less-thanperfect grip. Thus, my support hand would occasionally ride high on the frame, slowing down the slide, which in turn caused stoppages.
Secondly, the G43’s trigger is somewhat unforgiving when you consider its light weight and short sight radius. Beyond 10m, accuracy became a challenge. The pistol is accurate enough, but you have to be wary of the trigger press and sight alignment/movement when the distance opens up.
Of course, the same could be said of all pistols, but the G43 has little mercy in this department.
Thirdly, on several occasions the G43’s magazine would drop while shooting. I soon realised that I was applying additional force on the frame when under pressure. This lead to several incidents where I’d accidentally press the magazine release, which sits right under my middle finger. This was a problem unique to the match as it never occurred during other training exercises.
Of course, my experience with the Glock 43’s ergonomics may very well differ from yours. We don’t all shoot the same and have different hand sizes.
I LEARNED SOME EDC LESSONS:
■ Magazine capacity means nothing if your carry gun is in a safe, and not on your waist.
■ You don’t know your firearm until you’ve fired it under stress. Your self-defence training must include high-pressure drills and nothing creates stress quite like competing in front of a group of people.
■ Ergonomics are crucially important, not for comfort’s sake, but for consistent, reliable results.
■ Test your handgun with your carry loads as your life may depend on it. After test-firing 20 rounds of my carry ammo (Winchester +P+), the Glock 43 suffered 4 stoppages.
■ A good holster is vital for comfort, draw speed, concealment and safety. Don’t try to save money on the holster.
■ Small handguns are challenging to shoot for reasonably skilled shooters, and noticeably more difficult for those without experience. It will require significantly more training compared to a full-size or compact carry pistol, to achieve the same skill level. Keep this in mind if you’re shopping for your first carry gun.
SINCE THE MATCH I have made a few changes in the way I grip the G43 and my skill has improved markedly – even in shooting matches. If you have a small handgun you must work on the grip.