A few weeks ago there was a conversation had about pocket pistols and when someone mentioned “Glock Pockets” the immediate joke was how it sounded like “Hot Pockets.” The conversation quickly turned to variety and we realized that Glock does indeed have several pocket sized weapons that are of good working caliber (although there will certainly be some debate).
Going back some years now you have the Glock 26 (9mm) and Glock 27 (.40S&W) which were identical in size externally. The G26 standard magazines hold ten rounds and the G27 standard magazines hold nine. So if you add the one round that should be in the chamber when you’re carrying, that’s 11 or 10 rounds in the weapon respectively. Most folks I know carrying a pocket pistol carry a spare magazine of the same size but the Glocks offer a different option: Since the Glock 26 is just a down sized variation of the Glock 17 and Glock 19, provided they are all the same generation from Glock, you can use the full size G17 or G 19 magazines to reload the G26. The same applies to the G27 using G22 or G23 magazines for reloads.
To get a good idea of what we’re dealing with, size-wise, in this pocket pistol, let’s take a look at the external measurements of the G26 and G27. They are externally identical so these measurements apply to both.
Overall Length: 6.5”
Overall Width: 1.26”
Overall Height: 4.17”
Anyone who has ever carried one of these small pistols knows just how compact and concealable they can are. In a proper pocket holster, they can easily be carried comfortably for prolonged periods of time. Their small dimensions also make them easy to carry in the waistband (IWB) in the appendix position (or anywhere else really). But what if they were even smaller? The challenge with reducing any of these dimensions is that they are directly tied to performance features. You can shrink the slide without reducing the barrel length. You can’t reduce the width of the weapon without sacrificing magazine capacity. No matter how creative you are with the engineering, you simply can’t change the space demands of physics and cartridge dimensions.
For a long time, however, a number of Glock fans asked for single stack magazine fed 9mm and/or .40 caliber weapons. Several years back (decades now actually), Glock produced the Model 36 which is a single stack .45ACP weapon – so it was proven Glock’s internal workings could be used for such. What remained was designing and tooling up for a single stack 9mm weapon, and since such a weapon would be primarily carried under concealed conditions, it only made sense to start with small versions of the design. Ironically, even smaller than the smallest 9mm, the Glock Model 42 chambered for .380ACP was produced before the smallest Glock 9mm.
While many people consider the .380ACP “too small” to be an effective self-defense caliber, they forget two things: first, it’s really just a short 9mm. First called the “9mm Kurtz,” the .380ACP is the same diameter as the 9mm but the case is shorter, so less propellant fits in within safe pressure tolerances and therefore the bullet is pushed out of the barrel a bit slower. Typically the projectile weighs a bit less than the 9mm counterparts, so you get a slightly lighter projectile going slightly slower and, again thanks to basic physics, you get less delivered energy into the target. Second, people forget that downsizing to the .380ACP usually makes the weapon that much more compact, that much easier to carry and that much handier to have with them at all times.
And it’s the “at all times” part that really matters. What good is a self-defense or backup gun that you don’t have with you when you need it? Optimally, you want a full powered backup gun (BUG) or self-defense pistol, but there is often a compromise between full-powered and down-sized for comfortable carry. The G42 is definitely downsized, even as compared to the diminutive G26/27s. Take a look:
Overall Length: 5.94”
Overall Width: 0.98”
Overall Height: 4.13”
While the overall height isn’t very different, the length and width have been substantially reduced (for an already small weapon) and the G42 standard magazines hold six rounds, giving you a total of seven (6+1) in the weapon.
Now… is there a comparable 9mm caliber for those who insist on such? Of course. Meet the Glock Model 43, the Glock Model 43X and the Glock Model 48 (although in this author’s opinion, neither the G43X nor the G48 qualify as pocket pistols – opinions will vary). Why? The longer frame on both. Both the G43X and the G48 have a frame that measures over 5” in height. That takes those weapons out of “pocket carry” category for me. The G48 also has a longer barrel/slide assembly and an overall length of 7.28” – way too big for pocket carry in my opinion.
Let’s take a look at the G43 external dimensions, and keep in mind that this is a “full power” 9mm, holding six rounds in standard magazine plus one in the chamber.
Overall Length: 6.26”
Overall Width: 1.06”
Overall Height: 4.25”
The Glock 43 is VERY close in size to the Glock 42, but chambered for that 9mm cartridge some people demand – or at least don’t frown on like they do the .380ACP.
I’ve carried both extensively. For the G42 I usually carried it IWB appendix and was quite comfortable doing so. Usually I find carrying a weapon that way slightly uncomfortable but I barely noticed the G42. I used a DeSantis SOF-Tuck holster to carry it and dropped a spare magazine in my off-side pocket for reload.
For the G43 I primarily carry it IWB appendix in a Bravo Concealment holster. I put the spare magazine in my opposite pocket although sometimes I’ll carry a spare mag with a +2 floorplate on my belt, behind my left hip, if apparel permits.
“Back in the day,” I carried a Glock 26 – was a second generation weapon then – in my pocket just about all the time. If I left the house, I had that gun in my pocket. It prohibited me from putting anything else in that pocket including my usual clip-in folding knife (that had to get moved to my waistband). As often as not, I’d go without a spare magazine because I was doing all I could to hide the weapon and anything related to it.
Before the long debate begins about what qualifies as a pocket pistol, let me add this: I’m talking about standard jeans or summer shorts pockets. I’m not talking about the cargo pocket on a pair of 5.11s nor a specially designed deep pocket in some special concealed-carry design pants. “Glock pockets” are great for the average everyday not-specially-designed pants or shorts… the kind you wear if you’re not actually trying to advertise your tacticool status.
For more information about any of these Glock handguns, check them out online on the Glock website.
