Glock 48 review
Glock 48 review
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Glock 48 Review
The newest pistol model made by Glock is the Glock 48. It was introduced together with the Glock 43X, a cross between the brand-new Glock 48 and the somewhat smaller and more aged Glock 43. Want to know more? Read the entire review of the Glock 48.
For a while now, people have been demanding a thin mid/full-size 9mm Glock. I’m one of them, I’ll admit it.
But now that it’s here, I’m questioning whether Glock ought to have known better than to pay attention to me. I received the Glock 48 just as requested. a compact Glock 19. But now that I can contrast it with the Glock 43X, I believe I prefer the Glock 43X slightly (at least for CCW).
Glock 48 Background
The most widely used Glock pistol is by far the Glock 19. In fact, it is the weapon I advocate for the most as a general-purpose handgun.
The ratio of reliability to size is excellent.
It is just big enough to function as a duty gun and be used seriously on the range. It is just the right size to be reasonably concealed.
Since the Glock 19 is so common, even though it isn’t truly the “best” in any particular category, if I could only own one handgun, that would definitely be it.
It runs like a tank and I can find parts and extras for it anywhere.
Apart from the plastic/junk sights it comes with, the Glock 19’s biggest drawback as a concealed carry weapon is that it is just a little bit too bulky to be effectively concealed. Yes, it is possible, but for concealed carry, having a single-stack/slimmer Glock 19 looked preferable.
Glock released a single-stack concealed carry pistol a few years back, however they missed the mark and released it in 380 ACP rather than 9mm. Actually, they were probably geniuses since everyone purchased the Glock 42 in 380 ACP for a year before the Glock 43 in 9mm was introduced and consumers were forced to buy a brand-new weapon. I might have had some insider knowledge that allowed me to delay buying my Glock 43. A compact 9mm Glock looked to be what we were looking for with the Glock 43. The issue with it was that the magazine only carried six bullets, making it ineffective for use. Yikes! With a 5-round capacity, my Smith & Wesson J-Frame revolver—which is lighter and possibly easier to carry—began to sound appealing once more. Glock was performing well.until Sig introduced the Sig P365. Saying that the Sig P365 reinvented what a concealed carry pistol should be is not an exaggeration. The Sig P365 was TINY, had a 12-round magazine capacity, an excellent trigger, excellent sights, and a fantastic hand feel. Glock was forced to react. Enter the Glock 48 and the Glock 43X, a hybrid of the Glock 48 and the 43.
Buy Glock 48
What is the Glock 48
Since its release about a year ago, the Glock 48 has attracted a good deal of interest and popularity. The G48 is not particularly innovative; it is essentially a single-stack G19 that, depending on how you look at it, either makes some sense or none at all.
I frequently carry the G43 while at home and use it for training, so I’m accustomed to the grip, handling, and manipulation of the Glock single-stack handgun platform. Although the G48 has a longer slide and a higher grip than the G43, it also has a somewhat thicker frame, giving it a more robust feel and shooting feel.
The only handguns I am interested in are those that I carry frequently, primarily concealed, as I am neither an active warfighter nor a law enforcement officer. Since this handgun is exactly the same length, height, and thickness as the G19—despite being a single stack—I must admit that at first it was difficult for me to justify owning one. Therefore, I have long noted that if you can carry a G48, you can also carry the G19, which is a much superior option. But after giving it some serious thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are good reasons to own and carry the G48. So, after shooting this single-stack pistol for a while, I’ll discuss some ideas you might want to think about.
Glock 48: Our Opinion
At the 2019 SHOT Show, we had the opportunity to test out the Glock 48, and we have to say that we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it.
The Glock 48 can best be described as a Glock 19s, which is by far the simplest way to do so. Why? That much is obvious: simply because it is a compact Glock 19.
Does that justify our recommendation of it?
Because it was a Glock, everyone at the range could depend on the gun, and it was precise enough for CCW.
Since the Glock 43x and this rifle are quite similar, their reviews will be very comparable. Why did my initial “meh” change to “oh, these are pretty cool!”?
There is one major explanation and a few minor ones:
The Glock 48 Has the Perfect Grip
When I initially held the Glock 48 and fired it at the range, it felt comfortable but skinnier (go figure).
Being a self-described Glock guy, I discovered that it was more simpler to shoot and use than the smaller Glock 43. The Glock 48’s grip appeared to be the ideal balancing act between being as large for grip/operation and as compact as feasible for concealability. Well done, Glock.
The Glock 43x grip is identical to the Glock 48 grip, thus what I loved about it is also what I liked about it.
Serrations on the slide and the front
Like Apple, Glock is renowned for releasing little improvements to their devices.
Consumers may find this frustrating, but these businesses are far more skilled at producing and marketing goods than I am. Both must generate high-quality items, thus it must function.
In fact, the Glock/Apple parallel makes sense now that I think about it. Other firms will release new features on their products more quickly than Glock/Apple, but whenever Glock/Apple catch up, the features tend to be implemented cleverly in an outcome that has been thoroughly tested and created.
Both businesses also have fervent customers who eagerly await every new product release, even if it just offers small enhancements over earlier models.
They both create items that are roughly square and have somewhat rounded corners.
Regarding the forward sliding serrations again:
It just wouldn’t be the same if Glock left them off this gun like they have for most earlier versions. Glock has finally started incorporating them on their handguns, and they are a wonderful feature on the G43X.
Reliability
Glock familiarities
There is merit in comfort and familiarity.
The Glock 48 feels like a Glock when you hold it in your hands. That may be a drawback for some, but for someone like me who are accustomed to Glocks, it’s a useful feature.
THOUSANDS of bullets have been fired via my Glocks. When I take up the G48, all that practice and training will still be useful.
The grip angle is comfortable, the controls are where I anticipate them to be, and the trigger has a reliable reset.
Accuracy
Although I didn’t shoot the Glock 48 as well as I did the smaller G43x, it was still accurate enough.
Fairness dictates that the Glock 48 came with the plastic factory sights, but the Glock 43x had improved sights (both variants are available here).
The following are some aspects of the G48 that we didn’t particularly like:
It was thinner than a Glock 19 and had a better overall grip size than the Glock 43, but it was still a little bit of a Glock-brick. Our acculturation to more ergonomically shaped firearms has begun.
Strangely, the slimline grip went against how I’m used to holding things. A tight grip in my hands caused the Glock 48 to try to slide or twist slightly to the left. The larger (squarer) Glock grips on the larger versions seem to keep alignment better in my hand for some reason.
Although it may seem like a minor complaint over a minor grip, we want to make sure that you understand this.
Second, and this is just a matter of choice, but I believe the Glock 48 looks cheap because of the silver slide. Your results may differ.
Thirdly, there is no rail for lights or other attachments. I understand that because it is smaller than a typical Glock, standard Glock lights won’t fit. But by excluding a rail, they prevent light makers from creating something for this novel firearm.
Our experience indicates that concealed carry will be quite popular. This indicates that it will be used or designed for defense shooting, which frequently occurs at night. Consequently, some people will desire a light.
Final Thoughts
One of those guns where you’ll probably know whether to buy it or not is this one. You either have been waiting or looking for the Glock 48, or you’re like us and can’t really find anything wrong with it but don’t really see a large need for it either.
Of course, there is one significant exception: If your state only allows you to carry 10 rounds, this could be an excellent option for you. For the reduction in capacity, it is true that it is not significantly smaller than a Glock 19, but since you can only carry 10 rounds anyhow, why carry extra weight? See our comparison of the Glock 48 and Glock 19 below.
Clearly a capable CCW option in a mid-size gun, the Glock 48. If you like the Glock brand and are searching for a new concealed carry weapon, this might be it!
Glock 48 VS Glock 19
The two primary differences between the Glock 19 and the Glock 48 are the width and capacity. The Glock 48 adds a silver slide and forward cocking serrations.
As you can see below, the Gen 4 Glock 19 is 1.26 inches wide, while the Glock 48 is 1.11 inches wide. The Glock 48 only has enough for ten 9mm bullets, while the Glock 19 typically stores fifteen.
So let’s compare some math…
To save 0.16 inches in breadth, you must forfeit 1/3 of your magazine’s capacity. Yes, in a nutshell, that’s it. Is it worthwhile to reduce the number of rounds from 15 to 10 (having only 66% of the capacity) in order to save 12% of the width? Glock sincerely hopes you agree.
Sadly, giving up a significant portion of your ammunition is not the only concession.
The Glock 19 is by far the most widely used Glock pistol, as was already mentioned. There probably isn’t another handgun made by any company for which you can find more holsters, magazines, parts, and accessories.
In order to save 0.16 inches, you must therefore sacrifice 33% of your capacity and spend money on new holsters, magazines, etc. while also waiting for them to be made available.
If you’re just getting started and don’t yet have a G19, perhaps this would be a nice place to start?
However, switching to a Glock 48 right away if you’ve already invested in Glock 19 parts and accessories might not be the best course of action (unless you want one, in which case that’s more than enough of a justification). Instead, you might want to have a look at the Glock 43x, which has a smaller and lighter package while offering the same capacity and slimmer profile as this Glock 48.
Best sights for the Glock 48
If you’re unfamiliar with a Glock, you should learn about the ONE thing it performs poorly. SIGHTS! They probably put on the worst sights they can because they think you’re going to get new ones anyhow. So that you may make an informed decision, we have included a few options below.
Trijicon HD Tritiums are the best aftermarket sights for the Glock 48 in our opinion. It is a traditional U-shaped front and rear blade sight assembly with bright green tritium lights built into it. The front hook on the lead sight’s end is what distinguishes these particular sights from others. The purpose of that hook is to facilitate one-handed slide emergencies.
The Ameriglo Agent Night Sights are a tough choice if you’re searching for an incredible set of sights you can use in any situation. They are essentially routine issues from the US Marshal Service and FBI. These are green tritium sights that are incredibly simple to sight with because of the front’s brilliant orange ring.
GLOCK 48 CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Most people agree that Glocks are among, if not THE, most trustworthy pistols on the market. But carelessness and poor handling might cause that reliability standard to swiftly deteriorate. An excellent job is done by Alans Firearms in demonstrating how to take this pistol apart, clean and lube it, then reassemble it safely.
THE BEST GLOCK 48 HOLSTERS
I’ll say it out loud so that everyone in the back can hear it.If you plan to carry a hidden weapon, you must have a suitable holster. It is improper to simply shove a gun down the front of your jeans. Having saying that, there are several excellent holster choices available. Let’s look at a couple of them.
CLASSIC LITE SHOULDER HOLSTER BY GALCO
Do you prefer wearing pants with an inside or outside waistband? If neither of those questions apply to you, you might want to have a look at this Galco shoulder holster. For those who desire the most comfort and mobility while carrying a single Glock 48, this is a fantastic alternative.