[one_half]Editor’s note: When Jacob set out to test this XCaliber barrel, he ended up choosing some fat, slow rounds from Freedom Munitions. As I was posting this piece and adding links to Freedom, I noticed they’re having a Labor Day sale, and offering free shipping on orders over $99. We’ve been impressed with Freedom, especially their pricing on range ammo. So check out their sale.
Freedom Munition’s Labor Day Sale:
https://www.freedommunitions.com/[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
Freedom Munitions makes great ammo, and their remanufactured line is a great deal for those who practice.
[/one_half_last]
Read a review of the G43: /blog/new-glock-9mm-single-stack-glock-43-hands-on/
Check out XCaliber’s barrels: https://www.xcaliberfirearms.com/?page_id=220
Buy an Osprey at Silencer Shop: https://www.silencershop.com/silencers/pistol/silencerco-45-osprey.html
Need subsonic ammo? https://www.freedommunitions.com/HUSH-9mm-165-gr-RN-New-p/fmh9r165n-b0500.htm
[full_width]
The GLOCK 43 with an XCaliber barrel and Freedom Munition’s subsonic 9mm.
[/full_width]
I have always appreciated the idea off a silent subcompact pistol. One of my first and favorite guns was a Walther PPK. I wanted a Silencer on the front. I wanted to be James Bond and wanted my carry gun to be as quiet as it was in the movies. Sadly, due to the mechanics of the PPK, this just wasn’t possible. Nor was it economical.
Years have passed and I have traded the iconic PPK for a more modern interpretation of the concealed carry pistol. For the last few years, I’ve typically carried a GLOCK 19 or a GLOCK 26. Now I find myself carrying the G43. It’s light, thin, small and is unquestionably the PPK of 2015. But it still needs a threaded barrel if you want to run it suppressed.
[one_half]
Specifications
- Precision machined and Chambered Steel Barrel
- Drop-in fit
- Barrel Length is 3.86 inches
- Polished feed ramps for smooth, consistent feeding
- Concentric barrel threads for suppressed use
- Manufactured by silencer manufacturers specifically for suppressed use
- 1-10 Twist
- Lifetime warranty
- Thread protector included
- 1/2X28 UNEF 3A precision threads
- Black Al Titanium Nitride Coated
- Black match to the GLOCK pistol
- Adapter available for silencer pistons
- MSRP $159.00
[/one_half]
[one_half_last]
The XCaliber barrels are made from 4140.
[/one_half_last]
How well does it work?
The threaded barrel for the GLOCK 43 is a logical move. There’s a long tradition of aftermarket GLOCK barrels, and many of them are threaded. And this isn’t easy. There are costs involved in design, tooling, and production. And then companies have to worry about selling enough barrels to cover their costs. XCaliber Firearms has made this leap and are way ahead of the curve for the GLOCK 43.
With a big can, like the Osprey, the G43 can feel unbalanced, but the sound suppression is great.
Functionally the barrel is like as any other drop-in barrel. But where some companies fall short, XCaliber has done it right. It fits with minimal play; it is built from , and then coated with a superior finish.
It sells for $159. It comes with a thread protector and a lifetime warranty. If the price seems high for a GLOCK barrel, remember it is the only game in town. If you are looking to quiet down your GLOCK 43, it’s the price of admission.
Shooting with the Osprey 45
I threaded on the biggest pistol suppressor I could find. Ridiculous or not, it was the best way to test the barrel for reliability and hear the top end of the 43s suppression sound levels. You can read a review of the Osprey here.
I shot Freedom Munitions 165 grain 9mm. There was no loss of accuracy, and the G43 wasn’t any less effective. Before you shoot such a heavy load through your suppressor, make sure to shoot some paper before you screw on the can. Look for key holing or other signs of under-stabilized bullet travel. Once you are sure you wont have a baffle strike, you are good to go.
While not perfect, the G43 sights still work with the Osprey’s low profile.
The G43s sights were still very usable over the lopsided Osprey, and the gun didn’t have a discernible change in point of impact. Though you notice the obvious weight when swinging the pistol, I found no negatives in the addition of a suppressor.
How does it sound?
By this point you are probably screaming at the computer, wanting to know how this tiny gun and huge can sound together. Make sure to watch our video for on-range footage. It’s quiet. I shot a suppressed 22lr along side the G43 and noticed only a slight deviation in noise. The gun is extremely quiet and teamed up with the Freedom Munitions Hush 165gr.
In the end
The XCaliber threaded barrel for the GLOCK 43 is a bit of a no-brainer. If you have suppressors, and you own a GLOCK 43 there is no reason at all not to unleash your inner James Bond. In the months to come we will be running the XCaliber barrel in the GLOCK 43 with a variety of cans to find the ultimate combination. So stay tuned.
Read more about the Osprey: /blog/silencercos-osprey-suppressor-one-cool-bird/
Check out XCaliber’s barrels: https://www.xcaliberfirearms.com/?page_id=220
Buy an Osprey at Silencershop: https://www.silencershop.com/silencers/pistol/silencerco-45-osprey.html
Need subsonic ammo? https://www.freedommunitions.com/HUSH-9mm-165-gr-RN-New-p/fmh9r165n-b0500.htm
Read a review of the G43: /blog/new-glock-9mm-single-stack-glock-43-hands-on/
[one_half]
The threaded barrel may not fit in some holsters.
[/one_half][one_half_last]
How well will it work with some of the smaller cans? We’re going to find out soon.
[/one_half_last]
Not much of a backstop behind target. Looks like low brush and slope to lake.
Very cool. And despite the naysayers above…looks like a ton of fun. Too bad the link provided ultimately lead to pages that showed that the threaded barrel was NOT available for public consumption. Oh well…I guess we wait until Lone Wolf or KKM decides to offer a TB for the G43 themselves.
Omar – they are a small operation and they sold out of their first batch of barrels. They put me on the pre-order list for the next batch of barrels.
Though while prior posts may be accurate in their criticism(s), I appreciate the reminder to have fun. How cool is that?
4140 is chromoly, not stainless. Nice video, looks fun.
Knowing very little about suppressors and how they’re engineered, why is the first shot so loud?
The can has “other than inert” gasses in it on the first shot. Most people call it suppressor “pop”
It is free shipping over $99.00 not free shopping. Somebody should edit the article before being publish.
And “fat, slow rounds (form) freedom”. Write sumthin for the world ta see and ya better git reddy ta have it critasized.
The Glock 43 was not designed to be a tactical suppressed pistol. CZ makes the suppressed P107 with raised sites built in, has a 15 rd capacity and a fabulous Omega trigger. All this for less than the cost of a Glock 43 with threaded barrel which has far less capacity and NO real tactical raised sites.
I agree with Gunny-G, and I don’t think I would do it, but not sure why he’s so hostile about it. Like you guys took his personal G43 to do this project.
The biggest thing for me is that it’s just not practical for me (but I understand the GunsAmerica’s feelings on “I just want to do it.” because it’s fun to do). Adding an 8″ object to the end of a sub-compact gun completely defeats the purpose of having the sub-compact gun. For me, the G43 is strictly a CCW gun, of which I would never add a suppressor to my CCW gun, for a plethora of reasons. If I were in a situation where it practical to carry a gun with a big suppressor, then why not carry a full size?
Besides stupid and a waste of money, this project is also not the smartest idea because it will hasten the wear on your G43 AND could have terrible consequences for your cans.
I would love to see the pressure readings that this notoriously high pressure load, plus a can, is running in the little G43 at. There is less beef on every single part of a G43, vice a more robust G26 or G19. Can you say “wear and tear?”
Also, will the little aftermarket G43 bbl even have a twist rate fast enough to stabilize projectiles this long??? Can you say “baffle strikes?” Nothing about this project says smart to me.
Talk about a stupid answer to a stupid question that nobody even asked. It seems you want to do this, just to do it…like saying you took a dump off the back of a freight train caboose. Great that you did it, but bloody fricken useless.