Glock Slimline 43X and 48 Going Black, 15-Round Flush-Fit Mags Teased

in Authors, Concealed Carry/EDC, Industry News, Max Slowik, This Week
Glock Slimline 43X and 48 Going Black, 15-Round Flush-Fit Mags Teased
The new models are the same as the old models, but finally with a black factory finish. The G43X has a 3.4-inch barrel and the G48 has a 4.2-inch barrel. Both have a standard 10+1-round capacity in 9mm, but that could soon change. (Photo: Glock/TFB)

Glock is rolling out all-black versions of their latest Slimline pistols, the G43X and the G48. This straightforward move is sure to please a lot of potential buyers who were on the fence with these new concealed-carry pistols.

It’s a small, purely aesthetic change, but especially for concealed-carry, people want all-black and not two-tone pistols, avoiding guns with a bright signature.

But one upcoming accessory might be the real driving factor for these handguns, and it’s a simple magazine. One that offers 50 percent more capacity without adding an extension.

The Glock 43X and Glock 48 are part of a new breed of semi-compact pistols designed to blur the lines between single stacks and service pistols. They have staggered-stack magazines that offer a slight capacity advantage over single-stacks but a narrow slide and overall thin profile that makes them carry a lot easier than full size and even compact service pistols.

The standard capacity for these two pistols is 10+1 rounds in 9mm Luger. Shield Arms is teasing an all-steel magazine that holds 15 rounds and it sits flush with the magazine well.

While the details aren’t available yet, it’s likely that Shield Arms’ magazine has much thinner walls than typical Glock magazines which increases the internal volume and lets them cram extra ammo in there.

See Also: It’s Official, Glock’s New Slimline Series

“The Standard 15, S15 magazine is a flush-fitting 15-round magazine for the Glock 43X and Glock 48,” reads the product page. “The S15 is a steel magazine, and is the same length as the OEM Glock 10-round magazine. No, this is not an extension, this is a brand new magazine.”

Currently, Shield Arms is listing these magazines for $39. That’s not cheap as far as magazines go, but it’s not out of line with a lot of pistol mags on the market today. Considering the huge increase in magazine capacity, without adding any extra length to the package, it’s a practical bargain.

This is one case where the aftermarket might drive the sales of the host product. If Shield Arms can do it, other manufacturers might follow their lead as well, effectively making the Glock 43X and Glock 48 the new go-to Glock pistols for concealed- and everyday-carry.

***Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE!***

About the author: Max Slowik is a writer with over a dozen years of experience and is a lifelong shooter. He has unwavering support for the Second Amendment and the human right to self-defense. Like Thomas Paine, he’s a journalist by profession and a propagandist by inclination.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • RONNIE SPARKS January 23, 2020, 4:07 pm

    I WANT SR15 MAG PLEASE REORDER. THANK YOU RS

  • Steve December 15, 2019, 10:50 am

    Why not just carry a Glock 19? I know the 43x is thinner, but I am not sure you gain that much in terms of concealment, since the grip length is the same. Plus, you get a rail with the 19

  • Wayne November 18, 2019, 8:31 pm

    I bought a block 43x and was told that a 15 round mag. Was prolly in the pope so I love it

  • Ed Janz September 24, 2019, 8:18 pm

    Want a S15 Mag for my 43x Soon I hope!!!

  • Ken September 20, 2019, 11:50 pm

    I want many of these s15 glock mags

  • Jason September 9, 2019, 7:27 pm

    Any word from Shield Arms about their magazines?

  • Scouse August 13, 2019, 7:29 am

    I somewhat agree with only using Glock parts, on Glocks. But a 15 round magazine is a must. As soon as a gun tinkerer gets hold of a couple of those Shield magazines, and puts them through a good 1000 round work out? I am on board.
    The other test, load up a couple of the 15 round mags, leave them loaded for a couple of years. Then shoot them.
    I have left Glock 19 magazines for years, perfect!

  • Ej harbet July 25, 2019, 11:46 am

    I’m a huge fan of my self built 19.
    That being said I held hands with a black 48 and that gun wit reliable 15rd mags would render my 19 into a stash gun. 48s feel like they were made for me

  • Pantexan July 15, 2019, 5:21 pm

    All those jealous Sig owners can’t help comparing their wannabe Glocks to the original.

  • Tim July 13, 2019, 12:44 pm

    @Jim, The manufacturer of the best selling handgun in the world doesn’t need to be “creative”. They just need to keep producing the best selling handgun in the world, and a few variants.

  • MikG July 12, 2019, 12:16 pm

    No thanks. I’ll stick with my Sig P365.

  • Robert Joseph Ward July 12, 2019, 9:57 am

    Glock has the money for experimenting with different versions of the original.
    I think Glock knows what they’re doing.

  • Deadmeat99 July 12, 2019, 9:37 am

    Want to know how to make a Glock fail? Start using aftermarket parts on anything involved in the firing sequence. Using this magic magazine on a concealed carry weapon is foolish. Impress your range buddies instead where no one gets hurt.

  • Bruce July 12, 2019, 7:52 am

    That sounds like a great product. Anything to increase the capacity without the extension – can’t do better than that!

  • Jim July 12, 2019, 7:41 am

    I’d say this is Glock trying to keep up with Sig Sauer but being that it’s a separate company designing and making these mags it only proves that Glock can’t come up with anything creative on their own.

Send this to a friend