Should I swap my slide? Glock 48

[Rainsford]

Recently bought a Glock 48. Really cool pistol but I’m wondering if I should try and source a 43 slide for it instead (to make it a 43x) so it’s easier to carry AIWB. Or maybe I just carry it at 4:00. I can’t decide!

[ohell]

I vote yes. Can’t have too many slides or just buy a 43. and then buy another 48; one is none….. I don’t have any of those so I’m not confirming compatibility.  I’ll run 19/23 slides on my 26/27 frames and long slides on 21. Nice to have options. 

[Rainsford]

9 minutes ago, ohell said:

I vote yes. Can’t have too many slides or just buy a 43. and then buy another 48; one is none….. I don’t have any of those so I’m not confirming compatibility.  I’ll run 19/23 slides on my 26/27 frames and long slides on 21. Nice to have options. 

Do you go OEM or aftermarket?

[mamcdonald]

I went the opposite route and got a 43 frame to put my 48 slide on, in my experience the grip is the hard part to conceal. If you’re having comfort issues with the longer slide I’d try a different holster or even just how high you wear your pants.

Phlster has a whole series of videos about comfort and concealment that don’t just apply to their products, I’d check them out before dropping a couple hundred bucks on a new slide.

[tinyhatmodel]

I personally started with a normal 43. Bought the 48 when it came out and immediately swapped the slide from the 43 on to the 48 frame. Never looked back. My 48 slide is still sitting unfired. 
 

Recently purchased an oem 43x complete slide assembly off eBay so I could throw the 43 back together and use if needed. 
 

I appreciate the shorter slide length for appendix. It’s the main reason I did what I did. 

[ohell]

On 12/9/2022 at 10:15 PM, 62caster said:

Do you go OEM or aftermarket?

I prefer OEM…. easy enough to find on fleabay or glock talk and I’m not interested in lighting cuts or dots.  I own a few lone wolf long slides that have been nice but date back before aftermarket slides were everywhere.  Own one hooper gun works and it’s decent.  I’d recommend staying away from the more hit or miss QC brands like swenson and rock slides, but as long as you run it after receipt to sort out manufacturing issues a slide is a slide is a slide to me unless you’re hot rodding it. 

[et45]

I have a 43x and a 48.To me they carry about the same and I actually prefer the 48 now after carrying the 43x for over 2.5 years.