So remember how slow time went when you were in high school and waiting to be able to get your driver's license? That is how I have been feeling waiting for Glock to bring out the new Glock 43, 9mm, small frame semi-automatic! Well Happy Day, it's here! I have one and we are going to celebrate it with this month's Guns and Lace review!

So what's the ruckus, you say? There are plenty of bigger Glocks to choose from and its cousin the Glock 42 has been out for a year in .380. (see our Glock 42 review here). Well, I can tell you that as much as I like the 42, when it debuted at Shot Show 2014 last year, the crowd was almost hostile and I heard a lot of grumbling when attendees found out that the new model was a .380 and not chambered in 9mm. No grumbling this year as the new 43 is chambered in 9mm.

While I do not want to get into a ballistic study debate, when it comes to back up pieces for law enforcement and small carry pieces for us regular citizens, the majority of the people I talk with want to carry the larger 9mm round if they can manage it. As a woman, I often carry in a Flashbang bra holster or an in the waistband concealed rig. That means opting for a small, semi-auto frame like the Glock 42. The .380 though, causes me some concern that if I'd to stop the threat of an attacker who was dressed in a heavy coat and layers of clothing or was strung out on drugs, that a .380 round might not be enough.  Thus, begins my new love affair with the Glock 43.

The 43 is a Glock in every way, from the in trigger, trigger guard, to the polymer frame. It features a single stack 6 round magazine and holds one additional in the pipe. The sights are traditional Glock.  For a small frame pistol, it's a consistent, reliable and accurate self defense carry gun. A big bonus for me is that it's a soft shooter.  I like to shoot my carry piece a lot in order to stay proficient and be confident. It really is a bonus when it comes to lots of rounds down range, that the 43 does not beat your hands up like some of the other small frame carry pieces.

The Glock 43 spring design is similar to the 42.  It is a stiff double spring, designed to offset the smaller frame length and while I never had a problem with the Glock 42 .380 limp wristing, several others I know have.  Glock has worked through a couple of updates on its .380 spring in the last year and evidently that experience and knowledge went into the new Glock 43 because even attempting to be a bit loose on the grip didn't seem to affect reliability at all.

Dis-assembly and cleaning are standard Glock easy so you won't need to learn anything new if you're familiar with Glock handguns.  The 43 is concealable, light weight and chambered in the popular and powerful 9mm caliber, all at an affordable price. All I can say is that Glock, you have definitely earned a place on my hip ;)   - Anna