The Glock 43 is one of the most popular gun introductions in recent times – and for good reason. Many Glock fans have been wanting the company to produce a thin, single-stack 9mm pistol so there is a lot of pent-up demand for the gun.
If Glock handguns – including the G43 – have any flaws, it is with the factory supplied sights. Frankly, many people dislike them. The standard sights are plastic and use a “dot in box” visual reference. Unfortunately, this set-up does not work well for many people.
Fortunately, there are many great options available in the aftermarket for upgrading the sights on your Glock 43. While the company advises they will release them at a later date, at the time of this writing the only way to get Glock 43 night sights is through a third party.
On this page, I will describe all of the options that are currently on the market, and even give you some tips on how to swap them out.
If you know of any sight sets that I have missed, please let me know in the comments section below. Likewise, if you have any experience with any of these sighting options, please leave some feedback also. I’d like for this page to be a true resource for everyone in the Glock community.
Compatibility with the Glock 42
First off, I want to let you in on a secret: all Glock 42 sight sets will work on a Glock 43 pistol.
I’ve seen several companies announce sight sets compatible with the Glock 43, but these are identical to the G42 sights. I’ve confirmed this with Glock.
I spoke with a Glock representative at the launch party prior to the 2015 NRA show. The representative confirmed to me that the sights on the G43 were identical to those on the previously released G42 pistol. So, any existing G42 sight set should work on the new 9mm gun.
Additionally, the rep told me that the front sight on the G42 and G43 are identical to every other Glock front sight on the market. So, if you find yourself wanting to swap out the front sight only on the new G43, you can grab any existing Glock sight and use it.
The rear sight dovetail is the same size, so all Glock rear sights will fit the G43. However, they will be wider than the single-stack pistol’s slide. So, if you are looking to get a properly fitted set of sights for your pistol, it is best to go with those made for the G42/43 models.
AmeriGlo
AmeriGlo makes good night sights for the Glock 43 pistol. However, the company’s website is a little obtuse, making it hard to figure out exactly what they make for which pistol. It’s too bad, but I will try to explain their offerings for the G43 here.
For basic night sights, AmeriGlo offers the Classic series. It offers basic three green dots illuminated with tritium. If you are not familiar with tritium, it is a radioactive material that glows in the dark for many years. It is kept in sealed vials and has been used for night sights, watches and other objects for a long time.
The Classic series uses tritium vials to make a standard 3-dot pattern. White outlines surround the tritium vials to help the shooter see the sights in bright light conditions. In both my law enforcement career and as a concealed carry practitioner, I have used sights with this set up. It is not my favorite, but it does work.
AmeriGlo Operator sights are similar to the Classic sights. However, the rear sights are less visible because only the front sight has a white outline. This may be counter-intuitive to many shooters, however it makes a lot of sense to me. In a high stress situation, it is difficult to use the sights. If you can focus on the front sight, you are more likely to put rounds on target. By making the front sight more obvious, the eye is automatically drawn to it. This means that under stress, these sights are more likely to help you put accurate fire on the aggressor.
Spartan Tactical sights are similar to the Operator sights, but take the front sight focus concept a large step forward. This G43 sight set uses the same rear sights as the Operator: tritium vials only, no white outlines. The front sight trades the white outline for a bold orange outline that is more visible than the white outline of the Operator and Classic sights.
For me, the best AmeriGlo sight set for Glock pistols is the CAP sights. These sights are significantly different from the others in the AmeriGlo line.
The front sight uses a green tritium vial for low light conditions. The remainder of the front sight face is coated with a green photoluminescent paint. This paint is bright green in bright conditions and absorbs ambient light. In low light conditions, it glows as it gives off the absorbed light. This, combined with the tritium vial, offers a large, bright aiming point that is perfect for close, fast self-defense shootings that the Glock 43 was designed for.
The rear CAP sight deletes the tritium vials altogether. Instead, it has a single photoluminescent line that can be used as a reference in low light. By eliminating the tritium vials, visual confusion is eliminated, enhancing the ability of your eyes to pick up the front sight quickly. The added benefit of removing the tritium vials in the rear sight is a significant reduction in price.
I’ve got one of the CAP sets on my Glock 19 right now. I’ve shot it a lot, and really like the set up. As I said, this is my top choice in the AmeriGlo line.
Heinie
A lot of people seem to like the Heinie Straight Eight night sights. I’m not one of them, but you definitely need to find what works for you. These sights, the Ledge Straight Eight, feature a single tritium vial in both the front and the rear sight. The vials have a thin white outline.
On the plus side, the front edge of the rear sight has a broad, flat edge that allows for one-handed manipulation of the Glock 43 slide. Also, the sights have a Melonite finish, which is very durable and analogous to the finish used by Glock on all of the company’s handguns.
Curiously, the Heinie sights ate marked Trijicon, another sight company. This suggests to me that the Heinie sights are made for them by Trijicon.
HIVIZ
As I mentioned above, the Glock 43 can use any Glock-type front sight on the pistol. If you are looking to add just a front sight, take a look at the HIVIZ LITEWAVE front sight. For less than $40, you can add a bright, green fiber optic sight.
I.C.E. Training
Designed by firearms training Rob Pincus, the I.C.E. CLAW EMS rear sight is a plain black notch with an aggressive hook on the leading edge. This edge allows the shooter to manipulate the slide with one hand in an emergency. I’ve used these sights on a Glock 19, and I found they work very well. As sold by I.C.E. Training, the CLAW EMS ships with an AmeriGlo green Lumidot front sight.
Trijicon
Possibly the largest maker of night sights, Trijicon has the Glock 43 covered with a number of night sight options.
The basic night sight set is called the Bright & Tough line, though most people just call them “Trijicon night sights.” These sights use green tritium vials outlined in white. Many of the currently manufactured handguns come with these sights standard. They are well made, though, in my opinion, not as bright as some other options.
A much better option for the G43 from Trijicon are the HD Night Sights. These are similar to the AmeriGlo Spartan Tactical sights above. Trijicon uses tritium vials all the way ’round, but deleted the white outlines on the rear. The front sight has a large, bright yellow ring around the front vial. Orange front sights are also available.
TRUGLO
TRUGLO offers three options of sights for this pistol. They are the basic Brite-Site tritium sights, the TFO sights and the top-of-the-line TFX sights.
The basic Brite-Site tritium site set is the least expensive of the bunch, typically running around $75 or less. These are traditional night sights that use tritium vials to illuminate the aiming dots. TRUGLO machines these from steel, so they are very durable and should last for the lifetime of the gun.
A step up are the TFO sights. TFO, or Tritium/Fiber Optic, sights combine a tritium vial that glows in the dark with a fiber optic rod that is very bright in daylight conditions. The result is a G43 sight set that is very easy to see in all lighting conditions. I’ve used TFO sights on a Glock 19 and found them to be superb. I’ve seen these sell for about $100.
The most recent addition to the TRUGLO catalog is the TFX line of sights. These are an evolution of the TFO sights that are much more rugged while keeping the same incredible brightness in all light levels. The sights still use a tritium vial/fiber optic rod combination, but house them in very durable housing. The sights are then finished with a protective coating called Fortress Finish. These sights sell for about $120 and are worth every penny in my opinion.
Wilson Combat/Vickers Elite
Wilson Combat sells sights developed with Larry Vickers for these subcompact pistols. The rear sights offer a wide, deep notch to make it easier to find the front sight under stress. The rears can be had with or without tritium inserts.
The front sights can be had with fiber optic rods, a tritium insert, a gold bead or just a plain black serrated surface. All sights are sold separately (not in sets.)
XS Sight Systems
XS Sight Systems (aka: XS Sights) offers two different options for the Glock 43 pistol. The first is the Standard Dot set. These sights use a tritium vial with a white outline for the front sight. The rear is a shallow V-shaped notch with a non-illuminated white line. These sights are considered very fast, which is very good for self-defense.
The second sight set from XS is the Big Dot set. This set is very similar, but with a much larger white outline around the front tritium vial. In theory, this gives the shooter a much easier time in finding the front sight under stress. For older shooters, the Big Dot sights are often used to improve accuracy with all kinds of shooting.
As an additional resource on picking a good sight for self defense purposes, you may want to read an article I wrote called The Best Combat Handgun Sights. Based on years of research and experience, I give you my thoughts on what works best when everything goes bad.
Laser Options
The Glock 42 and 43 have different external dimensions. Unlike the iron sights, lasers made for the G42 nay not fit the G43. Currently, Crimson Trace and LaserMax have both announced laser aiming units for the 9mm Glock. When these start shipping, I will update this page.
Update: The Streamlight TLR-6 is a combination light and laser unit that will work with the G42 and G43. Click here to read my review of it.
I also confirmed that the LaserLyte TGL will work with the Glock 43. Click here to read my review of that unit.
Holsters
If you are looking for a carry rig for your pistol, check out me detailed list of holsters for the Glock 43 here. I’ve assembled a comprehensive accounting of the different scabbards currently available, and I am adding new companies to it frequently.
Last Update: October 19, 2022
Disclosure
GunsHolstersAndGear.com is a for-profit website. I do not charge readers a dime to access the information I provide.
Some of the links on this page and site are affiliate links to companies like Amazon and Palmetto State Armory. These links take you to the products mentioned in the article. Should you decide to purchase something from one of those companies, I make a small commission.
The links do not change your purchase price. I do not get to see what any individual purchases.
6 replies on “Glock 43 Sights”
Great article !
You missed review of Speed Sights (http://speedsights.com/). I’ve got these on both my Glock 19 and Glock 43. In my opinion these are the best sights out there.
Totally agree, Speed Sights are robust and my eyes are really drawn to that front sight (orange diamond).
Does their Glock 9mm fit the Glock 43, or is there a new version that I would need to order?
Great article. I love the TruGlo TFX, with their combo of Fiber Optic With Tritium. I wanted to go with the Pro model but found the original TFX sight much easier to pick out with my OLD eyes since it has a White outline, and not the Orange outline on the Pro. However, like you i like the Flat rear sight for one hand slide racking, but it is only available on the Pro model! Now, If only they could make an optional white outlined front sight with the Pro model, I would So Be There!
does the hiviz green front sight line up with the factory rear sight on the g42 ?