We share our best 9mm picks to feed your Glock 43X pistol.
GLOCK has become synonymous with simple, effective, reliable pistols. Their handguns are carried by countless users across the country, bringing no-frills simplicity to the home and streets.
The GLOCK 43X is a perfect example. Based on the GLOCK 43, which carried 6 rounds, the 43X is a ten-round subcompact pistol that features a “Slimline” frame, a compact grip length, and the popular GLOCK Marksman Barrel.
With so many 9mm Luger ammo options to load into your GLOCK 43X, choosing the right cartridge can be tough. We’ll make your search easier by providing our favorite rounds for personal protection, target shooting, and more.
Best Glock 43X Ammo Picks:
Top Overall: Speer Gold Dot 124-grain Jacketed Hollow Point +P
Best for Concealed Carry: Federal Premium HST 147-grain JHP
Our Pick for Training: Speer Lawman 124-grain Total Metal Jacket
Ideal for Target Shooting: Magtech Steel Cased 115-grain Full Metal Jacket
Best Value: Armscor USA 115-grain Jacketed Hollow Point P+
Best Overall Ammo for the GLOCK 43X
Speer Gold Dot 124-grain Jacketed Hollow Point +P
Bullet weight: 124 grains
Bullet type: Jacketed hollow point
Muzzle velocity: 1,220 fps
Muzzle energy: 410 ft-lbs
Advantages:
- Excellent muzzle velocity and energy
- Reasonable price
- From Speer’s trusted Gold Dot brand
Disadvantages:
- +P loads bring increased recoil
- Not the cheapest 9mm ammo available
Professionals trust Speer’s Gold Dot line of ammunition for their duty weapons, a testament to the product’s reliability and consistent performance. The round is highlighted by the bullet, a lead-core projectile that has been pressure-formed to the jacket. This process creates nearly complete weight retention, allowing for superior penetration with rapid and effective expansion. With sealed primers and nickel-plated brass, the rounds also cycle smoothly in the 43X pistol.
Speer offers 9mm Gold Dot ammo in a variety of grain weights, but we prefer the well-balanced 124-grain rounds.
We chose these rounds as the best ammo for your GLOCK 43X not just because of the effective performance, but also the reasonable price. While it’s not the cheapest ammo on the market, users of these rounds get an elite product without the premium cost. If you want a high-performance round for concealed carry, one that can also be used for occasional practice, these 124-grain rounds are perfect.
Best Defense Ammo for Glock 43X
Federal Personal Defense HST 147-grain Jacketed Hollow Point
Bullet weight: 147 grain
Bullet type: Jacketed hollow point
Muzzle velocity: 1,000 fps
Muzzle energy: 326 ft-lbs
Advantages:
- High expansion with ideal penetrations
- Heavier bullet for maximum terminal performance
- Manageable recoil for effective secondary shots
Disadvantages:
- Higher price than many other options
When you are choosing self-defense ammunition for your GLOCK 43X, you need reliable performance with unbeatable terminal ballistics. There are many options, but we love Federal’s 147-grain jacketed hollow points from their Personal Defense HST brand.
The ammo is built with specially designed hollow points, a nickel-plated case, and a high-performance primer. It all adds to the best self-defense ammo for your 43X.
The price for these rounds is above average, but so is the performance. In our gel testing, this ammo had an average expansion diameter of 0.63 inches, roughly a tenth of an inch larger than the median. It also penetrated 13.6 inches, so it falls within the FBI’s penetration requirements. (Essentially 12 to 18 inches.) While the bullet is larger, this round also has a lighter recoil compared to many options, which makes shooting less intimidating and, ultimately, more accurate and effective.
Best Glock 43X Training Ammo
Speer Lawman 124-grain Total Metal Jacket
Bullet weight: 124 grains
Bullet type: Total metal jacket
Muzzle velocity: 1,090 fps
Muzzle energy: 327 ft-lbs
Advantages:
- TMJ round completely encapsulates the bullet in copper
- Matches the performance profile of 124-grain Gold Dot ammo
- Excellent price for a high-quality product
Disadvantages:
- Not for defense; target and training only
The main requirement for training ammunition is that it feels and functions like your personal protection ammo. (Or your duty ammo, if this applies to you.) For this reason, we recommend the 124-grain ammo from Speer’s Lawman brand, a line of TMJ products designed to mimic the performance of Gold Dot ammo.
These clean-burning rounds from Speer have a total metal jacket (TMJ), which is slightly different than a full metal jacket. A TMJ round fully encapsulates the bullet in copper, leaving no exposed lead at the back of the cartridge. This creates minimal lead residue, making the rounds safer for indoor training.
(Note: It’s wise to select training rounds that match the weight of your carry ammo. While we profiled the 124-grain option, if you carry with 147-grain or 115-grain rounds, train with matching FMJ ammo.)
Train like a professional with Speer’s total metal jacket ammo
Best for Target Shooting
Magtech Steel Cased 115-grain Full Metal Jacket
Bullet weight: 115 grains
Bullet type: Full metal jacket
Muzzle velocity: 1,135 fps
Muzzle energy: 329 ft-lbs
Advantages:
- Affordable round for all-day target shooting
- FMJ ammo is easier on the barrel
- Low recoil for soft shooting
Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for self-defense
- Not a high-velocity round
If you simply want an affordable 9mm round that allows for hours of high-volume shooting, we recommend these FMJ cartridges from Magtech. These rounds have a 115-grain bullet that enhances downrange accuracy, and they deliver a manageable recoil that makes all-day shooting more comfortable. Subcompact handguns like the GLOCK 43X can be unwieldy (there is less weight to absorb the recoil), so moderate-recoil options are often preferred.
These rounds have a steel case, which is more affordable than brass; the low price makes a full day at the range less expensive. They may not be the fastest rounds on the market, and they should not be used for anything but target shooting (no hunting or personal defense), but they are our favorites for a day at the range. When you want to become familiar with loading, firing, reloading, and the overall functionality of your GLOCK 43X, these Magtech 9mm rounds are ideal — and we’d recommend their brass-cased options as a great value too.
Best Value
Armscor USA 115-grain Jacketed Hollow Point +P
Bullet weight: 115 grains
Bullet type: Jacketed hollow point
Muzzle velocity: 1,350 fps
Muzzle energy: 440 ft-lbs
Advantages:
- Low price
- High velocities and energies
- Expanding round for personal defense
Disadvantages:
- High recoil could be troublesome for shooters
These rounds deliver some of the fastest speeds you’ll ever see from a 9mm Luger cartridge. They load jacketed hollow point bullets, the ideal choice for personal defense, and they have a low price, bringing affordability as well as quality. These factors, and more, make Amersor’s 115-grain JHP rounds the best value for your GLOCK 43X.
Versatility is the main advantage of these rounds. While they can be used as a personal-protection load, they can also be your high-volume target and training round. Other ammo has superior ballistic stats, but these rounds will deliver excellent performance with a low cost. (And a massive bulk purchase is not required for a low per-shot price!)