What G48 competitors are there?

[That_FNG]

So after a range trip today I got to thinking, what competitors to the G48 are there? I’m talking single stack, 1inch wide, 10 rounds, 4inch barrel, striker fired 9mm handgun. Micro double stacks are all the rage currently, but what other guns compete spec and feature wise to the G48? If you go hammer fired then you have 1911’s in 9mm, there’s kahr with their single stack 9mm (think they are only 6-8 round capacity). Is there any current production handguns that compete? I ask because out of all my Glocks my G48 I shoot the best due to its slimmer frame.

 

[Podmonkey]

I don't think there are any. I've thought for some time that S&W should release a single stack full size M&P. They could go on and on about how it is the modern rendition of the Model 39. All the gun channels will shit themselves over it but ban staters will have another good compliant pistol option. Good for those with smaller hands that yet want a more duty size gun as well.
People from back home have been asking me for gun recommendations a lot ately, I frequently reference the G48, would be nice to have something else to point people at.

 

[That_FNG]

I don't think there are any. I've thought for some time that S&W should release a single stack full size M&P. They could go on and on about how it is the modern rendition of the Model 39. All the gun channels will shit themselves over it but ban staters will have another good compliant pistol option. Good for those with smaller hands that yet want a more duty size gun as well.
People from back home have been asking me for gun recommendations a lot ately, I frequently reference the G48, would be nice to have something else to point people at.

What’s funny is that friends I have who reside in free states have chosen the G48 instead of the G19 (or comparable double stack) they all find the slimmer frame easier to conceal over a double stack frame. Not everybody wants to carry a double stack handgun or a micro sized handgun. Because of how much I like my G48 I have opened my mind to acquiring a 9mm commander sized 1911.

 

[Podmonkey]

What’s funny is that friends I have who reside in free states have chosen the G48 instead of the G19 (or comparable double stack) they all find the slimmer frame easier to conceal over a double stack frame. Not everybody wants to carry a double stack handgun or a micro sized handgun. Because of how much I like my G48 I have opened my mind to acquiring a 9mm commander sized 1911.

I myself would strongly consider carrying a G48 on my hip over a G43. A 1" thick gun is very comfortable to carry IWB and it would be nice to have a full 3 finger grip.

 

[kemo357]

I like my G48 a lot but my dominant hand kinda eats it. Having the slim frame is easier for me to conceal being 6’3” 185lbs but I have bigger hands that prefer a G19/45 grip with the medium back strap.

 

[Defilade]

SIG P365xl. It's why the G48 came out to play.

 

[Justincase]

SIG P365xl. It's why the G48 came out to play.

That’s the gun that immediately came to mind for me. I love my 48’s. Grip is the perfect size. Got an original with the hideous silver slide and an MOS version.

 

[That_FNG]

SIG P365xl. It's why the G48 came out to play.

I don’t quite consider that as it’s not a single stack. It falls more under double stack or 1.5 stack. Outside dimensions are spot on though.

edit:

also adding the the P365XL has a 3.7 inch barrel vs the 4inch barrel of the G48. I would view the P365XL as more of a G43X competitor as they are more similar in size with regards to overall size and barrel length. I know the P365XL can be had with 10 round magazines, but I’m talking more in the sense of a gun that was designed from the get go to have a standard capacity of 10 rounds.

 

[That_FNG]

SIG P365xl. It's why the G48 came out to play.

The G48 was released at the beginning of 2019, while the P365XL came out at the beginning of summer 2019, so the G48 was first by a couple of months.

 

[Xae289]

With your specific criteria ("single stack, 1inch wide, 10 rounds, 4inch barrel, striker fired 9mm handgun"), no, I don't think there's any direct comparison.

You can find plenty that meet some of those criteria, but all of them are missing something. The Springfield XD-E or S&W Shield EZ 9 are single-stack, very close in width and barrel length, and are 9mm, but they're a round or two short in capacity and hammer fired.

The single-stack subcompacts are close, but again are more similar to the G43 or G43X.

The Glock 36 is single-stack, 1" wide, 4" barrel, striker-fired, but it has a 6 round capacity in .45 ACP.

The Sig P365XL really is probably the closest game.

 

[Parzival]

What’s funny is that friends I have who reside in free states have chosen the G48 instead of the G19 (or comparable double stack) they all find the slimmer frame easier to conceal over a double stack frame. Not everybody wants to carry a double stack handgun or a micro sized handgun. Because of how much I like my G48 I have opened my mind to acquiring a 9mm commander sized 1911.

They can also get the SA mags and capacity stays the same as a 19, in a much smaller package.

 

[Podmonkey]

Not that it's relevant in NY but the Shield Arms magazines take capacity to 15 rounds in a flush fit form factor. I am starting to talk myself into G48 now.

 

[seezur]

I don’t carry my G48, it’s way too big vs the P365 which I shoot fine. In fact when the 48 was first released I thought it was an incredibly dumb model and just Glock marketing separating people from their money. After I realized the 48 MOS makes the perfect ban state home defense gun I picked one up. Full size, 10+1, takes a red dot and light. I’m not sure if there is anything else out there like it in polymer.

 

[That_FNG]

I don’t carry my G48, it’s way too big vs the P365 which I shoot fine. In fact when the 48 was first released I thought it was an incredibly dumb model and just Glock marketing separating people from their money. After I realized the 48 MOS makes the perfect ban state home defense gun I picked one up. Full size, 10+1, takes a red dot and light. I’m not sure if there is anything else out there like it in polymer.

I’ve always been of the mindset to carry the biggest gun you shoot well that you can easily conceal. The bigger grip of the G48 allows me to shoot more accurately faster than compared to the P365. If I have to carry a smaller gun I go with my G43 as I can shoot that almost as well as my G48. People make a bigger deal out of capacity than it actually is. I would rather have a gun with fewer rounds that I know for a fact I am accurate with, compared to a gun that has more rounds but I can’t hit shit with it.

 

[Podmonkey]

I’ve always been of the mindset to carry the biggest gun you shoot well that you can easily conceal. The bigger grip of the G48 allows me to shoot more accurately faster than compared to the P365. If I have to carry a smaller gun I go with my G43 as I can shoot that almost as well as my G48. People make a bigger deal out of capacity than it actually is. I would rather have a gun with fewer rounds that I know for a fact I am accurate with, compared to a gun that has more rounds but I can’t hit shit with it.

Magazine capacity doesn't have much to do with how accurate you might be with a particular gun, unless the magazines are so large as to be cumbersome I suppose.
I myself am always interested in handguns that cam fit greater qualities of ammunition in a given space. I replaced my Shield with the plus version since it gives me three extra rounds in the same space. Three extra rounds basically for free is kinda of a big deal to me. I do still carry my Glock 19, mostly on the weekends when I don't have all the special circumstances I do when at work, but I do find it to be a little uncomfortable.
I find a the slim 1" thick guns to be invisibly comfortable . So a gun like a Glock 48 that gives me a full grip and equal capacity as the 19 yet carries more like a micro compact is starting to become extremely appealing to me. I am strongly considering a 48 now. Mainly the expense of not just the pistol but the mags and holsters is giving me pause. That and my truck needs new shoes.

 

[That_FNG]

Magazine capacity doesn't have much to do with how accurate you might be with a particular gun, unless the magazines are so large as to be cumbersome I suppose.
I myself am always interested in handguns that cam fit greater qualities of ammunition in a given space. I replaced my Shield with the plus version since it gives me three extra rounds in the same space. Three extra rounds basically for free is kinda of a big deal to me. I do still carry my Glock 19, mostly on the weekends when I don't have all the special circumstances I do when at work, but I do find it to be a little uncomfortable.
I find a the slim 1" thick guns to be invisibly comfortable . So a gun like a Glock 48 that gives me a full grip and equal capacity as the 19 yet carries more like a micro compact is starting to become extremely appealing to me. I am strongly considering a 48 now. Mainly the expense of not just the pistol but the mags and holsters is giving me pause. That and my truck needs new shoes.

My point is in the sense that if gun A hold 12 rounds and gun B holds 7 rounds, but with gun A you can’t hit anything at 5 yards with it, yet with gun B you are very accurate out to 20 yards with it, you would be better carrying gun B.

now if you are equally accurate with both guns, then yes carry the gun with more rounds. For me personally, I am not very accurate with the P365 (I can’t hit shit with it) yet I am very accurate with my G43 and G48. For me I am better off carrying the G43/G48 compared to the P365 despite the P355’s capacity advantage over the G43 and size advantage over the G48.

I’m also not a fan of aftermarket magazines for defensive handguns. On glocktalk it seems as though the shield arms mags can be hit or miss depending on your personal gun and your ammo choice. I feel more comfortable sticking with OEM mags as I know they will work reliably with all type of ammo I would be carrying. If they work great for you then by all means go with them, as I can’t fault someone hsving increased magazine capacity without reliability being affected.

 

[Podmonkey]

My point is in the sense that if gun A hold 12 rounds and gun B holds 7 rounds, but with gun A you can’t hit anything at 5 yards with it, yet with gun B you are very accurate out to 20 yards with it, you would be better carrying gun B.

now if you are equally accurate with both guns, then yes carry the gun with more rounds. For me personally, I am not very accurate with the P365 (I can’t hit shit with it) yet I am very accurate with my G43 and G48. For me I am better off carrying the G43/G48 compared to the P365 despite the P355’s capacity advantage over the G43 and size advantage over the G48.

I’m also not a fan of aftermarket magazines for defensive handguns. On glocktalk it seems as though the shield arms mags can be hit or miss depending on your personal gun and your ammo choice. I feel more comfortable sticking with OEM mags as I know they will work reliably with all type of ammo I would be carrying. If they work great for you then by all means go with them, as I can’t fault someone hsving increased magazine capacity without reliability being affected.

That's good to know about the Shields Arms magazines. As for the P365, I have found that it moves around in my hands more than the Shield.
I have large hands and I can't get as good a purchase on the the P365's grip. The Shield being a slightly larger gun, and especially with the Plus version's slightly swelled out grip, is somewhat more stable under fire in my hands so I prefer the S&W. This neong despite SIG is, IMO, the better gun having a better trigger and better sights. So I have so selected tge gun I shoot better with. But I really like having those extra rounds of the plus. Prior to owning the Plus I felt torn between the much greater firepower of the Glock 19 and tge convenience of the Shield. With the nine micro nines offering 10 and 12/13 round capacities I feel comfortable with that margin assuming that the FBI statistic of 5 rounds being the average amount of fire expended in typical self defense shootings. If 5 is the average that says to me there were a significant amount of cases where 5 would not have been enough and so 5 shots or 6 shots is not an amount I would want to rely on. Even 7 shots is uncomfortably close to the average. To me seems a good amount of spare shots for me to feel comfortable with. Hence why my Glock 19 spends 95% of its time lately dangling from a closet coat hanger in a shoulder holster. It has become the bump in the night standby gun.

 

[jimc]

The SA Hellcat Pro is pretty close, but they don't have a 10 round mag option yet.

 

[Edwardteach72]

The SA Hellcat Pro is pretty close, but they don't have a 10 round mag option yet.

You mean the HS. Hellcat, imported and sold BY Springfield Armory Inc

 

[That_FNG]

The SA Hellcat Pro is pretty close, but they don't have a 10 round mag option yet.

The hell cat pro is a 15 round capacity gun I’m talking specifically a 10 round capacity gun. Not a higher capacity gun neutered down to 10 rounds. The hell cat pro is also more a double stack gun and not a single stack.

 

[Defilade]

Don't understand why they eliminated the word "Grip Zone" on their guns now? Hate the fact one has to search for it now.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Don't understand why they eliminated the word "Grip Zone" on their guns now? Hate the fact one has to search for it now.

Yea that's what happens when too many people are involved in decisions you get stupid things like that.
"Grip zone" on the grip is redundant. It's idiotic. Yet it's far too common to make design compromises when too many people want to be involved in a project.

You end up with memes and jokes

 

[Podmonkey]

The hell cat pro is a 15 round capacity gun I’m talking specifically a 10 round capacity gun. Not a higher capacity gun neutered down to 10 rounds. The hell cat pro is also more a double stack gun and not a single stack.

I don't think you are taking into account that guns like the P365, Shield Plus and the Hellcat *cough*fuckspringfield*cough* are fitting double stack magazines in the same width of a single stack. All three of the above are an 1" or less thick. I imagine this trend will continue to expand into larger size models. This is potentially fertile ground, ground that Glock refuses to take. Sooner or later a company will produce a G48 style pistol with a native 15 round magazine and it WILL sell. Again S&W could take this opportunity to make an M&P 39. The gun reviewers can jizz all over themelves making the connection and S&W can make people forget the 39's marginal reputation for reliability.

 

[Edwardteach72]

Yea sorry I have to ask.. what's the fixation on single stack magazine??

If single stack guns are .9"-1" thick

And these new wonder micros are getting up to 15 rounds with 1.5 stacks but also .9"-1.1" thick

Why focus on wanting a single stack

 

[That_FNG]

Yea sorry I have to ask.. what's the fixation on single stack magazine??

If single stack guns are .9"-1" thick

And these new wonder micros are getting up to 15 rounds with 1.5 stacks but also .9"-1.1" thick

Why focus on wanting a single stack

Single stack offers better reliability traditionally compared to double stack in relation to magazine caused failures. Single stack guns tend to be thinner in the grip and easier for people with smaller to medium size hands to grip properly, single stack guns are lighter, as you are carrying less ammo. I am aware the G48 is not as thin as it could be.

I prefer to stick to an apples to apples comparison. If there are no direct competitors to the G48 I understand, it was more curiosity as if there was any other guns currently in production that met the same spec criteria as the G48. So far it seems the closet thing would be a 10 round 9mm 1911 (outside of being hammer fired) I understand there are comparable double stack guns in relation to size, but for this discussion I have no interest in them. Think of it like this, if I ask what red cars are being made today, and one was to offer up a blue car, it doesn’t meet the original criteria no matter how good it is.

 

[Saltwater60]

Don’t worry glock will come out with competition to the G48 soon enough.

 

[Podmonkey]

Single stack offers better reliability traditionally compared to double stack in relation to magazine caused failures. Single stack guns tend to be thinner in the grip and easier for people with smaller to medium size hands to grip properly, single stack guns are lighter, as you are carrying less ammo. I am aware the G48 is not as thin as it could be.

I prefer to stick to an apples to apples comparison. If there are no direct competitors to the G48 I understand, it was more curiosity as if there was any other guns currently in production that met the same spec criteria as the G48. So far it seems the closet thing would be a 10 round 9mm 1911 (outside of being hammer fired) I understand there are comparable double stack guns in relation to size, but for this discussion I have no interest in them. Think of it like this, if I ask what red cars are being made today, and one was to offer up a blue car, it doesn’t meet the original criteria no matter how good it is.

The G48 is alone in the world, and is likely to remain so if other companies do something like I described.

 

[Podmonkey]

Don’t worry glock will come out with competition to the G48 soon enough.

They will set the market on fire with the G43 LX which will be a g48 slide and frame with a G43 grip. If I were to name it I'd call it the Glock 43 S-U-X.

 

[Justincase]

They will set the market on fire with the G43 LX which will be a g48 slide and frame with a G43 grip. If I were to name it I'd call it the Glock 43 S-U-X.

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. lol. I have a 43 and a 48 and put the 48 slide on the 43 frame and it shoots quite nicely for such a small grip.

 

[That_FNG]

Don’t knock it til you’ve tried it. lol. I have a 43 and a 48 and put the 48 slide on the 43 frame and it shoots quite nicely for such a small grip.

I’ve done that as well on G43. You have the smaller more easily concealable grip of the G43, but the softer shooting, less recoil longer slide of the G48. I think of it as a G43L.