Looking for recommendations for a sight for a Glock 43X (not the 43X MOS). Prefer one that would not require getting the slide milled but am open. Under $200 is preferred but can go higher for the right sight.

So can one safely assume you are typing about a red dot sight? If so, I can't recommend anything under $200 for a defensive handgun, but I would recommend you check out the Holosun EPS Carry and the Trijicon RMRcc anyway. Maybe the "K" series from Holosun as well. Some of the K's can get fairly close to $200 when on sale. If you are not going to rely on your 43x for defensive use, then just forget what I said.

Obviously you will need a dovetail-mount plate too, so you might see if Strike Industries makes one in that size. Of course there are many other makers of that kind of thing too.

C

I put a Holosun 507k on my 48 and have been quite pleased with it.

Also use the Shield 15rd mags.

Never mind, you said not milled slide. Whoops.

Are there any that won't require the slide to get milled if you don't have the MOS, or are you not referring to a red dot?

My daily carry is a 43x MOS with Trijicon RMRcc. Even with that, I had to get an adapter plate from Forward Controls because it is cut for a Holosun footprint.

MyNameIsJeff said:

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Are there any that won't require the slide to get milled if you don't have the MOS, or are you not referring to a red dot?

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That's really my question. Are there any RDS out there that would not require me to get my slide milled for just the regular G43X?

@Caladan -- yes, this is for defensive carry. I guess you are suggesting I spend more than $200 on a RDS for my defensive carry?

OP, you mentioned "prefer not getting the slide milled," so the topic of slide milling generally means you're wanting a mini red dot sight, as there are plenty of iron sights that of course require no mods to your 43X slide. But, you never made that clear.

If you're wanting a red dot sight, $200 isn't gonna buy anything that most would recommend for defensive use; you'll need to double that. If you're talking iron sights, do you want conventional or tritium night sights?

If you do realize you'll need to mill your slide, I recommend Maple Leaf Firearms. Mail them your slide + optic and they'll mill and mount for you. Easy process and Aggie owned.

AGeng25 said:

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MyNameIsJeff said:

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Are there any that won't require the slide to get milled if you don't have the MOS, or are you not referring to a red dot?

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That's really my question. Are there any RDS out there that would not require me to get my slide milled for just the regular G43X?

@Caladan -- yes, this is for defensive carry. I guess you are suggesting I spend more than $200 on a RDS for my defensive carry?

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You either have to get the slide milled, or remove your rear sight and get a red dot plate that mounts to the dovetail. Advantage to that is that a plate is usually cheaper than the cost of milling, and you can do it yourself. Also allows you to return the slide to its original configuration, and you can switch mounts at any time. Disadvantage is that the sight sits a bit higher, and a plate is an additional potential point of failure.

As Thaddeus already stated - yes, spend more money for a defensive carry. There's a tremendous number of rds' you can put on your Glock, but there's only a few I would trust w/my life.

BTW - in case you get a "full-size" (for immediate lack of a better term) Glock, Leupold makes an rds that does not require one to mill the slide, nor does it require a mounting plate. Sadly, they do not make one for the small slide Glocks.

C

If you decide to hold off on the RDS until you can either mill the slide or get a MOS, I'm a fan of Trijicon HD night sights if you want to go that route. I have them on all my Glocks.

Rear sight dovetail-mounted RDS plates are mechanically weak. The thin cross section at the top of the dovetail insert where the angles narrow is ripe for stress crack propagation after the slide repeatedly slams back and forth rapidly from firing… in addition to side loads being exerted to the same area from normal handling. With an RDS mounted to the plate, you have a long lever arm overhanging forward of the slot to exert stress on that thin web of material.

If you want an RDS and your slide isn't already milled to accept one, milling it for either the specific sight you want to use or a universal adapter plate like the Glock MOS is really your only good option. Anything else isn't mechanically sound enough for long term defensive use.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but if you're aiming for (pun intended) is to maintain the condition of the factory slide, have you considered deciding on an optic and then purchasing an aftermarket slide that already has an optic cut for the optic you choose?