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Kourtni Shoots · v2.1 · 2026-07-15
Every part, every mistake, every dollar — the complete blueprint for the modern slim carry pistol.
This is not a parts list with affiliate links stapled to it. It's the full record of a two-year, 6,400-round build: what I bought, what I got wrong, what I'd buy again, and what I'd tell you to skip if you called me instead of reading this.
Read it in order the first time. After that, use the parts list and the checklists — they're built to be printed and carried.
This guide assumes you own or are about to own a Glock 43X MOS and you intend to carry it, not collect it.
Three rules govern every decision in this build.
I spent roughly $600 on holsters and several hundred more on parts I later removed, all because there was no single honest resource that explained the order of operations.
This guide is the document I wish I'd had. Everything in it has been carried, shot, cleaned, and in a few cases removed and sold at a loss so you don't repeat it.
| Part | Category | Street |
|---|---|---|
| Glock 43X MOSGlock | Base Pistol | $429 |
| Holosun HS507K X2Holosun | Optic | $289 |
| Streamlight TLR-7 X SubStreamlight | Light | $159 |
| Herrington Arms HC43 CompensatorHerrington Arms | Compensator | $139 |
| True Precision Threaded Barrel — Gold TiNTrue Precision | Barrel | $239 |
| Radian Weapons MagwellRadian Weapons | Magwell | $89 |
| Shield Arms S15 MagazineShield Arms | Magazine | $45 |
| Shield Arms Steel Magazine ReleaseShield Arms | Controls | $25 |
| Talon Grips — Rubber TextureTalon Grips | Grip | $19 |
| Tulster Oath IWB HolsterTulster | Holster | $79 |
| Total (street) | $1512 | |
Glock · Base Pistol
The 43X MOS pairs a 3.41" barrel and a full-length grip with a factory optic cut. That grip is the whole reason this platform works: you get a full firing grip with all fingers on the gun while the slide stays under an inch wide. Add the MOS cut and it becomes the most upgradeable slim carry pistol on the market.
I carried a 26 for two years and always fought the grip. The 43X fixed that in one afternoon — my pinky finally has somewhere to live and my draw stopped being a negotiation. The stock trigger is fine, not great; I'd shoot 500 rounds before spending a dollar on one. The thing nobody warns you about: the factory 10-round mags are the weak point of the gun, not the gun itself. Budget for magazines before you budget for anything shiny.
Recommendation: The right foundation for a modern slim carry build. Buy the MOS version, buy good magazines, then start upgrading.
Street $429 · MSRP $499 · Rating 4.7/5 · Updated 2026-07-15
Holosun · Optic
A 507K X2 in the RMSc footprint drops straight into the 43X MOS cut. You get a 32 MOA circle-dot, a 2 MOA dot, solar failsafe, and shake awake with a 50,000-hour runtime. It's the optic I recommend more than any other for people getting on the dot for the first time.
The circle-dot reticle is what actually made me fast, not the dot. Under stress your eye finds the 32 MOA ring long before it finds a 2 MOA dot, and the ring gives you a rough 7-yard hold that's forgiving of a sloppy presentation. I run the ring alone in daylight and switch to dot-only past 15 yards. Honest tradeoff: the glass has a faint blue cast and the window is small — if you have a wandering presentation, you'll hunt for the dot until your index is fixed. Spend the first 200 draws doing dry presentations against a wall, not shooting. Also: mine has never turned off unexpectedly in two years, but I still keep suppressor-height irons under it. Batteries are the one thing on a carry gun with a scheduled expiration.
Recommendation: The best first carry optic on the market. If you carry in rain or lint daily, spend the extra $60 on the EPS Carry instead.
Street $289 · MSRP $340 · Rating 4.8/5 · Updated 2026-07-15 · Code KOURTNI10
Streamlight · Light
The Sub variant is fitted specifically to the 43X/48 rail geometry rather than clamping to a universal rail. 500 lumens, 5,000 candela, selectable momentary/strobe rear paddles, and a footprint that doesn't extend past the muzzle.
Half of a defensive encounter happens in low light and you still have to identify what you're pointing at. That's the whole argument. What surprised me: the added weight up front actually calmed my recoil more than I expected — it's not just dead weight, it's a muzzle anchor. The tradeoff is real though. Adding a light took my holster options from twenty down to about five, and it changed how the gun sits appendix — the light body is what digs into your hip when you sit in a car. If you're a smaller-framed carrier, try before you commit. My honest recommendation: if this is your only gun and you carry it daily, get the light. If you're building a range toy, skip it and put the money into ammo.
Recommendation: Non-negotiable if this is your defensive pistol. Buy the light and the holster together.
Street $159 · MSRP $209 · Rating 4.6/5 · Updated 2026-07-15
Herrington Arms · Compensator
Machined 7075 aluminum, threads onto a 1/2x28 barrel, and stays inside the slide profile so it doesn't add printing width. It's tuned for standard-pressure 9mm rather than competition loads, which is exactly what a carry gun needs.
This is the part people expect me to say is a gimmick, and it isn't — but the benefit is subtler than the internet claims. My split times improved about 0.06 seconds on average, which is real but not life-changing. The bigger deal is that the gun stopped punishing me during 300-round practice sessions, so I shoot it more. That's the actual value: it buys you training volume. Two honest tradeoffs. First, it's louder and there's more flash at the sides, which matters if you ever shoot indoors without doubled hearing protection. Second, it's the part most likely to induce a malfunction if you run weak ammo — light 115gr practice loads short-stroked twice in my first outing before I switched to 124gr. If you carry defensive ammo and practice with 124gr, you'll never notice. If you buy the cheapest steel case at the counter, skip the comp.
Recommendation: A genuine performance part, not jewelry — but it's a stage-two upgrade, not a stage-one.
Street $139 · MSRP $149 · Rating 4.5/5 · Updated 2026-07-15 · Code KS15
True Precision · Barrel
A match-grade drop-in barrel with a target crown and TiN coating that's genuinely slicker than nitride. It exists in this build for one functional reason — threads for the compensator — and one honest reason: it looks incredible.
Let me be honest in a way most reviews won't be: this barrel did not make me a better shooter. Groups at 15 yards were statistically the same as the factory barrel. What it did do is give me threads for the comp and a finish that hasn't shown wear in two years of carry. So the value case is 'threads plus durability plus it looks like a million bucks,' not 'accuracy.' If you want threads for a fraction of the cost, there are $120 options that shoot just as well and look plain. I chose gold because this build is also content, and content that looks good gets watched. That's a legitimate reason for me and possibly not for you. One practical note that surprised me: TiN is slick enough that the gun runs noticeably smoother when dirty. That's the underrated benefit.
Recommendation: Buy it if you're running a comp and you want a finish that lasts. Skip it if you're chasing accuracy.
Street $239 · MSRP $279 · Rating 4.4/5 · Updated 2026-07-15
Radian Weapons · Magwell
Aluminum, tool-less install, and shaped to blend into the 43X frame rather than bolt onto it. The flare is aggressive enough to guide a magazine under stress but shallow enough to stay concealable.
This is the most optional part on the list and I'm keeping it because I like it, not because you need it. Reload speed improvement in my testing: about 0.15 seconds on a slide-lock reload. If you're a competition shooter that matters. If you're carrying, you will almost certainly never reload. What it genuinely improves is the feel of the grip — the flare gives my pinky a shelf and slightly increases the grip length in a way that makes the gun feel more like a 19. The cost is the one thing that matters for carry: it's the part most likely to print at the bottom of your shirt when you bend over. If concealment is your top priority, this is the first thing I'd cut from the build.
Recommendation: A nice-to-have. Buy it for range and class use; cut it first if concealment is the priority.
Street $89 · MSRP $99 · Rating 4.2/5 · Updated 2026-07-15
Shield Arms · Magazine
Steel-bodied magazines that take the 43X from 10+1 to 15+1 without changing the grip footprint. They require a steel magazine release, and they require a break-in. Both are worth it.
Five extra rounds for $45 and zero added size is the best dollar-per-benefit trade in this entire guide. But I'm going to be the person who tells you the part the ads leave out: they need a break-in, and early production mags earned a bad reputation that current production has mostly fixed. My protocol is to load each new mag to full capacity and leave it loaded for a week, then run 100 rounds through it before it's allowed in the carry rotation. Two of my six needed that; four ran clean out of the box. Number your mags with a paint pen — a mag that fails twice gets retired to practice-only forever. Also, the steel mag release is mandatory, not optional. The polymer factory release wears against the steel mag body. Anyone telling you otherwise hasn't run these long enough.
Recommendation: The first upgrade you should buy. Best value on the entire list.
Street $45 · MSRP $55 · Rating 4.6/5 · Updated 2026-07-15 · Code KOURTNI10
Shield Arms · Controls
A hardened steel replacement for the factory polymer magazine catch. Steel magazine bodies chew up polymer catches; this eliminates the wear point and gives a crisper release feel.
The install is the most frustrating twenty minutes of this build and nobody says so out loud. The spring is tiny, it wants to launch across the room, and you're working in a confined frame channel. Do it over a white towel in a bowl. Watch a video first. If you have any hesitation, a gunsmith will do it for $20 and it's money well spent. Once it's in, it's invisible — I've had zero issues in two years. The one comfort note: the steel release has a sharper edge than the factory polymer and it can irritate your side in AIWB. Take 30 seconds with a fine file and break the edge. Shield Arms won't tell you to do that; I will.
Recommendation: Buy it in the same cart as your S15 magazines.
Street $25 · MSRP $29 · Rating 4.3/5 · Updated 2026-07-15 · Code KOURTNI10
Talon Grips · Grip
Precut adhesive grip wrap in a rubberized texture. Rubber is the concealed-carry choice; the granulate version bites more but sands your skin and your shirts.
Best twenty dollars in this guide and it isn't close. What surprised me was how much it changed my grip consistency in the summer — sweaty hands on bare Glock polymer is a genuinely unreliable interface, and this fixes it completely. Choose rubber, not granulate, if you carry against skin. I ran granulate for a month and it left my side raw and destroyed two undershirts. Rubber gives you 85% of the traction with none of the abrasion. Install tip nobody mentions: use a hair dryer, not a heat gun. A heat gun will warp the frame if you get impatient, and you will get impatient. It takes about a year of daily carry before the edges start lifting — at $20, that's a maintenance item, not a failure.
Recommendation: Buy it first. Cheapest meaningful improvement in this guide.
Street $19 · MSRP $22 · Rating 4.7/5 · Updated 2026-07-15
Tulster · Holster
Kydex AIWB holster with adjustable retention, a modwing claw, and optional wedge. Ordered in the 43X + TLR-7 X Sub + comp configuration so every part of this build clears properly.
I own a drawer of holsters that cost me about $600 to learn one lesson: the holster matters more than any part bolted to the gun. A $2,000 build in a bad holster stays home in a safe. The Oath disappears with the claw and wedge dialed in, and the retention is adjustable enough that I can tune it to click without being a fight. What took me too long to learn is that ride height and cant are not set-and-forget — I adjust mine seasonally, higher and more forward in summer under a t-shirt, lower in winter. Tradeoff: the wedge takes about a week to feel normal and most people give up at day three. Push through it. And order for your exact configuration — the comp adds length and a standard 43X holster will bottom out and push the grip out.
Recommendation: The most important purchase in this guide after the gun itself. Do not economize here.
Street $79 · MSRP $89 · Rating 4.8/5 · Updated 2026-07-15 · Code KS15
| Attribute | 507K X2 | EPS Carry |
|---|---|---|
| Emitter | Open | Enclosed |
| Street price | $289 | $349 |
| Window size | Smaller | Slightly larger |
| Weather resistance | Good | Excellent |
| Solar failsafe | Yes | No |
| Weight | 1.0 oz | 1.2 oz |
| Kourtni rating | 4.8 | 4.9 |
Verdict: EPS Carry if you carry daily in weather. 507K X2 if budget or solar failsafe matters most.
| Attribute | TLR-7 X Sub | TLR-6 |
|---|---|---|
| Output | 500 lumens | 100 lumens |
| Candela | 5,000 | 2,000 |
| Weight | 2.35 oz | 1.2 oz |
| Switching | Ambi rear paddles | Side buttons |
| Battery | CR123 | 2x CR-1/3N |
| Kourtni rating | 4.6 | 3.1 |
Verdict: Not close. The TLR-7 X Sub is the only one of the two I'd carry.
| Attribute | Shield Arms S15 | Factory OEM |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 15 | 10 |
| Body | Steel | Polymer over steel |
| Requires steel release | Yes | No |
| Break-in needed | Sometimes | No |
| Price | $45 | $32 |
| Kourtni rating | 4.6 | 4.8 (reliability) |
Verdict: S15 after break-in, with factory mags kept as a reliability control group.
| Attribute | Herrington HC43 | PMM Micro Comp |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | Single | Dual |
| Recoil reduction | Very good | Slightly better |
| Added width | None | Slight |
| Carbon fouling | Moderate | Heavy |
| Price | $139 | $155 |
| Kourtni rating | 4.5 | 4.4 |
Verdict: Herrington for carry (stays inside slide width). PMM if it's a range gun.
| Attribute | Tulster Oath | Tenicor Velo4 |
|---|---|---|
| Adjustability | High | Minimal by design |
| Claw | Modwing included | Integrated |
| Comfort | Very good | Excellent |
| Comp-cut option | Yes | Limited |
| Price | $79 | $95 |
| Kourtni rating | 4.8 | 4.7 |
Verdict: Tulster for adjustability across a changing build. Tenicor if your setup is final.
Bonus 01
Tape it inside your cleaning kit lid.
Bonus 02
Everything that goes in the bag before you leave.
Bonus 03
Get on paper in under 20 rounds.
Bonus 04
The 30-second check before you walk out the door.
Bonus 05
Print it and keep it with the torque driver.
Bonus 06
A year of gun care on one page.
Bonus 07
Beyond the gun itself.
Bonus 08
Current codes across the build. Updated monthly.
Bonus 09
What's actually on me every day.
Bonus 10
Where I actually learned this.
No. Magazines, mag release, grip tape, light, and holster are the essentials. Comp, barrel, and magwell are stage-two upgrades that make the gun nicer to shoot, not more effective at seven yards.
Gun plus magazines, mag release, grip tape, light, and holster. That's a complete, capable carry setup and the rest is optional.
No. One part at a time, 50-100 rounds between changes, so you can attribute any problem to a specific change.
Yes, after you put in the presentation reps. It's slower than irons for about 500 draws, then faster forever.
Current production, after break-in, and with the steel mag release: yes. Test each one before it enters your carry rotation.
No. It buys you comfort and slightly faster splits, which means more practice volume. That's the honest case for it.
Federal HST 124gr is my load. Whatever you pick, run 100 rounds of it through your exact configuration first.
10 minutes of dry fire five days a week beats one range trip a month. Both is better.
Frame parts yes, slide and barrel parts no. Check compatibility per part on each product page.
Springs by round count, batteries by calendar, grip wrap by feel, magazines by failure log. The maintenance calendar bonus covers all of it.