Glock 48 MOS Review: What’s the Goldilocks Glock?

Glock’s middle children are the Glock 48 MOS and its iron-sighted version. They are not big enough to be used as duty guns but big enough that they can be shot well. The Glock 48 MOS is slim for concealment and light but has just the right amount. We’ll be looking at the Glock 48 MOS specifications. The Glock 48 was first announced at SHOT Show 2019. The Glock 48 MOS was described as a compact pistol with a similar length barrel to the Glock 19. It also features a 10-round magazine that makes it legal in ban states (except California) as well as Canada. In April 2020, the Glock 48 MOS (Modular Optic Systems) and 43X MOS were announced. Glock doesn’t publish MSRP but $485 to $490 is the average price you can expect to pay in-store. Glock doesn’t know that I exist, so I paid my own money to buy my Glock 48 MOS. The controls are right-hand only, and have a single-side slide-stop and magazine release. The controls are right-hand-only and have a single-side slide stop and magazine release. The Glock 48MOS has a railed frame that can be used to attach a subcompact weapon lighter, forward cocking serrations, and an optics-ready slide. The Glock 48 MOS is approximately the same size as Glock 19. It has a smaller accessory rail, a smaller magazine capacity, and a thinner frame. This is a good thing, as skilled shooters will experience virtually no difference between the Glock 19 and its full-sized Glock 17 counterpart. This contributes to the Glock 19’s reputation for being the best handgun. The Glock 19 and Glock 48 share many commonalities, which makes it a good choice for most people. The pistol’s thick grip can make it difficult for small hands to use. It can also make concealment more difficult under light clothing. This is where the Glock 48 shines. Its slim profile makes it easier to conceal and grip, while its otherwise G19-esque dimensions make it more shootable than any subcompact models. While some people with larger hands or bodies will still prefer the full grip of a Glock 19 and the greater capacity, most people who are average to smaller will appreciate the Glock 48’s concealed carry capabilities. This is especially true with the increase in popularity of concealed carry and the fact more women are carrying concealed weapons than ever. Image by HandgunHero. What Optic is the Glock 48 MOS cut for? The Glock 48 MOS (and 43X MOS) are designed for the Shield RMSc footprint. This is one of the most popular footprint patterns. Popular manufacturers offer a variety of red dots that can be used with this pattern at a range of prices. This pattern is not universal so it is important to choose the right optic for your MOS Glock. You should be careful to check the length of the mounting bolts included with your optic. They may cause problems with Glock’s MOS slide. I will be discussing this later. For my Glock 48 MOS, a Sig Sauer Romeo Zero was purchased, the 3-MOA version of FDE. I don’t have any affinity for FDE models, but it was on sale. Glock 48 MOS Review Trials and TribulationsTo test the pistol, I took the gun to the BLM land where I usually shoot. Being outdoors with fresh air and no range fees is better than shooting indoors. I brought some 115-grain Herter’s, Blazer, 124 grain Blazer, Federal FMJ, Federal 124 grain HST to test the pistol. Zeroing the optic took far more ammunition than I expected. The Romeo Zero doesn’t have click adjustments so you need to make sure you don’t go too far each incremental turn. Once the optic was zeroed, it was time to shoot groups to test the Glock 48’s mechanical accuracy. The gun began to have serious cycling problems around this time. After experiencing failures to feed and eject, as well as go into battery, I realized that the optic mounting bolt might have been interfering with my extractor rod. It ran flawlessly after I removed the optic and tested-firing it without it. I must say that I have never heard of anyone having problems mounting a Romeo Zero to Glock 48 or 43X MOS. This was despite researching it extensively before buying. I’ve heard of problems with the Springfield Hellcat, but nothing about the Glock Slimline guns. Sig Sauer has a Hellcat/Glock mounting set that includes a protective steel shroud as well as the correct length mounting bolts. I decided to visit my local Sig Sauer optics dealer and see if they had the right ones. SharpShooting Indoor Range And Gunshop had the right bolts available (you need the 6mm length, Sig’s M4 bolts have too long). They also reinstalled my optic for me at no cost. The review was now on track. I purchased more ammo and rented another lane to re-zero the pistol and test it out. To get a feel for how the gun should be held, I dumped a full magazine’s worth doubles and triples. Then I set it up for more serious work. The Glock 48 MOS was designed to be concealed carry. I decided to run it through the Rangemaster Baseline Assessment Drill. This is a simple 20-round course at 5, 7, and 10 yards. It is a good standard for conceal carry skills and provides plenty of feedback without using too much ammo. It is shot on a B8 Repair Center target or an FBI-IP-1 bullseye target. There are 200 possible points. Misses are shots that are too long or outside the 8-ring. After much difficulty getting the pistol ready for testing, the shooting gods finally allowed me to score 178. That’s a pretty good score (89 percent), and I’ll take it any day. I managed to get the par times down to two. I only missed one shot on the 10-yard string, and one shot off target during the weak-handed string. Although I didn’t get to do as much evaluative photography as I would like, I did get enough to take away some valuable lessons. Glock 48 MOS ImpressionsThe Glock 48MOS is far more powerful than its small frame and light weight would suggest, but you have to do your part. It’s easy to control with a tight grip and a good height. The dot will barely leave the window (probably 0.75 inches above its top), but it returns quickly. Splits of 0.5 seconds are possible, and a skilled shooter may be able to get as low as 0.3 seconds. The Glock 48 is a good personal protection pistol. It can be shot quickly and efficiently, and even as fast as 0.3 seconds for a skilled shooter. Although legal for IDPA/USPSA and IPSC/USPSA you will be in the same division with Glock 19-sized pistols as well as 1911s, which puts it in a disadvantage. The Glock trigger is…the Glocktriggering. It works, but it has room for improvement. Although the controls are easy to use, I find that Glocks don’t always lock back on empty due my thumb position. It ran 115-,124-, and147-grain round nose, flattop, and JHP ammo with no issues. It’s not surprising. The 147-grain holster had a sweet spot in terms of recoil. It gave me a smoother impulse and a more consistent feel. I will most likely be switching to a 147 grain carry load. I also bought a Dark Star Gear Apollo IWB Holster. It conceals well, can be carried comfortably, and works flawlessly after some customizations (I added a Modwing, and a lot of foam) for appendix carrying. The Dark Star Gear Apollo IWB G48 Holster. I would recommend the Langdon Tactical Striker Controller Device, an extended mag release, and Kagwerks extended slides release to anyone. My opinion on weapon lighting is that if the gun cannot mount a TLR-1 (or other quality weapon light of comparable size and output), then it is not worth playing with. A compact light will increase the gun’s bulk and reduce holster options. You may be wondering what about Shield Arms magazines. Their potential to increase Glock 48’s capacity by 15+1 is very appealing. But reliability in the real world is a mixed bag. Some shooters and instructors have had amazing results, some even with very high reputations. Others, including other highly regarded instructors and shooters, have not had the same success. This means that Shield Arms mags are a joke. OEM magazines that cost $20 online and can run 10 rounds reliably with 10 rounds are better than $40+ magazines that have 15 rounds. What about the G48’s direct competitions like the Sig P365XL and Hellcat Pro These magazines have greater capacities, but they are more difficult to find and more costly. Although these pistols have a lot of aftermarket support, it is not as extensive as for Glocks. The original Austrian plastic fantastic is the best choice for carrying the Glock 48 MOS. You won’t be disappointed if you stick to it. It’s easy to carry and shoot, and has impressive performance. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be downloaded in MOA. This is a great option for long-range shooting. 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