Glock is a trusted standard of measure in the handgun world. Although they are not always the first to bring an innovation to the market, when they roll their own version out, the market listens. Glock arrived late to the single-stack concealed carry handgun market when it debuted the Glock 42 in 2014. But they have since followed it up with even more appealing options, including the Glock 43, the 43X, and, in 2019, the Glock 48.
The Glock 48 is as trim as the Glock 43, but it features a longer slide and grip more akin to the famous Glock 19 duty pistol, without the heft. A few years ago, the 48 was updated to serve the needs of those who want to shoot with an optic. This review concerns that pistol, the Glock 48 MOS.
Glock 48 MOS: The Quirks and Features
The Glock 48 MOS is simply the optic-ready version of the standard long-grip single-stack Glock 48 pistol. Chambered in 9mm Luger, the G48 MOS ships with a pair of 10-round factory magazines.
The pistol is polymer framed and features a tenifer-treated stainless steel slide with forward and rearward vertical cocking serrations as seen on Gen. 5 Glock handguns. The barrel measures in at 4.2 inches and is the same as those used on the double-stack Glock 19.
Unlike that handgun and most other Glock pistols, the G48 and G48 MOS have a rounded and slimmed dustcover that houses the dual recoil spring. This sets back the universal light rail against the front of the squared trigger guard.
The Glock 48 MOS has an enlarged and reversible magazine release button as seen on other Gen. 5 Glock handguns, but the ambidextrous slide release seen on those models is not carried over here. As with all Glock handguns, the G48 MOS comes with Glock’s safe-action trigger with a trigger shoe safety.
The Glock 48 MOS wears the same fixed white dot front sight and white-outlined rear sight as other Glock handguns, but the MOS denotes an optics-ready configuration. The G48 MOS comes from the factory with a polymer cover plate that is removable and replaced with a directly mounted Shield RMS/RMSc red or green dot optic.
Glock 48 MOS Quick Specs:
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Capacity: 10+1
- Barrel Length: 4.2 inches
- Overall Length: 6.9 inches
- Height: 5.0 inches
- Width: 0.9 inch
- Weight: 1 lb. 8.4 oz. (loaded)
First Impressions
The Glock Slimline series of handguns is a tough spot in the handgun market. Single-stack 9mm handguns were all the rage for a time, but the creation of micro-compacts like the Sig P365 and Springfield Hellcat upped the capacity while giving us a handgun whose footprint is not much bigger than single-stack handguns. Slimlines like the Glock 48 are also invariably judged against their older double-stack counterparts.
In the hand, the Glock 48 MOS has a much easier reach to the trigger than the good ol’ Glock 19, thanks to its trimmer grip width. Against the micro compact, the 48 MOS has optics compatibility that many new shooters want and a similar magazine capacity out of the box. But the longer grip needed to get those 10 rounds makes for a full firing grip that can be lacking with other small handguns.
The Glock 43 X is a good solution for those who want a single-stack pistol with the same grip as the 48, but prefer a shorter barrel for IWB carry. On the other hand, the 48 shares the same barrel as the G19 and should cut down on blast and recoil a bit more. The Glock 48 MOS appears to be a real Goldilocks option for concealed carry. But how do those assumptions play out on the firing line?
On the Range and in the Holster
When I get my greedy mitts on a new handgun, I give it a careful cleaning and lubrication job. Then I proceed to shoot 300 rounds of ammunition through the pistol to check function. That includes both target and defensive hollow-point ammunition.
Wherever possible, I like to test the pistol for carriability in a suitable holster as well. An optic-ready handgun also deserves some glass for the effort.
I outfitted the pistol with my standby test optic, a Viridian RFX 15 3 MOA red dot. It is a Shield RMS footprint optic that fits directly to the G48’s slide with no need for an adapter plate.
For carry, I enlisted Safariland’s new Gravity OWB paddle holster for the effort.
First Impressions
Although it is marginally slimmer than the dimensionally similar Glock 19, the G48 MOS feels trimmer than it really is. The trigger is an easy reach, which is typical for smaller and pocket-sized pistols. But I felt immediately in command, as I got a full firing grip.
The G48’s longer barrel and slide give the pistol a surprisingly pointable and balanced feel, where a comparable G19 favors rear-heavy, and the front sight would stand just proud of the rear sight. With the G48, the sights line up more naturally.
Since the sights are ample for a co-witness with a dot optic, finding the front sight also put my Viridian 3 MOA green dot where I wanted it. A quick adjustment to its brightness settings, and I was off to put rounds downrange.
Accuracy
I began my acquaintance with the G48 MOS by checking the zero on my dot and firing a series of 10-shot groups at ten yards with different types of ammunition to check accuracy, function, and to get some muscle memory with the trigger. The ammunition used included:
- Magtech 115 grain FMJ
- Magtech 124 grain FMJ steel-case
- Winchester White Box 115 grain JHP
- Hornady Critical Duty 135 grain +P FTX
- Federal HST 147 grain HP subsonic
All ammunition hit to the same point of aim. Recoil and follow-up shots certainly differed, but my best accuracy was achieved with the standard pressure Magtech and Winchester 115 grain loads. I could get a cluster of 10 into a three-inch group at that distance.
The subsonic HST load came in at 3.2 inches, while the other loads came in between 3.4 and 4 inches. All perfectly acceptable in terms of accuracy. But getting those groups took some trying.
Shootability
There is an old saying that goes along the lines of, “Only a bad workman blames his tools.” While that is certainly the case in construction, the distinct features of any firearm make it uniquely challenging or easy to shoot. Then again, adding triggers and lasers will not turn a marginal shooter into a great one.
The Glock 48 is a good shooter for a pistol of its size, but you might find yourself struggling with it if you are used to one of its bigger brothers. While softer shooting than the microcompacts on the market and its smaller sister, the Glock 43, recoil and muzzle flip are more pronounced with the 48 over the Glock 19. But I only noticed as I also had a Glock 19 Gen. 5 in hand throughout my evaluation.
I timed my accuracy test on the clock between both pistols. With the standard pressure ammunition and subsonics, I could get through 10 rounds with the G19 a full second faster than the G48. The +P Hornady Critical Duty rounds produced a little more muzzle flip, and the time it took to find my dot again had me down by two seconds.
I found the G48 to be marginally slower to shoot than the G19, but that is not to say it is unpleasant enough to shoot to slow me down. It definitely was not. I got through the first 100 rounds on my first range trip with no discomfort at all. It is a good shooter and a fun one at that. But with less weight and a thinner grip, that recoil energy has to go somewhere.
Eurgonomics
The generic catch-all term ‘ergonomics’ is forever linked to shootability. Does the placement and function of the controls enhance or detract from operating the pistol efficiently? For me, no. For you, perhaps.
Glock is often criticized for its grip angle. Some shooters do not like it. I did not notice it, but in my subjective view, the slimmer grip will help in the overall feel over a double-stack model.
The Glock trigger is meant for safety first, hence the name Safe Action System. Pulling the trigger finishes cocking the striker and lets it go. This, combined with the trigger safety, gives the G48 trigger a mechanically spongy trigger, but one that is easy to read for the trigger break and reset.
It breaks right at 6 lbs. 2 oz. on my Lyman trigger scale. I like a lighter trigger, but I like the idea of carrying a pistol without a manual safety, so the benefit of the trigger far outweighs the marginal accuracy loss.
Glock 48 MOS: An Efficient Carry Option
I put 300 rounds through the Glock 48 MOS with zero failures to fire or feed. The only issue to be had is that the pad of my index finger started to get sore from the trigger safety after shooting through two boxes of 50 rounds. Nothing quite like Glock trigger.
But on its own merits, the G48 MOS is a newer and somewhat overlooked shooting and carry option. It is not as small and easy to carry as something like the Glock 42 or 43, nor does it have the coattails of the famous Glock 17 and 19. But the G48 and G48 MOS pistols are efficiently sized for comfortable carry while still being shootable.
If you struggle with trigger reach or are looking for more real estate in a handgun without adding more bulk, get familiar with the Glock 48.
