The last half of last year, I commenced a project with micro-Glocks. Assuming the subcompact double-stack Glocks are mini-Glocks, the tiny single-stack guns are "micro-Glocks." There's the Glock 42 .380, a great shooter and very comfortable to shoot, and the Glock 43, which can be a bit of a handful. Knowing that the warmest time of the year is upon us and due to some personal considerations, I thought it was appropriate to revisit the small gun. The Glock 43, a tiny gun chambered for a real service cartridge, has been lightly modified. The single biggest change is the addition of the Streamlight TLR-6. A subcompact gun-mounted tactical light with an integrated red aiming laser, it attached to the trigger guard of the pistol. Most important to me is the 100 lumen white light. I like lasers, particularly on small guns, but the white light on such a small gun is of critical import for target identification – remember, a gun-mounted light is a gun, not a light. Don't let the muzzle cross anything you don't intend to shoot. Putting a light on a gun that's so small is a true asset. Attempts to put a light on service size and compact pistols has led to an issue: the more powerful lights are bigger and, before long, it's like carrying the M1 Garand in place of an M4: lots of weight and length issues. Hard enough to get people to carry concealed without that. Use a compact light and the "not enough lumens crowd" jumps in complaining about the lack of light. Small gun and small light and the debate seems to wane. In addition to the Streamlight unit, the G43 is wrapped in the rubberized Talon Grip material which is great stuff and very helpful on the little cannon. A Vickers Tactical/Tango Down magazine release and slide stop are handy as is the +2 magazine extension from the same vendor. I'd had some concern about the +2 extension – the other Tango Down parts proved themselves some time ago. Light testing showed no trouble with the new spring/floor plate unit but I wanted another test before I was to rely on it. The sights are unchanged. Yes, I know they're plastic and I know the front sight really fills the rear sight window – but it's not my gun. Having the TLR-6 light/laser makes holster selection a bit of a chore. I had a pancake style leather holster and leather magazine pouch from Simply Rugged Holsters. Having that rig together, I made a second trip to a LEOSA annual qualification at my former agency. I added Federal 115 grain FMJ "Aluminum" made for a "big box" vendor to shoot the course. I wore the gun concealed under a shirt, no chore with the Simply Rugged Cuda. I didn't use the aiming laser during the course – I have the TLR-6 set for the light only and the shoot was in daylight. The cluster on target wasn't as tight as I'd have liked but everything worked fine, including the Tango Down +2 extension. While I cleaned the course, my shooting wasn't fast and I still tend left with the little cannon. Shortly thereafter, a package arrived from Comp-Tac Victory Gear. Inside was the MERC inside-the-waist holster plus a Comp-Tac single magazine pouch. I've been a fan of Comp-Tac for some years and looked forward to wearing the little Glock 43 in their very discreet hybrid holster. A leather back with a Kydex pouch, the "Most Economical Reliable Comfort" holster is built to take among the most popular guns when fitted with light/laser or both. There's a tension adjustment screw – which I didn't have to adjust. Good news/bad news: the gun with this holster is absolutely discreet. You want deep concealment, this is it. As to draw speed, well there's not much gun to grab ahold of. With the Vickers/TD magazine extension, it's a little quicker and more positive, but slightly less discreet. The great news is that the Comp-Tac MERC is secure on the belt but can be quickly removed and replaced in those circumstances in which you must remove the rig. I've been wearing the Glock 43 in the MERC for the past week and change. It's light and comfortable – and I have a gun with a light mounted, something that's not an everyday thing for me. For most use, say around the property or for casual concealment – that's not exactly fair, as it too is quite discreet – the Simply Rugged Cuda is great. Comfortable, secure and fast, as well as good-looking if that cover garment is off. For going out amongst them when the clothing is light, the MERC has a slight edge. Either way, you have a powerful, reliable pistol with a light for target discrimination. I'm not sure how you can beat that. -- Rich Grassi