Which Ramjet will fit my N43 Norsso slide?

TL:DR if you have any of our N43 reptile variant slides, excluding the new Reptile XP, you can use either version, G43 or G43X, from Radian. If you have a Gripper, Submarine, or our new Reptile XP design, then you’ll need to get the G43 one, not the G43X, version to work with that slide. If you want to keep all your slide options open, grab the G43 version since it will work with all of our slide models. We plan to manufacture all future G43 slides with the bullnose to match the factory G43X once developed.

N43 slides can be found here: https://norsso.com/slides/glock-slides/g43-g43x/

Hi all,

Lee here from Norsso. We’ve gotten a lot of requests regarding compatibility with the new Radian Ramjet + Afterburner combo for the Glock 43 and 43X to see which is compatible with our slides. I just got both versions in the shop today to get that question answered for you. The answer: it depends on which slide and design you have and when it was made. We’ve made a lot of running updates in our journey of slidecrafting and those design decisions were not limited to cutting a factory blank. We have some more profound design features around the muzzle that add detail from the rounded nose of the factory slides. This now is interfering with the rounded geometry that new compensators are designing to mate with. This blog will be a guide on which Ramjet + Afterburner version to choose based on your N43 slide from us. Keep reading to find out more about the difference between the two versions and how to determine your slide’s compatibility based on some key design features.

What is the Radian Afterburner + Ramjet combo and why are there separate versions for the Glock 43 and 43X?

The barrel and compensator (comp) combo from Radian Weapons is a threadless compensator set that utilizes a taper pin to lock the comp in place on the barrel. Threads are not machined onto the end of the barrel but rather a windowed section of the barrel to attach the comp to. The set is designed to work on factory Glock 43 or 43X pistols, which have different muzzle geometry between the two. There are other differences between the two models but for the scope of this blog, we’ll focus on the ones that integrate with the comp. The Glock 43X’s muzzle profile was updated with a bullnose feature to aid holstering. Below are pictures of the Glock 43X and Glock 43 muzzle profiles.

The comp’s design passes the front plane of the slide. Historically, compensators would not breach this front plane, sometimes requiring spacers and creating a disjointed look. Nowadays, firearm customizers are favoring what I would call an “integrated system” look, having parts mate up not only functionally but cosmetically. The 43X comp will have the sides and top make up this form difference with longer side tabs. The G43 will not accommodate those so it requires a dedicated design to avoid interference.

How do they fit on Norsso N43 slides?

It depends on which design you have and when you got it. Throughout our slidecrafting journey, we’ve made a handful of slide designs for the Glock 43. Those have been carried over for use with the Glock 43X upon its release as the slide functionally meets all the 43X’s functional design requirements, minus the bullnose front. Muzzle wrapping comps did not come out until recently, with the G45 and other Generation 5 Glock models adding the bullnose feature to the list. We had this same predicament with our Glock 19 Gen 5 slides and now make those slides with the rounded front.  

Which Ramjet version works on my N43 [insert slide name here] slide?

Below is a diagram showing the fit per model. The reptile slides, except the Reptile XP, will work with either version of the Ramjet comp. The Gripper, Submarine, and Reptile XP, are only compatible with the G43 version. None of the slides are exclusively compatible with the G43X version. If you’re still deciding on which slide to run, you might want to get the G43 version to keep all your slide options open and compatible.

Closing thoughts

We’ve had the same complication with our Glock 19 and Glock 17 Gen 5 slides and have made the update to integrate the bullnose into the slides. It washes out a lot of that cool slide detail you can obtain by milling your own slides, but we can trade detail for more functional options for your build. We will most likely do the same thing for the Glock 43/43X slides we offer just to keep things compatible. Our current inventory will be subject to that compatibility chart, but eventually we’ll have all our stocked Glock 43/43X slides with that bullnose feature. With the release of Glock 48 slides imminent, that slide will have the factory bullnose to accommodate these new style comps. As always, thanks for your time and let us know if you have any questions on compatibility. Whether you have one of our slides already or if you’re looking for new options, we’re here to provide additional support.

Check out our N43 compatible catalog here: https://norsso.com/slides/glock-slides/g43-g43x/

Thanks,

Lee