NO LOVE FOR THE GLOCK 42?

[moaat100yards]

I carried the S&W Chief 38, mostly the Airweight, for nearly 40 years, and kept on into happy retirement. It ws the 37 and 37 for years, then the 642 and 638 (still have one). Then I discovered that my wife's Ruger LCR had a better trigger and was just as reliable and weatherproof  (it rains and sweats a lot during the Florida summers). I even bought a 3" LCR with adjustable sights.

 

Then I was diagnosed with throat cancer. Radiation and Chemo left me feeling miserable, with a number of side effects, so just to make me feel better, as a treat, I bought a Glock 43. Wow! I loved it. Carried it Appendix style with a Mic trigger guard "holster."

 

Sweat wore off the black finish (did I mention Floirda's summertime weather?), so I had it cerakoted. It always worked. Great for concealment, light-what more could one ask?

 

But age slapped me one day, when I was shooting the snubbies and the 43. My shooting hand hurt. Not a little, but a lot. I'd noticed it before, but this time the pain was an eye opener. Medical issues kept me away from ibuprofen and the pain kept me awake.

 

My VA Ortho guy checked me out. Bad arthritis and the tendon at the base of the thumb needs to be fixed. He plans to run it thru my thumb (I'm thinking "Ouch!"). That's in the future, probably early Fall.

 

In the mean time, I bought a 42 with HD night sights (always put them on my Glocks ever since I first heard of them and saw them). Almost no recoil. I can shoot a couple of hundred rounds with no ill effects. And I don't feel too under protected with Critical Defense ammo. 

 

The 42 is even easier to hide than the 42-Clipdraw over shorts top and drop the T-shirt over that. A great self defense gun, IMO, anyway.

 

Yet in the favorite Glock thread, the 43 was mentioned just once and the 42-not at all. The 19 seemed to take first place, and yes, I have one, but for concealment, the little single stacks are the cat's meow, at least to me.

 

Is there something I've missed about those little dickens?

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by moaat100yards
spelling error

[Geezer]

For a .380 there are smaller and easier to conceal options out there.  I've had the KelTec P3AT and Ruger LCP and currently have a Ruger LCP II.  That said, if I could find a used G42 at a good price, I'd try one.

[KMELA]

I love my G42. The 42 is slightly larger than my Sig P238 but perceptibly smaller than my 43. I can carry the 42 in my front pocket but I cannot pocket carry the 43. If I move to Baghdad I would probably upgrade to a G30SF but for running out to Target I think the G42 loaded with 6+1 rounds of the Underwood +P 90 Grain XTP JHP is plenty of firepower. I suppose if I went somewhere really dangerous, like Costco, I would carry an extra magazine with the MagGuts +1 insert.

[Collim1]

I have a friend that carries one as a backup at work. It certainly functions reliably and is no problem to qualify with at 15 yards.

That being said I just don’t prefer it. I’m not a huge fan of .380, and the 42 despite being slim doesn’t feel as good in a pocket as my 442.

The 42 got ALOT of attention on the gun forums when it first came out. The 43 just stole its thunder a short time later.

[AZ Husker]

Originally several issues plagued the 42...bad triggers, magazines, etc. By the time they got them fixed the 43 was out and nobody wanted the .380 anymore.

[Valmet]

I have one of the early ones and luckily I’ve never had any problems. I enjoy shooting it but it doesn’t get carried and is mostly a range gun. 

[KMELA]

6 hours ago, AZ Husker said:

Originally several issues plagued the 42...bad triggers, magazines, etc. By the time they got them fixed the 43 was out and nobody wanted the .380 anymore.

I think Glock brought the 42 to market before the 43 because their goal was to capture the fastest growing segment of firearm purchasers, women. It seems women are not well represented on firearm forums and that may account for the seeming diminished interest in the 42. But it appears women are an important segment of the gun buying market, look at the number of holster handbags at the Glock Store (https://www.glockstore.com/concealment/purses) and Galco (https://www.galcogunleather.com/handbags-for-concealed-carry_8_149.html).

For those who are not fans of the .380 ACP cartridge, would you have trouble recommending a .380 to a female first time gun buyer? I would not, and the first pistol I would recommend they try is the light, concealable, and easy to shoot 42.

And yeah, I had a lot of problems with my 42 until Glock retrofitted my gun with updated parts. Now it is every bit as reliable as my 19, 34, and 43.

Edited July 1, 2018 by KMELA

[G26S239]

I like mine but for shooting I like the P238 better and for carry I like the LCP better. As for favorite Glock you missed nothing you just happen to be the only one preferring the 42. My favorite Glock is the 26 as that is the only one, for me not speaking for anyone else, that I cannot readily replace with something else. 

[BMyers]

My daughter and wife each have the 42. It gets carried because of the size and dependent on the outfit that needs to be concealed with. 

The favorite Glock is the G19, but that doesn't mean that others don't get some loving too. 

[Felixd]

Moaat, I concur about the 42. I’ve carried a gun for the last 46 years. I started with a Detective Special, moved to a Chief Special, and then onto a Smith 3914. In retirement my needs changed a lot. I tried the Kel-Tec and Ruger .380s. Very nice, compact pistols. Then I discovered the 42. It is the right compromise for me. Small, light, easy to use, fits my hand, decent caliber, light recoil, reliable, and accurate. I added one round extended baseplates to the magazines and Big Dot sights. I consider the argument about caliber moot at this point. We’ve had decades of conversation about it and you either accept it or not. My only advice, if one goes with a 42, is to ensure you have 03 generation magazines or above. It appears that prior generation magazines had intermittent problems feeding certain HP ammunition. This was the case with mine. 

[robhic]

8 hours ago, G26S239 said:

I like mine but for shooting I like the P238 better and for carry I like the LCP better.

Not to hi-jack but don't you find the LCP to be tough to shoot? I have one for size reasons as you can fit it in your palm. But that little gun is "snappy" to say the least and I really don't like shooting it. For emergency I'd have no problem withstanding the abuse, but for fun...?

[Eric2340]

I carried a j-frame Centennial of one form or another for a long time. Never could get used to the idea of five rounds much less how much slower harder it was to reload no matter what I tried / did compared to how fast I could drop a mag and slam a spare into a small .380. That sealed it for me on the .380 vs J-frame debate, vs the fact that it also easily allowed me to carry more ammo (five .38 rounds + two speed loaders = 15 rounds total vs 6+1 and two seven round mags in a G42 = 21 rounds). It was not so much the total capacity as it was the speed of reloading them, but I'll take the extra six round difference if I can get it too.

I've never been a fan of smaller, snappier handguns that are harder to hold on to due to less gun being there to grip under somewhat kind of recoil. I dumped a G27 years ago for a G26 that I still shoot like a dream to this day. I somewhat even struggle even with the G30 compared to the larger G21 to a certain degree, so the G43 was never even an option for me, not to mention I could already shoot the slightly thicker G26 very well and it accepts larger Glock 9mm hi-caps too.

 

I've been VERY pleased with my little G42, shoots like a dream, just large enough I can shoot it easily with one hand, carry it all day long comfortably (even better than I could and Airweight J-frame) and it's 10x the gun my old Kel-Tec P3AT .380 was also. It was never really a contest for me and the little G42.

 

Target is a 8.5x11 sheet of copy paper, rapid fired as fast as I could and still keep it under some kind of focused control, at 15'-0"  - parking lot confrontation distance.

 

PS - the Hogue slip on grip (that also fits the G43 BTW hint, hint 43 shooters) made a big difference for my larger paws also.

[TeaDub]

OP, you make some pretty valid points. Old age and medical issues are important considerations. I'm not quite there yet, but getting closer. The G42 seems to check off a lot of boxes. Small, thin and light. The slide is pretty easy to work with reduced grip strength. Likewise soft recoil with good accuracy.

 

I don't own a 42.....yet. I can see picking one up at some point. I love my J-frames, 43 and my LCP for now. A 42 wouldn't take up much room in the safe, however. 

[EddyStone]

For the Glock fans, I recently received an Email from Wolf Distributors announcing a 9x18 Makarov replacement barrel for your G42.  In the meantime take a look at the Sig P938 in 9mm.  Easier to pocket carry and a sweet 1911 style 9mm.  I forget that it's there.

[G26S239]

5 hours ago, robhic said:

Not to hi-jack but don't you find the LCP to be tough to shoot? I have one for size reasons as you can fit it in your palm. But that little gun is "snappy" to say the least and I really don't like shooting it. For emergency I'd have no problem withstanding the abuse, but for fun...?

Well it does definitely have more felt recoil than the other two. When I was initially wringing it out for reliability I put about 70 rounds through it on about three different range sessions and that did beat up my hand a bit so I dropped to 50 rounds a session after that till I had 500+ rounds w/no problems. Since then I only put one to two mags through it every once in a while. Its brother LC9 was quite uncomfortable for me to shoot, more so than the LCP, so I got rid of it and kept the Beretta Nano. Anyway I do like it for carry but not for shooting. I like the 42 and P238 both better for shooting. Either of those are good for 200+ rounds a session easy.

[nmgunshooter]

I got one when they first came out. Needless to say with all the problems I had with it I got rid of it. Now i,m thinking of a 380 and maybe another G42 could get the nod.

[MikeG36]

I have an LCP that I carry in a wallet holster. It's my BUG and it's always with me. If I could conceal the 42 as well as my LCP I might be more interested. Love my G43 though!

[Citra47]

I used to carry a KelTec P3AT a lot - not a bad gun once it was broken in but I never really liked the trigger shape. I ended up getting a Beretta Pico and G42 within a two week period and like both. The Beretta is my always carry, don't notice it in my pocket last resort gun. The G42 is larger and more accurate at longer range and good for pest shooting on the farm. They are both great handguns, both work without fail, and both have fired somewhere around a thousand rounds without a problem. 

[HGxyz]

If you need a gun with light recoil, the G42 is hard to beat.  It's not the smallest .380, and maybe a little large for pocket carry, but with a Remora at the appendix it's hides extremely well.

[GSX42]

Lots of love for the 42, I own two. It’s definitely one of my favorites to take to the range.

[Colin1230]

I am very fond of the Glock 42.  I had purchased one of the early 42's and had zero problems with it.  I put more than two thousand rounds through that gun.  I did't carry it at the time, it was just a really fun range gun and I could shoot it so much better than my LCP.  Like a dumb-ass, I sold it to my son-in-law to help fund another gun acquisition.  I didn't realize just how much I liked it and missed it.  Well, I have that corrected now and have been carrying it in the front pocket in a DeSantis Nemesis holster.  I won't let this one get away.

[Rangerhgm]

I had a Ruger LCP and hated shooting it.....Traded it and bought a 42 and love shootiing it.

[Junction]

I also carry my LCP In a nemesis superfly front left pocket with G27 iwb at 3:30.  Need to get my AA # G42 back to the mothership for upgrades.  After I bought it I sprung for two "02" mags thinking that would fix my feeding problems, now there up to "03".  DOH.    When it worked it was very enjoyable to shoot.  Kids and friends all loved that soft shooting accurate Glock.   I look forward to getting it were I trust it for carry.  I just checked my trigger pull and it is just over 7 lb's.  Hopefully they "glock" will foot the shipping even though I've had it a few years.

[hoppyjr]

Just as 9mm ammo has improved over the last 30 years, so has the .380. I carried a PPK off-duty for years and a J-frame as a backup on the job. I always felt the .38 was better suited to self defense, but with modern .380 ammo + the ease of reloading, I think it’s viable as a daily carry gun.

The plan is to pick up a 42, function test it, and outfit my dad. He currently carries a 43, but as age sets in (he’s creeping up on 80) I can see the value of the 42 as his EDC. That the 42 is a bit smaller, lighter, and slimmer will make it that much easier for him to carry.

I just today compared the 42 & 43 and I was impressed.

OP: sorry to hear of your medical issues. I hope you fully recover and enjoy many years shooting that 42.

[KMELA]

On 7/7/2018 at 6:54 PM, Junction said:

...I just checked my trigger pull and it is just over 7 lb's.  Hopefully they "glock" will foot the shipping even though I've had it a few years.

 

Glock Customer Service can tell by your serial number if Glock will pay for shipping. My G42 is of the 2014 vintage and warranted free shipping both ways. I do not know if they will automatically change your connector to the newer #33564 5.5 lb connector. You might want to inquire about the connector. For sure they will replace your 02 magazines with 03 magazines.