Glock 42 - initial thoughts

[Ttuck]

Here is a chart showing size comparison.

 

[Iceman04503]

You can count on an update wombat!

I love my P238! Love, Love, LOVE it. If the G42 doesn't work out I will certainly be content with my little Sig.

I had a p238 and it was an awesome little gun, kinda spendy, but shot everytime i pulled the trigger. I will be buying a p938 for my fiancee in june. She likes how easy it is for her to rack the slide.

 

[0V3RC10CK3D]

I bought a G42 today.

Put a box of Federal Range and Target through it and it jammed every single round. No failures to feed, all failures to eject.
Tried some Barnes 380 +P and the casing actually got stuck in the chamber after firing.

Seems like maybe the chamber was too tight? +P got stuck completely but I was able to knock them out afterwards. The normal .380 ammo just FTE every round (probably dragging *** on the tight chamber fit).

West Coast Armory North was actually nice enough to return it as I hadn't left the building yet and the store manager was watching me shoot it. Wasn't really the stores problem and they could have had me sent it back to Glock. Good people there that care about their customers.

 

[Shomermaster]

Thanks for sharing your experience OV3RC10CK3D! ..and WOW! West Coast Armory North sounds like they rock. You're lucky to have them in your neck of the woods! I decided to go the Glock warranty route thinking this was now my problem, but I have to wonder what the Northwest Armory would have done. They have been very cool every time I've dealt with them.

Will you try another G42?

 

[0V3RC10CK3D]

Thanks for sharing your experience OV3RC10CK3D! ..and WOW! West Coast Armory North sounds like they rock. You're lucky to have them in your neck of the woods! I decided to go the Glock warranty route thinking this was now my problem, but I have to wonder what the Northwest Armory would have done. They have been very cool every time I've dealt with them.

Will you try another G42?

Nah I'm done. Probably get a Kahr p9

 

[Ilikegunz]

A guy at work was one of the purchasers of nw armory's Thursday shipment. He brought it for show and tell. I liked it. He took it to the range over the weekend and he said it ran perfectly. He sold it today. Said he just wanted to try it. I edc a smith bodyguard .380 and love the pocket pistol size. The glock 42 is a little bigger but still qualifies as a pocket pistol to me. I will probably give it a try once the "new" wears off.

 

[NWGlockgal]

I have seen reviews from people that absolutely love it and say it runs flawlessly.
I've seen others where they have issues with jamming. It's strange that the same
gun can be perfect for some and terrible for others. I wonder if it is an issue with
the ammo used, or the shooter themselves.
I think I'll buy one and try it out. I won't have any problem selling it if I don't like it
or don't feel a need for one.

 

[OEFvet1986]

I think this will be a good handgun for me, I really want one for ccw. Really getting old lugging around the 1911. I carry a glock at work everyday so this would be awesome since im very comfortable with glocks.

 

[Bellehood]

I work at a range where we have a rental G42, that already has several thousand rounds through it, by dozens of shooters.

The overall conclusion is that the recoil spring is decently strong, and that, as a Right handed shooter, if your thumb(s) apply even a bit of pressure against the slide stop, causing it to grind upwards against the slide, it will slow down the slide enough to cause a Failure to eject (and the rare slide locked back even though rounds are left in the mag).

Also, if you apply too much pressure with your thumbs against the slide, using a grip like this, http://www.handgunsmag.com/files/2010/09/hgcombatg_100206d.jpg , but with the thumbs being higher on the slide, instead of the frame, it will also slow down the slide enough to cause a failure to eject.

Lefties (including myself) had no problems with it, unless they ran their thumbs extra high. Righties who did have FTE's. once instructed to keep their thumbs away from the slide stop and not to press against the slide itself with their thumbs, stopped having FTE's.

Some would argue that this means Glock should have used lighter recoil springs, but our gunsmith explained that the springs are designed around being reliable with the hotter self defense loads, not cheap PMC/federal range ammo.

I personally love the gun, and if I were in the market for a .380, would pick it up.

 

[NWGlockgal]

I picked up a G42 today and took it to the range.
Put 100 flawless rounds through it without a single issue.
I like it a lot-no recoil, accurate and FUN to shoot.

 

[orygun]

I have seen reviews from people that absolutely love it and say it runs flawlessly.
I've seen others where they have issues with jamming. It's strange that the same
gun can be perfect for some and terrible for others. I wonder if it is an issue with
the ammo used, or the shooter themselves.
I think I'll buy one and try it out. I won't have any problem selling it if I don't like it
or don't feel a need for one.

Since we seem to have parallel Glock 42 threads I'll address your question in this one, too.
All guns are different, even if the same model made on the same day. Tolerances can vary from gun to gun causing such problems. All machinery is this way. Some are good, some are not.
Ammo could be an issue. I'd be surprised if the shooter would have too much influence, but that is possible, too.

I saw a 42 today. Didn't ask to handle it because I have no desire to own one. (not because it's a Glock, but because I don't want another 380) I have to say that for it's size I would rather have a 9mm, and I'm not a 9mm fan! In fact, my 40 isn't much bigger at all.
But, problems or no, I'm sure Glock won't have any trouble selling these little buggers. And I'm sure if there really is trouble with any of them, Glock won't let you down.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Oh, forgot to mention that I brought my Sig P238 this morning as well. I fed it 5 7-round magazines full of the same variety of ammo.. I noticed two things:

1. Flawless performance, every single round
2. The Sig's recoil spring is MUCH less stiff then the G42's. I'd say it's a least half as stiff.

Stay tuned for further reports!

The Sig is a locked breech. Is the Glock?

 

[Shomermaster]

Ok, bummer news.

Recap: Two weeks ago I called Glock and spoke with a technical rep. I explained the situation and he said he would send out a replacement recoil spring. I haven't received a spring yet.

I called again this morning and spoke with a different rep and was told that since the gun is so new they don't have parts to mail out. He said that he'd send me a mailing label to send the gun back to Georgia.

Ok, I think I'm done too..

Anyone interested in a slightly used Glock 42?

 

[Bellehood]

The Sig is a locked breech. Is the Glock?

Yes it is

 

[erudne]

I'll stick w/my tiny, 11 round, 22LR FPC for 100 Tom

 

[azdeuce]

For me no thanks.. I handled one.. It's a Glock. I'm not a fan
I have a Sig 238 best 380 out there

 

[SVT-ROY]

I rolled the dice, I don't care for Glocks, but this could be a good shooter for the woman. The Nano is to much for her with the 147gr I run, they are almost identical in size literally. I have plenty of different kinds of 380 to test and see if she will run. Here is a cool comparison with a few "smalls"

 

[usagi]

i have a glock 17, an m&p 9, an m&p shield 9, a bodyguard 380.

tonight, tried the rental 42 at west coast.

trigger was suprisingly heavy for a glock. and this rental 42 has obviously had a LOT of rounds through it already, judging by the fouling on it. so the heavy trigger is *after* being considerably broken in.

no malfunctions, accuracy is standard glock. manipulating the slide is relatively easy since it's so large.

overall though, this gun is just a big pile of meh. it feels like glock just didn't try at all, like no effort was put into designing this gun. they just took a 26, made it single stack, and reduced it to 380acp.

so it has less recoil, big deal. i guess if you're afraid you'll chip a nail then this gun will be appealing. so if we are using oversize guns and light recoil as justification for product design, glock should make a giant 9mm too?

yes the tiny bodyguard 380 has more recoil, but it's not unpleasant to shoot, and it is WAY more concealable. the 9mm kel-tec PF9 is not only smaller than the 42, it is LIGHTER than the 42.

as a 9mm, it might have been more compelling. as a 380, it's a complete miss for me.

 

[SVT-ROY]

Agreed, the trigger seems heavy,my guess is 6.5lb. I'll test that in a min if my gauge is not hiding. The Nano trig is so much cleaner, but heavier and longer. I compare the 2 because they both use the striker fire action and are almost identical measurement wise. But this Glock is like a Honda, great for the girls.

*Edit Measures between 6.5-6.75lb, uncanny.

 

[biggie24420]

I'm a Glock fan but I'm sorry, Glock dropped the ball with this pistol IMO. I would never carry one as my main carry, so it would be a backup, and for that, I'd rather have a bodyguard by S&W... heck maybe even a shield in 9mm.... again my opinion.