With the warmer weather, I find I'm pocket carrying my G42 more and more. I took it out to the range this morning just to refresh myself with it. It functioned flawlessly with practice and defense ammo. There is no way this little gun should be this accurate. At 25 feet, I was shooting 1 ragged hole out of the center of the target. At 40 feet things opened up a bit, but I really think the 25 foot range is more applicable. I may have to carry this more during the winter!

.380

I have a 42 also, LOVE to shoot the gun - my second favorite Glock, after the 19.

The only thing I don't like about it is that it is a .380. (And before anyone mentions it, yes I have a 43 - its not the same, love to carry the 43, but only like to shoot it in small doses, 50 rounds or so at a time.)

I've had three 42s total (two of them now belong to friends who really wanted them). All three 42s have been reliable, with no problems.

Beat a pocket knife, though.

I have a G42 and also think is a great handgun, very soft shooter so that means rounds on target is what matters and not the caliber.

Love my 42's as well. One I shoot in competition actually and it is like a laser. No issues with the ones I have, though two of them are current and one has had a couple upgrades to make it current.

I agree completely! The best shooting pocket pistol bar none. I have both the 42 and the 43 and find myself carrying the 42 in a pocket on a daily basis. The 43 is just slightly too big for pocket carry (for me personally). The times I want more than a .380 I've been carrying my 26 in an IWB holster. My 43 isn't seeing much use, even in the summer. It might be getting sold.

I have a 43 but keep hearing how the 42 is a soft shooter I think maybe I should just find out for myself.

quote:

I have a 43 but keep hearing how the 42 is a soft shooter I think maybe I should just find out for myself.

Yeah it is. Not as soft as Sig 238 but close. I think they have gotten the kinks out by now. Mine went back twice, no problems now.

I've got 250 of various loads through my 42 that I got last month.

No failures of any sort except for failures to lock on the last round, but I can assuredly attribute that to thumb on the slide release.

All said now I've shot 4 different examples of the G42 for a total of 650 rounds, IIRC, and had no failures except slide lock on last round.

It's a very soft shooter, even with JHP (except for Fed HST, which is a devil!), and extremely accurate for how small it is. Trigger is noticeably heavier than any other Glock, but it did smooth out over use.

Gun conceals very nicely in a Raven Concealment Morrigan.

Will be increasing capacity on the magazines and adding night sights and maybe some new internals to it in the coming months.

The G42 and G43 are very similar in design, but the size, weight, and shooting characteristics are drastically different. Im not a recoil sensitive shooter, but 380's have always been "snappy", or barrel flip inducing to me. I attribute that to there typical small framed firearms. With that said, Glock got it right. The G42 isn't the smallest 380, but that slightly larger size makes it so easy to hold and have absolute control over. The G42 replaced my stainless P232... sadly, I haven't regretted the swap.

I wonder why it took so long for 380s to be made without fixed barrels. The Sig 238 was the first I remember shooting without a fixed barrel. The difference in recoil was dramatic! The G42 has replaced my 238 for pocket carry. SAO in a pocket doesn't seem preferable.

I found similar results in a borrowed G42 and was surprised by its accuracy. So much so that I parted was with the G43 and acquired a G42. Another surprise because ballistically, I was never a fan of the .380 caliber.

Absolutely love my G42. It is my most frequently carried pistol at the moment, IWB in an Ozarks Solo holster (also an excellent holster and higly recoomeded, thanks Dustin!). Incredibly accurate and easy to handle and shoot. Don't care that it is "only" a .380 when I can quickly, easily, and repeatedly cut a ragged hole to a tight group in the target at any reasonable self defense distance. Typically carried loaded with Gold Dots but shoots equally well with Hornady Critical Defense. The good barrel length gets most of the potency out of the .380 too. Added a Glock front night sight and it is the perfect combination with the standard Glock rear for me.

I was talking to a guy over the weekend who didn't see why anyone would want the 42 when the 43 was only a "pinch" bigger. I told him to try both in his jeans pocket for a day and he's see the value of the 42.

If only LWD would get those blasted 9x18 Alpha barrels back in stock...

It's the only way I'd get a G42. Yes it's smaller than the G43 and much easier to pocket carry as a result, but .380 isn't anywhere close to my regular and preferred carry caliber (40S&W), nor would I be very pleased if I were to get one of those balky G42s that requires suffering through 200-250 rounds of occasional .380 stovepipes and sundry stoppages in order to break the damn gun in (break-in period for a Glock...pure blasphemy). And besides, my 238 does that pocket carry mission quite well, even with the dastardly lint threat.

Want to turn your G42 into a howitzer?
Underwood 90 Gr +P at 1200 FPS!
If I return to the .380, (Beretta 80 series or P232) I will use the non +P Underwood ammo.

Yooopersigs, you are correct.I use the underwood +P in the 90GR. Great round for this
pistol. Don't feel undergunned at all with this load

.380 is fine...it's still making 9mm size holes in the bad guys!

Liberty ammunition. 50 grn at 1500 fps. No recoil. Gotta sting a little on the receiving end.