G42, yeah or nay, but only if you say why

JERRYS. · March 26, 2019, 09:45 PM

I have a G42, no problems with the gun but sent it in a year or so ago for whatever the upgrades were. I have some pierce +1 mag bases on it.... the only problem I ever had with it was my thumb [right hand shooting] preventing the slide stop from doing its job on occasion. this is clearly a grip issue unique to my hand as I like the high thumb hold.

that being said, I occasionally see videos on youtube (no new videos by the way) about their G42 being unreliable with feeding or extraction/ejection issues. those tend to be limp wristing signals in my experience but the videos don't really identify the cause of the issues.

what is your take on this gun? is it another G36 reincarnate?

precision_shooter · March 26, 2019, 09:53 PM

I had a G42 and it was great, never a problem.
The G43 is just as good.

I would agree that Limp wristing would seem to be the main cause of any failures to feed/extract.

I got rid of my G42 once TX made open carry legal. I don’t open carry, but I also don’t have to “make a reasonable effort to conceal” anymore, so a larger higher capacity pistol is my preference.

Mosin44az · March 26, 2019, 10:22 PM

My G42 had issues feeding and extracting. I think Glock didn’t thoroughly test it before its release.

Sold mine with disclosure to a buddy who is a Glock armorer, he had problems also, but got Glock to fix them by presumably putting in all the corrected parts.

My Glock 43 hasn’t had any issues.

reteach · March 26, 2019, 11:39 PM

I have a 42 and I say yes to it. I also have the Pierce extensions on my mags and have never had a problem with feeding or ejecting with any ammo I have tried. It shoots straight out to 15 yards (the extent of my indoor range). I don't have any problem carrying it in my pocket.

USNRet93 · March 27, 2019, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JERRYS.

I have a G42, no problems with the gun but sent it in a year or so ago for whatever the upgrades were. I have some pierce +1 mag bases on it.... the only problem I ever had with it was my thumb [right hand shooting] preventing the slide stop from doing its job on occasion. this is clearly a grip issue unique to my hand as I like the high thumb hold.

that being said, I occasionally see videos on youtube (no new videos by the way) about their G42 being unreliable with feeding or extraction/ejection issues. those tend to be limp wristing signals in my experience but the videos don't really identify the cause of the issues.

what is your take on this gun? is it another G36 reincarnate?

As a guy who EDC a G42 cuz of wrist/thumb issues, and somebody who shoots it A LOT, I have never had any issues with it. I find it accruate, reliable and most importantly, FTS(FunToShoot). Small enough to easily conceal but large enough to not be 'snappy' or painful, to me. I use lehgh/Underwood Xtreme Defender as a carry ammo and shot just about anything I can find, online or specials(last one at Cabela's), without issue.

Very early gens had some feed issues but later ones, like mine, no problem at all.

I have a +1 Pearce extension and a +2(forget the name) in a spare mag carried in a SnagMag..

kymasabe · March 27, 2019, 08:30 AM

My issue with the G42 was how it fit in my hand, didn't point naturally, hated it. I bought a Remington RM380 instead for less $, super reliable, eats every crap ammo I feed it, zero failures.

SIMP · March 27, 2019, 09:13 AM

Yay on a G42. I have one that has never given me any issues. It has the "03" mags and runs 100% even with the cheapest ammo. I don't really carry mine anymore but I can't bring myself to sell it because of how reliable it has been.....especially for a 380, which can be finicky.

pete2 · March 27, 2019, 10:42 AM

I shot a friends 42 a couple years ago, if it only had a safety.

223 shooter · March 27, 2019, 05:00 PM

Bought my Glock 42 from an individual who was adamant that the gun had "all the fixes". My G42 has had more malfunctions than all my other semi-auto centerfire pistols combined.

Thing is , it has only occurred thus far with Federal brass 95 FMJ. I ordered a new 03 magazine - same thing. Still does not give me a lot of confidence when a pistol malfunctions with FMJ ammo. My old Interarms PPK/s has had no issues with any ammo I've used thus far.

Too bad as the G42 fits my hand well , has sights I can usually see well , and despite a nowhere near 5.5lbs advertised trigger pull I can still shoot it as well or better than any small pistol I have ever fired.

jonnyc · March 27, 2019, 07:26 PM

I would say nay, but only because you can get a G43 in a better caliber in a very slightly bigger package.

TailGator · March 28, 2019, 02:32 PM

My interest in the G42 was as a pocket gun, and I passed when I decided that it was too big to get a decent grip and draw smoothly from the pockets of the trousers I wear the most.

As I recall, there were some reliability issues when it first came out, but I hear a lot less about them recently.

JMag1 · March 28, 2019, 06:14 PM

Nope. Too large for a micro carry pistol that isn’t for the range; my Kimber Micro CDP works better for me.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

jmr40 · March 28, 2019, 07:21 PM

I looked at them when they were introduced and passed. The gun is too big for a 380. I have a KelTec 380 that is significantly smaller. I know the Glock is a better built gun that will last longer. But a gun that small is for carrying and only shooting occasionally. My KelTec will last the rest of my life the way it gets used.

The G43 is only slightly larger and in a more potent round. That would be, was my choice. At least until I tried the Ruger LC9s. About the same size, one more round, and was MUCH more accurate. Having a safety was a plus.

AK103K · March 28, 2019, 07:21 PM

I had both 42's and a 43. They worked and shot like all my other Glocks, but I just didnt see the point, and I sold them off.

My 26's, I think, are still the better choice.

krunchnik · March 28, 2019, 08:44 PM

My wife has the G42-we installed a extended slide release and a slide racker and the minus disconnect.
I reload all her ammo with Berrys Plated 100gr and defense ammo is the Hornady XTP Performance-she has no reliabilty issues with hers and she likes shooting the pistol which is a plus.

cc-hangfire · March 28, 2019, 09:10 PM

Like a couple of earlier posts, .380acp is a pocket gun for me & it’s larger than several with no more capacity (talking stock mags here).

I had one for my wife - small woman, limited hand & upper body strength - and while she shot it well, several competitors were easier to rack.

It was a fine gun, but it just didn’t check the right boxes for either of us.

OhioGuy · March 29, 2019, 06:42 AM

Like several others, I found the G42 to be a very fine gun in its own right, but the size was oddly in between a micro 9 and an actual pocket pistol. The G43 isn't much larger, really, and at that size your options open up almost endlessly. Even the P365 is not THAT much larger than a G42. I mean, it is...but isn't...

9mm has more oomph and less cost.

I ended up with a single stack 9 that fits almost every scenario. I picked up a pocket pistol for very deep concealment but very rarely carry it. The most "Glock like" of the pocket rockets is probably the Ruger LCP 2. If you truly like the G42 but want it to fit more easily in a pocket and be the size of a cell phone, I'd probably recommend that one. If you don't need something that small (and personally I think every gun that size sucks to shoot, even the best) then I'd size up to a Glock 43 or comparable.

USNRet93 · March 29, 2019, 08:26 AM

Quote:

If you don't need something that small (and personally I think every gun that size sucks to shoot, even the best) then I'd size up to a Glock 43 or comparable.

Think that's important..need to shoot it, a lot, to get good at it. I had a Ruger LC-9s and Ruger LCP..hated shooting them. Both sons have a G43..they hurt my crappy wrist and thumb, to shoot. G42, FOR ME, a great combo of easy, fun to shoot, easy to carry, VERY reliable and the .380 round isn't the round John Browning invented over 100 years ago.
Rounds like Lehigh/Underwood Xtreme Defender 'test(I know) on par with more than a few 9mm JHP, particularly through lots of clothing...

Carmady · March 29, 2019, 09:04 AM

I've never touched a G42, but I'll say nay. Here's why:

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/...9-vs-glock-g42

USNRet93 · March 29, 2019, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmady

I've never touched a G42, but I'll say nay. Here's why:

https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/...9-vs-glock-g42

Yup, and a Ruger LC9s is about the same size also...Lotsa small, same size as G42, 9mm(and some 45s too) 'out there'...

Quote:

personally I think every gun that size sucks to shoot, even the best

Shootability, concealability, reliability..my 3 'number ones'..YMMV and all that.

reteach · March 29, 2019, 01:56 PM

The OP asked about

Quote:

G42 being unreliable with feeding or extraction/ejection issues

.

Yes, there are lots of other .380's and yes, a larger caliber would be preferable in many ways. But is the G42 reliable? The answer to that seems to mostly be yes, especially with the right ammo.

CDW4ME · March 29, 2019, 02:53 PM

I say nay to 380 (three eight tay)

IdaD · March 29, 2019, 04:24 PM

I would vote nay on the 42 because there are good 9mm pistols that have roughly the same footprint. Unless you're recoil averse, anyway. If I were going to carry a 380 I would want it in an LCP size.

JERRYS. · March 30, 2019, 04:59 AM

a lot of drivel about the caliber, but not much about the gun which is what my question was about.

RSKENT · March 30, 2019, 06:36 AM

A big Yeah!
The proof is in the shooting. The G42 is the softest shooting 380 I have shot. (I have not shot the S&W EZ.) Comparing it to a 9mm is just ludicrous. Even comparing it to its bigger brother the G43 is totally unrealistic. They are night and day different shooters. On paper they are similar is size and weight. But they carry and shoot totally different. If you don’t like 380, fine. And that handgun hero chart comparing the G42 to a Kahr CM9, please, the CM9 is one of the most unpleasant guns I have ever shot. My fingers hurt just thinking about it.

March 26, 2019, 09:45 PM	#1
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 2,985	G42, yeah or nay, but only if you say why I have a G42, no problems with the gun but sent it in a year or so ago for whatever the upgrades were. I have some pierce +1 mag bases on it.... the only problem I ever had with it was my thumb [right hand shooting] preventing the slide stop from doing its job on occasion. this is clearly a grip issue unique to my hand as I like the high thumb hold. that being said, I occasionally see videos on youtube (no new videos by the way) about their G42 being unreliable with feeding or extraction/ejection issues. those tend to be limp wristing signals in my experience but the videos don't really identify the cause of the issues. what is your take on this gun? is it another G36 reincarnate?

March 27, 2019, 08:30 AM	#6
kymasabe Senior Member Join Date: June 10, 2005 Location: SW Florida Posts: 2,748	My issue with the G42 was how it fit in my hand, didn't point naturally, hated it. I bought a Remington RM380 instead for less $, super reliable, eats every crap ammo I feed it, zero failures. __________________ God's creatures big and small, eat them one, eat them all.

March 27, 2019, 07:26 PM	#10
jonnyc Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,749	I would say nay, but only because you can get a G43 in a better caliber in a very slightly bigger package. __________________ 2024 PA Cartridge Collector Show; Aug. 16-17, 2024!!! Buy...Sell...Trade All Types of Ammunition & Ordnance PM or email me for 2024 show details.

March 28, 2019, 07:21 PM	#13
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,976	I looked at them when they were introduced and passed. The gun is too big for a 380. I have a KelTec 380 that is significantly smaller. I know the Glock is a better built gun that will last longer. But a gun that small is for carrying and only shooting occasionally. My KelTec will last the rest of my life the way it gets used. The G43 is only slightly larger and in a more potent round. That would be, was my choice. At least until I tried the Ruger LC9s. About the same size, one more round, and was MUCH more accurate. Having a safety was a plus. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

March 28, 2019, 08:44 PM	#15
krunchnik Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2010 Location: Lakeland,TN Posts: 225	My wife has the G42-we installed a extended slide release and a slide racker and the minus disconnect. I reload all her ammo with Berrys Plated 100gr and defense ammo is the Hornady XTP Performance-she has no reliabilty issues with hers and she likes shooting the pistol which is a plus. __________________ THE CROW

March 26, 2019, 09:53 PM	#2
precision_shooter Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 2,475	I had a G42 and it was great, never a problem. The G43 is just as good. I would agree that Limp wristing would seem to be the main cause of any failures to feed/extract. I got rid of my G42 once TX made open carry legal. I don’t open carry, but I also don’t have to “make a reasonable effort to conceal” anymore, so a larger higher capacity pistol is my preference.

March 26, 2019, 10:22 PM	#3
Mosin44az Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2006 Posts: 2,627	My G42 had issues feeding and extracting. I think Glock didn’t thoroughly test it before its release. Sold mine with disclosure to a buddy who is a Glock armorer, he had problems also, but got Glock to fix them by presumably putting in all the corrected parts. My Glock 43 hasn’t had any issues.

March 26, 2019, 11:39 PM	#4
reteach Senior Member Join Date: August 31, 2016 Location: Texas Posts: 394	I have a 42 and I say yes to it. I also have the Pierce extensions on my mags and have never had a problem with feeding or ejecting with any ammo I have tried. It shoots straight out to 15 yards (the extent of my indoor range). I don't have any problem carrying it in my pocket.

March 27, 2019, 09:13 AM	#7
SIMP Senior Member Join Date: October 2, 2005 Location: Mississippi Posts: 398	Yay on a G42. I have one that has never given me any issues. It has the "03" mags and runs 100% even with the cheapest ammo. I don't really carry mine anymore but I can't bring myself to sell it because of how reliable it has been.....especially for a 380, which can be finicky.

March 27, 2019, 10:42 AM	#8
pete2 Senior Member Join Date: May 15, 2012 Location: Texas Posts: 2,610	I shot a friends 42 a couple years ago, if it only had a safety.

March 28, 2019, 02:32 PM	#11
TailGator Senior Member Join Date: May 8, 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 3,809	My interest in the G42 was as a pocket gun, and I passed when I decided that it was too big to get a decent grip and draw smoothly from the pockets of the trousers I wear the most. As I recall, there were some reliability issues when it first came out, but I hear a lot less about them recently.

March 28, 2019, 06:14 PM	#12
JMag1 Senior Member Join Date: May 25, 2015 Posts: 173	Nope. Too large for a micro carry pistol that isn’t for the range; my Kimber Micro CDP works better for me. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

March 28, 2019, 07:21 PM	#14
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	I had both 42's and a 43. They worked and shot like all my other Glocks, but I just didnt see the point, and I sold them off. My 26's, I think, are still the better choice.

March 28, 2019, 09:10 PM	#16
cc-hangfire Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2014 Posts: 305	Like a couple of earlier posts, .380acp is a pocket gun for me & it’s larger than several with no more capacity (talking stock mags here). I had one for my wife - small woman, limited hand & upper body strength - and while she shot it well, several competitors were easier to rack. It was a fine gun, but it just didn’t check the right boxes for either of us.

March 29, 2019, 06:42 AM	#17
OhioGuy Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2016 Posts: 1,089	Like several others, I found the G42 to be a very fine gun in its own right, but the size was oddly in between a micro 9 and an actual pocket pistol. The G43 isn't much larger, really, and at that size your options open up almost endlessly. Even the P365 is not THAT much larger than a G42. I mean, it is...but isn't... 9mm has more oomph and less cost. I ended up with a single stack 9 that fits almost every scenario. I picked up a pocket pistol for very deep concealment but very rarely carry it. The most "Glock like" of the pocket rockets is probably the Ruger LCP 2. If you truly like the G42 but want it to fit more easily in a pocket and be the size of a cell phone, I'd probably recommend that one. If you don't need something that small (and personally I think every gun that size sucks to shoot, even the best) then I'd size up to a Glock 43 or comparable.

March 29, 2019, 09:04 AM	#19
Carmady Senior Member Join Date: February 26, 2013 Location: on the lam Posts: 1,736	I've never touched a G42, but I'll say nay. Here's why: https://www.handgunhero.com/compare/...9-vs-glock-g42

March 29, 2019, 02:53 PM	#22
CDW4ME Senior Member Join Date: March 18, 2009 Posts: 1,321	I say nay to 380 (three eight tay) __________________ Strive to carry the handgun you would want anywhere, everywhere; forget that good area bullcrap. "Wouldn't want to / Nobody volunteer to" get shot by _____ is not indicative of quickly incapacitating.

March 29, 2019, 04:24 PM	#23
IdaD Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2018 Location: Idaho Posts: 107	I would vote nay on the 42 because there are good 9mm pistols that have roughly the same footprint. Unless you're recoil averse, anyway. If I were going to carry a 380 I would want it in an LCP size.

March 30, 2019, 04:59 AM	#24
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Georgia Posts: 2,985	a lot of drivel about the caliber, but not much about the gun which is what my question was about.

March 30, 2019, 06:36 AM	#25
RSKENT Member Join Date: November 25, 2004 Location: Land of Blue Sky and Sunshine Posts: 38	A big Yeah! The proof is in the shooting. The G42 is the softest shooting 380 I have shot. (I have not shot the S&W EZ.) Comparing it to a 9mm is just ludicrous. Even comparing it to its bigger brother the G43 is totally unrealistic. They are night and day different shooters. On paper they are similar is size and weight. But they carry and shoot totally different. If you don’t like 380, fine. And that handgun hero chart comparing the G42 to a Kahr CM9, please, the CM9 is one of the most unpleasant guns I have ever shot. My fingers hurt just thinking about it.