RaleighReloader
Well-Known Member
About a month ago I picked up a Glock 42 from Spillway Sportsman in Port Allen. Through my membership to the GSSF I had a blue label pistol purchase coupon, and I figured it was time to add a .380 to the arsenal. This would replace the Sig P238 that I sold about a year ago (great gun, in theory, but not practical for me). I didn't really have high hopes for the 42, but 400 rounds through it have proven otherwise.
For whatever reason, I'm finding this gun to be an absolute tack driver. And I know what you're thinking ... a tack driver .380? A tack driver plastic fantastic? A tack driver gun with a barrel just over 3" long? A tack driver with a grip so short that most pinky fingers swing clear of it?
Yes to all of the above. The gun is bone stock (I haven't even field stripped it yet), so this isn't the work of some magic trigger job or trick barrel. Tonight I added a Pierce grip extension to one of the mags (it admittedly does make it more comfortable to grip), but even without the grip extension I'm surprising myself with the accuracy of this gun. Not quite as accurate as my full-size 1911, but surprisingly close.
I think there's a few things that come together really well in the Glock 42. The lighter recoil of the .380 ACP round makes it very manageable (even with the super-short grip). The gun is superbly balanced, and the light recoil also means that target reacquisition is quick. I bought a plain kydex IWB holster and a Serpa Blackhawk OWB holster, and drawing from both is smooth and snag-free. The stock sights give a good sight picture (as all Glocks do), and the trigger is positive, breaks crisply, and resets with a confident click. I don't know what the trigger weight is, and that's a good thing (it just feels *right*).
At the range tonight I ran another hundred rounds through it. With the target at 45 feet, I cut a 3" group with only two flyers (one was a trigger jerk and the other was anticipating the recoil -- both entirely my fault).
My carry gun has generally been my Shield (1.0) with the Apex trigger, but I'm giving serious consideration to making the Glock 42 my go-to gun. I generally don't like to carry a gun until I have at least a thousand rounds through it, but with the mileage this little guy is getting right now it won't be long until it's at the head of the line.
I hear some guffaw at the .380 ACP round for self-defense, but I've also not had anyone volunteer to get shot by it. I'll run a box of the Federal Hydra-Shok JHP's through it if I decide to carry it (Hornady Critical Defense would be my second choice if the Federals don't feed properly). My guess is that they'll do just fine; Glocks have a habit of eating whatever they're fed.
Anyways, if you're thinking about a small, lightweight carry gun that doesn't buck like a bronco, give the Glock 42 a second look. It's an easy gun to pass over, but if my experience is any indication, it should be given credit as one of the best .380 pocket guns available.
Mike
For whatever reason, I'm finding this gun to be an absolute tack driver. And I know what you're thinking ... a tack driver .380? A tack driver plastic fantastic? A tack driver gun with a barrel just over 3" long? A tack driver with a grip so short that most pinky fingers swing clear of it?
Yes to all of the above. The gun is bone stock (I haven't even field stripped it yet), so this isn't the work of some magic trigger job or trick barrel. Tonight I added a Pierce grip extension to one of the mags (it admittedly does make it more comfortable to grip), but even without the grip extension I'm surprising myself with the accuracy of this gun. Not quite as accurate as my full-size 1911, but surprisingly close.
I think there's a few things that come together really well in the Glock 42. The lighter recoil of the .380 ACP round makes it very manageable (even with the super-short grip). The gun is superbly balanced, and the light recoil also means that target reacquisition is quick. I bought a plain kydex IWB holster and a Serpa Blackhawk OWB holster, and drawing from both is smooth and snag-free. The stock sights give a good sight picture (as all Glocks do), and the trigger is positive, breaks crisply, and resets with a confident click. I don't know what the trigger weight is, and that's a good thing (it just feels *right*).
At the range tonight I ran another hundred rounds through it. With the target at 45 feet, I cut a 3" group with only two flyers (one was a trigger jerk and the other was anticipating the recoil -- both entirely my fault).
My carry gun has generally been my Shield (1.0) with the Apex trigger, but I'm giving serious consideration to making the Glock 42 my go-to gun. I generally don't like to carry a gun until I have at least a thousand rounds through it, but with the mileage this little guy is getting right now it won't be long until it's at the head of the line.
I hear some guffaw at the .380 ACP round for self-defense, but I've also not had anyone volunteer to get shot by it. I'll run a box of the Federal Hydra-Shok JHP's through it if I decide to carry it (Hornady Critical Defense would be my second choice if the Federals don't feed properly). My guess is that they'll do just fine; Glocks have a habit of eating whatever they're fed.
Anyways, if you're thinking about a small, lightweight carry gun that doesn't buck like a bronco, give the Glock 42 a second look. It's an easy gun to pass over, but if my experience is any indication, it should be given credit as one of the best .380 pocket guns available.
Mike
