Glock 42 yes or no?

[pfine9mil]

Rent first, then decide. Taurus TCP738, Ruger LCP, Sig P238, S&W Bodyguard, list is endless if she really wants a lighter EDC than the Glock 26 -- I love my 26 and shoot it better than anything I've ever picked up. It might be in the drawer one minute, and in the truck the next. It's often at the range, but not very often is it at 3, 4, or 5 o'clock IWB.

 

[jimdawg64]

the G26 fits in her hand but I thing something a little slimmer would be better. I'm not ruling out the G26 just trying to get opinions.

 

[Jackie Graham]

My wife owns a S&W Bodyguard .380. She thought she liked it until she shot the Glock 42 at the Griffin Range this last weekend. She now wants to get rid of the S&W and wants the G42. After shooting it I would agree. I have not shot many of the brands but the G42 feels better than the ones that I have.

 

[protective measures]

If she likes the 26, she might ought to stay with it. If it's too big or "chunky" for her to carry, the 42 might be a viable option.
Heres a short review I posted a few weeks ago that might give you some insight from someone who has worked with hundreds of ladies in a professional capacity to help them either find the right gun for them or make the best of the one they have chosen.

As many of you know I have been a full-time Instructor at my school for several years now. As such I have been able to watch many different guns come through our classes.
For over 20 years I have been a loyal user of Glocks & have 6 of them for personal use & as loaners to students when their guns go down so they can finish their class.

Part of my job is to stay on top of what is available so when I heard of the new Glock 42 I had to round one up & try it out. Last week I picked one up & took it out briefly today & test-fired 5 rds. through it.

The Glocks with double recoil springs are known to be soft shooters but this one surprised me. There was almost no felt recoil at all. I was so distracted I even pulled a shot or two (at least thats my story...). Sure it's a little bit bigger than the other popular .380's & weighs a little bit more but wow, the ladies are going to love shooting this one.
It's actually fun to shoot.

The .380's on our range are some of the hardest recoiling carry guns we see. It's simple physics. A very lightweight gun combined with a very small grip area to distribute felt recoil feels like it kicks harder.
Some ladies just will not carry a .38 sized gun or larger & think they want an LCP, Bodyguard, or similar sized pocket .380... until they put a few rounds through it.
Countless times they turn to me after firing them & say, "Ow, that hurt!". Many times they have simply handed it to me & said they didn't like it & their quest to find the right pistol for them begins anew.

I have always referred to the G-19 as the "Goldilocks" gun since it was such a great compromise & fit so many people well.

As much as I prefer students choose something larger & more potent I have to agree with J. Cooper when he advised people to "carry the largest gun they WILL carry & that they can shoot well". A .380 may be on the light side but it is still better than harsh words or a sharp stick. While I personally want something with greater terminal wounding capability I doubt many people would relish getting shot a few times with the .380.

Another aspect that will be in the favor of the G-42 is ease of which a shooter can empty 6 or 7 shots FAST into a target (or threat).

At Glocks Instructor workshop they have a drill they refer to as "5 in the sky" where the goal is to shoot 5 rounds before the first casing hits the floor. A good shooter can have split times (time between shots) of .17-.25 or in otherwords can fire 4 to 5 shots in a second. This is a tough drill with the long triggers of the other .380's whereas the G-42 with its better trigger w/ a short crisp reset should enable a shooter with good trigger control to do a "mag dump" blazingly quick which would be a great help in a desperate defensive situation to maximize the wounding capabilities of the weaker .380 round.

The horrendous triggers have always been one of the most challenging aspects of the other most popular .380's besides the recoil issue.

Over the years it has become more & more evident to me while watching new & more experienced shooters how absolutely critical a good trigger is.
After all it is the main interface between the shooter & the platform. There is a reason why target shooters prefer light crisp triggers... they're easier to hit with.
Obviously for a defensive gun a compromise has to be reached & for me my preference is a 4 to 5 lb. trigger w/ minimal take-up & aftertravel.

I get frustrated so often watching ladies really struggle with the long, stiff triggers on the LCP (Gen.1) & S&W Bodyguard though the newer LCP's are much improved in that dept. though the recoil issue is still an issue. There have even been a few times when some ladies literally lacked the finger strength to press it ONE TIME all the way through.

I'm eager to get the second one I have on order so that I can have two of them available as class loaners along with the LCR's, M&P's, & G-19's that are so popular.

Using the feedback that I've gotten from so many Ladies classes over the years & watching their choice of firearm AFTER testing several of our class loaners I'm going to predict that the Glock 42 .380 will become a top selling defensive firearm to Ladies in America (and possibly men as well due to its ease of carry.)

 

[BIKER13]

no means no.

 

[jackstraw001]

SIG P238 if you want a .380 ACP, SIG p938 if you want a 9mm, easier to handle for most women and has a safety which my wife likes.

 

[Wallace's]

the G26 fits in her hand but I thing something a little slimmer would be better. I'm not ruling out the G26 just trying to get opinions.

I would push the 26. Ammo is cheaper, mags are easier to find, plus you can use any other 9mm mags in it. TONS of holsters available, a bit more substantial feeling to me than the 42. Just my $.02.

 

[protective measures]

My wife owns a S&W Bodyguard .380. She thought she liked it until she shot the Glock 42 at the Griffin Range this last weekend. She now wants to get rid of the S&W and wants the G42. After shooting it I would agree. I have not shot many of the brands but the G42 feels better than the ones that I have.

I'm seeing this reaction on a regular basis when the husband doesn't try to force her to do what he wants her to do.

 

[olchevy]

I held one and really really liked it, do note I have smaller hands for a guy.

On a side note I heard something about a lot are going back due to some barrel problem, not sure of the validity of this.

 

[pfine9mil]

If there's such a thing as too thin in .380, the Bodyguard fits the description. It can be painful to shoot in the wrong hands. Compromise between weight and recoil -- like being kicked in the thumb joint by a blade... I would suggest she needs to shoot a few .380's to decide.