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For all gun enthusiasts, finding a well concealed carry gun that works best for you is a major milestone. You want a gun that is easy to carry and hide, and that besides it being functional well enough to pop out rounds any moment you need it for self-defense.
The Glock 42 offers you all that. And then some more as we will see in this Glock 42 review. We will look at our top picks, what each offers to users and the unique features that distinguish it from others.
But first things first...
Comparison of the Best Glock 42 Models
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What is a Glock 42?
A Glock 42 is a semi-auto, striker-fired, close-range personal defense pistol designed for everyday carry. It is produced in the United States by Glock, the Austrian firearms manufacturer.
What Caliber is a Glock 42?
The Glock 42 handgun uses the high-compact and easy to use .380 cartridges that are a good option for self-defense.
Photo credit: maxonshooters.com
How Many Rounds Does a Glock 42 Hold?
A Glock 42 holds six rounds with an additional one bullet in the chamber. It comes with two single-stack magazines at the time of purchase.
What is the Barrel Length of a Glock 42?
The barrel length of a Glock 42 is 3.25", with an overall length of 5.94".
When Did the Glock 42 Come Out?
Glock released the Glock 42 handgun into the American concealed carry firearms market in 2014 at the SHOT Show.
Photo credit: luckygunner.com
Review of the Best Glock 42 Models
Now that we know what a Glock 42 is and have seen its features, it's best to review the models it available on the market. This review will help you compare the models to see the one that is best suited to your needs and personal preferences.
Best Overall:
Glock 42 .380
Pros
Cons
Specs
Caliber: This model uses the .380 rounds that are widely approved as a good caliber for effective personal defense.
Length/Width/Height: The Glock 42 .380 comes in the following friendly carry gun measurements:
- Length - 5.94"
- Width - 0.94"
- Height with the magazine installed - 4.13".
Barrel Length: The Glock 42 has a barrel length of 3.25".
Sight: The front and rear sights are polymers in make, with the rear sight being adjustable. Both sights can be customized by using aftermarket sights to fit your preference.
Unloaded Weight: When the magazine is not loaded yet, the Glock 42 .380 weighs 13.76 ounces.
Loaded Weight: The weight of the gun when loaded tallies 15.87 ounces, which is light enough to carry comfortably on you all day long.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is labeled at 5.5 pounds/24N on Glock's website.
Trigger Travel: The trigger travels through 2.40" to fire a round.
Barrel Rifling: The Glock 42 has a polygonal (hexagonal) barrel rifling with a right-hand twist.
Magazine Capacity: The magazine capacity for the Glock .380 is 6 rounds, with an optional 6 more rounds in the extra magazine.
Best Uses
The Glock 42 .380 handgun is best used for self-defense as it can fire rounds well within legally accepted personal defense distance. Some people report having used it for hunting, but the handgun was only best placed to work effectively within short range distances.
Handling, Recoil, and Safety of the Glock 42 .380
The Glock 42 .380 has an ergonomic grip that makes it comfortable and safe to hold in the hands with no risks of it sliding through. The felt recoil is a negligible and very little arm or hand strength is thus needed for firing. You are assured of utmost safety with the trusted Glock Safe-Action system.
Included Components and Features
The Glock 42 .380 comes with two magazines in the pack.
Best for the Money:
Glock 42 .380acp
Pros
Cons
Specs
Caliber: This personal defense handgun uses the .380 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) cartridges.
Length/Width/Height: The G42 .380acp has the following measurements:
- Length - 5.94" overall, with a slide length of 5.75"
- Height, with the magazine installed - 4.13"
- Width - 0.98" overall, and a slide width of 0.83".
Barrel Length: The barrel length is only 3.25" for the Glock 42 .380acp pistol.
Sight: This handgun has front and rear polymer sights with a length of 4.92" between them. Aftermarket sights can be installed based on personal preferences.
Unloaded Weight: The gun weighs 13.76 ounces when unloaded.
Loaded Weight: The total weight of the Glock 42 .380acp with the magazine loaded is 14.36 ounces.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull is indicated as 25N or 5.5 Ibs.
Trigger Travel: The trigger travels through 0.49" to fire a round.
Barrel Rifling: The barrel is polygonal (hexagonal) and has a right-hand twist with a length of 9.84".
Magazine Capacity: Each Glock 42 .380acp magazine carries six rounds of ammunition.
Best Uses
Like the Glock .380 pistol, the 42 .380acp handgun is best suited for self-defense at a legally accepted close range as it doesn't shoot far away effectively. People have used it before for hunting and shooting on the range but the common agreement is to best keep it for personal defense situations.
Handling, Recoil, and Safety of the Glock 42 .380acp
The 42 .380acp has an extended backstrap that provides more palm room and makes it easy to eject the magazine once the release is pressed. It is a soft-shooting handgun with very little recoil, which improves accuracy on follow up shots and reduces strain on the arm.
The two-piece external trigger safety control guarantees the user of maximum safety when handling the handgun. For better handling, beavertail if you have bigger hands, it is advisable to use extended magazines on the 42. 380acp.
Included Components and Features
The handgun comes with a user manual, bore brush, rod, two magazines, and a carry case. It also has a one-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
Why a Glock 42?
Glock 42 Reliability
The Glock 42 is a highly reliable handgun for self-defense purposes. The pistol is easy to carry on the body as a concealed weapon given its small size and considerable weight. Using holsters makes it even more accessible on occasion as required with ease of drawing it out and using it right away.
As a self-defense handgun, it is possible to fire rounds in quick succession and with commendable accuracy on follow up shots since the recoil is low. This means you can trust the gun to strike your attacker several times to hold them back by immobilizing them through substantive injury.
Photo credit: tacticafashion.com
Is the Glock 42 a Good Concealed Carry Gun?
The Glock 42 is a well concealed carry gun. Firstly, it is the smallest in size in the Glock pistols family. As such, it is easy to carry and keep concealed all day without even feeling its weight. Even when it is loaded, the weight is still negligible especially when you are used to carrying concealed guns.
Being a popular gun, holsters for the Glock 42 are always readily available so you won't have to worry about struggling to find a good one for your pistol. Functionally, the 42 will meet your concealed carry gun needs as it is easy to use and can start firing away promptly as soon as you retrieve it. That means you won't have to worry about your safety when using it. It will more than readily spit out rounds within self-defense distance.
Glock 42 Comparisons
Glock 42 vs LCP
Similarities
Both handguns use the .380 caliber defensive rounds with a common capacity of 6+1 single-stack rounds.
Differences
Other than the main notable difference of the manufacturing companies, the Glock-made G42 and Ruger-made LCP have the following differences:
The LCP is lighter at 9.6 ounces with the empty magazine on. Other size differences manifest in the lengths with the G42 measuring 5.94" and a barrel length of 3.25". The LCP has an overall length of 5.16" and a barrel length of 2.75". The G42 is 4.13" in height while the LCP comes in second at 3.6". The Glock 42 is 0.94'' wide while the LCP measures 0.82'' in width.
Photo credit: gundigest.com
Glock 42 vs SIG P238
Similarities
Both handguns use the .380 personal defense caliber rounds.
Differences
The SIG P238 has a trigger pull weight of 7.5 Ibs while the G42 trigger pull stands at 5.5 Ibs.
The overall length of the SIG P238 is 5.5", against the 5.94" of the Glock 42. The height, width, and barrel length of the P238 come in at 3.9", 1.1", and 2.7" respectively, compared to the G42's 4.13", 0.94", and 3.25" for the same particulars. The P238 is heavier at 15.2 ounces against the 13.76 ounces of the G42.
The GLOCK 42 has a magazine capacity of 6+1 while the P238 has a 7+1 magazine capacity.
Photo credit: handgunhero.com
How to Effectively Shoot Glock 42
Grip the Gun Properly
Grip the handgun properly by holding it in a way that the dominant hand is high up the beaver tail of the gun for effective management of recoil.
Use Your Less Dominant Hand for Propping Up
You can use your less dominant hand to reinforce the grip on the Glock 42 and to further manage the recoil. Grip high on the gun with the support fingers of the less dominant hand resting into the grooves of the fingers of the dominant hand. Both thumbs should run in the same direction toward the muzzle end on the other side of the handgun.
Establish a Proper Upper Body Stance
Let your upper body square up towards the target with the elbows bending a bit. Bring the handgun to your eye level by raising the hands.
Pull the Trigger to the Wall
Pull the trigger to the furthest it can go against the wall of the trigger area so that it completes the triggering process smoothly. To grip the trigger properly, use a part of the finger rather than the tip of it. Avoid knuckling the trigger as this will deviate the pistol to either side as you shoot.
For follow up shots, yank the handgun down just a bit immediately after the previous shot to manage the recoil and bring it back down to the target level.
Photo credit: blog.smithandedwards.com
Glock 42 Parts Diagram
The diagram below shows the different parts of the Glock 42.
Photo Credit: GlockTalk.com
How to Clean a Glock 42
To clean an unloaded Glock 42, you will first have to disassemble it into its major constituent parts.
How to Disassemble a Glock 42
Start by removing the slide. Slide it back a bit and pull the slide release back down to let go of the slide.
On the slide, push the spring release a bit to let it go and expose the barrel for removal.
Once the disassembly is done, clean the constituent parts individually. Use a soft brass brush to clean the inside of the barrel by pushing the brush in the direction the bullet goes in and then back and forth along the barrel to pick up all debris.
Clean the slide using a soft cloth. Clean thoroughly around the firing pin area using the cloth after making it damp with a few drops of cleaning solution to clear all the blowback gunpowder.
Clean the lower frame of the handgun using the cloth by dusting inside it in a back and forth motion. The outer frame and top of the magazine can also be cleaned in this manner.
After you are through with cleaning, reassemble the handgun by replacing the barrel, firing the spring, and the slide.
For a detailed overview of the above process, be sure to refer to the video below.
Common Glock 42 Problems
The Glock 42 is infallible. Some shortcomings have been observed widely over time. The G42 is incompatible with high-pressure, heavy rounds such as Freedom Munition 100gr. When using these heavier rounds, the G42 locks the slide back, with the rounds remaining unfired. For some other rounds, the gun completely fails to cycle. To be on the safe side, avoid using any other ammunition than the recommended .380 in the G42.
Sometimes the rounds catch on the magazine and fail to chamber. This is a personal security risk especially in critical tactical situations where spontaneous usage of the handgun may be required. To avoid this problem, you need to regularly clean the top of the magazine where the bullet rests.
Conclusion
If you have been thinking about picking up a Glock 42, this article has shed light on the key aspects you need to consider to select the right model for you that will go well with your personal preferences. We have learned the main features of each model as well as the proper shooting and cleaning processes for the G42.
Photo credit: gun.deals
People Also Ask
For a complete review, it’s important to consider the major questions gun users ask about the G42. We hope this part answers all your questions about this handgun. If you still have more questions, you are welcome to shoot them to us. We will gladly answer them.
How Much is a Glock 42?
A Glock 42 will cost you between $415 and $549 depending on the dealer or store from which you buy the handgun. The manufacturer's suggested retail price stands at $480.
Why is Glock 42 Made in Georgia?
Unlike its other Glock friends, the Glock 42 is made in Georgia, USA since being a .380 auto handgun, its importation into the US is highly regulated by the ATF. The handgun falls short of the required importation points.
Is the Glock 42 California legal?
The Glock 42 is not legal in California. The state places strict laws on the usage of some firearms. Being an automatic weapon, the Glock 42 is outlawed in the state for ownership and use by civilian citizens. Only law enforcement officers on active duty are allowed to carry and use the pistol for their protection and law enforcement purposes.