Breaking in a new gun....Glock 42

[burbguy82]

I’m actually shocked. I’ve never had a Glock fail to load any ammo, hollow point or ball, whether I use the “slingshot“ or slide release method. Both are acceptable in the Glock owners manual, if I recall correctly.

One of the main selling points of a Glock pistol is how readily it loads any ammo. That’s part of its reliability.

Of note. The gun did not slip up, after the initial round was chambered, except with the Sig Hp. It is actually really annoying, i am thinking on sending the gun back to Glock and see what they say. For now I will run FMJ. With 380, I do not see this being a liability.

Will get back on this one day. For now I have a few other options. Par for the course for me these days it seems.

 

[ATex7239]

Of note. The gun did not slip up, after the initial round was chambered, except with the Sig Hp. It is actually really annoying, i am thinking on sending the gun back to Glock and see what they say. For now I will run FMJ. With 380, I do not see this being a liability.

Will get back on this one day. For now I have a few other options. Par for the course for me these days it seems.

Oddly enough, I had P365 mags choke on some Sig 9mm 124 HP’s. I picked the ammo up on sale for crazy cheap so figured why not try different loads to see how well it performs with the gun. Sig ammo in a Sig gun - what’s not to love about that? But It didn’t feed well at first. As the mags “broke in” more I guess it seemed to get sorted out. Historically my carry ammo has always been Hornady or Federal. I feel like Sig’s ammo quality can be hit or miss. Nothing against Sig as I’m a fan or their firearms. But the ammo hasn’t been up to snuff with me.

 

[ATex7239]

I bought a box of this stuff when I bought that Bersa Thunder. Still have it. I never carried it. Keeping it for the Ruger Security .380

View attachment 266704

How are you liking the Security 380?

I showed my wife a YouTube video with one the other day, she has difficulty racking the slide on her Glock 26, and she wants to try one. She is able to rack the slide but it’s just hard for her. I think the softer felt recoil would be nice bonus as well.

 

[burbguy82]

Update.

It seems to be a slide to frame fit issue. My wife has a g42, and swapped slides, 100% function. Her frame, my slide. My frame, her slide no go.

Also swapped barrels between the two, still jo good on mine.

I did email Glock and they said I need to send it to them.

I will make a YT video to illustrate the issue. What a PITA.

A gun like this should not have this issue.

 

[Cropduster172]

How are you liking the Security 380?

I showed my wife a YouTube video with one the other day, she has difficulty racking the slide on her Glock 26, and she wants to try one. She is able to rack the slide but it’s just hard for her. I think the softer felt recoil would be nice bonus as well.

Haven't bought it yet. Was thinking of regrouping and getting a Taurus TX22 because of the amount of .22 I've accumulated. On the fence. Not a desperate situation. I routinely carry a Taurus M85UL or a Taurus PT111G2...but I'm not a young State cop anymore and the Ruger is attractive for several reasons.

 

[The_Eric]

Haven't bought it yet. Was thinking of regrouping and getting a Taurus TX22 because of the amount of .22 I've accumulated. On the fence. Not a desperate situation. I routinely carry a Taurus M85UL or a Taurus PT111G2...but I'm not a young State cop anymore and the Ruger is attractive for several reasons.

You should get the TX22! I've never been a fan of Taurus, but heard good things about the TX22 and came across one cheap at a gun show, so I took the plunge and it turned out to be an awesome little gun. Accurate, very reliable, not ammo sensitive, holds 16 rounds instead of the usual 10 that most .22s hold and has the same "feel" or operation of larger caliber defense/combat type guns. The only drawback that I've noticed so far is that they're slightly to somewhat sensitive to how the magazines are loaded. It really is my favorite plinking pistol!

 

[John Galt]

I’m enjoying this thread. I bought a Walther PD380 last month for possible CC and partly just because I liked the look and the perfect fit in my hand. I also liked how easy it is to rack the slide. I have a 5 inch Walther PPQ M-1 with the ambidextrous paddle mag release and I really like it - I’m a lefty.

The gun remains unfired in a stopbox case because of conflicts due to my MIL just being put in hospice care so that is consuming our time. But I have the pistol and bought these ammunition to try it out. I have never shot 380ACP and have no idea how these will run in my new range toy. Any thoughts on the ammo I bought and what I should also try?

My initial goal is to get comfortable with the gun and the ammo, trying out defensive ammo comes much later. Getting a CC permit in my state is about as difficult as it gets, four unrelated references, 8 hours of classes that cost about $300, passing FBI qualification, approval by chief of police and then $200 for 2 years then repeat the process.

 

[Cropduster172]

You should get the TX22! I've never been a fan of Taurus, but heard good things about the TX22 and came across one cheap at a gun show, so I took the plunge and it turned out to be an awesome little gun. Accurate, very reliable, not ammo sensitive, holds 16 rounds instead of the usual 10 that most .22s hold and has the same "feel" or operation of larger caliber defense/combat type guns. The only drawback that I've noticed so far is that they're slightly to somewhat sensitive to how the magazines are loaded. It really is my favorite plinking pistol!

I I think they may even have 20+ round aftermarket mags for it now. That could be fun.

 

[burbguy82]

A bit of research says that this issue is a trend. Some say they send the gun out to Glock, and it is fixed, others say that it is not. This should not be an issue in 2025.

I may try an old trick, which some here will throw up to hear. But in the past, I have used cutting fluid as gun lube to smooth things up a bit, at a faster pace. Makes no mods to parts so to speak.

Part of me wants to send it in, the other says just run FMJ. Not sure. Any thoughts?

 

[burbguy82]

I’m enjoying this thread.

Glad you are, I was unti lI started having issues. Good luck whenever you get a chance to run yours.

 

[Gillsy]

Looking for a .380 for my wife. Was considering the S&W models, but will look at this also. Thanks for the review!

Small frame semis can be tough to rack the slide, and the recoil is quite snappy. If you limp wrist it, it may fail to feed. I have two pocket .380 s, a Kahr CW380, and a Ruger LCP Max. Make sure she can rack the slide before purchase. Good luck!

 

[ATex7239]

A bit of research says that this issue is a trend. Some say they send the gun out to Glock, and it is fixed, others say that it is not. This should not be an issue in 2025.

I may try an old trick, which some here will throw up to hear. But in the past, I have used cutting fluid as gun lube to smooth things up a bit, at a faster pace. Makes no mods to parts so to speak.

Part of me wants to send it in, the other says just run FMJ. Not sure. Any thoughts?

I won’t carry a weapon that I am not confident in. I’d send it to Glock and let them try to sort it out. Some gun stores will handle the return for you.

 

[burbguy82]

So after a bit of research, and a conversation with Glock rep on the phone, and speaking with a local Glock armorer....I have decided not to send the gun in.

The rep, as well as many opinions on the gun, say that there is a 50\50 chance that I will get the gun back 100% working with all ammo types.....for several reasons. The Glock rep said that this is a common issue with types like Sig V Crown bullets especially, and has to do with several minute variations of the G42. Mine is Serial #AKxxxx, so it is the latest generation.

He also stated that most people who have had this issue, simply shot their guns a bit more, and they started to function.

Sad really, as I was expecting Legendary Glock reliability.

The gun is very smooth with FMJ, and as stated before, IMO FMJ 380, is suitable for carry without the worry of over penetration, like with 9mm and others in FMJ.

Sending the gun out, and spending more money on HSTs and the like, then finding out they dont work again, would just piss me off, and I have enough of that going around these days.

So, it is my final recommendation if considering this gun, is the use of FMJ ammo, or good quality, and dont expect much out of HPs........you may get luck and you may not.

In a few weeks, I am going to run a few 100 rounds through it again, and see if it improves.

 

[football]

I’m a huge .380 fan. I have owned probably 85% of the models available in that caliber over the last 20+ years. I bought the Glock 42 when it first came out and I carried it every day for years and years. It’s a good gun. Mine has never jammed ever.

Now it sits in the safe pretty much collecting dust becuase of some very good gun releases in the past couple years.

The P365-380 is the absolute best small .380 on the market right now. It’s so shootable, similar in size to the G42, but has 10 and 12 round mags available. You can swap the standard grip frame for the XL grip frame and have a little more purchase too if you prefer.

The Smith Bodyguard 2.0 is the best ultra concealable tiny .380 on the market. Pictures don’t do it justice. It’s tiny. 10 and 12 round mags are available. It’s very shootable and has good sights and is very concealable.

And… the Glock 25 enters the chat. This is a Glock 19 size pistol, now discontinued. Available for about 18 months in America. Will be very valuable in ten years. These have 15 round mags, a full 4 inch barrel, and super reliable. This is the best home defense pistol for smaller statured shooters that can’t handle a 9mm. Grab one now if you are interested before they become harder and harder to find and much more expensive. This gun, with a weapon mounted light, sits in my wife’s night stand loaded with 16 rounds of Speer Gold Dots. It’s a wonderful shooting gun with super low recoil (40-50% less than 9mm)

So in conclusion, the Glock 42 is a great pistol for its time. I would urge anyone to check out the P365-380 as I think it’s the clear category winner.

 

[burbguy82]

I’m a huge .380 fan. I have owned probably 85% of the models available in that caliber over the last 20+ years. I bought the Glock 42 when it first came out and I carried it every day for years and years. It’s a good gun. Mine has never jammed ever.

Now it sits in the safe pretty much collecting dust becuase of some very good gun releases in the past couple years.

The P365-380 is the absolute best small .380 on the market right now. It’s so shootable, similar in size to the G42, but has 10 and 12 round mags available. You can swap the standard grip frame for the XL grip frame and have a little more purchase too if you prefer.

The Smith Bodyguard 2.0 is the best ultra concealable tiny .380 on the market. Pictures don’t do it justice. It’s tiny. 10 and 12 round mags are available. It’s very shootable and has good sights and is very concealable.

And… the Glock 25 enters the chat. This is a Glock 19 size pistol, now discontinued. Available for about 18 months in America. Will be very valuable in ten years. These have 15 round mags, a full 4 inch barrel, and super reliable. This is the best home defense pistol for smaller statured shooters that can’t handle a 9mm. Grab one now if you are interested before they become harder and harder to find and much more expensive. This gun, with a weapon mounted light, sits in my wife’s night stand loaded with 16 rounds of Speer Gold Dots. It’s a wonderful shooting gun with super low recoil (40-50% less than 9mm)

So in conclusion, the Glock 42 is a great pistol for its time. I would urge anyone to check out the P365-380 as I think it’s the clear category winner.

I am a fan of the 380 aswell. I am not a fan of anything SIG, other than the older 220 series, anything other than that has been no where near the quality of the predecessors. the newest SIGs especially.

 

[billt460]

.......... All ammo worked well, EXCEPT for the Federal Low Recoil Hydrashock,.......

I'm betting it's the, "low recoil" ammunition. Much more so that the shape of the bullet. I've seen this same type of "Low Recoil" stuff cause failure to feed and function in a lot of different guns. I've had "low recoil" .30-06 fail to run my Remington 7400 semi auto.

I've also had some of the same type of advertised "reduced recoil" .308, along with some foreign 7.62 X 51 MM ammunition cause issues with my Springfield M1-A's. Both run fine when loaded with the proper full power loads with correct bullet weights.

It is much the same with a lot of semi auto shotguns. Even one's like the gas operated Benelli M4 prefer full power ammunition over all of this, "reduced recoil" stuff.

All 7 of my Glocks, (9MM & .45 ACP) run flawlessly. All are box stock, and I only gun factory Glock magazines in all of them. And I shoot standard or +P in all of them. Never a FTF or FTE in any of them.

 

[billt460]

I forgot to mention that some years back I got a really good deal on some 12 gauge "Reduced Recoil" 00 Buckshot. It ran fine in all of my pump guns.

But when I tried to run it through my Remington 1100 Trap gun, they wouldn't feed. Many didn't have the soup to eject the empty. And the Remington Trap 1100's are designed to operate on 12 gauge, low brass, 1 ounce target loads,

I learned to stay away from most all of that low recoil stuff. I consider it a dangerous practice for companies to sell that stuff as defense ammunition.

Mainly because the first order of business with any carry gun is to have 100% reliability when it is removed from the holster. That figure gets greatly diminished when they start reducing the power levels of this type of ammo.

 

[ATex7239]

There are too many really great guns out there to spend a lot of effort and worry with a subpar performer. That isn’t to say Glock makes a bad gun. But any manufacturer can have problems and any one gun can have problems. I’d opt for something else before spending too much time worrying about this gun.

I also had a known solid performer (P365) that was unreliable at first. It took a trip back to Sig and some break in time to get reliable. During the ordeal I carried my G19 instead. Once I got it to reliably work I sold it. The only reason I took the time to sort it out was because I think it’s morally wrong to sell a gun with known problems to someone who will use it as carry weapon unless you disclose the known issue first. Once I got it to run to a standard I decided was acceptable then I sold it. Now I have a Shield Plus in its place in my carry rotation.

 

[billt460]

I know many of the higher end Les Baer 1911's come with literature stating to run at least 200 to 300 rounds of full energy Ball ammunition through them before expecting 100% reliability. They are purposefully hand fit very tightly between the frame and slide.

 

[burbguy82]

Out of curiosity, after reading this thread, I went back and looked at my Glock owners manual, and both the slingshot and magazine release are considered acceptable techniques.

At least for my GEN 3.

I don’t see why this pistol would be any different

i get it, but it is still dumbfounding me. why even have the slide lock then?

accepable sure, no doubt but imo, they both should feed the same.

the glock rep i spoke to said that Sig V crown was the #1 issue, common to stop up many glocks...not sure i buy that.

the slingshot method, does not work 100% either.

again par for the course

i have been lucky in my life with guns and functionality, largely, and i figured a glock would be a no brainer. we will see.

after this 12 day straight work week, i am going to shoot some more, this time with a bit of cutting oil, and see what happens.