Why I will not buy a little, single stack handgun

[88E30M50]

A person probably won't run out of bullets but time. Never enough time. Extra ammo is simply more time to stay in the fray. Distance is time so work on recognizing threats early. BBI and Cedartop can help with that lesson. Putting a firearm into action takes time and some carry methods are not as fast. Missing is most definitely time. Misses take time and create liability. Don't miss. No such thing as accuracy by volume. If you do carry a single stack sub compact (like I sometimes do) especially under deep concealment keep in mind that time is your enemy.

Another thing to add is to practice with ammo that is similar to your carry ammo as often as possible. Too many folks practice with WWB or other light loads, then load up with +P for carry. This is one area that hand loading helps with, in that you can load ammo that's close to your carry ammo, yet is cheap enough to shoot a lot of.

BBI's stats have convinced me to focus on those first three to five rounds and make those as effective as possible. To that end, I'm willing to give up on capacity for an improved caliber. But, the G30 kind of lets me have both. It gives me 10+1 rounds of .45 in a package that can be taken in 80% of the places I go. I've got options that gets me most of that last 20%, but I've found little downside to the G30.

 

[STEEL CORE]

My wife has been wanting a G-42 .380 for a while now. I had purchased her a G43 in 9mm, had GNS installed by Glock in Smyrna Ga, last summer, but she never warmed up to it. It is now a range toy. She likes her G-17, but walks a lot and wanted a pocket pistol for whatever may come her way away from home. Recently I brought back out of retirement a lil .25 auto (Intratec Protec) we had but she shot it and the firing pin broke. So.............I had been waiting for my local Police Supply to get a Blue Label G-42 in, but they were on back order, so I spent my time perusing the not so great reviews and comments here on GlockTalk, you tube, and any place else the G-42 was cussed or discussed.
This weekend the brother of another officer I work with I found out had a G-42 for sale, he wanted $380, and it was stock, with box, two 6 rd mags marked 01, and a kydex mag pouch. The seller said he had put around four hundred rounds down range with no problems except once with a box of Fiocchi ammo.
Skeptically I agreed to meet him and after closely looking the G-42 over, I bought it.
On my way home, I stopped by Wal Mart and checked their ammo selection....................whew this stuff is expensive, around $20 a box after tax! They had Federal, Winchester, and Tula. the Tula was cheapest, but I cannot use it at the indoor range that collects the brass. So, I settled on a box of fifty rounds of Winchester white box 95 gr FMJ.
I finally got home and took the new to us G-42 down. It had none of the noteworthy upgrades I have read about except for the 01 marked magazines, both of which had the flat floorplate on them, which I prefer. I noticed the copper colored anti seize grease was still noticeable in the slide.
Yesterday I took it and the box of Winchester .380 to my range, loaded both magazines, held my breath, and after loading round #1, fired off all fifty rounds of the only .380 I had, with no hiccup, mishap, feed, eject or FUBAR moment of any kind.
The pistol was easy to shoot, very accurate at close range, and the trigger pull was nice.

Go figure?
Now my wife has not fired it yet, so stay tuned for her introduction to it.
But for me, right now, IMHO that's G-42 is a nice sweet little mini Glock, I am proud to add to the collection. By the way the Winchester white box FMJ actually had a flat headed profile to it.

Here it is "Made In the USA", Oct 2014

View attachment 46882

 

[RMC]

Another thing to add is to practice with ammo that is similar to your carry ammo as often as possible. Too many folks practice with WWB or other light loads, then load up with +P for carry. This is one area that hand loading helps with, in that you can load ammo that's close to your carry ammo, yet is cheap enough to shoot a lot of.

BBI's stats have convinced me to focus on those first three to five rounds and make those as effective as possible. To that end, I'm willing to give up on capacity for an improved caliber. But, the G30 kind of lets me have both. It gives me 10+1 rounds of .45 in a package that can be taken in 80% of the places I go. I've got options that gets me most of that last 20%, but I've found little downside to the G30.

 

[VERT]

BBI has good posts. I would listen to him. More then likely few rounds will be exchanged. But you never know.

I like the concept of the Glock 42. I think it is a better size then the very small .380 micro guns. If I were to buy a .380 today it would be a G42. But I have noticed they can still be picky eaters.

 

[lovemachine]

BBI has good posts. I would listen to him. More then likely few rounds will be exchanged. But you never know.

I like the concept of the Glock 42. I think it is a better size then the very small .380 micro guns. If I were to buy a .380 today it would be a G42. But I have noticed they can still be picky eaters.

But why buy a Glock 42 when you can get the Glock 43? Almost identical in size, larger caliber, cheaper to shoot....

 

[CampingJosh]

But why buy a Glock 42 when you can get the Glock 43? Almost identical in size, larger caliber, cheaper to shoot....

My wife doesn't like shooting 9mm, so she won't practice with anything 9mm. She likes shooting .380s, so she'll practice.

Everybody is different. A good shot with a .380 is better than a hope with a 9mm.

 

[VERT]

But why buy a Glock 42 when you can get the Glock 43? Almost identical in size, larger caliber, cheaper to shoot....

I'm still not completely sold on the Glock 43. Time will tell though. I think it is borderline too small. It is a bit of a handful. Both the G42 and G43 are pretty easy to "limp wrist". I have yet to see a lady make it through basic instruction without a stoppage. IMO the Glock 26 is still the better choice in the Glock lineup and the original Wather PPS is the the single stack Glock should have made.

 

[STEEL CORE]

In my case my wife has a Glock-17 that she loves, but wanted a smaller sized for EDC. She is one mean Korean firecracker, but at 5'3 130, The Glock-17 was a bit to carry during her daily ten mile hikes (yep look out Hamilton County she walks for hours, or has a boyfriend around 146 st who knows), anyway I got her a G-43, and she said that was still a bit big and even 115 gr 9mm in a small package was "no good" as she would put it. (OK more for me then I have a G-43 range toy), but after careful consideration, and a surprise spring bonus check from work, she got a G-42, and I got to run a box of ammo through with my G-43 and she should now be happy, happy, happy.

 

[Expat]

Anyone not choosing the same guns and carry methods as me, is simply wrong and dangerously so.

 

[ART338WM]

I am by no means a expert on armed encounters as thankfully I have never been involved in one and hope never to be. But I simply see no commonality or usefulness of using a law officer involved shootout as a evidence for a CIVILIN to carry a full sized high capacity HG with multiple high capacity magazines, as the only viable option for self protection for a number of reasons.


#1-No civilian in their right mind should ever pursue a assailant while at the same time engaging in a running gun battle, such a course of action by a civilian will more likely than not end badly for them as a fleeing assailant no longer poses a threat in the eyes of most courts around the country.

#2-For a civilian to engage in a prolonged gun battle where 15-30 rounds are discharged by said civilian at a attacker who is almost certainly going to be moving as well as returning fire at the civilian greatly increases the chances of one or more innocent uninvolved bystanders of being wounded or killed, and for a civilian, unlike a police officer, such tragedy will not and can not be viewed as a unintended consequence and or tragedy of the officer carrying out his sworn duty, the civilian will likely be facing criminal charges as well as definite civil law suit.

#3-As was already stated few assailants are going to view a suddenly and unexpected armed victim with the same threat level as a police officer as a armed civilian poses no threat of arrest or incarceration and the bad guy need only leave to remain free.

#4-Lastly IMHO the average armed citizen going about his daily business has nothing in common with and therefore has nearly zero chance of even once finding themselves in the type of armed encounters with hardened criminals the police officers face on a near daily basis.

I gladly concede having 15 rounds of 9mm and the accuracy that a FS HG provides is much preferred over that of a subcompact, but FOR me there are MANY occasions when wearing a FS HG in a public place while in the presence of those that would react poorly (read dial 911 and scream "MAN WITH A GUN") if I printed while carrying and when it's 90*++ as is often the case in NW Indiana, again for me wearing a FS HG IWB is simply not doable for my size and body shape and I have the $$$ invested in different IWB holsters to prove it. When clothing allows I carry either a full sized 9mm or a FS 45acp, neither are doable FOR ME while wearing clothing appropriate for 90 or above temps.

For me 8 rounds of 9mm with 8 more backing it up is far better than none at all.

Just my .2c

 

[seagullplayer]

I carry a single stack 9, and almost never carry a second clip.

I am good with that.

 

[VERT]

I carry a single stack 9, and almost never carry a second clip.

I am good with that.

I am ashamed to admit that when I carry a Single Stack 9 I also do not carry an extra MAGAZINE. My pockets are already full with flashlight, keys and wallet. Hanging a spare mag on my belt defeats the purpose of deeper concealment. When I can dress around the gun a bit I go with a larger weapon and spare magazine. So the small single stack really is a a specific handgun for a specific purpose. That being concealment or just beating around the house mowing grass and such. Heck when I am working around the house I even ditch the wallet and keys but I keep the light.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I am ashamed to admit that when I carry a Single Stack 9 I also do not carry an extra MAGAZINE. My pockets are already full with flashlight, keys and wallet. Hanging a spare mag on my belt defeats the purpose of deeper concealment. When I can dress around the gun a bit I go with a larger weapon and spare magazine. So the small single stack really is a a specific handgun for a specific purpose. That being concealment or just beating around the house mowing grass and such. Heck when I am working around the house I even ditch the wallet and keys but I keep the light.

I've got a doo-dad that's basically an ankle holster for other gear. It holds handcuffs, a spare mag (or light), and a tourniquet. They've also got them that are specifically for med pouches as well. I like having a reload, although I realize it's mostly psychological. The tourniquet, though, that's the main reason.

 

[RMC]

Tourniquets are good if you wound your attacker in the head or upper neck region.

 

[VERT]

I've got a doo-dad that's basically an ankle holster for other gear. It holds handcuffs, a spare mag (or light), and a tourniquet. They've also got them that are specifically for med pouches as well. I like having a reload, although I realize it's mostly psychological. The tourniquet, though, that's the main reason.

I have considered buying an ankle rig so I can carry a small med kit. But haven't out of shear laziness.

 

[ru44mag]

Yep, same here. I normally carry a bigger gun OWB, but if I'm going to a movie theater or somewhere guns aren't allowed, my little Shield is tucked behind my hip at 4 o'clock with a t-shirt over it. I've tried concealing larger guns, but they never worked out for me. The Shield works fine where I would normally have to choose between having a gun or not having a gun.

SSSSHHHHHH. Some things need to be kept secret.

 

[Roadie]

I have concealed a full size Canik TP9 into a theater, restaurant, etc. IWB hybrid holster. at about 4 o'clock, with a good belt, and an untucked shirt. Voila

 

[roscott]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with carrying a larger gun, or carrying more ammo. However, statistically speaking, your ability to draw and get two or three good hits as fast as possible is by far the most important aspect of self-defense shooting.

I carry a XDs single stack 9mm. According to the OP's reasoning, that is an inferior gun. However, if I can draw and get three good hits faster than he can with his M&P full size, then I am better prepared. And someone that carries a j-frame 5-shot that can draw and get three good hits before me is better prepared still. If we were in combat or SHTF, different rules would apply.

Carrying a big gun is great. Getting good hits fast is even better.

 

[Nam1911]

I made a pocket holster for my spare 9mm so not carrying a spare mag is not an option. I don't carry it often of my 7+1 XDS9 is for quick trips and AIWB carry. I don't feel undergunned at all and it is easy to shoot fast and shoot well.

 

[Indy317]

Last month I purchased a Glock 43 as a back-up pistol. I never cared for the small .380s so I never shot or purchased one of them. At one time I owned a Glock 27, but sold it and instead purchased a Ruger LCR with fully enclosed hammer in .357. The LCR is the gun I go running with, and I use a 5.11 holster bag for it. I haven't checked, but I think the 43 should also work in the bag as well. This week I had a chance to shoot my Glock 43 for the first time. I was only able to fire 42 rounds through it, using two different types of FMJ ammo I purchased from Walmart. The purpose was just to make sure it works and to try and break it in. I originally had 200 rounds to fire through this gun, but didn't have time to shoot them all.

The first 12 I shot from fifty yards at a silhouette torso with arms style target. My shots were higher than I though they would be and to the left. I only hit eight rounds on the paper and only two on the actual target, but this was from fifty yards and the first shots from the gun. I then shot from the 25 yard line and still shot high, but hit more rounds on the target. From the fifteen on up, it is fairly easy to hit what you are aiming at.

My current thoughts having shot both low capacity revolvers and semi-autos:

Accuracy: For me and my style of shooting, they are OK for close quarters self-defense, but I don't know if I would even want to engage anything over fifteen yards away. With my LCR, I'm usually carrying it for dogs that might attack while I'm running, and my thought process is that anything I would feel the need to shoot at in self-defense would be fairly close. Usually in self-defense situations where one is in danger, taking the time to aim, control breathing, etc. might be affected by fear, adrenaline, etc.. I try to shoot quick, but controlled, and point and pull. I saw one training video and the guy in the video was older and he made a good comment about how handguns are really only for close-quarter battles. He said he thinks that a handgun that is drawn and aimed, with trigger finger on the side should be accurate enough close up, and that a human sized target that the trigger finger is pointed at should most likely be hit somewhere if the shooter fires. My goal is to eventually take my LCR, the 43, and the 23 and do a side by side comparison of instinctive point and pull shooting.

Capacity: I wish the capacity of the 43 could be larger with a standard magazine. I'm not really one to carry an extra magazine. I've tried it, but I usually leave it at home. If a person is going through the hassle of carrying another magazine due to low capacity, they may as well just carry a G23 or similar sized handgun with a much larger capacity. By carrying a firearm with a larger capacity in the first place, one won't have to worry about obtaining the second magazine, doing a mag change under stress, etc..

Overall: If one is mostly focused on protecting them and theirs, then I don't see an issue with low capacity handguns. However, if someone is of the mindset that they would run toward an active shooter to engage them, engage someone robbing a fast food or retail store they are in, engage in longer distances, and/or would stay in a protracted gun battle when they could likely flee to safety (lets just say that the shooter would be 100% justified as other innocent lives are in danger), then I would say that such a person might not want to carry a low capacity, short barrel firearm because they could run out of ammo and/or not be as accurate even with aimed shooting.

I will still likely carry my G23 as it is the gun I've got the most training on, fired the most, etc.. There might be times I will carry the G43, maybe doing yard work (I do carry the LCR when out in the yard). Even as I get more training on the G43, I just don't know if I want to sacrifice capacity and accuracy since it is easy enough for me to carry IWB.