Does new Glock in .380 add credence to caliber's effectiveness for personal defense?

dbevarly · Jan 6, 2014

So Glock is going to offer a small single stack .380 (Glock 42). I like this caliber and own a CZ83 and Taurus PT 738 pocket pistol chambered in .380 (I love my CZ 83). However, one is always reading how you need to be carrying .45 or 9mm+P for adequate personal defense, or you might as well carry a club.

I'll say this new Glock adds credibility to the .380 as a viable ammo/weapon option and I'm glad to see it arrive. You can read more about it here: http://www.guns.com/2014/01/04/official-meet-glock-42-single-stack-subcompact-380-video/

Glock31c · Jan 7, 2014

I don't understand why they down .380 when it does the same as any other caliber

Dan1612 · Jan 7, 2014

Glock31c said:
I don't understand why they down .380 when it does the same as any other caliber

Because you can have a more powerful round in (usually) the same size. However, if youre recoil sensitive, then 380 makes sense.

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Glock31c · Jan 7, 2014

Dan I can understand that but people are getting real upset about the g42 they can buy what they want they don't know why glock made the gun cause I see a lot of people with .380 I know for a fact that academy sell a lot of sig .380

Dan1612 · Jan 7, 2014

Glock31c said:
Dan I can understand that but people are getting real upset about the g42 they can buy what they want they don't know why glock made the gun cause I see a lot of people with .380 I know for a fact that academy sell a lot of sig .380

They're just disappointed. They love and trust Glock, and a Glock 9mm single stack is way overdue.

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Glock31c · Jan 7, 2014

That's all a lot of guys had to say what you just said

flyandscuba · Jan 7, 2014

Why settle for a weaker cartridge for self defense when you can have 9mm from the same sized pistol? The difference between the Sig 238 and Sig 938 is negligible. Sure, 380 is better than nothing -- but I would be using a FMJ projectile for the penetration rather than a JHP in .380 Heck, I'd almost rather have a 22 Magnum pistol over .380 or .32 ACP...

FrankT · Jan 7, 2014

The disappointment all over the web for this 380 is because of the massive requests for a single stack 9mm over it. The fact that Glock did not listen to its customers is pretty sad. Since Gaston fired his family and took up w his new nurse/wife/whore and become senile he is not running the company as he was. When he dies Glock will be sold to the highest bidder and it will become part of a large conglomerate then. The .380 disappointment take all that into account, I believe.

JohnAL · Jan 7, 2014

dbevarly said:
I'll say this new Glock adds credibility to the .380 as a viable ammo/weapon option

Why would the Glock name on a pistol add credibility to a specific ammo caliber?
I say Glock is trying to fill a market niche and no matter who makes a .380 it adds nothing to the viability of the .380 as a self defense round. It's better than nothing but that's it.

joe · Jan 7, 2014

I am far from a defensive pistol expert.

I had a 380 & I think it is a lot better then nothing. If I am going to carry a gun in the waist band it is at least going to be a 9mm. I prefer to carry 9mm to 40 or 45. That is my preference mainly because I can shoot it more accurately with one hand then the others. In a gun battle you may have to shoot one hand, laying on the ground, with one eye poked out. You never know what or how it will happen.

Their are guys on here who will not carry anything but a 45. Does that make all other calibers useless of course not.

The other thing to remember is in a gun battle its not whether they die or not. It only matters if you can stop the attack or incapacitate them. If you shot someone in the heart with a 22 he will die but it may be 10 mins tell that happens. He may be able to kill you or your loved ones before he dies. In that situation having a gun really did not help you.

Lastly I am bitter they did not make 9mm. They even say on one of their promotional videos that they listened to the customers who where calling out for a 380 when the overwhelming majority of them want a single stack 9mm.

On a positive note is the fact that the barrel on the 42 is 3 inches long. It should have close to 100fps faster velocity then a lot of the pocket 380s out there. Now whether it is small enough to pocket is a different question. If they made a full size 4" model I would buy one for my mother. She has sever arthritis in her hands & I feel it would work great for her. No safety to fool with, full 380 power, & lighter recoil then she has now.

FrankT · Jan 7, 2014

Joe, the 380's I have shot are pretty snappy compared to my G26, so I am not real sure this will have less felt recoil or not??

joe · Jan 7, 2014

FrankT said:
Joe, the 380's I have shot are pretty snappy compared to my G26, so I am not real sure this will have less felt recoil or not??

Frank you may be right but I was referring to if they made a full size 4" barrel 380 for my mother.

JohnAL · Jan 7, 2014

FrankT said:
Joe, the 380's I have shot are pretty snappy compared to my G26, so I am not real sure this will have less felt recoil or not??

My wife has some arthritis in her hands. I let her shoot a Kel-Tec .380 and the PF-9. She said the PF-9 seemed to kick less but she prefers to carry the .380. :shrug

FrankT · Jan 7, 2014

John I had both and agree w her...I still kept the 380 for pocket carry, at least it is small about 1/2 the size of this Glock and lighter too.

JohnAL · Jan 7, 2014

If I want to dress light I drop the PF9 in a cargo pocket with one of the suede like pocket holsters (which do absolutely nothing to keep the pistol upright). Most of the time it's my XDs .45 IWB.

schavey · Jan 11, 2014

Small hands can amplify the feel of the recoil, especially if the small hands cause limpwristing to enable short trigger fingers to reach the trigger. That is a lesson sometimes overlooked, even by Pros, in fitting women to pistols that can be properly operated. It happened to my 4'11" feisty, very small handed wife, at a 5 day defensive handgun course. She had no fear of muzzle blast or recoil, but the Glock 19 did not allow her to properly reach the trigger, and her limpwristing resulted in failures to cycle. She prefers the best of both worlds--low recoil AND proper fit. The Ruger LCP fails on very snappy recoil, the Colt Mustang passes with flying colors on both qualities, as does the Walther PK380, but when she wants to carry a 9mm, she loves the Taurus 709 Slim--a surprisingly good fit for small hands, very comfortable to control, and as accurate as most 9's I have shot.
As for the 380 round, it may be better than nothing, but I would not want to stand in front of someone pressing the trigger on a modern pistol, shooting a modern defensive round.

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Does new Glock in .380 add credence to caliber's effectiveness for personal defense?

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