This is the third part of a three-part series exploring the ballistic performance of the new GLOCK 42. In this segment, I’m comparing the performance of the G42 against a comparably-sized pocket 9mm pistol, the Kahr PM9. Why? Isn’t it a tad silly to compare a .380 against a 9mm? Yes, yes it is. The 9mm is and always has been a significantly more powerful cartridge. So much so, that I consider the .380’s main benefit to be the fact that it provides the opportunity for firearms to be made smaller, lighter, and more-concealable. Given that context . . .
I think a .380 definitely fills a good niche – it’s capable of delivering a decent hit, and the pistols can be shrunken to tiny dimensions that make them almost disappear in a pocket.
The GLOCK 42, however, is a little bigger than your standard .380 micro-pistol. Here’s a Taurus TCP overlaid on top of the 42.
It’s not night-and-day bigger, but it’s enough of a difference that the GLOCK is, in fact, basically the same size as a pocket 9mm. Which raises the question – if you’re willing to carry a pistol that’s the size of the GLOCK 42, you could also accommodate a Kahr PM9 or Sig P938…so why shouldn’t you? What do you give up in terms of ballistic performance from the G42, as compared to a comparably-sized PM9?
Take a look at them side-by-side in the photo at the top. Since they’re very comparably-sized with comparable capacity, it seems reasonable to compare them in terms of performance.
The ammo selected for this test is Hornady Critical Defense. There are many reasons I selected Critical Defense. First, it’s available in both calibers. Second, it’s extremely popular. And third, it was an excellent performer when I tested it from a short-barrel 9mm. However, it was a rather lousy performer when I tested it from the TCP. So (along the lines of the question I explored in Part II) I also want to see if Critical Defense will perform better from the GLOCK 42’s longer barrel than it did from the TCP’s shorter barrel.
The question really becomes, if you can choose from two nearly-identical-sized pistols, both with identical capacity, and both carrying Hornady Critical Defense, how does each perform?
Check the video for the full test results, but the executive summary is: duh. While Critical Defense was indeed a better performer from the GLOCK 42 than it was from the TCP (gaining about a full inch of penetration depth), it still pales in comparison to what the 9mm delivered. The GLOCK 42 with Critical Defense delivered 9” of penetration, and the Kahr 9mm delivered 12” of penetration, with slightly larger-expanded bullets too. That’s a big, big difference.
However, let’s also consider that the results of Part I’s testing (using a Hornady XTP bullet in the GLOCK 42) were a solid 13” of penetration, even more than the Kahr 9mm delivers with Critical Defense. So it’s not like the GLOCK 42 is incapable of delivering that depth of penetration, it’s just that Critical Defense is the wrong round for the job.
Using Precision One ammo with the Hornady XTP resulted in over 13” of penetration from the GLOCK (and, I’d wager, so would Fiocchi Extrema, Hornady Custom, or any of the several other loadings of XTP bullets in .380 ACP). But even then, we have to consider that penetration is only one aspect of the story. The Critical Defense bullets from the 9mm expanded to a bigger size than the XTP bullets from the .380. And that means more tissue destroyed.
9MM Critical Defense .380 ACP XTP bullet
Barrel: 3.00” 3.25”
Velocity: 1100 fps 931 fps
Mass: 115 grains 90 grains
Expanded diameter: .52” .43”
Penetration: 12.00” 13.15”
Tissue destroyed: 35.58 grams 26.66 grams
More mass, more momentum, higher velocity, bigger bullet size, and 33% more tissue destroyed. All point to the 9mm being a substantially more powerful cartridge, from a gun that’s the same basic size and (in its less expensive CM9 variant) about the same price as the GLOCK 42.
Given that context, to me it’s pretty clear, you’re significantly better armed with a pocket 9mm than you would be with a same-sized .380, and the longer barrel of the GLOCK doesn’t make up for the inherent power difference of the 9mm vs. the .380 ACP.
I like the GLOCK 42. It’s a great little pistol. And if you like GLOCKs and have other GLOCKs and want to keep consistency throughout your collection, it could be a good choice. But as a micro-pistol it’s not as small as other options. And for its size it’s not as powerful as other options. If you can handle the recoil and blast of a pocket 9mm, I believe you would be better armed with one of those over the GLOCK 42.
It would take some specific requirements for me to recommend the GLOCK 42 over a pocket 9mm; primarily, if you need the softer shooting that the larger .380 pistol provides (and it is a very comfortable, very soft shooter). Or if you have weak hands and need its easy slide-racking ability. The G42 is far and away the smallest GLOCK and it’s a fine pistol in its own right. If you choose to go with a GLOCK 42, though, ammo selection is more critical than it would be with a 9mm. But if you choose appropriate ammo you can still get deep enough penetration to meet the FBI requirements, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
“Preempting a ban on firearms in public housing, ensuring that the right to self-defense should not be infringed based on where one calls home.”
This is huge, and those supporting it could yell this from the rooftops.
Any state legislator voting against this bill is essentially claiming that everyone in public housing is assumed to be a criminal (isn’t that the justification used for not allowing guns in public housing, to keep guns out of criminals?).
Here we have something that represents true equality – an equal opportunity for self defense and the right to life – and yet someone votes against it.
Oh your done alright piers. You have as much legitimacy as roseanne at a weight watchers meeting.See ya.
Someone else said it early on. looks to me like the cases were very narrow on their facts, and uncontroversial overall (no one gets too excited that 18-to-20 year olds aren’t allowed to buy beer in some parts of the world, either). I think the court is looking at bigger fish to fry when they decided to take a case.
I knew everyone would use this post to dish on the lowly .380. There is one MAJOR difference between a pocket .380 and a “pocket” 9: pocketability. My P3AT (.77″ wide, 8.3 oz.) is without a doubt a pocket pistol. My P290 (at .90″ wide, 20.5 oz. slightly bigger than a PM9 or Solo) feels like an I-beam in there (and no, I am not happy to see you). When I’m out on a quick errand, when I’m relaxing at home, when I’m out for a run, or when I’m dressed up and can’t conceal IWB, the P3AT in a Nemesis pocket holster is what I carry.
Yes but the difference with the actual .380 Glock 42 and the actual 9mm CM9/PM9 is that the Kahr is the same capacity and is smaller. Neither are pocketable, or both are. Depending on the pockets.
Can someone smarter than me (don’t worry, it doesn’t take much) explain what point #3 is? What exactly is an “absolute defense?” I’ve never heard that terminology before.
I wonder if Mr Morgan has a warrant for his prosecution and return back to the UK may have to call my best friend who happens to be a bondsman and see if there’s a reward on returning him via a jumbo jet to the UK for prosecution?
I’d like to buy him a ticket on row boat back to England.
“When you can get a polymer framed singlestack 9mm that’s smaller and lighter than a Walther PPK, what reason is there for the .380 to exist?”
Reduced Recoil, faster follow up shots, less flash, etc.
Just my guesses.
I’ve tried the FNS9 and FNS40 at ranges that rented them.
The triggers on the ones I tried were not especially crisp in either case. The FNS9 had a rather mushy, spongy release. The FNS40 was less mushy but required somewhere north of ten pounds of force to pull the trigger. For what it’s worth both ran reliably and sent the bullets to where I pointed the front sight.
For what it’s worth, having also tried the FNP and FNX pistols, I prefer the FNS with the manual safety. Being a 1911 guy from way back, I am accustomed to putting my thumb on the safety before the pistol comes out of the holster, and using the safety as a thumbrest, the better to get the highest possible grip on the pistol. The FNS’s safety doesn’t mind being used as a thumbrest. The FNP and FNX, on the other hand, can’t be held that way–as the gun rises and rotates backward in recoil the thumb will move the safety down past the “safe” position and about halfway down to “decock,” locking the gun up until you figure it out and take your thumb off the safety. In my opinion this is a Bad Thing.
As the whole point of frame-mounted safeties is that they can also be used as a thumbrest in this manner, I can only shake my head whenever I see this misbegotten arrangement–which was introduced by our friends at Taurus, to no one’s great surprise. But then I am an opinionated old fart who loathes decockers and DA/SA systems as well.
And yes, police departments have been training to the lowest denominator for a long, long time. So have most armies. “The conscripts shoot themselves in the foot whenever we allow them to touch a pistol! What shall we do?” “Perhaps we should teach them to keep their buttscratchers off the bang switch until they intend to fire.” “Don’t be silly, I’ve been reading these sales brochures from Walther…” If I were king of the world, anyone who isn’t competent to operate a handgun that has a manual safety would be walking a beat with a wooden nightstick and a can of pepper-mace.
Does it actually say “His property” on the young lady’s neck?
ShootingTheBull410
I have a request. Could you include a measure of the amount of force required rack the slide back on the G42, the CM9, and a small pocket .380?.
I’m interested because I’ve observed my girlfriend has a hard time racking the slide on a CM9 and I’m thinking the one saving grace of a larger .380 such as the G42 is a potentially a less-stout recoil spring. But how much less stout is it?
Very curious!
-D
my wife has a hand strength problem, and a friend introduced us to the ruger LC-380. you can rack the slide with two fingers. really amazing.
How about some face tattoos like this genius: http://www.heyjackass.com/enlightening-commentary/honor-student-of-the-week-6/
Nothing will advance your career like a gangland face tat.
And whether said career is in Chicagoland or not.
A tattoo in a place that won’t be hidden by clothing is a good way to instantly reduce the number of employers who might hire you. Add something as potentially controversial as the name of a gun manufacturer and you just make it worse.
Unfair? Perhaps. Life isn’t fair.
There’s also that old Jeff Foxworthy joke that comes to mind – something about an eagle on your shoulder eventually becoming a buzzard on your back whey you’re seventy.
Do own the Rem 700 SPS Tac Acc sd @ .308. Tried several brands of ammo at 165 grains and its almost frustrating having shots to 2-4 MOA at 100 yards.
Shimmed the barrel and had it truly freefloat and tried 168gr and higher. Results, .35 – .55 MOA for 168gr Remington Premier Match Cartridge, 168gr Hornady TAP A MAX, and 168gr Winchester Match Ammo. And .7 – 1.5 MOA for 180gr Remington Core Lokt, 175gr 7.62 Mil Surplus, Hornady 165gr SST.
Shimmed the barrel with prescription plastic bottle (orange) which fits very well where the action sits on the stock. I did some research online and almost all uses soda aluminum cans as a shim.
Having great accuracy with 168gr ammo, do i need to change the plastic shim to aluminum??? what is the long term effect of the plastic shim?
I apologized for the questions, but need feedback from the experts.
Thank you.
I’m a gun nut. (Not so much a brand loyalist like the above picture seem to me to be) I also have 2 separate tattoo’s. Neither one of them really have anything to do with guns, or any brand whatsoever. Point being getting inked is a personal thing, and it should be something that 20 years or more from now you will not be ashamed to still have on your body.
The point is not to have power. The point is to not be powerless when some trash decides to target you.
Unless your already inked up.
Think ahead a few years for your sake a lot of years.
Where they gonna put you tatted up??
Hmmm, for $200, both! As I could flip either one and get a S&W shield or G26 which is what I really want. Plus I already have a R51 that is nickel plated and from when they first made them.
The Idaho State Journal has no interest in fair reporting when it comes to guns. A few years ago I started keeping track of the anti-gun opinions published on the editorial page. Last year alone they had 24 anti-gun opinions, with only 4 pro-rights opinions.
The story about the NRC pulling the license to conduct nuclear research is just the last ditch effort to scuttle the guns on campus bill. The NRC story, I believe, was put out to deliberately mislead the public. Two universities within 175 miles of ISU, with nuclear engineering programs larger than ISU’s, allow guns on campus. The University of Utah nuclear engineering department has an operating research reactor and conducts more engineering research than ISU. Utah State University also has a nuclear engineering program. President Vailas certainly knows that, as ISU competes with those universities for research grants from the NRC.
You are a bunch of fools. First the Sks saftey is not ambi! Im a lefty, its a bitch. Also if a stamped sheet metal AK receiver can handle full auto, my milled reciever SKS would also. It has a chrome lined bore. The rest is actually better than the AK. The SKS was cheap, thats why folks are ignorant about em, they cost more than and AK to make, yet are cheaper, although now, there are way more cheap stamped ak’s than SKS’s! The 7.63×39 round was first made and chambered for the SKS and as usual, it was made stronger than actually required. So, go play your video games….kids
Straight from The WH Dept of Propaganda!
At 2:00 a.m. the only children out are the gang bangers and thugs. The defendant would have been the one requiring protection from the children.
To me the FBI minimum of 12 inches is stupid. It should be 10-16 i think they over exaggerated the distance needed to create incapacitation. I think that explains why you see so many pass throughs with .40s and I think they should lower the standards due to that problem. Lets face it guys .380 can get the job done. Look at our history for proof if you dont believe me. Two shots fired from a .380 started World War I. Those two shots proved fatal. So if you ever hear anyone say it cant get the job done that person dont know what their talking about and typically they get that conclusion from the fact that it may not travel 12 inches in gel.
I love my kahr cm9 and it met my needs for ccw, especially for summer months when I wear shorts and tee shirt. I don’t want a 9mm vs .45 debate….but again for me, I don’t want a caliber above 9mm in a gun that small.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a Glock hater but I have to point out that the Kahr PM40 is the same size as thePM9 and is just a tad smaller than the Glock 42… Yes, Smaller! and 40SW. Put those ballistics in your pipe and smoke ’em!
And both are giants compared to my Kahr P380.
I agree. I carry a Kahr P380 because it is tiny. if someone is going to carry a G42- sized pistol they really ought to move up to a 9mm. I don’t see the point of the G42.
Shooting a 380 is like shooting a cap gun. The lack of recoil in a tense situation could make all the difference. That weighs heavily to me and should be considered regardless of a persons ability to handle recoil.
And on the PM40 it’s like a stick dynamite in your fist! and small! Love It!
.380 has more than enough stopping power.
Wow, what an incredible amount of $h!t talking that’s going on here. Apparently, in the forum world, a .380 will bounce off your chest. It’s half a step above throwing rocks. However, in the real world, a .380 fired from a pocket gun at “7” YARDS will go through your typical residential front door. This reviewer admits as much when confessing that XTP rounds over penetrate. .380 is far more controllable than a 9mm from a similarly sized platform. At defensive distances of 7-10 yards, both the .380 and 9mm from pocket guns will be just as effective and ineffective. They will both, given the right ammunition, penetrate an assailant deep enough to cause death with proper shot placement. Neither is a man stopper without shot placement. For that matter, you don’t get there with a pistol caliber until you use super hot .357’s out a full sized pistol or .44 or higher calibers. In other words, USE THE HIGHEST CALIBER YOU CAN CONTROL EFFECTIVELY IN A DEFENSIVE ENGAGEMENT. If you can’t rapidly put two in the chest and one in the head, with consistency, from seven yards, then the stronger 9mm round is useless. If you can do that with the .380, then you have the right tool for the job. If you can do that with a hot loaded .357 pocket wheel gun, then even better. However, that’s not the norm. So let’s cut out the BS. A .380 and a 9mm are both lethal from defensive distances. Your ability, or lack thereof, determines how much.