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View Full Version : P380 vs G42 at the Range



XCO
03-27-2016, 08:24 AM
My wife had been looking for a ccw for a while. I had bought a used P380 w/CT and loved the size and feel of it. Had some issues, a few parts replaced, but runs fine now. Also, just added the Lakeline striker and mag guts +1. Striker channel was extremely full of black gunk, like thick honey - glad I got the Lakeline as I probably would not have ever taken it apart to that level.

We both have fun shooting it at the range.

So wife now wants a ccw. She can't rack the slide on the P380 so we end up with the G42 - buy it brand new. First trip to range, she has occasional jams, one round pushing up the rear of the fired round, a few stovepipes, and failures to lock back after the last round. Hmmm, bad gun?, technique?, ammo? Next week, I take it to the range alone with my P380 and 150 rounds of Sig Performance (since it's a flat nose, maybe that's the issue?). 100 rounds thru the G42 - one failure to extract. Then I put 50 thru the P380 - no issues at all. Note: shooting the G42 for 100 straight then picking up the P380, it was easy to tell that the G42 does have a bit lighter recoil but not by much.

Bought a case of Lawman - good sale at Target Sports btw -$279. Beats the $21 reloads at the range. Cleaned and lubed both and took wife to range last Sunday.

We shoot 100 rounds each, her with G42 and me w P380. She has about 3-4 failures to lock back after ~80 rounds - figure her wrist is tiring, but those were her only failures this time - breaking in maybe, better technique as she's getting used to it? P380 - again not a glitch. Let wife fire the P380 when she started to have lock back probs - P380 locked as it should - flawless 100 rounds.

Both were very accurate at 5-10 yds. She could typically connect 3-4 shots each mag with the G42 w/o laser. And, the P380 w/ct can easily shoot out the middle of any target at that range.

All I can add is that both guns had issues - I never expected the G42 would even have a burp, but it did - right out of the box. The Kahr I feel, if it was cleaned from the beginning would have been fine, I believed the dealer (learned from that one - stay away from AO in Marietta GA), but it is a great gun, and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

-Ken

gun papa
03-28-2016, 12:42 AM
My Wife's G42 has only had the rare fail to lock open, otherwise GTG. She loves it.

SGT5711
03-28-2016, 12:46 PM
I have a P380 and have shot the G42. I thought there was a lot more recoil and muzzle flip in the G42. My P380 feels like it is a .22 honestly.

dsk
03-28-2016, 09:44 PM
Some folks have had no issues with their G42s, while others have had nothing but. If there's a universal complaint it's that the recoil spring assembly is too strong and will often cause cycling issues until broken in. I suggest leaving her G42 with the slide locked back for a week then go out and try it again.

z8894
04-23-2016, 06:46 AM
My wife has a G42 and it occasionally doesn't lock open. We've determined the cause to be limp risk. Works fine when I shoot it. It had a few cycling issues in the 1st 100 rounds. No problems since, it has +2000 rounds through it now.

hardluk1
04-23-2016, 07:00 AM
I like my kahrs but in a micro 380 its would be my wifes TCP over the p380 even if cost was the same .

Might have been better off with the large CT380 . Size is larger than the P380 but shorter and taller than a glock 42. Folks around here have mention since the smaller kahr 380 came out there not for the weak handed shooters men or women .

Pointblank
04-24-2016, 09:35 PM
I own and like both pistols. It's very easy to inadvertently touch the slide lock lever on the Glock 42. Once you get the grip down correctly, it's fine.