Handloading for the Glock 42

I have a G42 as well and hand load for it....we shoot 100 gr. Xtreme plated flat noses and use Unique powder in mixed cases and RCBS dies and CCI primers. I have shot the 100 gr. bullets over between 3.2 and 3.8 gr. of Unique but I'd caution you to work up slowly.

3.8 gr. of Unique is a pretty hot load pushing the 100 gr. bullets at over 1000 fps. Accuracy is outstanding as is reliability.

VooDoo

I did my 380Auto load development with 2.6, 2.8 and 3.0 gr of W231/HP-38 for 100 gr RNFP plated bullets using .945" OAL/COL. TCP 738 produced these shot groups at 7 yards - http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=748320

I have loaded with Win231 as well, and I settled on 2.8 grains with a 100 Berry's RN. It works well in Ruger LCP, have shot it in Bersa and G42.
I have also been loading 2.6 grs of Promo/Red Dot with the same Berry's. A little snappier than the Win231 loads, but still better than factory.

It takes a stronger load for the G42 than it does for the smaller .380s. I've had to load all mine at the upper end to get the slide to function. Loads that work in my LCP won't work in the G42. Wish the recoil spring was a little lighter cause the lower end loads feel like a .22 but they won't operate the slide.
Been using 3.1 grains of Bullseye and 3.0 grains of Titegroup with a Berry 100 grain RNHB bullet, both at .966 oal, with good success. I have a box of the 100 gr. Xtremes but haven't tried them yet.

wlkjr said:

It takes a stronger load for the G42 than it does for the smaller .380s. I've had to load all mine at the upper end to get the slide to function. Loads that work in my LCP won't work in the G42. Wish the recoil spring was a little lighter cause the lower end loads feel like a .22 but they won't operate the slide.

Click to expand...

My Wife is extremely recoil sensitive..she loves to shoot but at 56 and beginning arthritis (2 rounds of chemo, 36 sessions of radiation and 3 rounds of surgery 5+ years ago didn't help....) we were having a problem finding something she was confident in as an SD weapon that she could handle the recoil and really practice with. This is where the G42 and hand loads really shine.

The G42 eats *HoT* loads for breakfast - even my hot rounds that I was cautioned about have her smiling and are accurate for her in rapid fire. The G42 is an extremely soft shooting gun. I'd not shoot my .380 in a blow back gun as it had been built on her Glock 42. We have several thousand rounds down range now with no ill effects to the gun and no signs of excess pressure and the cases are holding up fine.

The Glock 42 shines with hand loads as a self defense/carry gun. Well worth the extra effort to work up a pet load for this gun. Unlike some of the tiny toy "Pocket Monster" .380's out there, the Glock 42 is small but not tiny and can handle premium ammunition without breaking the gun or the shooter. I can't tell you how pleased we are here with our Glock now after 5 months of trying to find something we don't like about it.

Get the little pinky extensions for the mags.

VooDoo

OAL per my note book is .950...flat points will run a little shorter due to the noses being cropped off. I could run them longer as the chamber in the G42 is plenty long but worked up the load at the shorter OAL anticipating shooting them in a Beretta and a Walther that never materialized. They recoil too hard for Mama or they are too big for her to effectively carry in the case of the Beretta pistols.

The G42 is likely to be the only .380 we run as .32 acp is my Poison if I can't have my 9mm or .38 Special.

I have published (Lyman manuals) load data using Unique and Bullseye as propellant with up to 120 gr. bullets and have contemplated running 115 gr. .356 plated bullets in .380 if I could find plated flat nose 115 gr. bullets...which I cannot. I don't shoot round noses in anything/any caliber and don't shoot hollow points in anything smaller/slower than .357 mag. So, it's flat points for me in .380 and .32.

Bullet selection is somewhat limited for the G42 in that I'm not shooting lead because of the polygonal rifling in the Glocks. That leaves plated or jacketed and the flat nose 100 gr. plated from Xtreme have reacted extremely well on ballistic test media. On wet packed straw and phone books and water jugs the .380's I'm shooting give up only a smidgen to my 9mm out of a G26.

I'd think you could run the .380's at .980 in the G42 depending on bullet. Plunk test 'em and run 'em as long OAL as works well in the G42, work up slowly, and lemme know how yer 115 gr. jacketed work out if you go that route. I think the G42 might be a .380 in it's own class as far as ammunition goes...this gun is not yer Grand Dad's blow back .380 as many are finding. Reloading for the G42 has been *very* rewarding for me. I never wanted/needed a .380 in the house until we test shot one and started loading for it.

Did I say I'm really impressed with Glock's smallest pistol?

VooDoo

Art, I don't own a G42 (yet), but have shot my reloads in 3 of them. In one, my Win231 reloads worked perfect with no issues at all, about 50 rounds fired. BTW let me make one correction here -- the Win231 loads were at 2.9gr with an OAL o .976" -- I had stated 2.8 above. I tested 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0 and 3.1 and settled right in the middle of my test loads. All those charges cycled my LCP perfect, the 3.0, 3.1 started feeling snappy. So settled in the middle.
The 2nd G42 only had one mag of my Win231 loads through it, but also, no issues.
The 3rd G42 had all sorts of issues, but that wasn't confined to my loads, it happened with factory as well. It was having an issue where it would fire, extract, eject one round, but then it would either fail to extract or eject on the next round. This was a very consistent issue for the owner and me. I don't know if it needed a big break in period, had gunk in the extractor plunger area or what. After around 80 rounds of my loads it started getting better, but it would still fail to extract/eject around every 3 or 4 or 5 rounds. I need to check with my buddy if it's running better now.
The other load that I'm using is the Promo/Red Dot at 2.6 grs, .976" OAL. I tested those from 2.4 to 2.9. 2.8 and 2.9 were snappy, so came back to 2.6. They have been fine in my LCP.

The more I shoot that G42 and watch it shooting my reloads the more motivated I become to tweak loads and try various bullets to see how much Ooomph and accuracy I can coax out of the G42.

As we discussed, Art, I have data via Lymans's 45th edition that shows a 121 gr. cast bullet behind a max. published load of 3.9 gr. of Unique running 1060 fps out of a 5" barreled Husqvarna. I'd think with some tweaking and careful experimentation one might push a 115 gr. plated bullet over 1000 fps in the G42 as I'm already getting pretty good accuracy and 1050 fps out of a 100 gr. plated bullet *without* any signs of pressure at all yet. And I'm running them pretty short OAL...

Gonna try and grab some 115 gr. .356 Berry's flat noses next time I get to Scheels here and work on a 115 gr. load.

VooDoo

I'd say the 42 is more akin to a wharf rat than a mouse.

Trigger job next and that will leave me @ shooting all RNDS. in a 7yrd. distance. in a SILVER DOLLAR LIKE SPACE! W/100g. HBRN BERB,S. and also 100g. EXTERME's RNFP's. Break in use 100 rnd's facto. I Have to say the/ high end of the chart it works well with. Started w/BE, W231, and now T.Group. Iam having a real time w/the heat go wounder!

Art, I used 100 gr Berry's in my loads. Not 115s. So, if you will use my info, start a bit low... I haven't checked the charts for 115gr bullets.

WLKJR sorry I should have said what he said. I had a hard time using reloaded ammo as a break in period. At the time name brand ammo was hard to find and the cost was high. I don't think I will do that again unless under the same circumstances?

When I get my hands on one of these pistols I'm going to work up a 115gr XTP load for it.

G42 loads

Here is what I have found.

A max load of Universal Clays and a Xtreme RNFP 100gr bullet at .980 will not cycle a G42. Beats the heck out of my Keltec and Star Model s.

I went with a max load of Win 231 @ 3.6 grains at .980. This works perfectly in in my G42. Not snappy and pretty accurate. I even tried 3.8 and 4.0 grains because the G42 is a locked breach design. So much tougher then a blow back design.

The 3.8 were usable but the cases were beat up. The 4.0 was really hot and the writing on the case had started to smear. (Way too hot).

Dan...

I concur with others saying the G42 takes a stout load to cycle reliably. I loaded Berry's 100g with 3.0g of Bulleye at .970

The cases barely made it out of the ejection port.

Good input as soon as it gets below 90* degrees out side I will put my scales back out and air will be on early so I can shut it off as the temp. and air reek havoc on my reloading! I'm increasing OAL's and seeing now that my 42 has been well broke in and I have a nice spectrum of powders and bullets W chrono to work with. I have to say I am within range of powder weights as others.