42 and 43 are basically the same gun, just different caliber. Having both, I like the 43 better.. Being a Glock fan (42,43,17,19) I got my wife the 42 but she liked my buddies wife’s Sig P238 better. So of course, now I have both. I also like the Sig better for a .380 caliber. My 40 is a Sig too but I’m neutral between it and a Glock. 9mm hands down, my 19 is my favorite. I just read an article on the Sig 365 and I just might have to check and see if it lives up to the hoopla cause it sounds like the perfect compact.
I'm not even experienced firing a .380, I never have. I liked it because of how small the body is. It fits my hand really well, and I can actually conceal the firearm. I have an issue with concealment because of my stride in conjunction with wider hips and small waist, and appendix carry isn't the most comfortable for me. To be fair, I've always tried to conceal large guns like Glock 21s and Springfield 1911s. Ultimately, they'd end up in my purse. The best I've done with concealment on my person is a Walther P22 size body. A couple of undercover detectives have let me play with their Glock 42s and 43s and the frames are virtually identical, so I may just stick with what I know and go 43. But they had suggested I thoroughly evaluate both options because of my small hands.
Now that you mention a Glock 19, I may need to see about getting my hands on one to see how it feels. The dimensions look like they'll fit my hand well too. The issue is that my preferred caliber is ultimately 45, but there isn't a gun made yet that is small enough to conceal on my body with a frame grip that fits my hand in that caliber. At least, not that I know of yet.
What do you enjoy shooting as far as handguns, that is the real questions? I would go to a range and shoot a few magazines through each gun of the caliber you are looking at, if it is a glock great for you considering the discount, if not it is better to pay more for a gun that you enjoy shooting than pay little for a gun you don't and won't shoot.
When I first started shooting most of the people I went to shoot with had glocks and thought they were great, but it turns out I don't shoot well with them, in fact I hate shooting glocks, I shoot the best with gov't model .45, M&P, and XD's
I first learned to shoot a handgun on a Glock 21 using hollowpoint Hornady lol. The gun was ginormous and didn't really fit my hand, hindsight I probably shouldn't have been shooting it at all, but damn I was good with it. The only gun I've ever fired that scared me was the original Ruger LC9 in Gold Edition, with that horrible trigger creep they have since gotten rid of, so I considered trying that again but that trigger creep really messed me up mentally toward the LC models. The 9mm with that light frame felt too delicate, like it was waiting to come apart in my hands. I worked in the manufacturing plant before my current job, and the original Ruger American was too beefy for my tastes, but they've since come out with a thinner model I considered.
I am best with Glocks all around. I find it easier to field strip and clean after firing, I've never had any issues when I'm trying to use it like the mag feeding issues I have with my Walther, and it's important to me for a handgun to feel sturdy. You are right, it's better to pay more for a gun I like than to seize the opportunity of a model I find lesser because of a better discount.
Ultimately, I guess I won't be having much of a chance to even have my guns after I am in so this all may be a moot point, huh?
. (Serious Chevy vs. Ford rivalry where I grew up in Virginia haha)
