As I understand it, when we(the US) got screwed up w/ a Socialist President who threatened to disarm the populace, many people who had never considered buying a handgun, did just that. A lot of 1st time pistol buyers wanted a pistol that was less expensive, medium size and not quite as powerful as a full tilt 9mm. The .380 filled the bill, and that's what sold the most during the build-up years. Problem was, no ammunition Company or anyone at that time, could have predicted the new found popularity of the lowly .380, and the stocks and manufacturing of .380 ammunition was not any where close to being enough for the demand. And it still is not quite up to where it should be, as the catch up hasn't quite caught up with the still high current demand, hence the high price. It is, after all, just about the same size, manufacturing wise, as a 9mm. It isn't like the Ammunition Companies can slam the cartridge out like it was .22 rimfire.
I am not a fan of .380. While it can do the job up close, ballistically, it is woefully under-powered at more than 7 yds, IMHO. Will it penetrate say like a car side window? Usually, yes, but carry thru power is lacking quite a lot, and the bullet energy just dies after any penetration.
Of course, no, I would not like to get shot with it, either.
As to the G42; Oh yes, it is a keen little pistol that puts the other .380's out there to shame. Easy to carry, easy to use, and just tack driving Accurate. And I do own one and really do like it. So much so, I sold my pristine Walther PPK/S, as I no longer needed that heavy, stiff trigger pull, mule kicking, sharp edged monster, 007 or not! LOL!