[Jover87]

Hello fellow glockers. I am seeking advice regarding an issue with my g42 and its inability to chamber HP rounds. The issue causes the nose of the round to jam into the feed ramp and the slide to lock back. It happens with every round in the magazine (i.e. Not just the first round from a fully loaded magazine). The type of ammo is Gold Dot 90g HP. The only mods to the gun are TFO sights, grip, and Pierce +1 mag ext. Before the mag mods I have fired a little over 3000 rounds (all Spear or American Eagle FMJ) and after the mag mods I have fired over 2500 rounds of the same. I have literally not had a single FTF or FTE with over 5000 FMJ rounds but I recently bought several boxes of Gold Dot HP for defense rounds and the first time I go to chamber it I have had issues. I have not attempted to take this to the range with HPs as I feel it would just be frustrating and a waste of time knowing I cannot even chamber a round. I have been recommended by several LEOs to polish the feed ramp but I have read mixed reviews on this.

I have tried cleaning it extensively and have left it sit for weeks with the slide locked back as per recommendations on the many other threads that exist regarding similar issues. Does anyone have other suggestions that I can take so I can reliable feed defense HP rounds? I absolutely love this gun but do not want to be limited to FMJs for defense carry.

 

[HEXE9]

I would recommend NOT touching the feedramp.

You've had 5,000+ rounds flawless without a failure.

My recommendation would be to replace the RSA and see if that gets you back to where you were.

 

[tenntornado]

My G42 had issues feeding Federal Hydrashocks,
A little Flitz and a Dremel got it feeding anything that will fit in the mag.

 

[OBG17]

I don't know when yours was made, but I found this on the Hickok45 Channel in his first review of the 42 about 2 years ago. It may shed some light on your issue.

*****It seems as though Glock has silently changed their slide release lever for the 42. I saw a side by side comparison of two 42's, one manufactured in January, and the other in March. The portion of the slide release that contacts the notch in the front of the magazine follower has been re-profiled, and was rounded off a bit on the portion that is closest to the ammunition in the magazine. I wonder if the Buffalo Bore's wide hollow point was actuating the slide release as the next round in the magazine was being fed in.

hickok45's response - With further study, I believe that's exactly what it is. I've honed mine down a little, but I need to work on it just a little more. Since mine seems fine with all ammo I've tried, except the Buffalo Bore, I don't have any serious problems to deal with. Still, I'm going to carefully take a little more off the release.

 

[Jim]

I have a pair of G42's, one has fired several hundred Gold Dots and the other has fired over a thousand! And about another thousand rds each of FP reloads that have a profile similar to the Gold Dot. Neither gun has ever had a failure to feed except when the slide locked open with rounds still in the mag. That was very common on the early guns, very rare on current production which have the -2 slide stop and 03 mags.

I'd start out by making sure the gun has the newer parts I mentioned. If it does, lose the mag extensions and see what happens.

It may not be true in your case, but "People keep fixing their Glock until it's broken."

 

[zaitcev]

I would start by replacing the RSA. Feeding 5,000 rounds is a lot. Mine is under 2,000 still and has no trouble feeding Gold Dots, but I would not surprised if issues started at 5,000 mark. If that doesn't help, then look into magazines. Get a couple of new 03s.

 

[harold63]

On polishing the feed ramp, whether it's the issue, or not; you can get better feeding with some HP's. It isn't taboo to polish a ramp, either, long as you use the right material and you stay away from power tools. 1000 grit to 1500 to 2000 (wet/dry paper, of course), by hand, will produce a mirror finish on the ramp, without removing metal, and it takes all of 15 or 20 minutes. 1000 grit should be used the least to get rid of the 'rough'. A little more liberal with the 1500 to remove some of the 1000 sand marks, and very liberal with the 2000 for the 'mirror' I use plain 'ol 5w20 as a lube for the paper instead of water. It works great.

We had a Bersa 380 that had the black finish in the feed ramp (don't know why) and would not feed HP's. I removed the finish with the above grits and in the order I listed and when done, you could see yourself in the feed ramp, and it would feed HP's.

 

[t4terrific]

I haven't tried Gold Dots, but I've put a couple boxes of HST's and Golden Sabers through my early make 42.

No problems with those types.

After watching some Youtube vids, I switched to Hornaday XTP's. They say Hydra-Shoks are excellent in .380 too.

 

[bub]

When I tried Gold Dots in my G42, I noticed the HP cavity hanging up on the feed ramp. This, however, only happens sometimes when fed by hand. When I actually shoot the HP ammo, there is absolutely no issue. Take some of your Gold Dots out and try to run them through the gun and see what happens when you actually shoot it instead of hand feeding. I'd bet that they will feed just fine when actually fired.

Bub

 

[Jover87]

Wow, thank you all for your quick responses. I definitely have a few new ideas to try out. As for when the gun was produced, I believe it is an early model. I've had it for a few years now at least but can't remember exactly how long ago. I really dont to want to go through the motions of having to send it to glock. I'm a full time med student so time and finances are tight/nonexistent but I also want a reliable carry.

Does anyone know a decent site to purchase 003 mags? Ive poked around a few sites but none specify what series the mags were. I don't want to end up with more early series mags.

I'll also be looking into a few of the HP brand recommendations as well and test those out. However, if the gold dots work like Bub says they might then i'll be happy with that too. If I need it for defense and a round is prechambered than I could care less if it hangs when I rack it.

 

[45caldan]

make sure you have the newer slide release.
The original G42 release did cause feeding problems with some JHPs.
Here's a link talking about G42 changes....
https://looserounds.com/2014/05/10/glock-appears-to-have-made-changes-to-the-g42/
If you have the newer release, then I'd get a new recoil spring Asy.

 

[t4terrific]

Wow, thank you all for your quick responses. I definitely have a few new ideas to try out. As for when the gun was produced, I believe it is an early model. I've had it for a few years now at least but can't remember exactly how long ago. I really dont to want to go through the motions of having to send it to glock. I'm a full time med student so time and finances are tight/nonexistent but I also want a reliable carry.

Does anyone know a decent site to purchase 003 mags? Ive poked around a few sites but none specify what series the mags were. I don't want to end up with more early series mags.

I'll also be looking into a few of the HP brand recommendations as well and test those out. However, if the gold dots work like Bub says they might then i'll be happy with that too. If I need it for defense and a round is prechambered than I could care less if it hangs when I rack it.

Will Glock swap older mags out for 03's?

 

[GlockFan7]

The only HP's we've run were Winchester PDX1, Federal HST and Hornady Critical Defense and XTP, with no issues.

 

[HEXE9]

Will Glock swap older mags out for 03's?

Yes. Call CS and they will issue an RMA.

The turnaround time for 02 magazine swaps has [typically] been very fast.

 

[t4terrific]

Yes. Call CS and they will issue an RMA.

The turnaround time for 02 magazine swaps has [typically] been very fast.

I have 01's and 02's.

I may take a chance, and get them all swapped. None of them give me trouble, but new mags are better than old mags, right?

 

[cadillacguns]

I ordered two of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-Pack-Gl...708293?hash=item58dcfd46c5:g:B6gAAOSwmtJXWWhQ

had them in three days, I have one unmarked mag, two marked 01, one marked 02 with finger rest, and two marked 03, all have worked 100%.

 

[zaitcev]

Does anyone know a decent site to purchase 003 mags?

I ended buying retail. Asked to show me and looked at the index. But you can actually tell 03 from 02 and earlier at a glance, because the follower has a large trough on the left side.

 

[HEXE9]

I have 01's and 02's.

I may take a chance, and get them all swapped. None of them give me trouble, but new mags are better than old mags, right?

Yes. The 03 is [imo] better.

 

[beastep]

Mine wouldnt feed Critical Defense when it was new. I ran a few hundred ball ammo through it and polished the feed ramp and it eats anything with the XTP bullet flawlessly. It will also feed the Critical Defense now but I just cant make myself trust it. It has always fed the XTP even when new so I stick with it.

 

[Buckshot Barry]

I would call Glock and see if you need to ship the entire gun with mags back to them . Several updates including an improved frame for the 42 since it was first introduced. The latest frames are marked "2" when looking near the 1:00 position of the mag well.