I have been personally leaning this way.
I have been working hard with my 642 (even with a PC upgraded trigger) and I still don't like it.
I remember last time I was out with it, after fumbling a reload, thinking to myself. "You know, I think I would rather have an automatic of the same size/weight that had half the performance of a .38 if I could reload with a magazine instead of a speed strip." That wasn't even comparing how much better I shoot a Glock than I do a J-Frame. I think I could get nearly 50% more hits on target in the same time with a Glock than I could a J-Frame. I have never timed this, but I know I am infinitely more confident with my G26 on small targets farther away than I am with my J-Frame even though I spend 3 or 4x as much time dryfiring the 642. I have headshot every character in Vampire Diaries at least 1000 times each. (My wife watches it, I use it for dry fire practice, really I do.)
The debate over what to tote as a BUG: revolver or usable semi-auto: is always an interesting one.
To me, there is one aspect of the whole "back-up gun" concept that precludes a semi-auto, period... the very real possibility of a contact shot. I have personal knowledge of this occurring on several occasions (one to a member here), and the fact is that you'll probably get ONE round off with a semi-auto under these conditions before the semi-auto malfunctions.
I'm not one to parrot trite homilies, but the one about "Five for sure" has somewhat of an application here, I think; especially if one is using a revolver with an enclosed or shrouded hammer.
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I vote we dump some of this into a separate "nature of a BUG" thread.
My ideas on what to carry have certainly evolved over the past 27+ years.
How much effort does it take to retract the slide?
That's sometimes an issue for smaller/weaker/disabled shooters trying to use blowback .380s or larger-caliber semi-autos. If the 42 is easier to manipulate it might make sense for those folks.
Not only can, but has been made IMO. As I said earlier it seems a fair part of the upper tier shooters look down on small guns and small calibers, but when one gets out in the real world of shooting badguys they seem to work pretty well. The .380 was used quite a bit for CCW, BUG, plainclothes, off-duty, and so on through a large part of the 20th Century and I just don't remember that many reports of failure to do the job adequately.
"PLAN FOR YOUR TRAINING TO BE A REFLECTION OF REAL LIFE INSTEAD OF HOPING THAT REAL LIFE WILL BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR TRAINING!"
The two Blue Label Glock Dealers in LA. have a waiting list for the G42 and I expect them to sell the first allotment within days of their arrival.
I wish Glock every success with their new models, and hope they sell like hotcakes. The more handgun choices, the better.