Yea I don’t really get the .380 thing either. People have been asking Glock for a single stack 9mm for decades. Who knows though they might roll out the 9mm next year at SHOT. This .380 version was definitely good for generating buzz just off the complaining alone.
Tactical Tunes is wearing the Tactical As shirt from ENDO Apparel.
Thoughts?
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9 responses to “Tactical Tunes Has Some Single Stack G42 Disappointment”
I do agree that releasing the .380 is creating a lot of buzz for a single stack 9mm. On-the-other-hand, I think it’s a slap in the face to anyone who’s been wanting a single stack 9mm Glock, and people who already own a Glock.
If Glock did this intentionally, I think it’s either because Glock is out of touch with their customers or clueless (of the whole concept, or expressing a possible legitimate reason why they did a single stack .380 over the 9mm to their customers).
I think that people want the single stack 9mm now more than before the 380 came out, which is obviously gonna be good for when they released it. And had Glock released the 9mm first, then far less people would have bought the 380. I think Glock did the smart thing business-wise. All that said, I wouldn’t buy either one because I already have an M&P Shield.
That is a valid argument. I guess it’s hard to predict what future sales would be on a non-existent product.
What I don’t get, which was pointed out by your last sentence, why allow your (Glock) competitors like Smith and Wesson more time to gain an increased market share of the single stack 9mm? Why would a company (Glock) allow their competitors more time to decrease the costs, ramp up production, and increase marketing efforts? To me, that’s bad business.
I guess it comes down to Glock already has a decent market share of the handguns already, and they’ll use that as leverage when entering the single stack 9mm market. Then again, it may work against them due to my previous remark that only a few people wanted a single stack .380. Only time will tell.
I have been loosely following this 42 thing for a while, and I have yet to hear a better argument against it than your second paragraph. You’re absolutely right that they risk losing buyers to the Shield and XDS etc. pocket pistols. I’m one of those buyers. Had they brought the single stack 9mm instead, I’d probably be carrying it instead of my XDS (which I really, really like). But, a lot of people have more money than me, too.
I know from talking to my LGS’s they sell every 42 they get in almost immediately. I was lucky enough to be around when one was being sold and the buyer let me check it out for a few minutes. Neat gun, but contrary to what Jayson says, I think the 9mm is a minimum for self defense for one main reason; humans aren’t the only creatures that are capable of posing a threat.
I know for quite some time Glock has had a (double stack, I believe) .380 that was not legal to import here. Not sure if that factors into this at all.
I think companies like Smith and Wesson, Springfield, Ruger, etc. will get into a marketing and pricing war before the next SHOT Show, in anticipation for the single stacked 9mm Glock. Of course, this will be done to help maintain their market share. Prices should drop even more once Glock releases a single stack 9mm, but I don’t know if Glock will reduce prices because of this. If I was looking to buy a single stack 9mm, I would wait a little while to see what deals are available.
This is why I was so dumbfounded that Glock decided to first release a single stack .380, instead of a 9mm. I’m not saying Glock should have jumped into the single stack market once a company like Smith and Wesson made the Shield.
What I’m saying is, why would any company, like Glock, give their competition advance notice their making such a desired product? I would think this allows competition more time to focus on a marketing plan and pricing strategy to overtake you.
A lot of people carry p32 & p3at that had long been hoping for glock reliability to be injected into the marketplace. Personally, I will be purchasing to replace my pocket rocket. As for caliber, do you really feel underpowered carrying .380 vs. 9×19 ? Make your shots count.
I scoped out a G42 for the first time a couple days ago. I probably couldn’t have handed over my money fast enough if it was a 9mm.
BTW am I the only one that finds this guys songs totally insufferable?
It seems like Ruger got much more innovative and open to new products after Bill Ruger passed. I wonder if the same will happen when Gaston passes. In recent years, Glock has been trailing behind most of the handgun industry. If not for brand loyalty, they would be in trouble, in my opinion.
I think the two comparisons are apples to oranges. Glock is a privately held company, Ruger is a publicly traded company. I think there might have been some pressure by Ruger’s shareholders to enter the compact semi-automatic handgun market, and would have eventually happened if Bill Ruger live longer.
I definitely agree with you that Glock would be in serious trouble if they didn’t have brand loyalty. If Glock release a single stack 9mm next SHOT Show, the next few years will be interesting to see how the companies battle it out.