Glock 36, yea or nay

I like Glocks and have many, but I can't think of a reason to own a 36. A commander size 1911 is thinner and holds 8 rounds of .45 with a flush fit magazine.

I have one and vote nay. Nothing wrong with it I carried it for a while, there are just better choices. The G30 and G19 are only slightly wider with much higher capacity.
Basically it is a double stack sized pistol with 6 round mags.

My first Glock and first .45 was a 36. I was new to guns and didn't think about the magazine compatibility with others in the 21/30 family.

I eventually went to a 21 for awhile...too fat for my hands. I liked the way the 36 carried and often thought about giving it another go.

I recently tried a Shield 45, and its everything I wanted the 36 to be and more. Compact, nice trigger, good holster/magazine support at most any gun shop (can't remember ever seeing a 36 magazine or holster in the wild). On top of that the price is incredible. I just don't see what the 36 offers for the premium price.

I dont miss mine. For me, the Shield is a fantastic compact carry gun. If I want to shoot a full size .45, I'm good with a 1911.

I still think I may pick up a 30 sf one day. I have an old 21 magazine kicking around that would be good for a back up reload. Still, it's way down the list. I think in would have to practically be given a 36 to consider it.

It's been over 10 years since I had mine, so how shootible it is compared to others is tough to pin down. I'm certainly a better shot today with any gun than I was with that one.

For me it comes down to being easy to carry. The Shield or compact 1911 are thinner. Now if you want a full size/duty polymer .45, the 21/30 are very attractive offers. They've been around forever and if you like all things that a Glocky, they certainly fit the mold of the very sameness you expect out of a Glock pistol. The 36, to me, just seems more difficult to carry than a 1911 that holds less ammo. I shoot my Shield just as well as my 1911. It fits my hand better than a Glock and is thinner IWB.

Im not really sure how the 36 has stuck around this long. There are guns out there that do the same thing better and cheaper. Also with the pendulum swinging back towards "9mm is just fine for SD", I dont see a "slim" (by Glock standards) .45 being as an attractive carry piece.

Once again, not a thing wrong with the 36. It just doesn't fit in anywhere and costs 150-200 dollars more.

My 36 shoots fine and is as accurate as any comparable pistol. It's just one of those guns I look at now and wonder why I bought it.

Not to drift off subject but I think the same thing will happen to the 43 compared to the slightly thicker 26.

The G36 was my first Glock. After the slide on my Officers ACP broke, I was looking for a comparably sized 45. I wanted something reliable and easy to take care of, everything my Colt was not. The G36 was extremely reliable and very accurate. It shot 185 grain XTP’s like little lasers. But the recoil was a bit harsh, and follow up shots were pretty slow, even by my standards.

Traded it for a G17. Still have the G17. For me the 9mm is the sweet spot for Glocks.

My first glock was a 36. I like it alot. But ended up getting a 30sf and never looked back. Packed just as easy and help 10 rounds with 13 round mags for back up

It's a Glock. You have to go by what is right for YOU
So many guns out there and so many people with different opinions, no one can tell you what gun works for YOU.

https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/blog/glock-36/

There are so many choices out there. As Rule3 said, you have to go with what’s right for you. The 36 was a transitional pistol back in the day, as the subcompact market was just developing. While the magazine only holds 6 rounds, its got enough play after the 6th round so that you can put a round in the chamber and seat a full magazine without putting an undue amount of pressure on the magazine to get it to latch. Not so with the G19 for example. Yes you can seat a full magazine in the G19 with a round in the chamber but you really have to put some force on the base of the magazine to get it to snap into place. What this translates to IMO is accelerated wear on your magazine catch. They are easy to replace but my concern is the magazine dropping out at the worst time and place.

I have a G36 Gen 3 and a 45 caliber Shield. Both are good pistols. Although the Shield can be had at a much lower price...Bought one of those new a couple of years ago at $365 that came with either a $75 rebate or an extra magazine, two boxes of Hornady Critical Defense ammo and a magazine loader. Took the latter option. You aint gonna find a new in the box Glock at a price like that. You can find used Shields on Gunbroker in 98% condition in the $250 range with regularity. You want a subcompact 45, go to a range where you can rent both and buy the one that works the best for you. Both pistols are extremely reliable over a wide range of high performance ammo. I’m not all that hung up over capacity. In the vast majority of cases involving civilians in critical defense situations, it’s all over in a few seconds with just a few rounds expended. Most of it takes place at bad breath distances.

The nice thing about the Shield as well is that it comes with an "extended" magazine from the factory. I like it for when I am hiking. If I'm not concerned about concealing the gun, the .45 Shield makes for a light hiking pistol, and I appreciate the extra rounds. When I carry it concealed like I am today, I keep it loaded with a more compact magazine to avoid printing and keep the extended one on me for a reload.

My 36 is a great gun in all respects, but it runs out of ammo too soon. Still, it's a nice polymer framed .45 ACP pistola for what it is. Sure, in hindsight I should have gotten a 1911 nearly 10 years ago, but a 36 is still lighter* than most 1911s. Which means it feels fairly light in a carry holster. Low capacity keeps the weight down* too, if one cares about such a thing.

*A G36 with 6+1 of 200 grain JHP in the magazine = 27.7 oz.

Fine Figure of a Man said:

My 36 shoots fine and is as accurate as any comparable pistol. It's just one of those guns I look at now and wonder why I bought it.

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That's the way I feel about half the guns I own. I'd like to turn that half into different guns now.

Godsgunman said:

So I have the opportunity to trade for a Glock 36. I know it's kind of the "redheaded step child" in the Glock lineup. I would like to hear from those who own or have owned on what you like and don't like. I realize the limited capacity but I'm fine with that as I carry a single stack 9mm usually. Looking for the 45 acp for the winter months. Let me know please.

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For a CCW .45 ACP?

They are outstanding.


Thin, light weight, precise, beveled muzzle, comfortable to carry, thin light weight mags, and a Bbl. long enough to give Service Pistol performance w/ +P ammo.

Have carried one in a suede Galco Stow-N-Go for quite a while now.

100% reliable with both Ball and HP, it is my CCW prime.


They are just not the Glock that most people want a Glock for - fat/blocky/high capacity.


The Only reason that might even get a sideways glance would be if Glock chambered the G48 in .40.

Other than that, and until then, the subsonic 230 gr. HST +P 6+1 Glock G36 is it.





GR

Nah. Reliabilty is suspect and recoil is exaggerated. Get a Glock 30 instead.

I looked at the 30 and 36 side by side. 30 is not that much bigger. I bought the 30.

What are you trading for the 36?

Fiv3r said:

I recently tried a Shield 45, and its everything I wanted the 36 to be and more.

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I have to agree on Shield 45 exceeding G36 in all respects except the weight: although G36 is noticeably fatter, it's actually lighter by a minuscule amount. However, remember that a fatter grip may spread out the recoil, if that is a concern.

Spats. That never happened to me in the year or so i owner mine.

I have a g30 sf, the advantage is more rounds and the fact that it can take any other full capacity glock magazines. The g36 cannot accept any full capacity magazines. It also shoots very accurately in my hands.

if they would have finished the grip and allowed the magazine to hold 7 rounds I would have kept mine.