Glock 30 vs 36

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Teachu2

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Well, I finally found a Glock that I'd consider owning. The range has a 30 in the rental fleet, so I checked it out yesterday for a box of FMJs. It's the first Glock I've ever shot well - I tried other models in 9mm and wasn't impressed, but the 30 shot very well for a compact .45.

Has anyone here shot both the 30 and the 36? I intend to use this as a CCW weapon, and am leaning toward the 36 - but won't get to shoot one prior to purchase. Is the perceived recoil noticeably different between the two? Am I silly to give up four rounds for the slight difference in width?

I'm a long-time 1911 shooter, so the single-stack 36 feels more familiar - but I was able to shoot the 30 accurately enough to know it will get the job done defensively.

Really, unless someone who has shot both tells me that the 36 is brutal or has a real disadvantage in accuracy compared to the 30, I'll be buying the 36. If I can shoot the 36 as well as I shoot the 30, I won't need the extra rounds.

I never thought I'd be asking "which Glock", as I've never wanted one before. I do, however, see the advantages to having .45 in a compact, totally reliable, and reasonably accurate weapon.
 
36

Have had a 36 for years. Great gun. Recoil is not a problem. Very controllable.
As to capacity....six is fine with me; I don't have any more with a revolver.
The little 36 has proved quite accurate.
Pete
 
I've shot both quite a bit. I do not like the 36 at all. The mag extension pinches my finger worse than any gun I've ever shot, and the recoil seems a lot more uncomfortable when compared to the G30. The wider grip on the G30 spreads the recoil out to more of the palm, and makes it more comfortable. The G30sf just feels like it fits your hand better too. Also, if you plan to get a bigger G21 later, the G30 can use it's larger mags.
 
I don't own either, but from a feel standpoint, prefer the 36.

As for capacity, my carry guns are 5 round (CA bulldog .44) 6+1 (P3AT, CS45) or 7+1 (PF-9), so I don't see the 6+1 capacity of the 36 as problematic. I pretty much always carry one reload, so the 36, like my S&W CS45, would give 13 rounds of .45 that is easy to carry. A single stack mag drops into a pocket much more comfortably than a double-wide. When I occasionally carry my Witness Compact 10mm, the spare mag really requiers a belt pouch, which I don't like for casual wear, so a compact double stack gun will actually leave me with fewer rounds at my disposal than a single plus the extra mag in my pocket.
 
The Glock 30 is an amazing 10+1 CCW .45acp. Many shoot it best among Glocks, including me many range days. Rounds just go where I point it time after time. And, 9+1 and 13+1 options are nice.

The Glock 36 has been reported by many to be the most issue-prone Glock. Most work, many do not. But, 6+1 does not do much for me given the Glock 30 alternative.

The early 30sf has given FTRTB issues for a number of shooters. Most work, some do not.

I have an older Gen2.5 Glock 30 that's wonderful. I prefer to not have a rail IWB. YMMV.
 
I feel the wide bodied Glock is a bit too wide for me to carry concealed. I opted for a Glock-36 which has proven to be totally reliable, accurate and very controlable.
 
I own the 36 and my son the 30SF. Both are outstanding pistols. The 30 has much less recoil but I chose the 36 for better CCW benefits. It carries well and I am adequately accurate with it. Keep in mind that the 36 is on an island by itself with no hi cap mags available like with the double stack 30.
 
Pulled the trigger today - went with the 30. It fits my hands better. I can live with the wide body, as it will usually be inside a heavy leather motorcycle jacket. It's a hoot to shoot, and will probably get shot a lot more than the 36 would have.
Won't get to pick it up until next month, as I have a LC9 in the works presently. I upgraded my range membership today, so I get to shoot the rentals for free, so I can exercise their 30 until I get mine. The upgrade also got me 10% off on the new gun...that was a nice surprise!
 
greenlion said:
I've shot both quite a bit. I do not like the 36 at all. The mag extension pinches my finger worse than any gun I've ever shot, and the recoil seems a lot more uncomfortable when compared to the G30. The wider grip on the G30 spreads the recoil out to more of the palm, and makes it more comfortable. The G30sf just feels like it fits your hand better too. Also, if you plan to get a bigger G21 later, the G30 can use it's larger mags.
Click to expand...

You can fix the finger pinch with Pearce +0 baseplates with almost no increase in mag length. That's what I did:

2945957370053667879S600x600Q85.jpg
2808387090053667879S600x600Q85.jpg


Dan
 
The LC9 will be the wife's carry piece. The 30 will be my CCW, while my 1911s will continue to be my favorites to shoot.
 
im in the same situation as you.
i currently own a m&p45c and would like something shorter in length for ccw.
ive shot both and for me the g30 fit me best.
yes the grip is wider and my hands are small to medium size but after shooting both the g30 fits me best.
 
You can also buy a 36 and then swap the slides on them, save a couple of ounces and a little slide width.
 
You can also buy a 36 and then swap the slides on them, save a couple of ounces and a little slide width.
Click to expand...

The slide isn't what I find hard to conceal - it's the grip. This one will usually end up inside my motorcycle jacket, and it fits just fine there.

If I were going to spend $1300 on a carry gun, a Glock hybrid would not be the choice.
 
I bought a G30SF, it's my first Glock. The SF just felt as if I'd been born with it in my hand, it felt that good. The 36 was too skinny for my taste and the 6 round mag capacity wasn't doing it for me.
 
Now really may not be the time to invest in polymer compact .45's.

Now that the Springy XDS is out, I expect them to sell a ton. S&W, Ruger, and Glock may have to come up with single stack .45's less than 1 inch thick as well if they want to hold onto the compact market.
 
I may well be interested in the XDS in about 5 years, when it has established a record for reliability - if that's what happens. The Glock 30 has established itself as a gun that goes bang every time, with a long lifespan, exceptional accuracy, and is comfortable enough to shoot all day at the range. It meets MY concealability requirements.

I suspect the market for polymer-framed single-stack .45s will diminish when they are more readily available. I think that most people will find them to be rather harsh in recoil and more difficult to master than expected. I also expect them to suffer more failures than either larger polymer-,aluminum-, or steel-framed models as the round counts get higher. Guns that are punishing to the shooter tend to get shorted on practice time, and that's one factor in my choice.
 
I use to own a G30SF and I bought my father a G36 hoping he would carry it (fail). Both pistols were accurate shooters. The G30SF had the lesser recoil of the two, but it was a bit thick. The G36 was thinner, carried better IWB, and recoil was a bit more than the G30SF, but still controllable. The G36 also fits in most of my G17/19/26 holsters. 6 rounds of 45 acp is fine for CCW. Just put 'em where they count.

Like I said, both were great shooters, but if I was CCW'ing in spring/summer weather, I would go with the 36, add a set of Warrens ,and some spare mags.
 
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