xds vs. glock 36

Status
Not open for further replies.

iyn

Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
152
Location
hawaii
as a 1911 owner with short fingers i've always wanted a small 45 acp. I'm came close to getting a glock 36 but I read of many stories of it not being as reliable as the bigger glocks. same with the officer size 1911s. anyone have an opinion on the xds or glock 36 pistols?
 
I don't think the XDS has been around long enough for people to really compare on reliability.

That being said, at SHOT 2012 I did fire the XDS at the media day, and preferred it over the Glock 36. The XDS is almost identical in dimensions to the Walther PPS, very very small for a .45.

Compared to the Glock 36, the XDS is about 0.1in thinner, 0.4in shorter (in length), and 0.3in shorter (in height). And I remember thinking to myself 'this is even easier to shoot than my PF-9' in terms of recoil when I fired it at the media day.

Yeah, I'd take the XDS over the Glock.
 
thanks RX-178. what load did they let you shoot at media day? 230 HB?
 
>>I'm came close to getting a glock 36 but I read of many stories of it not being as reliable as the bigger glocks.<<

Don't believe everything you hear.
 
I don't have a clue what load it was, iyn. They just handed me a loaded magazine, and when that ran out they handed me another loaded magazine. Didn't check what load they were using.
 
Can the XDs fire lead rounds? I was told you can not fire lead rounds with glocks.
 
Well, you CAN fire lead rounds through any firearm, it's just that in some cases it's a bad idea.

the problem is that lead bullets leave lead in the barrel, that keeps building up the more that you fire them, which eventually leads to unsafe pressures. Some guns reach this point faster than others, and Glock seems to be one of them. I wouldn't say that the XDS is any different than a Glock in this regard.
 
Glock 36...unreliable? You can't tell by mine. I shoot it often and it has never failed to go BANG when the trigger was pulled. It's a handy littler beast.
Pete
 
Thanks guys for your feedback. My first gun was a Glock 21. I sold it because it was too big for my hands. My hands are sized for a 9mm but my heart is for 45acp.
 
my glock 36 has never given me any problems. goes bang evertime. i shoot cast lead in it, but i use a aftermarket barrel. i have seen some that shoot cast lead in the glock factory barrel without any problems, but i don't. aftermarket barrels are cheap insurance and they group better than the factory barrels.
 
What aftermarket barrel do you use in your glock 36? Is it drop in?
 
With the stock octagonal rifling of the Glock, it is not recommended to use lead rounds, but with a drop in from Bar-Sto or LWD you can just as if you had any other gun.

The XD series comes with traditional rifling that does not have a problem with lead rounds.
 
Thanks guys for your feedback. My first gun was a Glock 21. I sold it because it was too big for my hands. My hands are sized for a 9mm but my heart is for 45acp.

Sounds like another candidate for the 1911. Best trigger pull you will ever get on a firearm. (smile)

Dave
 
I think I've had my Glock 36 for about 10 years. It has never failed to go bang, eject the case, feed another one or lock the slide open when empty. My son is firearm instructor for his county sheriff dept. and switched over to Glocks around 12 yrs ago and doubt if they go back as long as Glock keeps their quality up as it has previously. They went to the Glocks because of their reliability, durability,ease of take down, cleaning.
I've never shot a xds but don't see how it could be better IMHO.
I LOVE my Glock 36. Just saying.;)
Rod
 
I've never shot a xds but don't see how it could be better IMHO.
I LOVE my Glock 36. Just saying.;)
Rod

I've never shot an XDS either since it is just now coming to market. You ought to try an XD of some type if you've never fired one. They fit the hand well, have nice triggers, have ambi-mag releases, and are reliable.

I'm particularly fond of the XD sub-compact line and that's coming from a Glock 36 owner (me).
 
A buddy of mine was trying to make the same decision you are . He shot an XDS at a gun shop, I let him keep my G36 a few days to shoot. He likes the Glock, most folks will. IMO.. My G36 shoots well and is reliable with all bullet types and conceals real good. And I will say the Springfield is a good pistol, so, good luck in choosing.
 
the problem is that lead bullets leave lead in the barrel, that keeps building up the more that you fire them, which eventually leads to unsafe pressures. Some guns reach this point faster than others, and Glock seems to be one of them. I wouldn't say that the XDS is any different than a Glock in this regard.

There is so much mis-information here, its not even funny. Lead bullets do not always build lead in the barrel. It depends on bullet type, BHN, velocity and rifling type. XDS has traditional rifling and Glocks have Polygonal rifiling which WILL lead. I shoot lead all of the time through my XD's with no leading.
 
There is so much mis-information here, its not even funny. Lead bullets do not always build lead in the barrel. It depends on bullet type, BHN, velocity and rifling type. XDS has traditional rifling and Glocks have Polygonal rifiling which WILL lead. I shoot lead all of the time through my XD's with no leading.


+1

You can have a round that is not suited for that BHN lead bullet and it will lead something awful. On the other hand you can have the right combo and fire it in the leaded barrel and it will actually clean the lead out. As long as it is traditional lands and groove rifling you can shoot lead in it, depending on the load, with no problems.
 
I really love the G36. Capacity has never bothered me and the accuracy/reliability has always been great with all kinds of ammo. Carries very, very well.

Have to say, though, this little XDs intrigues me.

Not really competing the two, in my mind, but I find a few (4) things very interesting about the XDs.

For a very similar-dimension .45, there are 2 things that really matter when it comes to the 'handling' in my experience/opinion.

1. The bore axis.
I think the Glock's low bore axis really helps focus recoil into the web of the hand better than the higher axis of XD models. Had a XDm .45 full size and it seemed to have a lot more muzzle rise than a Glock. Accuracy was outstanding, though.

2. The 'weight' of the slide.
Here's where it's possible the XDs 'might' have something on the G36. We'll have to wait and see when that info is available for comparison. If the XDs' slide is at all heavier than that of the G36, it just might negate the difference in bore axis and handle recoil as well or, possibly, even 'better' than the G36. Again, I look forward to the details on this.

I like the concept of the 5-round, flush-fit mag on the XDs. Many have voiced interest in a 5-round mag for the G36 that fit flush. Another interesting plus.

The last thing I've noticed, just from the detailed pics, etc., is the trigger on the XDs. Any of you XD owners notice the difference in the profile of the trigger? I've owned 2 XD's and, personally, have never liked the triggers as much as Glock triggers. Just too soft/mushy, I guess. The trigger on this new model 'appears' more Glock-esque.

Maybe, a la M&P SHIELD, Springfield is releasing the XDs with a better, more crisp trigger than on any of their other models.

I'm interested in hearing more about this XDs when it's released and wouldn't, at all, mind taking it for a test-drive.
 
Last edited:
I'd definitely go for the G36 no questions asked. I'm not some glockaholic either but i do very much dislike the Xd series of pistols. I dont like the way they feel and hate the backstrap safety. Also something about it makes me feel like they tried to copy glock too much. Anyway, I don't know where you heard the 36 isn't as reliable as the rest of the glocks but its nonsense. Mine hasnt had a single problem that wasn't my fault through ~1200 rounds, but they are more prone to limp wristing. I just shot 300 rounds in a row on Sunday without a problem. And you can run it for what seems like forever without doing anything to it, cleaning, ect. Not that I recommend that but yeah.
 
Earliest versions of the G36 had teething problems...at least about 10% of them did. Not sure what eventually fixed them, but Gaston wanted them to work and he got his way. :rolleyes:

Mine is quite accurate and reliable, even with 200gr +P ammo, but I admit I don't shoot it as much as I used to. Something about that recoil.:eek:

BTW, did y'all know the G30 and G36 slides are interchangeable? :cool:

M
 
My Glock 36 is one of my favorite pistols. It's small, lightweight, super reliable (never failed to cycle), and the recoil is no worse than my old G26. I love shooting it. It's an actual range toy. Need to kill a Pepsi can at 50 or 75 feet? No problem, just one shot and that's all you need. I can put 200 rounds through this thing with no breaks and I never have a sore hand.

It's a really great pistol. I've shot a small XD and it's a very nice pistol too. I don't think I'd swap for it, but if you get one you'll probably like it. I love my XDM 3.8 9mm.

I generally don't like a Glock trigger - but for some reason - it fits the 36 perfectly.
 
It's shallow and stupid, but I cannot get over the fact that I can't buy a flush-fit mag for the 36. I think the current mag design makes it look clumsy, and needlessly sacrifices concealabilty and overall "smoothness" of the package. Why not offer both mag sizes like the M&P Shield or PPS?

I'm very interested in the XDS.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top