When Glock introduced small guns, they thought the Glock 36 would be a great addition, and for certain segments, it really is the right answer. We have already profiled the Glock 30 SF in Part 1, but it will be helpful to understand all of the differences in these guns, because this is the only caliber where Glock offers two different versions of a compact frame.
The Glock 36 has slim profile which makes for easy CCW. It holds 6 rounds plus one. It is still a stretch to get to the trigger correctly if you have small hands, and the slim profile feels like you dont’ have that much to hold onto when you are getting familiar with the gun.
The one caveat to remember with this gun, is that almost everything on it is different. Extended mag releases are hard to find without modifying the frame, and it in general accessories are easy to come by because it seems like this gun doesn’t enjoy the popularity of its larger cousin the 30 and 30 SF.
The only down side I experienced when I shot this gun is that it felt like my pinky finger on my shooting hand was getting pinched between the magazine and the frame during recoil. Please remember that I have small hands, and this might not affect those of you with average to larger sized hands. The pain wasn’t enough to make me stop shooting, but it might prevent me from taking the gun out for a 200 round session at the range.
The obvious plus side to this gun is that it is easy to conceal, a pleasure to shoot in terms of recoil management, and it is lighter than a Colt Commander or defender.
If I had my preference, it would be for the 30 SF. I like the full feeling grip that has been shortened, and 4 extra rounds is an added bonus since it really doesn’t change how the gun will be carried. The only time it would nice to have the 36 over the 30 SF would be if you like IWB (Inside the Waist Band) carry.