First Glock & First .45: 30 or 36?

[Mountain_Man]

I will be purchasing my first .45 caliber handgun this week, and have decided that I also want my first Glock. Not too interested in the full size 21, so I'm leaning strongly toward getting the 30. I like the capacity it offers and the option of using the Glock 21 mags when I'm in a free state. The 30 seems very versatile as bedside or car gun. However, the reviews I've read say it is fairly chunky, and doesn't make the best CCW piece. I'm heading down to Arizona this summer to give them some well deserved vacation money, and want a good CCW, which leads me to the Glock 36, which is thinner than the 30 but has less capacity. Apparently the recoil on the 36 is pretty strong, as well. Also heard of some reliability issues with the 36. But, man, is it ever small! So my question for the good people of Calguns, what are your thoughts on the 30 vs 36 debate? Have you CCW'd either of them, particularly IWB, which is how I plan to carry in Arizona. Which would you recommend?
Cheers!

[PC3597]

The G30 is a great pistol. You state that you plan to carry it in an IWB which would have been my only recommendation. The 36 is low-cap, so if you were to go that way, you may as well carry a small 1911. The 30 is fantastic as it has interchangeability with G21 mags. I carry a G21 as my primary, with a G30 with a G21 mag as a spare. It makes for one heck of a lot of firepower in a relatively small, great handling package. If you want a .45 Glock, but not a G21 then the G30 is the only way to go. Train hard.

[CalNRA]

I have a 36 and it is nice, very accurate and reliable.

You could get a grip extension to add 1 or 2 rounds to the 36 magazine.

That being said I have been looking at the 30 lately for its capacity and its light rail. The 36 is slim but I find it to be a little too slim. I find myself needing to add a grip to 9mm and single stack 45 Glocks to shoot them well and the 30 is just the right width.

For a first Glock get a 30.

[E. Fudd]

If you do not have a lot of experience with the .45 ACP and/or handguns, I would steer away from the G36. It has a lot more recoil than the G30. Worse, if you use +P or 'short barrel' hot loads, or if you have to shoot one-handed or weak-handed, it's definitely a handful to control.

The G30's recoil is much milder, closer to the G21. Much more pleasant to target shoot, practice, or take a high round count training class with. You want a gun you can shoot a lot of rounds in, to get proficient, especially for SD/CCW duty.

The G30's slide is slight wider than the G36's, as far as IWB carry. The compactness on the G36 comes from the single-stack grip. It, no doubt, is flatter and more concealable. However, if you get a good IWB rig and wear the appropriate clothing, the G30 is still doable for CCW, plus you get 10+1 vs. 6+1 capacity, which is nice.

If you can handle the heavier recoil of the G36, it's certainly one of the more reliable .45's in that size range. There were issues on the early models, but that has supposedly been dealt with by a new and improved mag follower.

As with all SD guns, you need to shoot several hundred round through to ensure it's running 100%, before relying on it for SD.

[aermotor]

I recently picked up a 21SF, 30SF and 36; all great pistols.

If CCW is your main concern, then go with the 36, you will be annoyed at how large the 30SF feels, the 36 is not chunky at all and is surprisingly small. I found the 36 very easy to shoot for me, easier than a standard .40 – you won't be disappointed. Make sure you buy a new one or recent model.

[jermedic]

I carry my 36 every day and love it. It fits my smaller hands perfectly and I can hide it wearing just about anything. 7 rounds and a spare mag is what I usually carry and I'm ok with that. I don't notice much of a difference between the recoil of my 36 and my friend's 30. The fact that the 36 is lighter also is nice since I carry it all day. The issues you hear about with the 36 were early models and the new ones run fine. You can't go wrong with either choice, but for the purpose of ccw I would go with the 36

[Shady]

get the 30 and some peirce grip extensions

[Alexjr1967]

My vote is for the Glock 30

[aermotor]

Not sure if the people voting for the 30 have ever CCW'ed one and know the difference.... it's HUGE. If you haven't gotten your hands on both of them I'd suggest doing that before making any decisions.

[CalNRA]

Not sure if the people voting for the 30 have ever CCW'ed one and know the difference.... it's HUGE. If you haven't gotten your hands on both of them I'd suggest doing that before making any decisions.

Do you have a permit from LASD?

[jdg30]

I have a Glock 36 for a CCW gun and it is a great gun. It is the thinnest Glock made and is very easy to conceal IWB. It is the same size as a G30 but significantly thinner. The G36 is about the same size as the compact Glocks (19,23 etc) but it has rounded corners on the slide as opposed to the squared corners of the 19,23 which make it ideal for CCW. As for concealability, the subcompacts are a little easier to conceal IWB because of the shortness of the grip (with only a t-shirt to cover it) but the G36 is thinner and very comfortable.

Recoil on the G36 is not bad. Not sure where you heard that but it isn't true, at least for me. It does have some recoil but it is not a sharp kick like the G27. I would not rate it as uncontrollable by any means. I don't think the G27 recoil is uncontrollable either, but the G36 is not as sharp as the G27.

Magazine capacity is a personal preference. If you feel comfortable with 6+1 rounds then the G36 will be fine for you. If you only feel comfortable with 10+1 or a 13 round G21 mag then the G30 would be better for you. I feel fine with the capacity of the 36 because it is accurate and easy to shoot so I feel confident I can hit a target with it. With an extra magazine it is just fine. The increased capacity of the G30 comes with a significantly thicker frame.

As for reliability, my G36 has been flawless with over 500 rounds through it. There are some reports of unreliability with the G36 but it was a problem with the older style magazine followers. I personally had an older G36 (2004 or so)with the older style mags and got another new G36 (2009). The older one had a few malfunctions on feeding/ejection, just like people reported. I completely detail stripped both guns and compared every part. All the parts were the same with the exception of the magazines. The older mag followers didn't have a notch cut out for the tab on the slide release lever. The newer ones did. Also, there is a little step or notch on the left side of the newer mags that is more pronounced than on the older mags. I only fired the old G36 with new style mags after that, and the malfunctions disappeared, problem solved. You will not have any problems with reliability with a new G36.

As for the best gun for concealability, I would say it is definitely the G36. People can say the G30 is just fine for IWB but either they: 1. have never really done it or 2. they are just one of those who like to CCW uncomfortably. The G36 is 1.13 inches thick. The subcompact/compact 9mm/.40 glocks are 1.18 inches thick. The Glock 30 is 1.27 inches thick! That's over an inch and a quarter thick. If CCW is your main goal I would rethink the G30. However, if you want a gun for mostly range/home defense use with occasional CCW, I would recommend the G30 over the 36.

Before I got the G36 I went back and forth many times between the two and did a lot of research. I held both several times and I like both a lot. The deciding factor for me was it was for CCW, so I went with the G36 and have not regretted it one bit. I know I would have regretted the G30 for CCW only because of the thickness. I also discovered that for me the G30SF is definitely more comfortable to hold than the standard G30 because of the reduced size of the backstrap. It makes a big difference.

Good luck with whichever choice you make, hope this helps.

[PC3597]

Not sure if the people voting for the 30 have ever CCW'ed one and know the difference.... it's HUGE. If you haven't gotten your hands on both of them I'd suggest doing that before making any decisions.

With all due respect, there are many things to consider regarding a carry pistol. If size and concealability is your only worry, get a North American Arms 2-shot derringer; however, if you like having rounds in your gun, consider that the G30 can pack 4 more rounds with standard mag (10 plus 1 versus 6 plus 1), or TWICE the rounds with a G21 mag (13 plus 1 versus 6 plus 1). Yes, the G36 is more convienient to carry around every day, however, if you ever get into a gunfight with it, you will want a high-cap mag like you've never wanted anything else before in your life. Single stacks run dry FAST... A little more difficult to carry, but well worth it if you ever need to use it. The G36 is 1.13 inches thick, the G30 is 1.27 inches thick....that's a whopping .14 inches difference. (sarcasm) If you think that is inconveinient, think how inconveinient it would be laying bleeding out in a gutter with an empty gun.

Almost forgot, I CCW my G30 every single day.

[Greg-Dawg]

[rromeo]

This is a timely thread. I was considering these two for carry. Comfort vs capacity. How much difference does .14" make when pressed against your side all day? Has anybody carried both? I'm a bigger guy, so I was thinking the 30 might not be so bad.

[PC3597]

Slide width is really a non-issue in concealed carry. It is the GRIP that will print (show through your clothes). I'm a bigger guy too, and I have concealed my G21 on occassion. Carrying concealed is a lifestyle, not just a spur of the moment decision. Holster cant/construction/IWB/Paddle/belt in addition to type of cover coat are all things that need to be addressed when trying to hide a pistol. Obviously, it's a bit harder to hide a larger grip gun, but it can be done, and is done successfully every day. It just depends on how dedicated you are to carrying the best gun for the job. If you knew you were going to get into a fight for your life tonight, you would bring a long gun...and all your friends who have long guns...unfortunately, you don't know when that fight may occur, therefore, you must have the best gun and the most rounds you can REASONABLY carry. The two shot derringer I refered to earlier with some loose rounds in your pocket would be the easiest way to carry a "gun", but it is far from the best choice to defend your life with. The choice is yours, but at least have all the information available before you make your decision....and absolutely, positively shoot both guns before you buy. Ideally, shoot "combat" course with them...that should open your eyes a bit. It's one thing to fire two rounds into a static target at 7 yards and get good hits, it's totally different when both you and the target are moving and you're banging away trying desperately to get decent incapacitating hits on someone who is trying they're best to make you stop living....trust me when I say low cap guns WILL GO DRY FAST in a real fight.