[FIREARM REVIEW] Glock 36 — Single Stack .45 ACP That Nobody’s Talking About

For the past month and some change, I’ve been afforded the privilege of carrying the Glock 36 as my everyday carry.  While the Glock 42 and 43 have earned themselves a great place as single-stack concealed carry options, the Glock 36 has gone practically unnoticed.  Ironically, the Glock 36 has been around since 2011.  Despite having the same magazine capacity and form factor as its compact single-stack brethren, it’s virtually disappeared from the main stage in light of so many other alternatives.

Glock 36 Technical Specs At-A-Glance:

• Barrel Length: 3.77 inches
• Overall Length: 6.69 inches
• Overall Height: 4.76 inches
• Overall Width: 1.10 inches
• Loaded Weight: 27 oz
• Trigger Pull: 5.5 lbs
• Trigger Travel: 0.5 inches
• Standard Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds .45 ACP
• MSRP: $599 (New), $499-575 (Used)

Having carried for over a month, I was able to only rigorously test it at a range twice.  The first time was at a range in Austin, Texas.  Firing was done during daytime conditions at 7 yards with steel targets.  That was fun.  In order to really get a feel for how the Glock 36 handled, though, I ran it at my home range — the Manchester Firing Line — at a variety of distances, through a variety of holsters, and different hands.

Range Test Of Glock 36 — Smooth Operation, Heavy Caliber

I took the Glock 36 to the Manchester Firing Line and tested it from 10 yards (30 feet) all the way to 20 yards (60 feet) in a mixture of left-hand, right-hand trials.  At 30 feet, I found the Glock 36 to have extremely high accuracy — so much that it surprised me in comparison to when I tried similar tests with the M&P Shield .40 S&W back in July.

Using a compact pistol chambered in .45 ACP, I was initially hesitant to expect major recoil.  Opposite my expectations, the Glock 36 handled extremely well and did not jump and crack like the M&P Shield .40 S&W that I’m used to.  The handling was very easy and the grip felt natural.

Switching from my right hand to left, I definitely noticed a change in the feel of the grip.  The pistol can be operated with either hand with a slight adjustment of how I pressed the magazine release but definitely felt more natural in my right hand versus my left.  It wasn’t so noticeable that it greatly affected shot groupings or precision, but it was noticeable.

The rear sight picture for the Glocks is easy to visually align.  There aren’t any frills or bells and whistles attached to this Glock 36, so I was pleasantly surprised to see the front sight dot was easy to find after lining up with the rear alignment posts.

Trigger pull was as expected for a Glock — a light 5.5 lb pull with a very quick, audible reset.  It was easy to transition from controlled single shots at distance to a faster pace shooting routine without noticing an incredibly large difference in shot placement.

Glock 36 — Concealed Carry By The Numbers

MSRP: ~$599 New

As my daily concealed carry option, I really enjoyed the Glock 36 because it fit daily lifestyle choices better.  Versus carrying a Glock 19 Gen 4 or my CZ-75D PCR, I definitely saw this as a great inside the waistband concealed carry option.  No printing, no spotting, and definitely no complaints in terms of shooting.

Rated out of 5 possible points – 3 being industry standard.

• Conceal: 4.9
• Recoil: 5.0
• Reliability: 4.9
• Magazine Capacity: 3.0 (Standard 6 Round)
• Breakdown: 4.8
• Price: 4.7
• Overall: 4.6/5.0 (A)

Chambered in .45 ACP, it’s a perfect choice for backpacking out in the woods.  When weight matters, fully loaded it’s 27 oz.  Recoil handling, especially for being chambered in .45 ACP, is perfect.  Breakdown is a synch.  The only light strike against it is magazine capacity.  It holds an industry average of 6 rounds in comparison to other .45 ACP pistols of a similar size and configuration.  If that’s the only drawback, it’s a winner in my book.