TexasCHLforum.com

I have carried the Glock 30 for about 6 years now. It is the only carry gun I use no matter the dress code, temprature, activity etc. I have other weapons to use if I wanted but have determined that the Glock 30 is MY carry gun. It is essentially 100% reliable, easy shooting, concealable, accurate and carries very good firepower.

I considered the 36 for a while because of the slimmer frame. I decided against it because the main difference is that the G30 is only 1/10" thicker. In return for that 1/10" increase you get a 57% increase in ammo capacity with the 10 round magazine. The difference in loaded weight is ALL AMMO. With the 13 round mag for a backup you have a 100% increase in ammo capacity. The ability to use the G21-13round mags is a definite plus.

I use my G30 a LOT. It is not only my carry weapon ALL the time, it is also my IDPA competition pistol. Now it might not be the ideal pistol for competition but the only shotcoming is the shorter sight radius but even then, that is primarily due to operator error. It is not a deficiency in the pistol itself which is VERY accurate.

One of the things I have observed in IDPA is that the 6+1 guns require A LOT of reloading to complete a scenerio. I say this not to comment on its use as a competition gun but more on its use as a WEAPON. My guess is that most self defense uses of a firearm are finished in the range of 4-6 rounds fired. Realistically, most of us do not carry spare magazines. But even if we did carry a spare, I would not want to HAVE to reload at the critical point of an exchange. To me 6+1+6 doesn't sound or feel nearly as good as 10+1+13 or even 13+1+13 all for the sake of 1/10" in thickness.

There are many other perfectly fine carry weapons out there and my comments are not meant at all as criticism of them. I happen to like the 45ACP round. I like to shoot 1911's but my personal choice is Glock for this purpose. Since the OP was asking about the choice between the 30 and 36, this is the point I was addressing.

You actually could have included the G21 in your consideration. As was mentioned above, a full size pistol can be concealed about as well as many compacts. That is a personal preference.

Just another point, carrying a handgun full time will never be an exercise in comfort. It is a real pain having to deal with it all the time. We all have to make accomadations in dress, activity, conduct and comfort when we carry full time. We all have to make our own choices that fit our individual situations.

One additional thing to remember is that what ever choice you make need not be final. With the choice of any quality firearm, you will find that if you change your mind that you can always get nearly what you paid for the handgun if you decide a change is necessary. Few of us started out with what we have now. Same way with holsters. Your tastes and requirements will probably change.

What ever you choose, make a point to practice with your weapon/holster of choice. Try something like IDPA with your carry rig to practice certain skills like drawing from concelament, reloading quickly, accuracy while moving to cover, and SAFETY. You don't have to practice exclusively with the carry weapon like I do but DO practice regularly.

I hope you find this useful and wish you the best in your selection. Your most important choice, to carry (and potentially use) or not to carry, has already been made. Everything else is detail.