I did a little work on a Glock 30 SF over the last week.  Everything went well except that I ordered Crimson Trace Laser Grips for it (they don’t make them for the SF).  I was having a miserable time getting them to line up with the sights when I realized what I had done.  So . . . . if any of you out there have a Glock 30 or 29 that is NOT an SF model.  Let me know and I will sell you these for what I have in them.  Hint: substantial savings for you!!

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.

No doubt you are familiar with our affection for the Glock pistol by now.  If you have any questions you need to know that we think they are great.  In the midst of their greatness, there is one issue that has been problematic for some shooters; namely that the large caliber (45ACP and 10mm) Glocks didn’t fit smaller hands.

That has now been remedied with the SF line of Glocks.  The new Glock 30 SF may be one of the best new additions to the Glock line in history.  It holds 10 rounds, is very concealable and manages the 45′s recoil very well.

In a recent range test, we found the 30 SF to be one of the few new guns out on the market that really got us excited.  It was easy to shoot quickly and accurately.   Running through some IDPA drills, the gun performed great.

The most surprising thing was recoil.  You would think the lighter frame would make recoil an issue, but it was not any more noticeable than a full size 1911.  There are many thoughts on why this phenomenon exists including the idea that the polymer frame flexes in your hand to lessen the blow.  I am no scientist, but I can tell you it was pleasant.

About 3 months ago we did a custom job on a 30 SF in which we did our carry trigger job and added XS 24/7 sights.  As you know, these sights are hot right now.  People just can’t get enough.  Our customer reported loving the combo of the Glock 30 SF paired with the XS sights.

If you are looking for a new defensive handgun and have been put off by the original 30′s size, we highly encourage you to check out the 30 SF.  We think you will be pleasantly surprised.

While it has certainly been a crazy couple of months for the gun industry, signs of normal production are starting to come back.  Yesterday our distributors were showing that they actually had Glocks in stock ready for immediate delivery.

Here is the catch; they still don’t have 9mm or 40 S&W.  45 GAP, 357 Sig, 10mm and 45 ACP were available.  If you have been thinking about buying one of the new SF models, there are some available.  If you are unfamiliar with the SF models, they are slim versions of the 45 ACP and the 10mm.  If you have wanted a large caliber Glock, but didn’t have large hands you were out of luck until the SF.

Finally, if you have been looking for mags, there are a few trickling in to dealers.  Hopefully it won’t be long until production levels can meet demands.  All in all this is a bright spot for those of you looking for Glocks or Glock accessories.