The Glock 36: A Really Big Gun in a Small Package

Until recently, the most common compact .45 caliber handgun was of a type known as the Officer’s model. A derivative of the 1911A1 Government, in 2011 it was finally superseded by an even lighter pistol—the Glock 36. Chambered in .45 ACP and following the same winning formula as previous Glocks, the model 36 could be the best compact single stack .45 on the market today.The 1911 .45 caliber pistol, designed by John Moses Browning, was one of the most successful pistols of all time. Adopted by the U.S. Armed Forces in time for World War I, it served on through World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, and the waning years of the Cold War. The slab-sided, all-steel pistol was large, heavy, and imposing, but it was also durable and could last for decades. Colt’s Manufacturing subsequently developed and released a smaller and lighter version, the Colt Commander, but it failed to gain traction to replace the original 1911A1.