First Post/First Range report with my first .45: GLock 36!

Tooldawg99

New member
Greetings from the upstate of South Carolina!

My first post, and I have to share about my first experience with a .45acp and my new GLock 36....

What have I done?

I have been a 9mm shooter for a lot of years. Finally decided it was time to try the .45 acp, and since I am very comfortable with the Glock platform, I made what I thought was an educated decision to stick with the Glocks and purchased a G36: only 6+1 rounds, but the G30 and even the G30S/SF seemed way too thick for my grip, and the G36 seemed VERY familiar...in fact, it fits all of my G17/26 holsters like a glove! So far, I am thrilled: no need to buy new leather!

So I hit my local gun club, have the pistol range to myself. Late afternoon, no distractions, set up a 14" metal swinging plate at 15 yards, with center hits at about 3 feet off the ground. Load up my magazines with $28.00 per box of Winchester white box 230 grain 45 acp, put on my glasses and ear protection....

and line up the sights, gently squeeze the trigger, aiming at the center of the plate.... and holy crap!

not sure what I was expecting, but it was a Boomer! Recoil wasn't al that terrible, but it was significantly more than I am used to with 9mm. I did hit the plate... but noticed I was hitting low and left of POA. Consistently. Even switched to a paper target to see exactly where my hits went, and it seemed no matter what, I was low and left, but only by about 4 inches...

The G36 performed perfectly, of course. Noticed a lot of powder residue on my right hand, but all in all it wasn't bad....but I wasn't great either! I generally shoot my 9's much closer to POA at 15 yards, and group them inside about 4 inches.

I plan to take my 9mm's with me tomorrow along with the G36 and do some comparing... I am hoping I will grow used to shooting the .45, and as this was my first time with it I may have been flinching some, but I think that would have me hitting high and right... not low and left....

In short: great gun, would love to carry it, IF I can get to hitting POA! If not, my foray into the 45acp will have been a short, and expensive trip!
 
Man, that is one beauitful piece there, I love my .45 and when I got my XDs .45 I was shooting low left to so I ask the guy that run the range and he said that I was flinching, that I need to just practice, do some dry fire with those dry cap. I have now about 1000+ though my XDs now and I have gotten better so just practice, practice and more practice.
 
here's a target broken up into a pie pieces that give the usual reason for shooting where you are shooting.
Right handed:
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetRightHanded.pdf
Left-handed:
http://www.reloadbench.com/pdf/files/TargetLeftHanded.pdf

You most likely are being to stiff with your movements or slapping the trigger too hard.... a firearm instructor taught me 1/4 lb of pressure, 1/4 lb of pressure, 1/4 lb of pressure until the gun went bang to get used to the trigger pull on a new gun. I'd suggest the same to you to get a feel for a really small gun that fires a really big round.

Good luck to you.
 
Thanks for the field report. Been eyeing a .45 Glock to go with my 19 for some time. "Low and Left" is by far the biggest complaint about Glocks. Took me some time to get my grip right. Lots of information about it on GlockTalk forum. Congrats on the new gun.
 
For a right handed shooter hitting low-left of POA usually indicates slight trigger jerking. Shoot a couple mags at the plate to get used to the recoil then switch back to paper and really focus on your trigger pull, not worrying about the recoil.

I'm a marksmanship instructor in the USMC and you'd be surprised how many Marines I teach that have never shot a pistol. This is by far one the most common issues they have starting out.
 
The Pearce PG - 36 magazine extensions really do make the G - 36 much more controllable. I've been carrying mine that way for about 2 years.
 

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