I agree with most of Brain's comments. The 36 is definitely the red-headed stepchild in the Glock family, being the only single stack. The plastic mags are probably wider than they could get away with if they changed the design, but the grip size necessary to accommodate that also fills up my palm and probably contributes to its good shooting characteristics. I was surprised when I first fired the 36 that it didn't seem to have all that much more recoil than my Springfield mil-spec. There are some Glocks that are smaller than the 36- the 26 & 27, and a few others chambered for your more esoteric/enthusiast calibers. Some people don't grip those smaller ones very well but you can fondle them and find out what you like.

The 23 really is about the same size as the 36. I wouldn't have any problem carrying a 23 either. My dad has been packing one of those for probably 15 years. Trade-ins can be had for cheap. I just don't own anything else chambered in .40 and I already had a bunch of .45 on hand for my 1911 so I just stuck with that round. Yeah the 36 is only 6+1, but often times in shorts & t-shirt weather I carry a 5-shot .38spl S&W so I didn't view the capacity as a major issue. I do always carry a spare mag or stripper clip for these.