How would you compare these pistols, what are the pros and cons? I know there are some strong opinions about Glock, but what about H&K? A friend recently recommended the P30, and it looked pretty good...really felt good in my hand. I wanted a 9mm so I figured I needed to have one. When I found a P30 at a local gun shop, I bought it. I don't see much comment here about H&K, so wondering if I did the right thing....maybe thinking I bought too impulsively. Comments?
H&K P30-9mm vs. Glock 19-9mm
- Thread starter ejpk
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sigarms228
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Welcome to the forum!
They are both fine pistols but different trigger actions with the P30 usually being DA/SA and the Glock 19 being striker fired.
A little late now but I always recommend that anyone rent/borrow and try out actually firing what they are considering before buying. There are a TON of great 9MM pistols. Also IMO and experience how a pistol feels in one's hand does not always translate into what they are going to shoot best as there are MANY factors that influence how one shoots with a pitol.
I tried at HK P30 a couple times my self but did not buy one. It is a nice pistol but my next poly 9MM pistol will be a Walther PPQ. I already own a Gen 2 Glock 19 and a SIG SP2022.
Let us know how your new HK P30 work for you after a range session with it! HKs are very high quality and reliable pistols.
They are both fine pistols but different trigger actions with the P30 usually being DA/SA and the Glock 19 being striker fired.
A little late now but I always recommend that anyone rent/borrow and try out actually firing what they are considering before buying. There are a TON of great 9MM pistols. Also IMO and experience how a pistol feels in one's hand does not always translate into what they are going to shoot best as there are MANY factors that influence how one shoots with a pitol.
I tried at HK P30 a couple times my self but did not buy one. It is a nice pistol but my next poly 9MM pistol will be a Walther PPQ. I already own a Gen 2 Glock 19 and a SIG SP2022.
Let us know how your new HK P30 work for you after a range session with it! HKs are very high quality and reliable pistols.
IMTHDUKE
Member
Best nine I ever had....had a few. You never even think it will have a FTF....not its nature.
wild cat mccane
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You can get a P30 for 300 dollars less by purchasing the original Walther P99. Only difference in any measure is hammer fired vs striker fired in the P99.
The mag release on the P99 is easier to use, though both are superior (in my opinion) to the buttons.
The mag release on the P99 is easier to use, though both are superior (in my opinion) to the buttons.
coebam
Member
I own both. They are great hand guns. I think they both have pros and cons. P30 feels great and has interchangeable grip straps. The Glocks trigger feels better to me. Both are very accurate and easy to take down to clean. Once you run rounds through a gun you tend to get use to it. I would hate to have to pick one over the other. It took me a while to get used to the P30 trigger. I almost sold the gun. Now after I now the feel of it I really love the gun. Enjoy the P30 you have yourself a very well built handgun that will last a long time.
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I was considering the same thing as you... Glock 19 vs... what else? I ended up getting a P30. I could shoot crazy tight groups with the Glock but just couldn't get used to the grip angle and thickness - I mean, I really don't like the feel of the Glocks (but I otherwise love them). The P30 felt perfect... Like, I can point the P30 without looking down the sights and they will always be aligned. That's a big deal.
The trigger smoothed out nicely somewhere around 500 rounds and now I actually really like the trigger. I carry the gun all the time and the heavier pull makes me feel better about having a round chambered. I think it's like 11 lbs DA and 4.5 lbs SA... Irrespective, I can hit the steel plate at 100 yrds pretty consistently and shoot a quarter every time at 7 yrds if I actually try. On top of that, the gun cycles any ammo I put through it (junk, reloads, premium, whatever) so I think the gun is fine overall. I have well over 5,000 rounds through it without any issue. I trust it and I can shoot it acceptably well... as in... I'll never have a doubt if I ever have to use it.
I also prefer the DA/SA setup... I like having a hammer. I've had the gun for a few years now and it's my go-to favorite of the bunch.
I guess you've had it for a few months now... what are your impressions? Like it?
The trigger smoothed out nicely somewhere around 500 rounds and now I actually really like the trigger. I carry the gun all the time and the heavier pull makes me feel better about having a round chambered. I think it's like 11 lbs DA and 4.5 lbs SA... Irrespective, I can hit the steel plate at 100 yrds pretty consistently and shoot a quarter every time at 7 yrds if I actually try. On top of that, the gun cycles any ammo I put through it (junk, reloads, premium, whatever) so I think the gun is fine overall. I have well over 5,000 rounds through it without any issue. I trust it and I can shoot it acceptably well... as in... I'll never have a doubt if I ever have to use it.
I also prefer the DA/SA setup... I like having a hammer. I've had the gun for a few years now and it's my go-to favorite of the bunch.
I guess you've had it for a few months now... what are your impressions? Like it?
A LEM P30 with light FPBS & HS springs, and heavy TRS (trigger return spring), i.e., the Todd Green Trigger, is the finest 9mm on the market today. That set up gives a trigger pull of ~5 lb and perfect feedback on the "long" lake up of the LEM. The reset on the trigger is longer than other HK models, unfortunately, but you can work through that easily.
There is no decocker on LEM P30's, but they still have a hammer. There are no extraneous levers or buttons to dicker with in the event you need to use your gun.
The P30 has full-on ambidextrous controls. It's a huge point for a fighting pistol.
The "Euro" mag release allows you to simply drop back your trigger finger to depress the release. You do not have to shift your firing grip, use your off-hand, or "flip" the gun inboard to get a thumb on a grip release. For that it's a dream gun for those with smaller hands, but the large-handed benefit as well.
I owned 4 at one time, including the long slide. I have put them through 3 classes and shot USPSA with one. I have roughly 20,000 rounds through 3 P30's with exactly 1 FTE. ~12,000 of those is through one gun.
The DA pull on the DA/SA P30 is horrible and silly. Send it to Bruce Gray if your insist on a traditional double action.
Glocks are fine guns, though.
The comment about the Walther and the P30 being the "same" is the most ridiculous thing I've read on the internet all month, sorry.
There is no decocker on LEM P30's, but they still have a hammer. There are no extraneous levers or buttons to dicker with in the event you need to use your gun.
The P30 has full-on ambidextrous controls. It's a huge point for a fighting pistol.
The "Euro" mag release allows you to simply drop back your trigger finger to depress the release. You do not have to shift your firing grip, use your off-hand, or "flip" the gun inboard to get a thumb on a grip release. For that it's a dream gun for those with smaller hands, but the large-handed benefit as well.
I owned 4 at one time, including the long slide. I have put them through 3 classes and shot USPSA with one. I have roughly 20,000 rounds through 3 P30's with exactly 1 FTE. ~12,000 of those is through one gun.
The DA pull on the DA/SA P30 is horrible and silly. Send it to Bruce Gray if your insist on a traditional double action.
Glocks are fine guns, though.
The comment about the Walther and the P30 being the "same" is the most ridiculous thing I've read on the internet all month, sorry.
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The HK is an "HK" the gLoCk is just a gLoCk. There is no direct comparison. The ergonomics are far better on any HK and the operating principles are different, HK's are hammer fired and gLoCk is striker. The grip angle on the HK is correct, the gLoCk is all wrong. The grip on the HK feels like it is a part of your hand, the gLoCk feels like a bLoCk.
I don't like gLoCk's, so I am BIASED. You made the correct choice, you don't see a lot of comments about HK here because gLoCk's are cheaper and more people own them. Some of them are quite obnoxious about their love for their gLoCk's and they can be quite annoying at times.
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I don't like gLoCk's, so I am BIASED. You made the correct choice, you don't see a lot of comments about HK here because gLoCk's are cheaper and more people own them. Some of them are quite obnoxious about their love for their gLoCk's and they can be quite annoying at times.
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wanderinwalker
Member
The HK is an "HK" the gLoCk is just a gLoCk. There is no direct comparison. The ergonomics are far better on any HK and the operating principles are different, HK's are hammer fired and gLoCk is striker. The grip angle on the HK is correct, the gLoCk is all wrong. The grip on the HK feels like it is a part of your hand, the gLoCk feels like a bLoCk.
I don't like gLoCk's, so I am BIASED. You made the correct choice, you don't see a lot of comments about HK here because gLoCk's are cheaper and more people own them. Some of them are quite obnoxious about their love for their gLoCk's and they can be quite annoying at times.
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HKs, so reliable they'll even feed with the rounds backwards from the looks of the picture...
I have never shot the P30 but have owned 5 HK USP's over 17 years, love them equally along with my Glocks. The HK is super reliable (as is Glock) but is more versatile in how you can carry it.
For me the P30 would be a bit on the large side for EDC but if it like any other HK, I would trust my life on it. So I think you made a very good choice.
For me the P30 would be a bit on the large side for EDC but if it like any other HK, I would trust my life on it. So I think you made a very good choice.
Several months ago I made a review of the my father's P30, if you want to take a look.
All I can say is: put the P30 against a polymer opponent and you'll snap understand why it costs more and why HK is still able to sell it at that price.
The Glock 19 is a great pistol, simple to operate, has a bunch of aftermarket parts, holsters and so on but I prefere the P30, out of the box, in every aspect.
All I can say is: put the P30 against a polymer opponent and you'll snap understand why it costs more and why HK is still able to sell it at that price.
The Glock 19 is a great pistol, simple to operate, has a bunch of aftermarket parts, holsters and so on but I prefere the P30, out of the box, in every aspect.
Well it has now been 3 months since I got my P30 and I have put 400 flawlwess rounds through it. I love the feel and ergonomics of this pistol and I am hitting the target pretty well. I wish I had known about the LEM trigger configuration, because I think I would like that better. However, I have become accustomed to the trigger pull and it does seem to be "getting smoother" as it has broken in. I don't like the long DA trigger pull and prefer to use SA mode at the range. The pistol is comfortable and reliable and is my favorite handgun.
I did purchase it rather impulsevly, (without having ever shot one and without my normal research and due diligence,) and I overpaid for it, but have now overcome my "buyer's remorse" and am happy that I have added this gun to my arsenal.
memphisjim
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i held one and loved the feel of the grip it may be my next gun purchace , but doubt it will over take a glock 19 as main carry
Same photographer as the more famous backwards ammo? Or perhaps that is just a parody of that one.
As for annyoing Glock owners...there are people whom others find annoying in their love for just about every brand.
SIG
HK
Glock
Smith and Wesson
Walther
etc.
There are also people who become annoying in their general hatred of various brands as well...
Ruger
CZ
SIG
Glock
etc.
I don't think that's the first time I've seen an HK glamour shot or ad photo with cartridges loaded backwards in the magazine.
It's just funny that you happened to use a photo that screwed up to cap a post about how awful Glocks and their owners are.
It's just funny that you happened to use a photo that screwed up to cap a post about how awful Glocks and their owners are.
Cartridges are loaded into the magazine backwards, in a glamour shot of a pistol which is designed with one purpose, and that's for life and death combat. Seems pretty mixed up to me. My last post was full of typos, I think the cold is hurting my dexterity.
My first gun was a USP .40, loved it, fantastic pistol, but I don't think that Glocks are useless, and in some ways they are better than HKs, period. They are trimmer in the slide than HKs are, they have less protrusions, both of which make them better suited for concealed carry, even if the HKs still work well for it, and the DA trigger on the HK I owned wasn't all that great. Even the single action wasn't significantly better than the trigger on my Glocks 23 and 27.
HKs are excellent, superb weapons, but they are functionally not $300 more gun than a Glock.
My first gun was a USP .40, loved it, fantastic pistol, but I don't think that Glocks are useless, and in some ways they are better than HKs, period. They are trimmer in the slide than HKs are, they have less protrusions, both of which make them better suited for concealed carry, even if the HKs still work well for it, and the DA trigger on the HK I owned wasn't all that great. Even the single action wasn't significantly better than the trigger on my Glocks 23 and 27.
HKs are excellent, superb weapons, but they are functionally not $300 more gun than a Glock.
yeah... I don't know about all that... A good friend of mine likes to buy handguns and he does a funny thing. He sets his price ceiling at $500 per gun. He just doesn't want to spend more than that for whatever reason (doesn't really matter). But what I figured out is that he has a price discriminatory mindset and I think that same mind set shows up with the Glock advocates. You know what I mean... it's the, "we got a superbly reliable gun for 60% of the cost of your over priced whatever... because it wasn't as inexpensive as what we got... blah blah blah" (All fairness, everyone has a threshold, it's just a question of how much).
Back to my friend, sometimes I look at some of the crappy guns he bought (he has two by one brand that have been nothing but trouble) and wonder what he was thinking. For what he paid for both of those junkers, he could have had a really nice 1911 or something collectable for the $1,000 and change he spent. But no, he's got two marginally acceptable guns that sit in the safe because they suck to shoot.
Dollars and cents aside, both brands have a lot going for them... like I said... I love the way Glocks shoot... but oh man... the feeling... I just wouldn't want to carry or use it regularly. I mean, that's what the extra money is buying you if you're going to split the details.
One day we were trying to figure out what the heck makes an HK cost more than the Glock because from what we could tell they both worked about the same. So we put the G19 and the P30 next to each other and started looking at the differences. G19 ~$500 P30 ~$750... The P30 is a more elaborate design... I wouldn't say more complicated because the mechanics of it seem simple enough to me... but there are substantially more machining actions on the P30 and it clearly shows. Everything from the engraving, to the slide angles, to the interior cutouts. I can't really say the quality is better on one vs the other because we both put the bullets in the same place every time. But we both agree that the P30 is leaps and bounds more comfortable - to handle, to shoot, and to carry. It's also easier on the eyes. It all boils down to a bunch of subjective nonsense and an extra $250... So whatever... That just the story of a couple guys.
Back to my friend, sometimes I look at some of the crappy guns he bought (he has two by one brand that have been nothing but trouble) and wonder what he was thinking. For what he paid for both of those junkers, he could have had a really nice 1911 or something collectable for the $1,000 and change he spent. But no, he's got two marginally acceptable guns that sit in the safe because they suck to shoot.
Dollars and cents aside, both brands have a lot going for them... like I said... I love the way Glocks shoot... but oh man... the feeling... I just wouldn't want to carry or use it regularly. I mean, that's what the extra money is buying you if you're going to split the details.
One day we were trying to figure out what the heck makes an HK cost more than the Glock because from what we could tell they both worked about the same. So we put the G19 and the P30 next to each other and started looking at the differences. G19 ~$500 P30 ~$750... The P30 is a more elaborate design... I wouldn't say more complicated because the mechanics of it seem simple enough to me... but there are substantially more machining actions on the P30 and it clearly shows. Everything from the engraving, to the slide angles, to the interior cutouts. I can't really say the quality is better on one vs the other because we both put the bullets in the same place every time. But we both agree that the P30 is leaps and bounds more comfortable - to handle, to shoot, and to carry. It's also easier on the eyes. It all boils down to a bunch of subjective nonsense and an extra $250... So whatever... That just the story of a couple guys.
I see that point getting recycled a lot when HK is the topic, but $300 is nothing, zero, squat. Overtime, actual shooters will put that amount of money through the gun in less than 2 thousand rounds.
I have spent roughly 3 times the gun's price feeding it so far. And by the end of its life the number will conceivably be closer to 9 times what I payed for the gun.
$300 to have a perfect grip (for me) and ambi controls that allow me to keep a full firing grip when manipulating them.... well, it's not even a consideration. It's peanuts.
Still, the consumables way out price the gun's cost; again, for actual shooters. If it's going to sit in the safe or see 50 rounds at the range every three months, then maybe you have a point.
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Prince Yamato
Member
I really like the feel of HK handguns. I just don't like hammer fired pistols with a heavy DA pull. My Glock has a 3lb tuned trigger. Get me that on the HK and I'd trade my Glock in. Well, that and I'd need a factory threaded barrel in 13.5x1LH for my suppressor.
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