Glock 30 with light loads? Just tried one and No Go in my case. Heavy loads kick hard

I shot a Glock 30 for (first time shooting a Glock) yesterday and I honestly didn't like it. I expected it to be the pistol designed to perfection with very little recoil, no failures to feed and shoots more accurately than other guns.

For me none of those were true. I first used WWB 230 ball and it functioned great but kicked like a mule. It felt like it was about to self destruct compared to a normal length all metal autoloader (P90, or 1911 etc). Not smooth at all and I didn't enjoy the feel as I was shooting it. It was like cutting a tree down with a Stihl chainsaw then switching to a Poulan Walmart saw. That's the best comparison to how it felt in my hands vs steel 45's I've shot.

Then I switched to 200 LSWC's with medium light charge weights and once again I was disappointed. It failed to eject every one of them. Apparently the recoil springs on these are designed for full power or defensive loads only. Sure, that's nice and after all it is a 45... but what about the guys that shoot for enjoyment and practice and prefer to not be blasting away for hundreds of rounds at a time. It looks like there's only a slightly weaker spring available (wolff has a 15 instead of a 17 lb spring) but even still, slightly weaker is the key word there, it may not do the trick for light loads (curious on feedback here). I'd expect to still have issues if I were to shoot light loads as a staple.

Curious if maybe I'm overlooking something here. Maybe I should try a G17 or G19? All I know is in .45acp, metal guns feel better in my hands than the G30. Maybe the G21 would be a little more like the full size metal 45's I've shot in the past. I know the guide rod and spring is more similar in length and style to a 1911 etc than the dual spring captive rod in the G30.

I had heard how nice they were since the polymer frame acts as a shock abosorber, etc etc...

metal 45's for me I guess. Harsh is the best way to describe the G30 in my opinion after shooting metal guns with normal long guidrods. I'm not sure it's really something I want to get used to. When I say 'kicks like a mule', I don't mean I can't take it, it's different in a handgun. It's not like a 12 GA or 30-06 etc where after a long day I have a sore shoulder, but it's just not a pleasant thing. Compared to what I'm used to, the recoil is harsh. On the metal guns it feels like a smooth opperating machine. This feels like a day at a batting cage with a hard wood ball bat without batting gloves. There's just a rough feel to it... and I usually like the feel of autoloader recoil. I like the looks and size of the G30, but shooting it... that's where the problem comes in for me. It'd be a defensive gun only and one that would be a chore to practice with instead of a recreational activity. It seems perfect in a lot of ways but how it shoots is at the top of the priority list.

I don't suppose the light loads stand any chance of opperating a G30? They run in other 45's just fine but the G30 was a no go during my testing... it was not even thinking about it.

I will check it out with a 15lb Wolff Spring/Rod and see what it does.

Ha powder and I figured I'd eventually get a few comments like that.

It's not like I can't handle it. Once you get used to a nice metal gun and tailor a load that does what you want to do (200 gr LSWC and say 4 gr of Red Dot), you get spoiled by the smooth operation.

It's like sitting on a lazy boy reclined vs sitting in an old school desk. Nothing wrong with the kick but I guess I'm spoiled from comfortable easy target shooting 45's. It was a little bit of a let down going from that to the old school desk feel of the G30 in comparison after I had it all built up in my mind based on what I'd read and talking to friends or relatives who've shot Glocks.

Interesting PO2, that makes sense. It's hard to see what's going on in an auto because it all happens in a split second. I love shooting LSWC... so that's a bummer but that's good to know. Also good to know about the crimps.

I may try some 200gr Bear Creek RNHB and see how they do.

So the Gen4 recoil spring assembly is different I take it? I wonder if it's lighter? I know they had a recall on their new captive springs in some Gen 4 guns probably due to failure to eject fast enough when not using heavy loads.

and ha ha, I can take the girly wrists jab and the reminder to do a few extra pushups... lol.