Zarvan
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A decade ago, shortly after my 21st birthday, I purchased my first handgun, a Springfield XD chambered in .40 S&W. I was pleased with the handgun and it did absolutely everything I wanted it to do. Its only downfall was that the slide was not stamped “Heckler and Koch”. At that time in my life I was reading a lot of Tom Clancy and Richard Marcinko Books, and occasionally played the Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six video game. All the main characters, heroes and villains, used Heckler and Koch weapons. Any web query and gun counter guru all agreed that Heckler and Koch made the best firearms in the world. Granted it would be hard to legally own an MP5 or a G36, but the H&K USP and P2000 series were readily available at my local Sportsman’s Warehouse. I wanted one, that’s all there was to it. I spent the summer farming and ranching as well as working for the USDA Forest. I saved up enough money, sold the Springfield XD to a good friend and found a Heckler and Koch P2000 for a decent price on Gunbroker.
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The Heckler and Koch P30 has a MIL-STD 1913 rail for mounting lights and accessories. Mounted is a Streamlight TLR-1S. *You can click on any of the pictures for a higher resolution photo.
9 years after selling the HK P2000 I was rather intrigued when the TFB Editor emailed me and told me a Heckler and Koch P30, chambered in .40 S&W, was on its way to New Mexico for review.
Heckler and Koch makes six variants of the P30. These pistols are only chambered in 9 x 19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W. End users looking for a .45 ACP should look at the HK 45, USP and Mark 23 series. I was sent a Version 3 pistol with Tru Dot night sights. The Version 3 features a DA/SA trigger and a de-cocker. The Version 3 does not have a manual safety. Key features found on the Heckler and Koch P30 series pistols include:
- MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail for mounting lights and accessories.
- HK Recoil reduction guide-rod.
- Interchangeable backstrap and side grip plates.
- Fiber reinforced corrosion proof polymer frame.
- Different hammer sizes to compliment certain styles of carry.
- Several different trigger modes specific to various models.
- Polygonal bore profile that is supposed to increase velocity, increase barrel life and facilitate easier cleaning.
- Ambidextrous controls.
- Lock out safety mechanism to disable firearm.
- Corrosion resistant blued finish.
- Bobbed and Spurred hammers available as well as hammer and firing pin safeties.
Size comparison. Heckler and Koch P30 alongside a Smith and Wesson M&P.
Heckler and Koch P30. Smith and Wesson M&P. Width and bore axis comparison.
As soon as I was made aware that I was going to be testing a Heckler and Koch P30 I stopped by my favorite local sporting goods store and purchased a Heckler and Koch branded airsoft replica of the P30. Setting up a steel plate in my back yard I was able to run several hundred bio-degradable airsoft pellets through the pistol in preparation for live fire testing. The airsoft gun gave me a good feel concerning the ergonomics, bore axis, light placement, magazine release functions and reloading of the pistol. One issue I noticed immediately in my manipulation with the handgun was the slide release lever and its proximity to my thumbs. I shoot using a “Modern/Isosceles grip” where my thumbs are indexed along the slide and are pointed forward. Using this grip I found that my right hand thumb was sitting atop the slide release and was perfectly in-line to get some nice “slide bite” as well as prevent the slide from locking open, indicating an empty magazine. I immediately had a suspicion that the engineers in Oberndorf built the pistol with the Weaver grip in mind. This suspicion would come true on the live fire range.
Heckler and Koch branded airsoft pistol. Excellent training tool.
Training with the airsoft pistol allowed me to familiarize myself with the Heckler and Koch P30 at night.
Unboxing a Heckler and Koch handgun always reminds you why you are paying a premium price. The finish, material, and engineering are all top notch. The test sample I was sent featured a lock, and several different side panels and rear back straps to customize the grip. The frame was scalloped and the polymer grip was textured. The controls were ambidextrous and all manipulations of the handgun could be done with either hand or even one handed should the need arise. After making sure the pistol was clear, the pistol was disassembled. The barrel of the handgun had a light coating of oil that I wanted to clean with a dry patch. After reassembly I experimented with several of the side panels and backstraps, and found a configuration that allowed me a solid grip on the pistol and kept my right hand thumb as far away from the slide release as possible.
The Heckler and Koch P30 comes with different size backstraps and side panels that allow an end user to customize the grip surface of the pistol as he or she sees fit.