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Thinking real hard about a HK P30

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hk p30
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12K views 52 replies 28 participants last post by  Maddogkiller  
#1 ·
I have a strong urge to buy an HK P30 with the gray guns treatment done to it and honestly I think I want an HK45C with the same work done to it.

The P30 I’m looking at has the light lem trigger in it along with the gray guns flat trigger,short trigger reset and the hammer and trigger components done with the nickel treatment that gray guns does.

I’ve owned a couple of HK guns over the years and really liked them all as far as looms but honestly didn’t shoot them much because I liked shooting other guns more at the time and ended up trading them off for other things I liked more.

Any HK P30 fans or HK45C fans here, if so show your pics to make me want one even more or if you have had any bad experiences with them please share those as well.
 
#4 ·
Shooting a P30 LEM with high, target grade accuracy takes a lot of practice because of the long trigger and generally mediocre factory sights. However it’s a great trigger for practical, minute of pie plate shooting because the trigger is long, smooth and crisp at the break. I also like the hammer fired action for safety while reholstering. You have to know what you want.

It may be even better with a custom trigger but I don’t have personal experience with that trigger setup.
 
#9 ·
I get that logic doesn’t apply to HK ownership but I’ve never understood the cult following of the usp series and to an extent the p2000. Both have the ergos of a brick and proprietary rail.

paging @TheLegoJoker and @BCD 45 …I know you both love usp.
 
#6 ·
I am not a fan of anything. I dislike that concept. To your question, I like HK guns because they are built well and I have yet to run into reliably problem with them. I can’t say that about some of my beautiful, most accurate and well liked (expensive) custom guns.

I have two P30s and a tactical VP9. Both P30s have LEM DAO triggers with one being the SK. One came with it, the other I installed. They are both rock solid production guns. Function is great, the trigger is OK for this type of gun, and the rest is OK too.

I still carry the SK sometimes as a backup, or when there’s no way to conceal my preferred gun. I know it’s going to work and it’s more than accurate for my self defense scenarios.

The only “problem“ I had was installing the LEM kit. Tiny springs that like flying into walls (or my glasses), little spaces that require tiny fingers, and one step where a 3rd hand was required. The solution is easy. Get one with LEM if that’s what you like. That was really it for me.

I hope this help.
 
#7 · (Edited)
I had 2 P30’s with V1 Lite Lem. One was a P30 and a P30SK. I wanted to love them, however I couldn’t get on the LEM trigger bandwagon. I put alot of rounds through them to give them a fair run too.

I couldn’t run them like a Glock or any other trigger system, like DA/SA or single action.

I even sent the full size to Grey Guns for the SRT trigger system they do. I felt like it was a waste of money. That’s just my own opinion. If I bought another P30 it would be the DA/SA version.
Good thing is if you don’t like it they seem to have a cult like following and would be easy to sell.
 
#8 ·
I had 2 P30’s with V1 Lite Lem. One was a P30 and a P30SK. I wanted to love them, however I couldn’t get on the LEM trigger bandwagon. I put alot of rounds through them to give them a fair run too.

I couldn’t run them like a Glock or any other trigger system, like DA/SA or single action.

I even sent the full size to Grey Guns for the SRT trigger system they do. I felt like it was a waste of money. That’s just my own opinion. If I bought another P30 it would be the DA/SA version.
Good thing is if you don’t like it they seem to have a cult like following and would be easy to sell.
This is good info but kinda hate to hear it, I was hoping the gray guns kit would be a huge improvement over the stock trigger.
 
#13 ·
I’ve owned all of them. Currently don’t own any. Doesn’t mean they are bad guns. Not by any means. Just like the 1911 platform more so when a chance to lose a few HKs in favor of a nice 1911 came up, they found new homes.
As for the P30 and the HK45C, I’ve only owned those in LEM configuration and the grayguns P30 gets the trigger to where the stock HK45 / USP series already is. They are great guns, the lot of them, but HK’s DA/SA leaves A LOT to be desired and I found that I shot the LEM much better when it was all I was shooting. Honestly, unless you’re married to the brand, a striker fired pistol is going to have a better trigger than any of the HK pistols.
Having said that, if I get a chance to get back into a USPc or HK45c, I’d be content. The P30 has the ergos, but the USP just has that look about it that is beauty in its simplicity.
 
#26 ·
Honestly, unless you’re married to the brand, a striker fired pistol is going to have a better trigger than any of the HK pistols.
Dennis, I think a lot of you brother but the statement above just doesn't apply to me.
(That is unless your speaking of stock triggers vs. stock triggers)

My HK P30 & P30S's that has been to Gray Guns & had the new GG flat trigger, short reset, & the competition action package have all be fantastic!!! All are much better than any striker fired guns that I've owned (and I've owned a bunch) with the 1 exception of a Walther PPQ that I had. It was about equal to my GG P30's.

Maybe I just got lucky but my GG HK's have been just outstanding!

BCD 45
 
#18 ·
Where to begin. My trip down the HK rabbit hole started with USP pistols. I had a number of them in different sizes I upgraded my most recent one to the hybrid LEM set up that everyone on HKPro highly recommended but ultimately sold them because of their lack of a Picatinny rail. Mind you at this point in my carry career I was still carrying Glocks and

fast forward to more recent times, and I started caring double action single action pistols. I ran across a P 30 on this forum and purchased it as I understood the economics for better suited for larger hands. At that time I also ran across this thread:


The logic behind that post seems pretty sound to me and working up my experience with the platform everything just clicked. I ended up buying a full-size P 30 L that I really enjoyed. That pistol had the Gray Guns trigger package installed by its owner not Bruce’s workshop. Couple months later I found a P30L done up by Bruce’s workshop and boresight solutions and I had to have that so along it came. To round out my Gray Guns Gucci package I had no choice but to buy a HK 45 modified by Bruce’s team.

as with any platform it does take practice to be proficient with it. I’m not going to be bull’s-eye shooting anytime soon with the P family of guns and I do appreciate the countless articles online of how bulletproof the pistols are BUTshould the need of arise for one to be serviced due to a breakage I fear that the lead time to get parts would leave me without one of my favorite pistols far longer than any comparable Glock or Beretta would.

Image


PS: the P30L with the owner installed GreyGuns trigger Is headed to Wright Armory for a RDS install soon 🤪
 
#20 ·
Where to begin. My trip down the HK rabbit hole started with USP pistols. I had a number of them in different sizes I upgraded my most recent one to the hybrid LEM set up that everyone on HKPro highly recommended but ultimately sold them because of their lack of a Picatinny rail. Mind you at this point in my carry career I was still carrying Glocks and

fast forward to more recent times, and I started caring double action single action pistols. I ran across a P 30 on this forum and purchased it as I understood the economics for better suited for larger hands. At that time I also ran across this thread:


The logic behind that post seems pretty sound to me and working up my experience with the platform everything just clicked. I ended up buying a full-size P 30 L that I really enjoyed. That pistol had the Gray Guns trigger package installed by its owner not Bruce’s workshop. Couple months later I found a P30L done up by Bruce’s workshop and boresight solutions and I had to have that so along it came. To round out my Gray Guns Gucci package I had no choice but to buy a HK 45 modified by Bruce’s team.

as with any platform it does take practice to be proficient with it. I’m not going to be bull’s-eye shooting anytime soon with the P family of guns and I do appreciate the countless articles online of how bulletproof the pistols are BUTshould the need of arise for one to be serviced due to a breakage I fear that the lead time to get parts would leave me without one of my favorite pistols far longer than any comparable Glock or Beretta would.

View attachment 1008424

PS: the P30L with the owner installed GreyGuns trigger Is headed to Wright Armory for a RDS install soon 🤪
Thank you for the knowledge dump link. I personally enjoyed that
 
#23 ·
I have owned a ton of HKs including
USP 9
USP 40
USP 45c
P30sk
P30
Uspc9
HK 45
Uspc .357 sig/40
I like the decocker versions either thumb safety or button
Not a fan of LEM trigger
I stated the guns I owned because I own none of them now . The HK recoil system is great and the pistols run forever no hiccups . I actually love the mag and slide release . However I am off DA/SA firearms.
1911 all the way but nothing bad to say about HK
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#24 ·
Truth in advertising: I don’t much care about triggers…the obsession some people seem to have with them is just lost on me. When I own a gun, I just figure out how it works and get used to it. Beyond some spring changes to lighten the pull, I don’t get wrapped around the axle on take up and “feel”. I just shoot the gun.

That said, I have P30, a P30SK, and an HK45. I like all of them (the P30SK alternates with my Sig P224 for EDC use). All of mine are the V3 DA/SA with no manual safety and they’re fine by me. I really like the ergonomics of all of them with the changeable grips pieces. They fit me very well. As I said, the triggers don’t bother me.

One thing to note with the HK45C is you lose what I feel is the gun’s best feature: adjustability. It has the USP- style grip, which I don’t like as much. (I bought a USP 45 and sold it right away…it’s the only gun whose trigger was so bad that I couldn’t stand shooting it. So I guess I do notice them if they’re bad enough. I have no idea why USP’s have such a cult following.)
 
#25 ·
I own 18 H&K pistols and just recently started collecting high end 1911s and there is no comparison. I have a P30 Lem and sold it within 3 days it felt great.....and thats about it......HOWEVER...my experience and outlook can be totally different than yours. FEEDBACK IS NECESSARY BUT YOU MUST TAKE IT WITH A GRAIN OF SALt......you can always sell it
 
#28 ·
I have USP's and P30's. They are two of my favorite lines of guns. All of mine are DA/SA, no lighter springs or anything. If you know how to shoot and your hand is big enough and strong enough (my glove size is small), there is no downside to those triggers. I shoot 2" (plus or minus) groups at 25 yards offhand with every gun I own that is accurate enough to do so. No different with the HK's. They can be slightly slower on splits, but only in a game context, which doesn't mean much to me. I like all sorts of guns, but I will say that you cannot buy a better gun than the P30 or USP. Doesn't mean you will like them, but I sure do. If you need help with the triggers, check out my blog. It has the definitive P30 test on it, and lots of talk about triggers and such. Learning to shoot the stock triggers will do more for your shooting ability than almost anything else, and it carries over to every kind of gun there is. DA/SA guns rule.
 
#30 ·
Had both a P30 V1 light Lem and a uspc9 light Lem, I’m a big fan of the Lem and light Lem in the HK line up.
they take a little bit of practice and dedication to get used to them. I sold my p 30 as my uspc Carrie’s better for me
the p 30 has nicer mag releases, quite a bit better ergos and a proper light rail but in the long run it did not carry as well as my uspc. The P 30 is a great pistol tough Accurate reliable.
 
#32 ·
I've got a P30S and VP9 in the safe. I really wanted to love them both, but I never really clicked with them. My wife adopted the P30, or I'd have already traded it away. Nothing wrong with it - good quality and I do like the highly customizable ergonomics, but it just wasn't for me. There are a lot of folks who love them, though, so YMMV.
 
#34 ·
I have a P30SK V1 with the LEM trigger and Gray Guns short reset kit. I also have a P30L V3 DA/SA. I like the respective triggers on both guns and they’re decent pistols but take some work to shoot well. I’m not a fan of the massively curved triggers, but have not read a lot of glowing reviews of the GG flat trigger, not to mention that it’s pretty ugly. They’re decent SD guns, but if you want to go to the range and show off take something else. My Sig 226 Legion will shoot the lights off any of the P30s.
 
#35 ·
I own both the p30 LEM and the 45c da/sao with safety/decocker don’t remember the variant number . I prefer the 45c it just feels right in my hand and it carries better for me. Both are more accurate than me and reliability has been flawless on both . Don’t feel you can go wrong with either.
Image

The p30 would go before the 45c (my favorite hk I’ve owned)
 
#36 ·
I own both the p30 LEM and the 45c da/sao with safety/decocker don’t remember the variant number . I prefer the 45c it just feels right in my hand and it carries better for me. Both are more accurate than me and reliability has been flawless on both . Don’t feel you can go wrong with either. View attachment 1009814
What did you put on the grip?
 
#39 · (Edited)
I have fam fired my NIB P30S. [50 rd box] No malfunctions. The SA trigger is mediocre, but manageable. I shot CCI Blazer 115gr FMJ at 20 yards. 6 inch circle paper target and all rounds hit within that. I am certain that a better marksman would achieve better results.
Overall I like it, but I could do without the finger groves.

One real disappointment is the toy like glow in the dark sights. I can charge them with my flashlight for 30 seconds and they are completely dim within 7 minutes.

@Troll68 I concur with your assessment of the HK45C in regard to comfort. I handled one at a shop recently and it felt as if it had been tailor made for my hand.