Been wanting a P30 until I shot it today - Input appreciated

[doc alamo]

Guys,

I am not a frequent poster here. I mainly shoot GLOCKS and S&W revolvers. However, I have always been impressed with the HK line of handguns and have, from time to time, contemplated owning one. At the last gun show I attended I got to hold a P30, and I was quite impressed with the way it felt in my hand. I was very intrigued. So, rather than make an impulse buy, I decided to wait until I could find one to shoot.

Well, today I was able to fire the P30 for the first time. The gun was very new to its owner. He was gracious enough to let me run a magazine through it to try it out (he was using WWB, 115g).

I have felt heavy double action pulls before, but nothing could prepare me for how heavy the DA pull is on the P30. The SA thereafter was still heaver than my GLOCKS. I was amazed at how difficult it was to shoot.

Now, I know I am comparing apples to oranges to bananas, but here is my question.

Will the P30's action smooth up after about 1,000 rounds or so? I am not ready to give up on owning my first HK, but I might have to rethink the P30 after this range experience.

I would appreciate constructive feedback.

Dr. Bill

[HKCHEF]

Its not the best trigger, I will give you that. But is still very easy for me to shoot, very accurate, and controllable. It might take some getting use to for you, or just wait for a LEM or Match trigger.

[cmdrdredd]

Guys,

I am not a frequent poster here. I mainly shoot GLOCKS and S&W revolvers. However, I have always been impressed with the HK line of handguns and have, from time to time, contemplated owning one. At the last gun show I attended I got to hold a P30, and I was quite impressed with the way it felt in my hand. I was very intrigued. So, rather than make an impulse buy, I decided to wait until I could find one to shoot.

Well, today I was able to fire the P30 for the first time. The gun was very new to its owner. He was gracious enough to let me run a magazine through it to try it out (he was using WWB, 115g).

I have felt heavy double action pulls before, but nothing could prepare me for how heavy the DA pull is on the P30. The SA thereafter was still heaver than my GLOCKS. I was amazed at how difficult it was to shoot.

Now, I know I am comparing apples to oranges to bananas, but here is my question.

Will the P30's action smooth up after about 1,000 rounds or so? I am not ready to give up on owning my first HK, but I might have to rethink the P30 after this range experience.

I would appreciate constructive feedback.

Dr. Bill

It will get better with time and if you wanted to...for $49 Bill Springfield at www.triggerwork.net will lighten the DA and SA by around 30% and reduce the SA creep. People say his work is excellent and I have sent my own P30 out to him. I expect it to be around a week or just over a week until it is returned to me. I will post my impressions with his work. If it goes well, it should be a 100% improvement over the stock P30 trigger.

My particular gun has about 6,000 rounds through it.

FWIW: I'm actually contemplating buying a Glock 19 to add to my carry lineup. I know there's a good number of people here who dislike them, but there are also a good number of people who enjoy their Glocks too. Even Larry Vickers who was instrumental in developing some firearms for HK including the new HK45 (and possibly the P30), shoots, trains with, recommends, and owns Glocks too.

[doc alamo]

Is the P30 trigger similar to other HK pistols?

Thanks for the input so far.

Dr. Bill

[cmdrdredd]

It's similar in function but superior IMO to the original USP DA/SA trigger.

[gman1868]

I have both a USP 45 Tactical with the match trigger and a P30 with a couple thousand rounds thru each. The match trigger on the USP is much better than the P30. That doesn't mean one cannot get good at shooting the P30 in spite of the trigger... :)

[Tabsr]

For $5 buy a new hammer spring from Wolff Springs and 10 minutes later a vast improvement. Do a search on this site for Wolff.

[murfdog]

That's why I'm waiting to buy my P30 hopeing they come out with the Lem!


:901:

[army_eod]

It will get better with time and if you wanted to...for $49 Bill Springfield at www.triggerwork.net will lighten the DA and SA by around 30% and reduce the SA creep. People say his work is excellent and I have sent my own P30 out to him. I expect it to be around a week or just over a week until it is returned to me. I will post my impressions with his work. If it goes well, it should be a 100% improvement over the stock P30 trigger.

My particular gun has about 6,000 rounds through it.

FWIW: I'm actually contemplating buying a Glock 19 to add to my carry lineup. I know there's a good number of people here who dislike them, but there are also a good number of people who enjoy their Glocks too. Even Larry Vickers who was instrumental in developing some firearms for HK including the new HK45 (and possibly the P30), shoots, trains with, recommends, and owns Glocks too.

Pls let us know how the trigger turns out. I have the same issues with the P30 trigger tho I love the gun. If the trigger could be improved, so much the better.

[doc alamo]

It seems very odd to me that HK would produce this handgun with such a marginal trigger system. I do not expect a fine tuned trigger in a production handgun, but this trigger leaves much to be desired. I am so disappointed because I really love the ergonomics of this pistol. I will maintain an open mind, and hopefully I can fire another one at the range in the future. But, it has caused me pause and I will not purchase one until I get a second chance at the trigger.

I am not a stranger to heavy DA pulls ... all my S&W revolvers have been purchased with varying levels of DA pull. However, in every case the trigger, while firm, pulled smoothly. It seemed to me that the P30 trigger was exceptionally difficult to pull through the entire cycle. Then, when I was expecting a crisp SA pull, I found it to be stiffer than any of my GLOCKs! This was so disappointing to me. There is a gun show here in Houston in a couple of weeks and I know they will have a P30 at the show.

Oh well, thanks to everyone for posting. If there are any other insights or suggestions, I would greatly appreciate hearing them.

Dr.Bill

[H&K 4 LIFE]

I actually really like the DA pull on the P30. Compared to my USPs it is noticeably lighter.

Except for consistently riding the slide release, I love the P30.

[KJacques]

My wife finds the P30 trigger pull to be too heavy for her. I find it to be heavier than some triggers, but very smooth and crisp. Then again, I have a lot of strength from many years of of weight training so what might not be as noticeable to me can make a lot of difference to someone else. I do think that the trigger offers an additional safety measure in high stress moments.

[sfguard]

It will get better with time and if you wanted to...for $49 Bill Springfield at www.triggerwork.net will lighten the DA and SA by around 30% and reduce the SA creep. People say his work is excellent and I have sent my own P30 out to him. I expect it to be around a week or just over a week until it is returned to me. I will post my impressions with his work. If it goes well, it should be a 100% improvement over the stock P30 trigger.

My particular gun has about 6,000 rounds through it.

FWIW: I'm actually contemplating buying a Glock 19 to add to my carry lineup. I know there's a good number of people here who dislike them, but there are also a good number of people who enjoy their Glocks too. Even Larry Vickers who was instrumental in developing some firearms for HK including the new HK45 (and possibly the P30), shoots, trains with, recommends, and owns Glocks too.

Be sure to post your impression I am interested.

[xskylitox]

The P30 trigger will never feel as light or short as a Glock trigger, unless you doctor it, which I wouldn't recommend if you plan to carry it. However, after practice, it really doesn't bother me at all. I shoot my P30 just as well as my Glock. If you like the Glock trigger, I wouldn't recommend the LEM. Everyone I know who shoots Glocks can't stand the LEM. It's like the Glock trigger, but heavier and longer. I used to have an LEM, but got rid of it because I just couldn't get the hang of it. After a little practice, I have no problem hitting center mass with the first DA pull on my P30. My Glock buddies shoot better with my DA/SA P30 then they did with my LEM P2000 as well. While the trigger on my Glock is lighter and shorter, there is no comparison between the fit and finish of the G36 and P30- the P30 is a much nicer looking gun, and seems to be a bit higher quality (as it should since it costs more). Reliability wise, both are perfect.

[NiceHK]

You can always wait for HK to release the match trigger that they are working on.

[threefeathers]

I'm waiting for the LEM trigger. I have it in my P2K's and now USP9mm and I simply won't buy one without it. H K is stepping on their own toes again ans losing big money this time.

[HKCHEF]

The best trigger in my opinion is the hybrid lem/match on the competition combat USP.

[tulsamal]

You like the feel and the ergonomics. But the actual shooting experience disappointed you. I hear that about the P30 every now and then. But I never hear it about the HK45. Go back to the range and find an HK45 to try out. It's the better gun IMHO!

Gregg

[smschulz]

I have not shot P2K or P30 so how do they compare in triggers?

FWIW ~ I don't really don't make any decisions on the DA pull ~ it's the SA pull that I am concerned about. Most DA pull in a DA/SA are a disappointment IMO. I love the USP Match Trigger ~ that is my reference point for comparison.

[army_eod]

It is all about practice and getting used to the trigger.

[96GTS]

The only reason I can think of that HK has such heavy triggers is that they know that a lot of their users will be wearing gloves when firing...? If you have a 1911 3lb trigger, you might be setting the trigger up, getting the guy in your sigh........BANG!! uh oh......RUN!

[RBB]

i have also been wanting a p30 until today. went to the range with a friend who picked one up this week. the gun/grip felt great in my hands but i absolutely couldn't hit center mass with the thing. consistently low left by at least 5 inches or so....i'm convinced it wasn't my trigger pull, but nobody else seemed to have the same problem as i did, so what else could it be? i like to play around with the different grip sizes and give it another try.

i was dead on with every other gun i shot today. drilling the bull's eye with my hk45 and 1911, couldn't hit anything with the p30. granted, i rarely shoot 9mm, maybe that has something to do with it. anyone else have this problem?

[xskylitox]

i have also been wanting a p30 until today. went to the range with a friend who picked one up this week. the gun/grip felt great in my hands but i absolutely couldn't hit center mass with the thing. consistently low left by at least 5 inches or so....i'm convinced it wasn't my trigger pull, but nobody else seemed to have the same problem as i did, so what else could it be? i like to play around with the different grip sizes and give it another try.

i was dead on with every other gun i shot today. drilling the bull's eye with my hk45 and 1911, couldn't hit anything with the p30. granted, i rarely shoot 9mm, maybe that has something to do with it. anyone else have this problem?

Sounds like you were pulling the gun down as you were pulling the trigger. I had that problem with my LEM on the p2000sk. You probably just weren't used to the heavier trigger. Practice will help you shoot straight with it.

[NiceHK]

The best trigger in my opinion is the hybrid lem/match on the competition combat USP.

Is this trigger going to be available on the p30/L? I know you can get the LEM in Europe. Is this trigger available in Europe yet?

[SIGtrarian]

i have also been wanting a p30 until today. went to the range with a friend who picked one up this week. the gun/grip felt great in my hands but i absolutely couldn't hit center mass with the thing. consistently low left by at least 5 inches or so....i'm convinced it wasn't my trigger pull, but nobody else seemed to have the same problem as i did, so what else could it be? i like to play around with the different grip sizes and give it another try.

i was dead on with every other gun i shot today. drilling the bull's eye with my hk45 and 1911, couldn't hit anything with the p30. granted, i rarely shoot 9mm, maybe that has something to do with it. anyone else have this problem?http://shootingsafely.com/correction.jpg

[Mark71]

Is this trigger going to be available on the p30/L? I know you can get the LEM in Europe. Is this trigger available in Europe yet?

Only the LEM is currently available in Europe. There is no time frame on when or even if the hybrid LEM/Match trigger will be available in the U.S. The info about this trigger came from a forum member who was told by HK that they were working on a Match trigger for the P30. No other info was available so we shouldn't hold our breath.

[Huskyoff]

My buddy, (who has only shot a handgun once) went out with my P30 and blew up everything he aimed at. Some of the best shooting of the day. I was surprised. I am very accurate with it, also.

[BytorJr]

All this talk of LEM is making me want the P30 NOW in LEM...but...I may just get a Combat Competition and be done with it - forget waiting.

[steelshooter]

Not the the greatest trigger out of the box but I don't find it anyone near as bad as the first poster. Lots of people doing trigger jobs on them these days and I have trigger jobs on almot every other pistol I own.

[steelshooter]

Where do you get that idea? Even if that were true it does not explain the difference in trigger between the P30 and HK 45.

The only reason I can think of that HK has such heavy triggers is that they know that a lot of their users will be wearing gloves when firing...? If you have a 1911 3lb trigger, you might be setting the trigger up, getting the guy in your sigh........BANG!! uh oh......RUN!

[Mark71]

All this talk of LEM is making me want the P30 NOW in LEM...but...I may just get a Combat Competition and be done with it - forget waiting.

If you havn't tried the LEM yet do yourself a favor and try before you buy.

[BytorJr]

Thanks...been there, done that...love it. The perfect world would make it have shorter reset (like the CC model) and maybe a more definitive detent. Personally, I cannot believe how many folks don't like it....I still don't understand.

So, here's a question: do these trigger jobs folks are having on the P30 have the potential for a light strike? I assume there is more than just polishing parts involved.

[steelshooter]

Some people really like LEM and others don't Its not your only option though. You could also get a trigger job.

[BytorJr]

Well, my reasoning behind LEM was and is pretty simple. I want KISS principle if I ever have to use it in a situation. Specifically, if I'm totally caught off guard by bad guys then I don't want to have to worry about a manual safety a la the USP V1. Also, I don't like the heavy first DA action of the P2000/P30. I doubt a trigger job that wouldn't decrease reliability is possible...just me. These trigger jobs scare me to some extent and perhaps I'm showing my ignorance. I truly believe HK designed for absolute reliability and unless I know exactly what's being done in a trigger job I don't think I'd go there. LEM for me..thanks.

[96GTS]

Where do you get that idea? Even if that were true it does not explain the difference in trigger between the P30 and HK 45.
I dunno, just my opinion. Most pistols in the HKs price range seem to have better triggers. I can't imagine HK going all out on all aspects of their pistols, only to half ass their triggers. So that leads me to believe that HK has their triggers set up like they are for a reason. What that reason is, I couldn't tell ya, I just gave my idea....

[cmdrdredd]

I dunno, just my opinion. Most pistols in the HKs price range seem to have better triggers. I can't imagine HK going all out on all aspects of their pistols, only to half ass their triggers. So that leads me to believe that HK has their triggers set up like they are for a reason. What that reason is, I couldn't tell ya, I just gave my idea....

Probably because in Europe, the law enforcement agencies who purchase from HK want heavy triggers with long resets. Just my guess.

[A96HondaAccordEX]

i still havent seen any at the shops around here yet.

[KPSquared]

I tried out my new German made SIG SP2022 two weeks ago, and fired my HK P30 that same day. The trigger on the 2022 is WAY better, and I was shooting it a lot better than the HK. If you don't want to disappointed in the P30, don't shoot a 2022 during same range session. And, the brand new 2022 cost me $471 out the door.

I like the P30, and has some features I really like, but the trigger needs some work.

http://home.insightbb.com/~kevin.paul/Quickstart/ImageLib/DCP_1366.JPG

[cmdrdredd]

I tried out my new German made SIG SP2022 two weeks ago, and fired my HK P30 that same day. The trigger on the 2022 is WAY better, and I was shooting it a lot better than the HK. If you don't want to disappointed in the P30, don't shoot a 2022 during same range session. And, the brand new 2022 cost me $471 out the door.

I like the P30, and has some features I really like, but the trigger needs some work.

SiG triggers have always been better than HK.