Heckler & Koch P30: Full-Size Security

by
posted on August 24, 2022
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Heckler & Koch P30 semi-automatic pistol right-side view black gun plastic frame metal slide steel

The welcome was a warm one from European law-enforcement agencies when Heckler & Koch introduced a new, short-recoil operated, 9 mm Luger-chambered semi-automatic pistol in 2006. That year, the German Federal Customs Administration ordered 13,500. The Norwegian Police Service followed by procuring 7,000, and a parade of others soon followed.

It initially launched with a P3000 label, but the name changed quickly to the now-familiar P30. The double-action/single-action pistol has an exposed hammer and standard magazine capacity of 15 cartridges. At slightly more than 7" in length and weighing more than 23 ozs., the P30 pistol is tailored for duty.

The P30 has undergone a vast number of upgrades throughout its history, including the addition of a .40 S&W chambering and an accessory rail under the dustcover. Today, it’s available in a number of variants, including a long-slide version (P30L seen above) and another with a shorter, more compact profile—the P30SK that debuted at the 2015 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits.

Each come with interchangeable backstraps and side panels to customize fit. All have an automatic hammer safety and firing pin safety, as well as ambidextrous magazine release and slide release. Ambidextrous manual safeties are available throughout the line. Owners can also opt for H&K’s enhanced double-action-only Law Enforcement Modification—which adds a de-cocking button and trigger modification that results in a light-strike setup with a let-off weight of 5.4 lbs.

Overall length of the P30SK is 6.42", and the barrel measures 3.27". It weighs slightly less than 24 ozs., but is only available in 9 mm Luger. Magazine capacity, depending on the model selected, is 10 or 13 cartridges, and factory-installed options include night sights. MSRPs are either $839 or $949.

The P30L, or long-slide, measures 7.71" long and has a 4.45" barrel. The P30 model, for comparison, is 7.12" and 3.85", respectively. Corresponding weights are 27.52 ozs. and 26.98 ozs. Both are available in 9 mm Luger and .40 S&W. MSRPs are the same, depending on configuration, although factory-supplied magazine capacity goes as high as 17 rounds for guns chambered in 9 mm and 13 rounds for those in .40 S&W.

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.