H&K has always been at the forefront of modern, reliable firearm designs for the past forty-five years. Today we’re going to examine one of their most updated, modern pistols, the P30! Let’s get right to it!

Accuracy

The P30 is near the average accuracy with other high-quality pistols like SIGs, Remingtons, etc. At 25 yards I was able to keep my groupings within about 2 inches at the most, being perfectly reasonable for a handgun at this range.

In my experience, the P30 has average yet consistent accuracy, which is typical for H&K’s reliable, workhorse designs. If you want a gun that will shoot with the same accuracy it did last time, this is the sidearm for you.

Reliability

H&K is known for tough, reliable firearms and this pistol lived up to that standard. I flat out abused this gun, taking it out in horrible, rainy, muddy fall weather and firing it for an entire afternoon. I had not even the slightest issue during this time, and the gun went bang every time it was supposed to.

Much like a Glock, the P30 isn’t intended to be this sleek, fussy firearm. It’s tough, built to last, and guarantees you can put rounds on target when your life depends on it. For a sidearm, it’s one of the best I’ve ever used!

Handling

Much like its accuracy, the P30 is relatively average. It’s not as smooth as a Chiappa Rhino, but it’s certainly not an unpleasant weapon to shoot. Remember, this isn’t meant to be a competition gun, this is meant to be a tough, reliable sidearm. I thought it did handle exceptionally smooth for such a firearm, and I didn’t struggle to control it.

Overall, it’s a simple design handling wise. There is nothing intricate or delicate about the P30, which contributes to its ease-of-use, handling, and even weapon maintenance. This gun was made to be easy under pressure, a trademark of any reliable handgun!

Trigger

Coming in at 5.4 pounds of trigger pull, the P30 isn’t exactly a heavy trigger but it’s certainly not a feathery trigger either. The trigger pull may actually feel a bit heavier on this gun, however, since it’s not a smooth trigger. Much like the rest of the firearm, its meant to be solid and reliable trigger, not a competition trigger.

With an aftermarket trigger, the trigger pull comes down closer to 3 pounds and just adds an overall smoothness to the P30. It’s definitely worth the extra money, turning a reliable firearm into a smooth and reliable firearm.

Magazine & Reloading

Holding 15 rounds, the P30 is made for combat/self-defense scenarios. Misses are inevitable even for the most experienced shooters, which is where having this many rounds is extremely useful. Extended magazines can increase this capacity to 19 rounds, though this certainly wouldn’t be useful for concealed carry purposes.

Reloading is simple and easy with the P30, which is reflected in my average reload time of 5 seconds using this firearm. H&K definitely put thought into this design, making it easy enough to reload for an inexperienced user in pressured situations. I cannot say enough how pleasant this firearm was to reload, being easily equal to any Glock or SIG on the market.

Length and Weight

The P30 is about 6.2 inches in length, making it a relatively compact standard-sized sidearm. This makes it perfect for concealed carry, I loved this compact design, as I could wrap my hands around it completely, leading to good control by default.

At 1.4 pounds, the P30 is one of the lightest firearms on the market. The biggest area this becomes obvious is while concealed-carrying, being so light that you can almost forget about it being on your hip. This makes it an extremely shooter-friendly firearm, where you can carry it all day and not have any discomfort or fatigue.

Recoil Management

I found the recoil on the P30 to be average, but it surprisingly felt lighter the more I fired the weapon. Excellent recoil distribution leads to a great shooting experience, and I didn’t feel like my hands or wrists were tired after a long day of shooting.

For an inexperienced user, the recoil is perfectly acceptable and should present no issues whatsoever. It’s a weapon built to shoot, and shoot, and shoot some more!

Price

Perhaps the biggest negative of this handgun, the P30 comes in at its lowest around 900 dollars. This is an extremely high price even for a high-quality firearm, which means it probably won’t be your first choice unless you have extra money. However, the price tag is certainly worth it considering this pistol will bring you through hell and back and likely be in better shape than you. It’s a tough pistol and no doubt worthy of such a price.

My Verdict

The P30 is definitely a worthwhile purchase for any serious gun owner. Its high price may be a turnoff, but when compared to cheaper firearms like S&W, Taurus, etc. the quality and reliability are easily superior. Yes, you may have to save up for it, but it’s a quality firearm that you should have within your collection.

The P30 is the embodiment of H&K; built not to be pretty, but to get the job done and save your life when it matters most. It is without a doubt worth purchasing.

Richard Douglas is a long time shooter, outdoor enthusiast and technologist. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field. Columnist at The National Interest, Cheaper Than Dirt, Daily Caller and other publications.

Image: Wikipedia.