Heckler & Koch P30
Encyclopedia
The Heckler & Koch P30 is a polymer framed semi-automatic handgun. The P30 represents an evolutionary advancement of the technology involved in the Heckler & Koch P2000
and Heckler & Koch USP Compact pistols. Early prototypes of the P30 were referred to as the P3000. The pistol is available in 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W
chamberings.
As of fall 2006, the German Federal Customs Administration
had procured 13,500 copies of the P30V6 for its forces, making them the first customer of the P30.
Additionally, the Norwegian Police Service
has decided in favor of the P30LV1 pistol with an order of approximately 7,000 copies.
In October 2008, the Cantonal police
of Zurich
, Switzerland
was granted the purchase of an undisclosed number of P30's worth 1.6 million CHF
(US$1.35 million), replacing the previously used SIG P228.
In late November 2008, the German Bundespolizei ordered 30,000 P30s with the option for another 5,000. Deliveries will take place between summer 2009 and 2011.
In April 2010, the state police of Hesse
(Germany) ordered the P30 V2. In addition, correction officers in Hesse's state prisons will be equipped with this model.
–operated locked breech pistol with a modified Browning
-type linkless cam action with a vertically tilting barrel.
Technically, the P30 is similar to the Heckler & Koch P2000
pistol; the differences are in exterior appearance and ergonomics.
The P30 is a hammer-fired pistol with an exposed spurred hammer; a bobbed hammer is optional. It has ambidextrous slide release locks and a fully ambidextrous magazine release installed in the trigger guard, on both sides. Various trigger and cocking systems offer the possibility of converting the trigger firing mode from one type to another. Several variants are available based whether the LEM (Law Enforcement Modification) trigger (H&K's double-action only) mechanism is used versus a SA/DA trigger.
All P30 pistols feature an automatic hammer safety and firing pin safety. Some trigger configurations also offer a decocker.
The cold hammer-forged barrel
has hexagonal right-hand polygonal rifling
while the slide, having both front and rear serrations, is made from a solid bar of nitro-carburized steel
. Besides metals the P30 makes extensive use of impact-resistant polymer
s to reduce weight and production costs.
Major metal components like the steel slide are treated with a protective surface treatment. Heckler & Koch refers to this treatment as the "HE" (Hostile Environment) finish, which is an extremely hard, nitro-gas carburized
, black oxide coating. It aids resisting wear and corrosion, including exposure to salt water
, making the pistol particularly suitable for individuals carrying the pistol concealed as the highly chloride-resistant finish allows the pistol to better endure the effects of perspiration.
As with other recent Heckler & Koch pistol designs, the P30 is modular to suit individual needs. The grip features three interchangeable backstrap inserts and three interchangeable grip shells both available in small, medium and large sizes. These backstraps and grip shells can be assembled completely at random, also asymmetrically, in 27 different user configurable grip configurations, allowing to customize the pistol's grip to various hand size and shapes and personal preferences.
The iron sight
s consist of a square notch rear sight and post type front sight. The sight features three-dot contrast enhancements that have been painted with non-radioactive photoluminescent
Super-LumiNova
afterglow paint that can aid target acquisition under unfavourable lighting conditions.
A MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) accessory rail on the dust cover allows mounting tactical light
s, laser sights and other accessories. The attachment of such accessories does not require any tools.
The empty weight of a P30 box magazine
is 93 g (3.3 oz).
For cleaning purposes the pistol can be disassembled into its subassemblies without tools. Disassembly of the pistol is carried out without having to remove the slide release from the grip.
that visibly and tactilely indicates the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
Another P30 option is a visually conspicuous empty magazine indicator in the form of a red, white or orange colored magazine follower that becomes visible after the last round has been fired, and the slide release blocks the slide of the pistol in the open position.
A further option is an ambidextrous external thumb safety lever. With this decocking latch the pistol can be carried in a "cocked and locked" condition as well as in a decocked condition. P30 pistols that feature this optional external safety are denoted by the addition of an S to the type name.
For the recording of weapon specific data, a passive RFID transponder may be integrated into the weapon. The stored data can be read via an external unit.
The P30S and P30LS variants feature an optional external ambidextrous thumb safety. This manual safety is available for most trigger variants.
Both the P30 and P30L pistols offer multiple trigger configurations. It is possible to change the (original) trigger configuration of a P30 or P30L to another trigger configuration.
Heckler & Koch P2000
The Heckler & Koch P2000 is a German semi-automatic pistol introduced late in 2001 and intended primarily for law enforcement, paramilitary, and commercial markets. It is based around the technology involved in the USP Compact pistol...
and Heckler & Koch USP Compact pistols. Early prototypes of the P30 were referred to as the P3000. The pistol is available in 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
chamberings.
History
The P30 is positioned by the manufacturer as an ideal law enforcement pistol and has been chosen by several law enforcement organizations as their service sidearm.As of fall 2006, the German Federal Customs Administration
Zollkriminalamt
The German Customs Investigation Bureau in Cologne and its investigation offices are federal agencies that fall under the German Finance Ministry...
had procured 13,500 copies of the P30V6 for its forces, making them the first customer of the P30.
Additionally, the Norwegian Police Service
Norwegian Police Service
The Norwegian Police Service is the official police force in Norway which are run by the Minister of Justice and Police. The department consists of 27 regional areas and seven national special forces. The department has about 11,000 employees....
has decided in favor of the P30LV1 pistol with an order of approximately 7,000 copies.
In October 2008, the Cantonal police
Cantonal police
The Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by...
of Zurich
Canton of Zürich
The Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
was granted the purchase of an undisclosed number of P30's worth 1.6 million CHF
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
(US$1.35 million), replacing the previously used SIG P228.
In late November 2008, the German Bundespolizei ordered 30,000 P30s with the option for another 5,000. Deliveries will take place between summer 2009 and 2011.
In April 2010, the state police of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
(Germany) ordered the P30 V2. In addition, correction officers in Hesse's state prisons will be equipped with this model.
Design details
The P30 is a is a fully ambidextrous polymer framed short recoilRecoil operation
Recoil operation is an operating mechanism used in locked-breech, autoloading firearms. As the name implies, these actions use the force of recoil to provide energy to cycle the action...
–operated locked breech pistol with a modified Browning
John Browning
John Moses Browning , born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world...
-type linkless cam action with a vertically tilting barrel.
Technically, the P30 is similar to the Heckler & Koch P2000
Heckler & Koch P2000
The Heckler & Koch P2000 is a German semi-automatic pistol introduced late in 2001 and intended primarily for law enforcement, paramilitary, and commercial markets. It is based around the technology involved in the USP Compact pistol...
pistol; the differences are in exterior appearance and ergonomics.
The P30 is a hammer-fired pistol with an exposed spurred hammer; a bobbed hammer is optional. It has ambidextrous slide release locks and a fully ambidextrous magazine release installed in the trigger guard, on both sides. Various trigger and cocking systems offer the possibility of converting the trigger firing mode from one type to another. Several variants are available based whether the LEM (Law Enforcement Modification) trigger (H&K's double-action only) mechanism is used versus a SA/DA trigger.
All P30 pistols feature an automatic hammer safety and firing pin safety. Some trigger configurations also offer a decocker.
The cold hammer-forged barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
has hexagonal right-hand polygonal rifling
Polygonal rifling
Polygonal rifling is a type of gun barrel rifling where the traditional lands and grooves are replaced by "hills and valleys" in a rounded polygonal pattern, usually a hexagon or octagon....
while the slide, having both front and rear serrations, is made from a solid bar of nitro-carburized steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. Besides metals the P30 makes extensive use of impact-resistant polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
s to reduce weight and production costs.
Major metal components like the steel slide are treated with a protective surface treatment. Heckler & Koch refers to this treatment as the "HE" (Hostile Environment) finish, which is an extremely hard, nitro-gas carburized
Ferritic nitrocarburizing
Ferritic nitrocarburizing is a range of case hardening processes that diffuse nitrogen and carbon into ferrous metals at sub-critical temperatures. The processing temperature ranges from to , but usually occurs at...
, black oxide coating. It aids resisting wear and corrosion, including exposure to salt water
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, making the pistol particularly suitable for individuals carrying the pistol concealed as the highly chloride-resistant finish allows the pistol to better endure the effects of perspiration.
As with other recent Heckler & Koch pistol designs, the P30 is modular to suit individual needs. The grip features three interchangeable backstrap inserts and three interchangeable grip shells both available in small, medium and large sizes. These backstraps and grip shells can be assembled completely at random, also asymmetrically, in 27 different user configurable grip configurations, allowing to customize the pistol's grip to various hand size and shapes and personal preferences.
The iron sight
Iron sight
Iron sights are a system of shaped alignment markers used as a sighting device to assist in the aiming of a device such as a firearm, crossbow, or telescope, and exclude the use of optics as in telescopic sights or reflector sights...
s consist of a square notch rear sight and post type front sight. The sight features three-dot contrast enhancements that have been painted with non-radioactive photoluminescent
Photoluminescence
Photoluminescence is a process in which a substance absorbs photons and then re-radiates photons. Quantum mechanically, this can be described as an excitation to a higher energy state and then a return to a lower energy state accompanied by the emission of a photon...
Super-LumiNova
Super-LumiNova
Super-LumiNova is a brand name under which strontium aluminate based non-radioactive and non-toxic photoluminescent or afterglow pigments for illuminating markings on watch dials, hands and bezels, etc. in the dark are marketed...
afterglow paint that can aid target acquisition under unfavourable lighting conditions.
A MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) accessory rail on the dust cover allows mounting tactical light
Tactical light
A tactical light is a flashlight used in conjunction with a firearm to aid low light target identification, allowing the marksman to simultaneously aim and illuminate the target. Tactical lights can be handheld or mounted to the weapon with the light beam parallel to the bore...
s, laser sights and other accessories. The attachment of such accessories does not require any tools.
The empty weight of a P30 box magazine
Magazine (firearm)
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
is 93 g (3.3 oz).
For cleaning purposes the pistol can be disassembled into its subassemblies without tools. Disassembly of the pistol is carried out without having to remove the slide release from the grip.
Options
The P30 can have an optional loaded chamber indicatorLoaded chamber indicator
The loaded chamber indicator is a safety device present on many semi-automatic slide handguns intended to alert an operator that there is a round in the chamber...
that visibly and tactilely indicates the presence of a cartridge in the chamber.
Another P30 option is a visually conspicuous empty magazine indicator in the form of a red, white or orange colored magazine follower that becomes visible after the last round has been fired, and the slide release blocks the slide of the pistol in the open position.
A further option is an ambidextrous external thumb safety lever. With this decocking latch the pistol can be carried in a "cocked and locked" condition as well as in a decocked condition. P30 pistols that feature this optional external safety are denoted by the addition of an S to the type name.
For the recording of weapon specific data, a passive RFID transponder may be integrated into the weapon. The stored data can be read via an external unit.
Variants
The P30L is a P30 featuring a lengthened slide and barrel.The P30S and P30LS variants feature an optional external ambidextrous thumb safety. This manual safety is available for most trigger variants.
Both the P30 and P30L pistols offer multiple trigger configurations. It is possible to change the (original) trigger configuration of a P30 or P30L to another trigger configuration.
P30 trigger and model configurations
Many P30 triggers feature Heckler and Koch's Combat Defensive Action (CDA), which is a variant of conventional Double Action Only (DAO) triggers featuring a cocking piece in the hammer for a lighter yet consistent trigger pull. In addition to the P30 variants featuring the proprietary CDA trigger, the P30 is also offered in conventional pistol trigger mechanisms.| Variant | Action | Trigger pull | Trigger travel | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V0 | DA/SA | 51 N (11.5 lbf) (DA) 20 N (4.5 lbf) (CDA) |
14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) | Features a cocking piece, spurred hammer and a decocking latch. |
| V1 | CDA aka LEM | 20 N (4.5 lbf) | 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) | Features a cocking piece. |
| V2 | CDA aka LEM | 32.5 N (7.3 lbf) | 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) | Features a cocking piece. |
| V3 | DA/SA | 51 N (11.5 lbf) (DA) 20 N (4.5 lbf) (SA) |
14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) (DA) 7 mm (0.275590551181102 in) (SA) |
Features a spurred hammer and a decocking latch. |
| V4 | CDA aka LEM | 27.5 N (6.2 lbf) | 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) | Features a cocking piece. |
| V6 | DAO | 39 N (8.8 lbf) | 14 mm (0.551181102362205 in) | No manual safety option available. |
Users
- 13,500 V6 pistols were purchased by the Federal Customs AdministrationZollkriminalamtThe German Customs Investigation Bureau in Cologne and its investigation offices are federal agencies that fall under the German Finance Ministry...
. 30,000 V2 pistols were purchased by the Federal Police with an option for another 5,000. Approx. 16,000 P30 V2 pistols were ordered for the Hesse State PoliceHesse State PoliceThe Hesse State Police numbers approximately 15,500 police officers and 2,500 civilian employees.-Organisation:...
and Hessian corrections officers.: Norwegian Police ServiceNorwegian Police ServiceThe Norwegian Police Service is the official police force in Norway which are run by the Minister of Justice and Police. The department consists of 27 regional areas and seven national special forces. The department has about 11,000 employees....
.: Used by Public Security Police and Republican National Guard since 2009.: Cantonal policeCantonal policeThe Cantonal police are the law enforcement agencies for each of the 26 Swiss Cantons. Law enforcement in Switzerland is mainly a responsibility of the 26 cantons of Switzerland, which each operate cantonal police agencies. Some cities also operate municipal police agencies as provided for by...
of ZurichCanton of ZürichThe Canton of Zurich has a population of . The canton is located in the northeast of Switzerland and the city of Zurich is its capital. The official language is German, but people speak the local Swiss German dialect called Züritüütsch...
.
See also
- Heckler & Koch HK45Heckler & Koch HK45The Heckler & Koch HK45 is a semi-automatic pistol designed by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch.-Overview:...
—Chambered in .45 ACP.45 ACPThe .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
, it shares HK's current design aesthetic with the P30.
External links
- Official P30 page from the Heckler & Koch Group website
- Official P30L page from the Heckler & Koch Group website
- 'P Series' user manual, includes the P30
- 2008 Heckler & Koch Military and LE brochure
- HKPro page on the P30
- P30 at HK USA
- Modern Firearms - Heckler & Koch HK P30 pistol (Germany)
- Reports on a Heckler & Koch P30 9x19mm Parabellum endurance test over 91,322 rounds conducted by pistol-training.com