H&K P30: THE END OF THE DA/SA LINE?

The P30 is the last double action developed by H&K in 9mm and .40 caliber. Though it was designed 20 years ago, it was made popular recently by its use in the movie John Wick. It honestly is still getting love on the civilian market, I believe, only because of the John Wick series. Langdon Tactical even has their own modified P30 that many people enjoy for its refined internals and performance capabilities. However, H&K seems to be spending a lot of time on other projects like rifles and pistol versions of their famed SMGs. They still produce the old school USP/USP Compact line with fidelity and a high price tag, but their contracts around the world are being dropped in favor of more cost effective and striker-fired alternatives like the VP9.

P2000 GETS THE AX

At the time of writing this article, the P2000 is relatively hard to come by. When you do find them, they are outfitted with 10rd magazines meant for customers behind enemy lines in California or other ban states. The P2000 never really had a large following like the P30 has. This may because a lack of Hollywood exposure, it was too costly, or it just didn't fit a need people had at the time. Most pistols that are older can only develop a staying power through being common in movies, having a stellar reputation, being really customizable, or being unbeatably priced. Look at the PX4 from Beretta, the 200 series of Sig, or the 3rd generation of Glocks.

The P2000 was one of my favorite compact sized pistols to shoot in double action. The P2000 was essentially a modernized USP Compact meant to fulfill a law enforcement need. The pistol could be traditional DA/SA and also be LEM. Regardless, when I compared the P2000 to the P30 years ago, I ended up keeping the P2000 around while the P30 was put up for sale. I viewed the P2000 full size to be a terrific alternative to the Glock 19, and I was able to achieve magnificent performance.

I am unsure why, but the fact is that the P2000 and it's variants are on the way out of the American market. I don't know if H&K German intends to absolutely stop production all together, but it is still on the HK website, as of the writing of this article. Funny thing is that the MSRP of the P2000 is higher than the MSRP of the P30, according to the website.

THE LEM TRIGGER: THE BEGINNING OF THE END?

The LEM trigger was developed to answer the issue of Law Enforcement agencies preferring a consistent trigger pull much like those found on striker fired options. This was basically a Band-Aid on the issue of H&K not having a striker fired pistol, in my opinion. This worked well enough to allow them to sell plenty of P2000s and P30s on the argument that the LEM is "just as good as" a striker-fired pistol.

This was fine for a while but I think LE Agencies started to get disenchanted with the H&K line of DA/SA options as they saw striker-fired pistols give better qualification scores after minimal training and upkeep on skills. Though a qualification is not indicative of combat marksmanship capability, agencies started ditching the more expensive H&K pistols for ones like Glock or M&Ps.

Once the VP9 came onto the market, I think LE agencies really started to get interested in H&K again. There were agencies that had money and gladly invested in some of the earliest versions of the VP9 and the later VP40. As far as I know, the VP9 is still in holsters of LEOs around the country, and even in Europe where the pistol is labeled the SFP9 (Striker-Fired Pistol 9mm).

A SHIFT TO CIVILIAN SALES

With the popularity of the ultra small double stack 9mm pistols, H&K USA just released the CC9. To me, this has hinted that their main focus going forward is more catered to the civilian gun market, which is a bit of a departure from what they were focused on for years. H&K seems to be leaning on the H&K USA market to generate income that once was made by military contracts around the world. I am not seeing much innovation coming from H&K aside from advances in the MR556, The new VP9A1 K/F (Glock 19/17 sized VP9), and the CC9. Most of what H&K has put out lately is pistol variants that can accept a red dot optic. However, if the chassis system of the CC9 is a big enough hit, we may see a slightly larger version developed over the next few years. Perhaps H&K may see the chassis design as a clue of where the gun world is headed.

Chassis systems aren’t necessarily about modularity, but more about streamlining manufacturing and maintenance. Less pins, less pain, less parts, less money spent on the development, thus more profit. Some people may buy into the chassis system being great for having several different pistol sizes in one, but that is mostly a pipedream and would still cost the company a lot of money to develop the inventory to support that concept. It sounded good on paper, and it sold a crapload of Sig 320s, but the truth is a bit more disappointing.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE P30?

​For a 20 year old pistol, the P30 is still keeping up well with modern designs. It was one of the first to use forward slide serrations, a modular grip, and maintain the durability that made H&K so desired in the tactical pistol realm. I would argue that the P30 is one of the most durable pistols on the market. It still has one of the most modular grips you can find, has multiple trigger variants, is very easy to use, and has plenty of aftermarket support and customization options.

I have noticed that H&K has lowered the price of the P30 compared to the price of the venerable USP/P2000. This is a good sign that there is enough interest in the platform to justify a lower price point to further attract buyers and attain profit through volume, just like with the VP9 series. However, I fear that one day, the double action line will cease to exist as companies streamline their lineup of pistols more and more. What is keeping the USP in production? How is the USP stil around and the P2000 is now cast aside? Will the USP be the last double action standing, simply because of it’s notoriety in the pistol world for being darn near indestructible? We shall see what the heads of H&K decide in the years to come. If I were you, I would get my hands on a P30 and a few parts before the big wigs make their move.