How is the G-30 Recoil & Performance

[corbon1]

Looking for a 45ACP for CCW Carry, I don't like how the G-36 feels in my hand. Please give me some in-put on the G-30 for carry comfort, How accurate is it and anything else that you can fill me in on.

Thanks ! :thumbsup:

[PaleGreenHorse]

I carry my G29 or G30 everyday (they are the same size) with no issues at all. They are both more accurate than I am, and recoil is subjective, but the G30 is a kitten to me. PGH~

[MrMurphy]

The 30 is the most accurate Glock I've shot out of nearly every model they make.

WIth a good holster and belt (Wilderness belt and Comp-Tac C-TAC in my case) I have comfortably carried my 30 for years, many times over 24 hours straight.

As to recoil, very, very low and easily controllable in .45. Pilotkitten (my wife) shoots mine just fine and she's 5'2. And NOT an experienced shooter.

[corbon1]

Thanks for all your Help Guys !

[CCV]

The G30 is hard to beat. Try it, you'll like it.

[G-30Jet]

Just shot one of my "thirties" last night with a co-worker.
He liked it so much he went out and ordered one immediately!
Yes they are really all that. goin' to get my 30 now and dry fire;)

[Baldy]

My first Glock was a 30, and I agree with previously stated opinions that it is one of the most (if not the most) accurate and reliable of the Glocks. Velocity is not much reduced from the Commander-sized 1911's, and better than the Officer's size. It's one deterent is its girth. It is fat...really fat. Now, I have big hands, and I like it. I find it very concealable, and I prefer it with the 9-round magazine. It absolutely disappears for me (concealment wise) with that mag. Recoil is less than my Kimber Combat Carry, and it just runs and runs. As you can see...I'm a fan.

- Baldy

[The_Crow]

I fell in love with the .45 ACP years ago and liked the H&K USP but the dent it would put in my budget was unacceptable. Having previously fired a G21 and enjoyed it I was considering it. Not the most concealable gun though, and my brother recommended the G30 as he liked it better in all respects. So I went down, handled one and found the grip to be a perfect fit. I bought it, and the result...

AWESOME! The gun shoots very accurately and is very controllable. Reliability is top notch (of course) and it's quite easy to conceal. I use a Predator Holster myself and I carried it last week when I was out hiking with no discomfort whatsoever. It can be a bit heavy at times, and I would warn you that the Predator holsters were made before the G30 came with an LCI so it can shave a little plastic off.

I would get one... I'll bet anything you'll love it from your first trip to the range.

[rich52us]

It's my daily carry. Great combination of size v. firepower. Mild shooter compared to most .45s. I carry it IW in a Blade-Tech UCH at 4:00 and it is comfortable all day and dissapears under a polo or t-shirt.

[SGT67]

Once my friend let me shoot his G30 I had to have one so I traded in a beat up colt series 80 compact that would jam all the time at the range and got the G30 and I have carried it ever since I have small hands and the large grip is confortable and handles recoil very well.

[DHart]

Comparing my "today-new" G30 to my older G29, the G30 is a dream to shoot (which I did tonight). The recoil of the 10mm in the 29 is not something I really enjoy very much... it's just a little on the too-brutish side for my liking... so my 29 will probably not see a lot of use after getting the 30... the 30 is just wonderful... accurate, fun and comfortable to shoot, reliable... potent! :thumbsup:

[joro]

I agree with every post so far. Accurate, soft shooting and reliable. I carry mine with DT 230 GD's.

[Camshaft]

my friend has a g30. i find it to be rather innaccurate and unruly compared to my G17

[Errick]

Originally posted by MrMurphy
The 30 is the most accurate Glock I've shot out of nearly every model they make.

WIth a good holster and belt (Wilderness belt and Comp-Tac C-TAC in my case) I have comfortably carried my 30 for years, many times over 24 hours straight.

As to recoil, very, very low and easily controllable in .45. Pilotkitten (my wife) shoots mine just fine and she's 5'2. And NOT an experienced shooter.

:agree:

Soft recoil and very accurate!

:thumbsup:

[Opie 1 Kenopie]

To ditto the above comments, I just took my new 30 out yesterday and was FLAT OUT IMPRESSED! I have a LOT of handguns and my G21 was always my favorite because of the low recoil and extreme accuracy. Now the 30 has taken that slot I think. This pistol is laser-accurate and extremely controllable, more so than even my 9mm Glocks. THe compact size is perfect for our hot weather conditions around here (Central CA) and packin' 10 rounds of 45 with a G21 mag in reserve just feels good when out among the indigenous personnel. I have a Kimber Pro-Carry II that is almost as accurate but has a snap to it. I have found my new all-time carry piece.

[DHart]

I've really been enjoying my G30... have made some mods which have enhanced the experience:

• Lone Wolf barrel (gives full case head support! And as a side benefit, looks awesome in contrast to the black gun - especially at the business end!) Totally reliable, awesome accuracy. Well worth the $95.
• Ghost Rocket 3.5# connector - brings the trigger pull down a little to around 4.75# and stops overtravel
• G21 smooth faced trigger - without the serrations, feels better on the trigger finger

I love the gun!

G30 OWNERS TAKE IMPORTANT NOTE: with the short 3.8" barrel, to keep bullet velocity up where it needs to be for proper performance, warmer charges are necessary, so you may want to consider handload your defense loads or buy +P factory loadings. Factory 230 gr. Gold Dot velocities in the G30 drop down to the 800 area... not fast enough to give top ballistic performance. Going with a lighter bullet doesn't help any, as velocity slows from its optimal point no matter what the bullet weight is. To quote DocGKR from Tactical Forums:

"...shortening .45 ACP barrels is problematic. For a variety of reasons, we have never tested a 3" .45 ACP--the shortest has been 3.5". Using our old duty RA45T in bare gel, a 5" 1911 had a velocity of 854 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, a 4.25” LWC had a velocity of 825 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, while a 3.5" LWOM had a velocity of 798 f/s and expansion of only 0.48”. Obviously a 3” would be worse…_"

So a caveat the G30 owner should consider (because of the short 3.8" barrel) is that warmer loadings are needed to keep .45 acp bullet performance where it can and very well should be.

[freakshow10mm]

I've had mine since 2004. It has seen well over 5K rounds. Accurate, reliable, softest shooting 45 I've ever shot.

My enhancements are 4.5# connector, KKM barrel, Wolff 21# spring and rod, and Heinie Slant Pro night sights. As soon as my brass gets here it will shoot nothing but 45 Super.

I roll with Sidearmor IWB.

[Grimsi]

Mild. Fantastic!

[jbremount]

Quote: "G30 OWNERS TAKE IMPORTANT NOTE: with the short 3.8" barrel, to keep bullet velocity up where it needs to be for proper performance, warmer charges are necessary, so you may want to consider handload your defense loads or buy +P factory loadings. Factory 230 gr."
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I am late to the party but this strikes my interest!


Most smaller guns with shorter barrels like the Glock 30 are designed to be used as close range concealed carry guns. Up close and personal, most factory .45acp ammo from the big manufactures will work. Shot placement is still #1. I have talked with guys from the training shools and no one has suggested that personal hot handloads or .45acp{+p) ammo was needed for the glock 30 to be effective. The shooting schools always suggest you bring your duty ammo or factory ammo, not hot personal handloads or +P ammo for your glock 30. I would think that ammo your LE/FBI or State agencies have tested will be effective in the glock21 and the glock30.

[DHart]

jb... no one said that factory velocity ammo "won't work" at the lower velocity achieved with the short 3.8" G30 barrel. They feed and fire just fine. And be deadly. But if you want Gold Dots, Golden Sabers, etc. to expand as fully and reliably as they were designed to, you will be better able to achieve this at the velocity they are designed to function properly at... about 880 fps. Use the Glock factory barrel (rather than an aftermarket with conventional rifling) to help keep velocity up and boost velocities a little with your handloads to keep the velocity up. At lower velocities you can expect a loss of full expansion with JHP's, but the bullets should still penetrate well and be a heck of a lot more effective than a mouseload in a smaller caliber. AS with ANY caliber and loading, bullet placement is #1. Following placement you want deep penetration. After that, it's great to have full expansion, if you can get it. And that's where higher velocity comes in... helping the bullet expand fully!

THe G30 is an awesome pistol, helped (in terminal ballistics) by loadings which are a little hotter than standard. Going with lighter bullet loads doesn't help any... they lose velocity at a higher rate than the 230 gr. bullets do. Stick with 230 gr. JHP loads helped with just a little extra boost in velocity and you'll have a superb defense performer with the G30 and stock barrel. If you shoot standard velocity JHP loads in the G30, expect decent performance, but don't be surprised if expansion isn't what you would hope for.

[jbremount]

jb... no one said that factory velocity ammo "won't work" at the lower velocity achieved with the short 3.8" G30 barrel. They feed and fire just fine. And be deadly. But if you want Gold Dots, Golden Sabers, etc. to expand as fully and reliably as they were designed to, you will be better able to achieve this at the velocity they are designed to function properly at... about 880 fps. Use the Glock factory barrel (rather than an aftermarket with conventional rifling) to help keep velocity up and boost velocities a little with your handloads to keep the velocity up. At lower velocities you can expect a loss of full expansion with JHP's, but the bullets should still penetrate well and be a heck of a lot more effective than a mouseload in a smaller caliber. AS with ANY caliber and loading, bullet placement is #1. Following placement you want deep penetration. After that, it's great to have full expansion, if you can get it. And that's where higher velocity comes in... helping the bullet expand fully!



THe G30 is an awesome pistol, helped (in terminal ballistics) by loadings which are a little hotter than standard. Going with lighter bullet loads doesn't help any... they lose velocity at a higher rate than the 230 gr. bullets do. Stick with 230 gr. JHP loads helped with just a little extra boost in velocity and you'll have a superb defense performer with the G30 and stock barrel. If you shoot standard velocity JHP loads in the G30, expect decent performance, but don't be surprised if expansion isn't what you would hope for.



Quote:DHART"Use the Glock factory barrel (rather than an aftermarket with conventional rifling) to help keep velocity up and boost velocities a little with your handloads to keep the velocity up."


Really....what can one say to that!..... I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinons and can use whatever ammo one wants. I don't think the shooting schools or FBI/LE testing and advice would be wrong for most civilian shooters, but I have no desire to convince you otherwise. Have you chronographed the same ammo from a Glock stock barrel and the aftermarket barrel? I have and the lone wolf barrel and the KKM barrel give faster velocity than the Glock stock barrel. Most aftermarket barrels run faster than even Glock barrels.

[DHart]

jb... no, I haven't chronoed my barrels (I have stock and a Lone Wolf), but my understanding is that the rifling in the Glock barrels generally yields higher velocities than aftermarket barrels... but testing is the only way to know for sure... my chrony is broken and I just haven't replaced it yet.

What are your specific claims with regard to the Glock 30? What are you saying about shooting schools and FBI/LE? Can you provide a link to your claimed sources? What are you referring to with the FBI/LE testing? You offer no specifics. Are you saying they got higher velocities from aftermarket barrels in the G30?

I like the G30 a lot. Its one of quite a number of defense guns that I like, shoot, and carry. But I guess I'm a little more particular than you are when it comes to driving bullets at the optimum velocities they were designed to perform their best at. When barrel lengths shorten from 5", velocity is lost... with the shorter 3.8" G30 barrel, all it takes is a little compensation to keep velocities at their optimum level.

How it can be argued that a 230 gr. Golden Saber performs (expands) as well generally at less than 800 fps than it does at the prescribed 880 fps I don't understand. It can still be effective at, say, 800 fps, but expansion may be reduced from around .76" in a 5" barrel to, perhaps, .46" with a 3.8" barrel. Clearly, moving it at 880 is arguably a better place to be ballistically with most of the premium 230 gr. JHP bullet designs and boosting velocity a little is very easy for the reloader to accomplish.

To quote DocGKR from Tactical Forums:

"...shortening .45 ACP barrels is problematic. For a variety of reasons, we have never tested a 3" .45 ACP--the shortest has been 3.5". Using our old duty RA45T in bare gel, a 5" 1911 had a velocity of 854 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, a 4.25” LWC had a velocity of 825 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, while a 3.5" LWOM had a velocity of 798 f/s and expansion of only 0.48”. Obviously a 3” would be worse…_"

Obviously, you are free to carry whatever you like in your G30. AS for myself, I prefer and recommend premium 230 gr. JHP bullet designs (Golden Saber, Gold Dot) moving at the prescribed 880 fps from any .45 acp weapon under consideration, including the G30. Just that with the 3.8" barrel in the G30, a little power boost is necessary to keep velocity right at the "sweet spot" of 880 fps.

[CanyonMan]

jb... no, I haven't chronoed my barrels (I have stock and a Lone Wolf), but my understanding is that the rifling in the Glock barrels generally yields higher velocities than aftermarket barrels... but testing is the only way to know for sure... my chrony is broken and I just haven't replaced it yet.

What are your specific claims with regard to the Glock 30? What are you saying about shooting schools and FBI/LE? Can you provide a link to your claimed sources? What are you referring to with the FBI/LE testing? You offer no specifics. Are you saying they got higher velocities from aftermarket barrels in the G30?

I like the G30 a lot. Its one of quite a number of defense guns that I like, shoot, and carry. But I guess I'm a little more particular than you are when it comes to driving bullets at the optimum velocities they were designed to perform their best at. When barrel lengths shorten from 5", velocity is lost... with the shorter 3.8" G30 barrel, all it takes is a little compensation to keep velocities at their optimum level.

How it can be argued that a 230 gr. Golden Saber performs (expands) as well generally at less than 800 fps than it does at the prescribed 880 fps I don't understand. It can still be effective at, say, 800 fps, but expansion may be reduced from around .76" in a 5" barrel to, perhaps, .46" with a 3.8" barrel. Clearly, moving it at 880 is arguably a better place to be ballistically with most of the premium 230 gr. JHP bullet designs and boosting velocity a little is very easy for the reloader to accomplish.

To quote DocGKR from Tactical Forums:

"...shortening .45 ACP barrels is problematic. For a variety of reasons, we have never tested a 3" .45 ACP--the shortest has been 3.5". Using our old duty RA45T in bare gel, a 5" 1911 had a velocity of 854 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, a 4.25” LWC had a velocity of 825 f/s and expansion of 0.76”, while a 3.5" LWOM had a velocity of 798 f/s and expansion of only 0.48”. Obviously a 3” would be worse…_"

Obviously, you are free to carry whatever you like in your G30. AS for myself, I prefer and recommend premium 230 gr. JHP bullet designs (Golden Saber, Gold Dot) moving at the prescribed 880 fps from any .45 acp weapon under consideration, including the G30. Just that with the 3.8" barrel in the G30, a little power boost is necessary to keep velocity right at the "sweet spot" of 880 fps.



There is much I would like to say here, and could.... But i do not want to start a war, nor do I have the time to go through it all.... The factory GS in 230gr are plenty enough, in the G30 for SD. +P ammo is NOT needed in this gun to make it any better. I need penetration anyway, and am not overly concerned with expansion.

Secondly, It is NOT wise to carry reloads, which can start another war, (which i don't want to do). Justified shooting or not, reloads can get your lunch ate real quick in court. I guarantee it. Not even LEO's carry home rolled ammo, nor do any high ranking offices in government. Go to court with home rolled is asking for trouble, i do not care what anyone says... It is a big mistake.

The velosity, from factory GD, and GS ammo is very sufficient for close up SD business. Man this above type info comes out of the crack of the walls every now and again, and it is just not entirely correct, or good info.

And nope I have not got the time nor inclination to debate it all.
The "we need +P" in smaller 45's is a major myth. Nufff said. Respectfully.


CanyonMan

[DHart]

CanyonMan... you are certainly entitled to your opinion. That we disagree is no biggie as I have no one to convince or impress. I do stick to my opinion.

As for the G30, as much as I love the gun and believe it's a great handgun, I have to say that I believe the G23 is a superior choice as a defense gun for three important reasons:

• Better capacity (14-rounds on tap is always better than 11)
• Slimmer size and much more comfortable feel in the hand (to me) - I can shoot it better as a result
• .40 caliber performs superbly from the short-ish G23 barrel

I have no qualms relying on my G30 as a carry gun, nor do I believe those that rely on a G30 for defense are making a mistake... but I do believe that the 23 is a better choice for such duty.

[CanyonMan]

CanyonMan... you are certainly entitled to your opinion. That we disagree is no biggie as I have no one to convince or impress. I do stick to my opinion.

As for the G30, as much as I love the gun and believe it's a great handgun, I have to say that I believe the G23 is a superior choice as a defense gun for three important reasons:

• Better capacity (14-rounds on tap is always better than 11)
• Slimmer size and much more comfortable feel in the hand (to me) - I can shoot it better as a result
• .40 caliber performs superbly from the short-ish G23 barrel

I have no qualms relying on my G30 as a carry gun, nor do I believe those that rely on a G30 for defense are making a mistake... but I do believe that the 23 is a better choice for such duty.


Hey, you know the saying, and I'll re-arange the words a tad.... Opinions are like armpits, we all got em. ;)


CM

[Igiveup]

Looking for a 45ACP for CCW Carry, I don't like how the G-36 feels in my hand. Please give me some in-put on the G-30 for carry comfort, How accurate is it and anything else that you can fill me in on.

Thanks ! :thumbsup:


the g30 is the most accurate and soft shooting .45's I have ever shot I have no idea how glock achieved that but they did! I carry one and I also shoot it at local idpa matchs and do just as well as my fs 1911. my wife who is 5' 105 pounds aced her cch test with it and can drill the bullseye clear out from 7 yds she loves shooting it because she can hit whatever she wants thats saying a lot coming from a small female that only gets to shoot a few times a year. hth :)

oh btw I carry mine daily and it started out a little bulky at first since I use a belt slide holster usually but I am dressing accordingly with LT shirts and jackets and it is not a problem now it doesnt weigh much so other than printing the gun butt thru clothes sometimes it isnt noticable.

JS1