...finding one in Central PA. Any PA residents here that can think of a shop in the Harrisburg area which stocks HK pistols? This might be a long shot but worth a try! Thanks.

Good luck. There seems to have been a bit of a run on P30s since the price cuts, not to mention magazines and rumor has it HK is going to be tied up with a military contract for some time and won’t be taking orders for anything for the time being.

The cliff notes are FANTASTIC grip, G17 grip/G19ish slide. Trough cut into trigger guard can annoy some folks. Trigger not as bad as folks make it out.......but sort of in the way that the stomach flu isn’t as bad as folks tend to make it out. It’s not great but totally workable if you can run DA/SA. LEM models super smooth but love or hate.

As an aside maybe find a replica or air pistol to handle. That will likely give you about 80% of the experience.

I got to shoot a P30 once.

I was with my buddy shooting my .454 Casull Ruger Redhawk Super Alaskan for the first time, and I already owned the same gun in .44 mag so I thought I had an idea what the recoil would be like. We started out with some .45 LC cowboy loads, moved on to some cheap hollowpoint .454, and then out came the 20 round box of Buffalo Bore's .454 Casull bear loads (I think it was the 360 gr. L.B.T. - L.W.N.).

I shot six, turned to my buddy and said, "that's not so ba....son of a bitch that stings." He shoots six, I shoot 3, and he shoots 3. There are two rounds left in the box and neither of us want to shoot them. We went back and forth with "You're my guest, you shoot them" and "you're the gun's owner, you shoot them."

A stranger next to us chimes up and says he's always wanted to shoot a .454 Casull and in trade we can shoot a mag out of his new P30. It shot well, but it wasn't a very fair demo due to the way my hands and wrists felt after shooting bear loads out of the .454 Casull.

I'd love to shoot it side by side with one of my P229s.

You might also try contacting some gun ranges to see if they have one for rent as it is a pretty popular pistol, at least around these parts.

Dealers who already had them on order with HK-USA before August will get them in...at some point. The rest of us who now have run out have to wait until sometime next year before HK-USA will be allowed by HK Germany to accept orders...maybe. Or be forced to buy them through distributors and then pass on the middle man markup (sigh).

As suggested, your best chance is to try to find one at the rental counter of a local range if your shops are no bueno.

Try checking out Europtic in Montoursville PA. I live between rochester/buffalo ny and ordered several handguns from them with no problems.Not sure if they have a store you can visit but it looks like its 2hrs from harrisburg. I actually ordered a vp9sk saturday morning. Good Luck

I have all 3 sizes but I'm in SC.

Happy to let you shoot it if you're down this way.

Chris

Definitely try to shoot one before you buy. Mine felt great in my hand in the store, but I found that when I shoot it I ride the slide lock all the time. It's just under my thumbs all the time. The gun shoots pretty well though.


Mine will probably be for sale soon, especially if they dry up in stores so the price goes up.

I'm an Hk fanboy, so bear that in mind, but the p30 is a great pistol. The trigger is not great, but with practice is completely manageable. LEM is terrific but has a learning curve. The slide release can be problematic as stated, as a lefty I am always on the slide release. The trigger trough doesn't bother me but does some. If you are willing to put a little time into it they are pretty amazing pistols. Incredibly accurate and can be shot fast despite the trigger. Look on youtube for Patrick Kelley's video of the p30's out of the box and to a match, and the Honest Outlaw has a great review, too. Can't help you with handling and shooting one, wish I could!

I was at the range yesterday w/ my VP9. Guy in the lane next to me was shooting a P30 in 40S&W w/ LEM trigger. It was his first time shooting it.

I struck up a conversation, and we compared HKs. As far as gripping them, I didn't feel any significant differences between the two. I ran a mag through his P30. The LEM trigger felt weird to me, so yeah... learning curve. I can understand the idea behind the LEM and other law enforcement style triggers, but it's not my cup of tea.

The other guy had a few boxes of .40 and was all over the place w/ his P30. With my VP9, he was knocking out the 10-ring at 7yds. I was impressed, and so was he.

Can you find a vp9 to fondle? Hold one of those only it feels a little heavier and feels more like a quality HK in your hand. Just order it, you’ll love it

Is it blasphemy to say try the Walther PPQ?

Hi. The new Gander Outdoors store in York, PA had a few P30s the last time I was in there a few weeks ago. You can also go down to Freedom Armory in Glen Rock, PA. They have a P30 you can rent for their indoor range. Hope that helps!

Chris

Thanks for all the responses including the offer to try one out down in SC. The best bet for me right now it seems is to head down to York to handle one or even better further to Glen Rock to give one a whirl as posted by Chris17404. Europtics does have lots of HKs for sale on GB but I'm not sure if they have an actual store front.
There are so many variations of the P30! Personally, I wish HK had incorporated the controls on the P30 as found on my USP Compact V1-which is a simple, "one lever does all" on the left side of the pistol. Having said that, I'm leaning toward the cocked and locked version with the decocking lever on the rear end of the slide. The LEM version looks like it would take some getting used to (almost like an accident waiting to happen for my mindset) so I'd definitely have to try one first before buying. I'll post how this quest progresses!

^^^^
I have the P30S (v3). It’s a fantastic pistol.

I have a VP9 on me right now, and the P30 with an LEM 2 trigger next to my bed. Two mags in a soft Blue Force mag holder. Larger hands, so both have the large inserts. Both shoot very well. Ergonomics are (for me) great. But, for some odd reason, the P30 feels looser, almost like a cheaper model. Completely wrong, counterintuitive, but it just is. Maybe I just shot the hell out of it. It's very comfortable
LEM trigger was never an issue. maybe b/c its a #2, not too light, not too heavy. Same with the paddle release - I like them, and am very used to them.
Takeaway: I had a friend shoot mine (p30), he bought one. If you want one enough to drive around to test, take the time, try it out. If it fits your hand, its a long-term relationship (someone had to have trademarked that line first).

The P30 is a great LEM platform. Some can shoot them and some just find them a bit odd. It takes a few hundred rounds to get dialed in. There is a long, super light initial stage and then there is a break point/wall. The key is to learn to pull to the break and then squeeze. Like others have shared it is the same grip as the VP9.