The Glock 30 is a very popular handgun that is praised by many. It is especially popular with concealed carry folks who want a reliable and robust carry gun. It's a compact pistol and utilizes the .45 ACP cartridge. Measuring 6.97 inches / 17.70 centimeters long and 1.38 inches / 3.50 centimeters across the Glock 30 is very easy to use, is extremely reliable, has excellent accuracy, and is relatively lightweight.
The Glock 30 comes from a long line of successful handguns and utilizes a cartridge that was developed as a man-stopper.
Purpose and Development of the .45 ACP
The U.S. Army made a worrying discovery – their .38 Long Colt handgun ammunition wasn't enough to keep an insurgent down without him firing back. After significant losses, the military found itself in the market for a better handgun cartridge.
Enter John Browning and his legendary .45 ACP ammunition. Browning's .45 ACP delivered a little more than twice the power as the .38 Colt. Packing a larger bullet in an overall smaller cartridge, the .45 ACP was the perfect pistol ammunition for their needs. It soon became one of the military's most preferred chamberings for handguns and is still the number one ammo sold for pistols worldwide.
The Birth of Glock Handguns
Austrian knife-maker Gaston Glock invented his first production model, the Glock 17. It was designed to be a striker-fired, portable and powerful weapon, easy to use and carry. Originally, Glock had made it for a contract signed with the Austrian Army. The Austrian Army was more than happy to use the weapon, and soon the news spread.
Gaston Glock and his weapon became a rapid success worldwide. The Glock family eventually grew to include everything from long slide 9-millimeter pistols to subcompact 10-millimeter handguns. We The People Holsters makes over 30 different Kydex Holsters to fit Glock Handguns. It would only make sense for the Glock to expand, and in came a new subcompact weapon – the Glock 30.
Trusted and Used By Law Enforcement
Glock handguns have earned the respect of many, and the guns have been put to work by many. The Glock 27 is a favorite back-up weapon for law enforcement and is also used by many for concealed carry. It can be hidden comfortably in a breast-pocket of a coat or even a pocket of cargo-trousers.
The Glock 22 and 23 are a popular choice with many law enforcement agencies as a primary duty weapon. They are also carried by plainclothes officers, detectives, security guards, corrections officers, and many more.
Design and Features of the Glock 30
The Glock 30 is a revolutionary handgun. It manages to combine the powerful .45 ACP cartridge with modern weapon technology. With its smaller barrel length (3.78 inches compared to the Glock 17's 4.61 inches), the Glock 30 has recoil comparable to the original '17. The Glock 30 can fire 10+1 rounds, which are arranged in a double-stack magazine.
There are two magazines available for it, namely a 9 round magazine and a 13 round. The nine-round magazine sits flush while the larger 13 round magazine features an extension. The nine-round magazines aren't bulky; two can easily be carried around in a watch-pocket or coat pocket. We The People Holsters makes both IWB Kydex Holsters and standard OWB Kydex Holsters for the Glock 30.
It is an excellent all-round weapon. With its smaller size, it is easy to conceal and easy to fire. The Glock 30 weighs 23.81 ounce/675g when loaded with an empty magazine and 33.69 ounce/955g when fully loaded. That being said, it is quite lightweight compared to some of the other handguns on the market.
Regarding safety, the Glock 30 features a drop safety for accidental discharges due to the weapon being dropped. There's also a firing pin and trigger safety. As with all Glock handguns, there is no manual safety.
Performance and Review of the Glock 30
The Glock 30 performs well on the range. The grip is adequate and allows for a comfortable full-hand grip without forcing most shooters to drop their pinky. The handles very well and has reasonable recoil, much less than one would expect from a gun of its size and caliber.
On the range, I had no issues being accurate with the Glock 30 out to 20 yards. It was eager to eat any brand and variety of ammunition I threw at it from +P jacketed hollow points to bargain bin ball ammo.
Muzzle flip was initially a concern, but it has significantly less muzzle flip than some other small frame large caliber handguns. Combined with the recoil compensation, this improves accuracy even more and allows for reasonable control of the muzzle and fast follow-up shots.
One thing to note is the rather loud report and bright muzzle flash from such a small pistol. While it is evident that the .45 ACP is going to have a loud bark, it is something to consider when evaluating a gun for concealed carry.
Glock 30 Pros:
- Reliable
- Customizable. It has a wide array of after-market components, including sights, lights, lasers, etc.
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Less muzzle flip than some similar handguns
- Accurate
- Quite durable. The trigger spring and slide lock need to be changed after about ~10000 rounds.
- Easy to maintain
Glock 30 Cons:
- Wide grip. If you have smaller hands, you might find the grip to be too wide to shoot comfortably.
- Polymer sights. Adjustable sights offered by Glock are metal, but stock sights are plastic.
- Loud and bright
Recommended Maintenance for the Glock 30
Glock has a very reasonable and minimal recommended maintenance schedule. On the Glock 30, They recommend the recoil spring to be changed every 5000-8000 rounds (Preferably using a factory replacement and not a cheaper after-market model). It is also recommended to replace the trigger spring and slide lock after every 10000 rounds.
Summary
All in all, the Glock 30 is a fantastic handgun. It's easy to shoot, easy to operate, and easy to carry. With the power of the .45 ACP, it may not be a perfect fit for everyone, but most competent shooters can handle it well. In my opinion, the Glock 30 provides the ideal combination of size, weight, capacity, reliability, and concealability.