My second LTT P30L arrived from Ernest a few weeks ago. Everyone familiar with P-T.com will undoubtedly recognize the need (obsession?) that we have for spare guns. My first LTT P30L has been so fantastic a shooter, that I am always a little nervous that it will come to a screeching halt someday. Now that my spare is ready, I am somewhat less concerned.
You may have noticed that the spare P30L has a Holosun 507 Comp on it, rather than Trijicon SRO of my original. So far, the SRO has proven to me to be the best shooting optic out there, and I have another one waiting for another P30L to arrive. Since the 507 Comp has some reticle choices that the SRO lacks, and the window shape of the Comp is very appealing, I thought I’d try it. If it proves itself, then great. If not, then it will be replaced with an SRO.
I’m using the 2 MOA dot option for Action Pistol, but will likely try the 8 MOA circle for Steel Challenge, USPSA, and IDPA. To my mind, the controls on the Holosun are slightly inferior to the Trijicon’s controls, but otherwise, the Comp seems very nice.
The Comp is not a duty optic, but I will mention anyway that it is just too big for me to carry it concealed. The SRO is manageable for carry but could be more rugged. You can see below that the top right corner of the Comp sticks out further than the SRO. That point prints on me, where the SRO does not.
I have also been using the Taylor Freelance BORTAC base pads. Robin Taylor was kind enough to send some to me to try out, and they have worked out very well. I can fit 21 rounds in the magazine, and still lock the mag into the gun when the slide is in battery. Though that is only one round more than the factory HK extended mags, it is a smaller profile magazine.
The base pads were very easy to install and seem very sturdy, as you would expect from an accessory designed for BORTAC. I have not abused them in any way, but I have used them in several formal training classes I’ve attended this year and most of my practice sessions. They are not legal for Action Pistol, but should be good for everything else, I think.
I do wish someone would make brass grip replacements for the backstrap and side panels of the P30. Increasing the weight of the gun slightly would be a nice thing to play with. Very gamey of me, I know.
We will get into weight issues more when I talk about the Shadow 2, but though the P30L is still a very light pistol, it is really amazing how well it shoots. When looking at “carryability” (weight, size, sharp edges) the P30L checks more boxes for me than anything else. I still have to stay awake behind the gun, but it takes much less effort to get good hits with the P30L than any Glock I have ever shot. In slow-fire, it is more accurate, and in rapid-fire it is more controllable and predictable. It doesn’t tear my hands or clothing up, but it stays put in my grip no matter what. The DA first shot gives me a great mix of safety and shoot ability, and the SA trigger is about as nice as can be. The base gun from HK is all of those things, but once LTT has done its work on it, the gun is really something special.
I took the 507 Comp gun out yesterday for some Action Pistol practice, the first such practice I have done with that gun and optic combo. I am happy to report that of the two stages I shot, I cleaned the barricade and was down 4 points on the mover. I think it is safe to say that my backup gun is now fully operational. The feeling of relief is very nice.
I’m really digging your series on the P30. I made a post about a year ago regarding using the P30 as my hammer fired G19. Something I was inspired to do after reading about Ernest’s experience with the P30 during his search for a G19 sized hammer fired gun. The only thing that has kept me from going fully in on this pistol is the PITA it is to source magazines, and accessories. There is so much available for a G19 or M&Pc. I’m curious to read your thoughts on the BORTAC extensions once you have more time on them. You still might convince me to pick up another P30. At the moment I only have one and like you, I don’t like carrying a pistol when I don’t have a backup on deck for when something breaks.
I’m thrilled that you are even reading my stuff, let alone enjoying it! I feel like the market for HK parts and mags is at least as good as its ever been, maybe better. The mags do cost a little more than a G mag, but they are readily available and last about forever. As far as accessories, I don’t think there is much needed. A nice trigger job which is optional but worth it, an RDS if you swing that way…not much else besides mags. Nothing will probably ever be as plentiful as G stuff, but once you buy what you need, I don’t know that it matters at all.
You are a bit of enabler for me. I am definitely considering getting a LTT P30, but I don’t go into these things lightly as I am not a collector. For about 20 years I shot mostly Glocks, then I decided I needed something better for IDPA. Picked up the Walther Q5 SF I have mentioned before and really liked it. Of course now Glocks no longer “feel” right. I did something I don’t normally do and picked up a Sig Legion on a whim and that has been quite a road. The gun was pretty good from a handling and reliability standpoint but woefully inaccurate. So of course I spent money to make it more accurate. Well now that I have invested a lot of money into a pair and all the necessary gear, I am really starting to question the 320 as a platform. Enter the P30. Reliable, check. Durable, check, Accurate, big check. Shootable? for me that remains to be seen.
Ultimately the gun does not matter very much. Some are better for certain things, but all are pretty usable for most things. The P30L gives me a combination of unquestionable safety, top reliability, tremendous mechanical accuracy and tremendous shootability. It is as suitable for carry or duty use as it is for competition, though it may not be the top choice for most competitions. I see people try DA/SA guns and after 100 rounds, declare it is not for them. Must be nice to be great at everything the first time you try something, but I have had to work for my shooting ability as it has never come naturally to me. If you are willing to do the work, I think that anyone can learn to shoot a DA/SA gun well within a couple thousand rounds and a bunch of dry fire. That to me is few months work at most.
Thanks for writing this. I started with a VP9 as a carry and range gun and love it. I wanted to get a hammer fired gun and discovered Ernest / LLT and saw the P30s.
I was trying to decide between DA/SA and LEM. Have you shot LEM? Is there a reason ppl don’t compete with them versus DA/SA? Any tradeoffs to consider?
Thanks for your time!
I have an LEM P30L and I am likely to send it to LTT for a red dot. I will then do some comparisons between the DA/SA and the LEM in a more equal environment. That said, I really like the LEM and would have no issues with using it exclusively. A DA shot is easy enough with two hands but when you go to one handed shooting, especially support side, the DA shot is very difficult for most people, even good DA shooters. The LEM takes care of that issue pretty well. More to come when I compare them side by side, but that won’t be for a while as I’m backed up on shooting and articles right now. Thanks for reading and let us know what you do.
Hi . Can you send me links with shops with tuning parts for p30l ? I have p30l for really good price ( used one by the prison guards in my country)but I want to change springs and trigger , add optics ( it’s not optic ready)
Can U help me ?
https://langdontactical.com/hk-p30-da-sa-series-pistols-by-ltt/
Pretty much the one stop place to get what you need. Enjoy the P30L!