[NeedsMoreMillimeters]

Hello, I am looking to get my first HK (P30L) but I have a question about the frame. Is the HK polymer distinctly different than other companies. I have actually never owned a plastic gun before, and I'm still a little skeptical (no, I'm not 75). I handled a bunch of different makes in store to get a feel, and there were certainly some differences. The HK and Walther guns (and to some extent the P320) equally stiff, and seemed better able to hole more complex edged and cuts. I know they call their 'glass-reinforced polymer', but some other makes do to. Polymer seems to be used to save weight and cost - comparable version of the same gun cost more in metal than plastic (e.g. P229 vs SP2022, CZ 75 vs CZ Phantom, etc), but HK pistols cost as much as comparable ones in all steel/alloy and much more than other plastics. Is the premium just due to HK reputation and manufacturing process, or do the use different materials? Any technical data would be welcome. Thanks

 

[chuckster62]

Their motto says it all " No Compromise "

 

[IronKnight1991]

:650: Check HK's website out. It will answer your question. But it's not plastic?

 

[russc2542]

Polymer guns aren't exactly new anymore and the guns that fall apart quickly acquire a reputation for it and just as quickly stop selling.

I'll just leave this here: pistol-training.com » Blog Archive » P30 Thursday: Week Forty-Two

 

[Slytiger]

Polymer can be stronger than steel.


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[az4783054]

People had the same concerns about aluminum and carbon fiber...

 

[bigtarget]

I've put thousands of rounds from 115gr to 148gr, junk Russian to good USA, through my P30L. Never any +P and never any aluminum (see the manual). Only one stove pipe in all that time which was a weak sister at the end of the mag. The polymer receiver is still in good condition with no undue wear. It will take any cleaner you can throw at it (MEK based cleaners can chemically harden polymers to fracture...but NOT what they use to make a P30L).

The only problems you will have with it are 1) what grips do you use and, 2) what holster do you get. Both solutions are experimental try's.

Go get yourself that P30L! You can't go wrong!

 

[ARCTICDETH]

I've put thousands of rounds from 115gr to 148gr, junk Russian to good USA, through my P30L. Never any +P and never any aluminum (see the manual). Only one stove pipe in all that time which was a weak sister at the end of the mag. The polymer receiver is still in good condition with no undue wear. It will take any cleaner you can throw at it (MEK based cleaners can chemically harden polymers to fracture...but NOT what they use to make a P30L).

The only problems you will have with it are 1) what grips do you use and, 2) what holster do you get. Both solutions are experimental try's.

Go get yourself that P30L! You can't go wrong!

I have used primarily +P in mine, our u.s. +P is the same as the regular store ammo in Europe. I had issues with my 115 gr weak pansy u.s. ammo, so i switched to +P, perfect , no more issues at all, none.
no wear at all, anywhere. the [polymer is tough.] shoot what you want. I would stop at +P and go no higher.
HKs' are tested and trusted with the Euro loads, which are about the same as a u.s. +P. happy shooting. sure now that it has lots of ammo through it, i will use any cheap, but clean ammo at the range.
no worries about the polymer, its good all around. you will not be disappointed in your HK purchase. They are amazing mechanical tools in the correct hands.

 

[Kyohte]

Nylon-6,6 is quite stable as long as you aren't bathing in acid. It's even reasonably resistant to UV and heat. Add to this that HK has more metal reinforcement than other polymer pistols.

There are indeed subtle differences in polymer composition between companies (I've found this by stippling different brands). I wouldn't doubt HK's is one of the best.

Their barrel steel is also proprietary, and probably the best in the business. Most other HK internals are MIM, but no one ever complains about that, unlike other guns. You pay for that high level of process control.

The other aspect that you "pay for" in HK is that their designs are and in many ways, ahead of their time. They are not comfortable making the same pistol with different calibers and sizes for 30 years.

As someone mentioned, TLG's P30 went over 90,000 in about a year and a half before giving up the ghost. I wouldn't worry about the polymer.

 

[sweersa]

Most of the nylon 66 in my SL8 conversion is from 1999, and it's still holding up fairly well. It has thousands of rounds through it.