Glock 30( compact .45) for carry??

[yosel]

I now carry a Colt LTWCommander, .45 cal and believe it is better to have the .45 as carry ammo. I also carry an Officers model at times (spring and fall).

Even though I am a tried and true Colt 1911 person I am thinking that it might be advisable to buy a Glock also for carry, but am convinced it should not be 9mm. It doesn't make sense to me to buy a Glock 36 as it is almost the same size as the OM and it only holds 6+1 when the OM holds 7+1.

The question is: Does anyone out there have any experience with the G30?. It holds 10+1 of .45 and I think is smaller than the LTW Commander. Does any one have experience in carrying these two pistols that can give me some real life information on the difference in shootability, concealment etc.

I found some articles on the G30 but you know how reviews go...everything is usually "wonderful."

I am trying to decide if it makes sense to spend the money for the Glock or just forget it and stick with my Colts. I figure the G30 might have a smaller package than the Colts but am also concerned that the weight of a few more rounds may make it uncomfortable. And on the other hand the G30 offers the simplicity of a striker fired gun that won't be cocked and locked while on my belt.

Any insight would be helpful, particularly if you have owned and carried both.

Thanks for your help.

[dvdlpzus]

I wont be able to help much on the Glock but I Have handled and shot the M&P45C and it is an excellent gun. It is very easy to manage and the recoil is extremely mild for a 45ACP. The only problem I had was that the muzzle flip did bother me a bit. The M&P works for me and it may work for you as well. I would recommend you to take a look at them. They are about the same size of the Glock 19.

[ballyhoo]

I have carried a commander sized 1911 for the past 6 years without any issues. I really love the 1911 platform and always have.

I recently changed positions within my dept. and wasn't able to keep carrying the 1911. My choices were limited to the Glock 21, 27 or the 30. I chose the 30 and have been very happy.

I still think the grip is a bit to large and am on the waiting list for a grip reduction from Boresight Solutions, but I still like the G30. It is very reliable and a very soft shooting 45. I can conceal the G30 as well as the Commander sized 1911 and it shoots well. I carry it with the standard 10 round mag in the gun and use a G21 13 round mag as the spare. I just feel if I need the extra mag, it can't hurt have 3 extra rounds and it is longer and easier to grip in stressful situations IMHO. It will get the job done for you.

Lets not get crazy though, if I had my way, I would still use the 1911!

[winmag45]

I have a Glock 30 SF(short frame) which I bought as a carry gun.The first thing I like is that it takes G21 mags.So I carry the gun withe shorter 10 round mag and use a 13 rounder as a reload.I carried the gun on my last vacation which included many hours of driving,in a Kramer #3 IWB holster.I didnt even know it was there.I highly recommend Kramer leather for any weapon.Fast turn around and you cant get better quality.Good luck...

[Cruncher Block]

A Glock 30 was my first-choice carry for a few years.

I sold it because my wife was more comfortable with my Glock 19s and it made more sense for me to carry and train with something we could both shoot.

It's just a hair shorter from top of slide to bottom of magazine than a 19. It's the same length front-to-back.

It's a wide gun. Tuckable carry was out of the question (I hate tucked carry but sometimes it's that or nothing).

It was great for IWB. The short grip helps minimize printing. My usual "out for a quick errand" rig was the 30 in a Comp-Tac IWB and an untucked t-shirt.

Belt carry required a fairly baggy cover garment. Again, it's a wide gun.

I don't recall ever having a problem with its weight. In fact, I found it pretty comfortable.

It never malfunctioned. I do regular preventative maintenance on my Glocks so springs were swapped before they could be a problem. I was extremely lucky to encounter no bad ammo in that time, too.

Ergonomics were not very good. Mine was pre-SF. My hands are medium-sized and the normal 30 grip is big. I lived with it because I liked everything else about the gun. When the SF came out, I handled one and decided Glock had fixed the biggest problem I had with the 30.

[TXBSAFH]

I have carried a glock g30 for years. Great pistol.

[wahoo95]

I'm looking to add one to my collection very soon. Many will tell you the G30 is one of the best shooters in the Glock line up.

[DavidFourteen]

The question is: Does anyone out there have any experience with the G30?. It holds 10+1 of .45 and I think is smaller than the LTW Commander. Does any one have experience in carrying these two pistols that can give me some real life information on the difference in shootability, concealment etc.
I bought a Glock 30 & a Kimber CDPII at about the same time. 6 years later, I still have and regularly carry the Glock. ;)

The G30 is one of my favorite handguns, both for concealed carry and for shooting. 10+1 rounds of .45acp in a package that's a little thicker than the Commander-sized 1911's, and I don't notice it being appreciably heavier. The magazine floorplate extensions are pretty mucha necessity for me, as the pistol grip is a little short. Recoil is surprisingly soft for such a small pistol.
I use a High Noon Tailgunner for mine. It's a reasonably-priced leather, rough-side-out IWB holster, quite comfortable & carries the Glock securely.

I'd avoid the G36. It's slimmer and lighter, but has a particularly unpleasant recoil, much like shooting a 2" barrelled 44mag revolver.

[ghettomedic]

I carried a Glock 30 for 3 years, a vastly underrated carry gun, IMO. It is a little on the "thick" side, but 10+1 capacity in a compact gun is not to be ignored. I carried mine in a Comp-Tac MTAC, which was both comfortable and concealable. I didn't have any problems concealing under a polo shirt in the summer and in the winter I usually carried IWB with my shirt tucked behind the leather backing of the MTAC and a fleece jacket over top. Can't remember if it's been mentioned previously, but G21 mags also fit the G30 and that was my preferred means of carrying a second mag.

Recoil-wise, the gun is very mild-mannered. The G30 has a dual recoil spring assembly and I was capable of .20-.22 splits in an IDPA A-zone at 7 yards using RA45TP (Ranger +P). I replaced the stock sights on mine with a pair of Metroprolights in a three-dot configuration, but if it were to go back to full-time carry duty again I'd replace the rear with a 10-8 Performance rear sight and keep the front tritium. The Pearce Grip Extensions are a must, IMO. The controllability and handling of the gun is much improved with the Pearce extension. Also, I undercut the trigger guard on mine, but that was more to accommodate a scar on the inside of my right middle finger that would get rubbed raw during extended shooting sessions.

I still carry it occasionally in the summer or when my 1911 is down for maintenance and it has served admirably for me for the past 2 summers attached to my PFD on deliveries of multi-million dollar yachts up and down the East Coast. Probably going to order an LC Phantom for it in the next few weeks so I can sport a TLR-1 as well.

My advice, try one out. It is thicker than the G19/G23 but I found the difference to be negligible. YMMV.

[Denali]

I frequently carry a G30SF, it's virtually the same size as a G19/23, its superbly accurate, easy to shoot, and comfortable to carry. The simplicity, superb accuracy, reliability, capacity, and portability make it in my estimation, an awfully hard choice to beat. It is a bit thicker, perhaps just a tad chunky, but quite comfortable to pack, don't underestimate the significance of the shortened frame, especially considering that it holds the same capacity as a full sized HK45.

Regarding the LW commander and OM, the 30SF falls just about inbetween in size, not quite, but close...I would choose the Glock over the 1911 for off duty or ccw. BTW, the G36 is signifcantly lighter than the OM, in my opinion one of the very best .45 autos to be had for ccw...

[Steeltoe73]

I carry a G30 (non-rail, non-SF) off-duty in a De Santis IWB (it's a Stealth IIRC). I use the appendix carry and have never had an issue keeping it concealed. There are actually some OEM 9-rd flush fitting mags out there, if grip length is really a concern. I find it fits my hand far better with the 10-rd mags. Like others have already mentioned it's great shooter. I did my own stipple job and flattened the "hump" on the back of the grip a tad. (I'll try posting or sending pics if you would like)

I have carried it for about five years and feel it's the best combination of caliber/capacity/concealment.

[yosel]

Thanks to everyone. That is just the type of input that I was looking for

My conclusion is that if I buy the G30, I would need to lose 10 -15 pounds in order to carry IWB. I guess that should be motivation enough for the weight loss!;)

Thanks again!

[Uglyguns]

Great gun, carried one for the past 2 years in a ctac. Now i'm back on the 1911 wagon.:D

V/r
uglyguns

[yosel]

Why back to the 1911s??

[Keith E.]

I'm a big fan of the G-30 platform. Mine's accurate, shoots good, reliable, etc. I CCW it when I'm giving the G-23 a break. No worries.

Keith

[S. Kelly]

I've had several G30s-they are great guns. All of mine were accurate and reliable. They are easy to carry and shoot. I ended up with a G30SF with Glock NS. I wish my dept would go to a G21SF/G30SF combo.

[Uglyguns]

Why back to the 1911s??

I got caught up in the Glock cool aid and sold my 1911s thinking it was a better platform. I regretted it, almost immediately. I have nothing bad to say about glocks or M&Ps, but they are not for me. I love the 1911 platform. I understand what that decision means in its entirety i.e.: monetarily, maintenance, upkeep etc. I’m o.k. with that for the performance I get.

I don’t recommend them to most, as I don’t think people want that type of commitment with their weapon system. So Glocks and M&Ps fill that void and are more user friendly. But, you asked about a Glock 30 and that what I ran for awhile and I liked it very much. I hope this answers your question.

V/r
Uglyguns

[CobraBG]

My primary carry weapon is a G30 SF. I had a G30 for years and traded it in on the SF when it came out. The SF just fits my hand better. It is reliable and a good shooter. I've never had any failures.

Before my first G30 I always carried a 1911. First a Colt Officers and then a Springfield Lightweight Ultracompact. I still have the Springfield. The Glock G30 SF is easy to conceal IWB and I feel comfortable with it. Its big brother the G21 SF sits at home.

[ST911]

G30/G30SF = GTG