H&K P30 endurance test

[Slater]

This is pretty much ancient history by now, although I'm just now reading about it. Given modern materials and manufacturing processes, could other handguns produce similar results?

The Final Numbers
• 91,622 rounds
• 13 total stoppages
• 322 days
• 110 range trips (average 682 rounds per trip)
• 512 total hours on the range (the P30 was regularly fired 350-550 rounds per hour)
• 15 different types of ammunition from 8 different manufacturers
• Gun cleaned a total of 13 times between the first shot and the last (average 5,769 rounds between cleanings).

https://hk-usa.com/wp-content/upload...t_JAN_2011.pdf

[17K]

I’d say that most of the current guns out there wouldn’t fare so well over that many rounds.

HK does build well engineered handguns that work and hold up extremely well. Look at HK guns and see how many revisions they’ve had to make to them over the years vs everyone else.

[Defaultmp3]

There's also the case of the USP 9 that went through zero spring replacement through 200,892 rounds (https://twitter.com/HecklerAndKoch/s...60025396174848), and the USP 45 that went through >297,000 rounds (https://www.hkpro.com/threads/a-chat.../#post-1204796).

A bit more background on the P30 endurance test: https://pistol-training.com/p30-thur...eek-forty-two/

TLG did multiple endurance tests, such as an HK45 with 50k rounds (https://pistol-training.com/hk45-end...hirty-seven-2/), a Gen4 Glock 17 with 71,260 rounds (https://pistol-training.com/gen4-glo...test-month-16/), and a Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 with 64,579 rounds (https://pistol-training.com/springfi...est-report-31/).

I know Chuck Taylor had a Gen2 Glock 17 with >250k rounds: https://www.ballisticmag.com/glock-1...re-test-ocean/

I guess the real question is, how much does rate of fire matter for handguns in terms of endurance? For rifles, you can certainly burn up the barrel quite a bit faster depending on cadence, would be curious to see how much the extra heat of rapid fire and the like would impact a handgun. I would think that the ammo used would also make a big difference, such as a bunch of +P ammo versus competition bunny farts. I would cautiously think that most reputable modern 9mm handguns with proper care could reach 100k rounds (Glocks, H&Ks, Berettas, and CZs, probably SIGs, FNs, Walthers, and S&Ws, maybe Springfields) with minor parts replacement.

RIP TLG, he was extremely influential in how I started handgun shooting.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

Get a P30 dude!

[veeklog]

Get a P30 dude!

I love my P-30S with Gray Guns SRS and 11 pound Lazy Wold mainspring

[Adrenaline_6]

This is pretty much ancient history by now, although I'm just now reading about it. Given modern materials and manufacturing processes, could other handguns produce similar results?

The Final Numbers
• 91,622 rounds
• 13 total stoppages
• 322 days
• 110 range trips (average 682 rounds per trip)
• 512 total hours on the range (the P30 was regularly fired 350-550 rounds per hour)
• 15 different types of ammunition from 8 different manufacturers
• Gun cleaned a total of 13 times between the first shot and the last (average 5,769 rounds between cleanings).

https://hk-usa.com/wp-content/upload...t_JAN_2011.pdf

There's also the case of the USP 9 that went through zero spring replacement through 200,892 rounds (https://twitter.com/HecklerAndKoch/s...60025396174848), and the USP 45 that went through >297,000 rounds (https://www.hkpro.com/threads/a-chat.../#post-1204796).

A bit more background on the P30 endurance test: https://pistol-training.com/p30-thur...eek-forty-two/

TLG did multiple endurance tests, such as an HK45 with 50k rounds (https://pistol-training.com/hk45-end...hirty-seven-2/), a Gen4 Glock 17 with 71,260 rounds (https://pistol-training.com/gen4-glo...test-month-16/), and a Springfield/Warren 9mm 1911 with 64,579 rounds (https://pistol-training.com/springfi...est-report-31/).

I know Chuck Taylor had a Gen2 Glock 17 with >250k rounds: https://www.ballisticmag.com/glock-1...re-test-ocean/

I guess the real question is, how much does rate of fire matter for handguns in terms of endurance? For rifles, you can certainly burn up the barrel quite a bit faster depending on cadence, would be curious to see how much the extra heat of rapid fire and the like would impact a handgun. I would think that the ammo used would also make a big difference, such as a bunch of +P ammo versus competition bunny farts. I would cautiously think that most reputable modern 9mm handguns with proper care could reach 100k rounds (Glocks, H&Ks, Berettas, and CZs, probably SIGs, FNs, Walthers, and S&Ws, maybe Springfields) with minor parts replacement.

RIP TLG, he was extremely influential in how I started handgun shooting.

The fire rate was key here in this test. Heat is what killed it. None of his other torture tests had this kind of fire rate. It was regularly fired until it was too hot to touch. Absolutely brutal. He also mentions of those 13 stoppages, 7 were in the beginning due to an out of spec mainspring which was then replaced, 3 were at the end due to a piece of the frame being broken off. So that leaves 3 stoppages averaging 27,000 rounds per stoppage. Who knows how long it would have lasted without the heat factor. Crazy reliability.

[TheGhostRider]

P2000 v3 9mm and P30 v3 9mm are my main squeezes… I’m in awe of their reliability, accuracy/precision. I’ve added the nickel springs and reduced power fpbs and in the p2k the blue hammer spring. Never had a single malfunction. P2k has over 5k rounds. P30 approaching 1k rounds. All are lubed up as needed, cleaned when I think about it. Simply put… These are the guns that I will take into the worst of the worst. My Glocks, while second in line are available IF the HK’s puke.

As an FYI… took me awhile to get use to the HK v3 trigger system. Now I’ve got it figured out I like it. To someone new to HK… you’re going to hate the trigger. Give it time, dri fire the crap out of it. Practice… it’ll grow on you.

[RHINOWSO]

The fire rate was key here in this test. Heat is what killed it. None of his other torture tests had this kind of fire rate. It was regularly fired until it was too hot to touch. Absolutely brutal... ....Who knows how long it would have lasted without the heat factor. Crazy reliability.

Agree completely. No one, not even the military / LE / SWAT, needs a handgun to fire that fast in an operational scenario.

I'm sure it would still be going if they didn't beat TFO of it.

P30 is a great handgun and I enjoyed mine, but sold it and went Glock for a number of reasons - mainly (at the time), HK didn't make a good carry gun for me. P30 was too big, P2000 was ok but big for it's capacity, and the P2000SK was ok to carry but the grip length was annoying just a bit to small and the magazines with the finger / pinky lip were just the wrong size. I carried it with flat base magazines but compared to a G19, it just didn't make sense after awhile.

Again, all before the VP9, P2000SK, and whatever else HK is up to these days.

[Adrenaline_6]

Agree completely. No one, not even the military / LE / SWAT, needs a handgun to fire that fast in an operational scenario.

I'm sure it would still be going if they didn't beat TFO of it.

P30 is a great handgun and I enjoyed mine, but sold it and went Glock for a number of reasons - mainly (at the time), HK didn't make a good carry gun for me. P30 was too big, P2000 was ok but big for it's capacity, and the P2000SK was ok to carry but the grip length was annoying just a bit to small and the magazines with the finger / pinky lip were just the wrong size. I carried it with flat base magazines but compared to a G19, it just didn't make sense after awhile.

Again, all before the VP9, P2000SK, and whatever else HK is up to these days.

I carried the P30 for awhile. Still do. Never really had a problem or thought it was too big although I do understand why others do. I'm not a big guy either, though waistline and build is a more important factor.
I also carry a VP9SK and see how a smaller height with shorter grip length helps concealment. Length, not so much.

[Coal Dragger]

I’m really having a hard time not ordering a P30 LEM from Langdon Tactical.