H&K P30 9mm LEM or DA/SA for Defensive Carry?

I'm looking at purchasing an H&K P30 before too long and considering making it my carry gun, my question is which would be better for carry...from a practical standpoint...the LEM or DA/SA trigger?

I like the idea of the consistent trigger pull with the LEM over the different pulls of the DA/SA however not being familiar with either currently I was hoping to get some input from others.

Yance said:

I like the idea of the consistent trigger pull

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I'd go with the S version and carry cocked-and-locked.

Yance said:

I'm looking at purchasing an H&K P30 before too long and considering making it my carry gun, my question is which would be better for carry...from a practical standpoint...the LEM or DA/SA trigger?

I like the idea of the consistent trigger pull with the LEM over the different pulls of the DA/SA however not being familiar with either currently I was hoping to get some input from others.

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DA/SA really isn't that hard to get used to. With just a little bit more training with a pistol you can get used to the long trigger pull and the fast follow up shots. The LEM wouldn't be bad either. For a defensive pistol, as opposed to a target/competition pistol, super accurate shots won't change much. It don't matter if you could hit a 4 inch target as long as you can get rounds on a human sized target.

It just boils down to personal preference. With training you could get used to almost anything, so try to get a gun closest to what you're used to.

I'm in the same boat

I'm saving up for a P30 when I get home (planning to make the jump from a 9mm M&P to a .40 P30) and I've been asking the same question. I did a lot of research on the HKpro forum. I have very little actual experience with the P30, but here's what I learned in my research so far:

The consensus seemed to be that it boils down to personal preference and how much you can practice. Threads like http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgun-talk/149614-why-lem.html were very helpful (They get sidetracked on pages 3 & 4. After reading the first few posts, go straight to page 5, post #43 for the most-helpful input.)

Both designs have pros and cons. I'm really torn between them. I've shot both DA/SA and striker-fired pistols, so I could go either way. In general I like the idea of a consistent trigger pull, but I remember not being too impressed by the LEM I dry-fired in the store (I remember liking the Sig DAK better, but it's been a long time). For me, it might come down to what's available--I've only ever seen one LEM H&K in any store, and I've never been able to shoot an LEM, only DA/SAs (P30 & USPc). Not keen on buying something I've never been able to test-drive.

The thing that struck me most is that whichever you choose, you'll probably have to spend some additional money to get the trigger the way you want it. It sucks to spend extra money to "fix" a pistol that costs $900 to start with, but them's the breaks. If you already own a 1911, you're probably used to it.

For the LEM, you can only buy the V2 "heavy" version (7.4 pounds). This gives you a higher pull weight than Glock, XD, M&P, etc, and with more take-up. To get the V1 "light" LEM (~5 lbs) you need to buy and install a different spring. (It's up to you to decide if it's a good idea to have a light trigger pull on a carry weapon. Some people choose the P30S to mitigate this risk, other insist the long trigger pull is adequate safety in itself.)

A lot of people complain about the V3 (DA/SA) trigger being long, heavy, and gritty. The one I shot didn't seem any worse than my M9, but for $70 + shipping, Bill Springfield at www.triggerwork.net will shorten, lighten, and smoothen (OK, that's not a real word) the V3 trigger. Bruce Grey is also recommended for extensive/expensive trigger mods.

Apparently it is possible to convert a DA/SA P30 to LEM, but H&K doesn't endorse it (probably because it leaves the opening for the decocker exposed). So that's an option if you change your mind down the road.

I shot one a couple months back. I was impressed with its trigger. I normally do not like DA/SA, but it was smooth in DA, and felt very light with a clear break on SA. Makes me want one!

I love H&K pistols because they're very southpaw friendly. My dream carry weapon (until a better one comes along) is the HK45. Though if I were in the market for another full size polymer 9mm, I'd have a tough time deciding betweeen the P30 and the Walther PPQ. The ergonomics are extremely similar (fully ambi controls, paddle style mag release, grip shape and texture). The biggest difference is, of course, the triggers and one being hammer fired, one being striker fired. And considering that the P30 costs almost twice as much as the PPQ, I'd have to shoot both extensively to see if the price premium is really worth it for the H&K.

That being said, as much as I'd like to have a consistent trigger pull, I hate double action pulls, so the less the better. I'd go with the DA/SA. However, it seems like they have a DAO system with the same trigger pull as the single action mode on DA/SA; they call it the V1 trigger. That sounds pretty enticing.

My only complaint for the HK45 was the textured grip was so aggressive that after shooting for an hour my hand had skin worn off. I work on computers all day so my hands do not look like they did when I was 20 working construction so YMMV.

Otherwise it was a fantastic shooting pistol.

FWIW this is the screen used HK45 used by Denzel Washington in The Book of Eli



The imfdb page says to achieve this look they sanded down the slide. What it doesn't say is what was put on the grip. It looks like they used some sort of fabric tape, which looks like it would help with texture issues greatly.

SovereignAxe said:

It looks like they used some sort of fabric tape, which looks like it would help with texture issues greatly.

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Looks like hockey stick tape to me.

I have seen that stuff at one of my local gun stores, comes in camo and black. Yea, I did not realize my hands were getting all chafed until later on in the day, so it wasn't overly dramatic, but if I was to use this gun for run n gun competitions Id do something similar for sure.

I carry a P2000SK daily in LEM. It is very accurate and consistent.
I use a P30 LEM V2 (That is, "normal" not "heavy") for competition and most of my training. The LEM trigger reset is longer than on the HK45 or P2000-series, but otherwise the same, so I shoot the 9mm P30 rather than the 40/357 Sig P2000SK.

I not longer like an SA trigger except for target use, and try to not carry anything with a safety when I can avoid it (right now, I have on a Sig P238 with a safety because the others are slightly too big for what I am wearing.)

Do not hesitate to go with the LEM, as many/most/a majority of people find that they prefer it for carry once they try it. Another advantage for carry, other than trigger preference, is the ability to thumb the hammer when holstering to be sure the trigger isn't snagged on a shirt tail. button or holster tab. And trust me, when you are in an adrenalin-charged situation, you will not notice the 2-3-4 lb trigger difference between it and a true SA trigger. In fact, when shooting anything with SA in rapid fire, I have slow down because I tend to trigger prematurely since it is so light, and adrenalin typically causes people to lose fine motor control.