Sidearms & Scatterguns HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

[Mead]

Well...I'm in the market for another pistol, and this time I want something plastic. I have a 1911 already that I love, but I want something with a little more capacity to play around with. I've pretty much narrowed it down to these three, because I am partial to a consistent trigger pull. Accuracy and reliability are my primary concerns. I've done enough research to know all 3 will work for me.

What I am interested to see is any personal experience you all might have with them, and your opinions on each. More importantly, <span style="font-weight: bold">is there anything a 1911 user may get hung up on with these systems?</span> I was leaning towards the M&P, but a friend says the G34 is the way to go, and I like shooting a friends P30, so I'm back to square one.

Thanks!

 

[Captramrod01]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

Well as a fellow 1911 lover I can say the m&p series fit my hand like a glove. Maybe I'm crazy but I thought the HK had a lot more felt recoil then the m&p 40l (what I shoot) as well. Have not shot the glock 34 but many people have it and it seems to be a fine pistol. All those models you listed are so different from each other you probably should hit up a range that has all to rent.

 

[Mead]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

Good to know...I was kind of thinking the same thing, since the controls on the 1911 are similar to the m&p with a thumb safety.

 

[GunKnowledge]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

<span style="color: #FF0000">
Short version:

Answer: S&W M&P </span>

<span style="color: #000099">Long version:</span>

The S&W M&P is the only one that is going to give you the thumb safety, and this is a huge plus for someone used to the 1911 platform.

The Glock has that joke of a "safety" on the trigger blade, which will probably irritate you coming from a solid trigger unit, the S&W segmented trigger or the H&K solid unit will feel much better.

The H&K P30 will be your closest trigger pull, the M&P and Glock striker fired will feel foreign compared to good old single action hammered designs.

Coming from a 1911, I assume it was a .45, which the P30 is not available in, you'd need to pick a different HK for that caliber. So that leaves the M&P & Glock.

But you mentioned your friend likes his Glock 34, which is 9mm, so maybe you want 9mm, which brings back the P30.

HUGE disadvantage for the H&K though, is the stupid mag release. Used to a 1911, you'll like the S&W M&P mag release, the Glock one is not nearly as similar, and the H&K uses the trigger guard mag release, which means lots of retraining and having to modify your grip to drop mags.

Also, the M&P has the closest slide stop to the 1911. The factory Glock one is smaller/flatter and hard to get used to coming from the 1911, and the H&K is much larger and farther back on the grip than you'd be used to.

<span style="color: #000099">Answer: S&W M&P</span>

Based on:

Have/had lots of 1911s and currently own 3 M&Ps. 0 P30s and 1 Glock. Used all 3.

 

[gebhardt02]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

I went through the same research about a year ago. Check out the pistol-training.com web site. He has extensively tested the P30 and M&P pistols. I don't recall a G34. Read through his reviews of these pistols, very good info. I ended up getting the M&P mostly due to these tests, and am looking into getting another soon.

Geb

 

[KYpatriot]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

I agree with what K Swift said, except for the mag release part. The mag release on the HK is different, but is actually better in function, and for most people is easier to manipulate than a thumb button design without losing a secure grip on the weapon. If all pistols were made this way then any that came out with a thumb button would be lambasted for good reason.

If you are looking for comparability to the 1911, then you will see far greater functional differences in your shooting and timed drills from the triggers on these weapons than you will from the HK mag release. None of them have triggers comparable to a good 1911 trigger, but then again what does?

You could always get the V1 setup for the HK if you need the thumb safety, but I would recommend against it. I see absolutely zero reason for a thumb safety on a handgun, and the modern designs are correct to omit it.

So the M&P may be closest to the 1911, but a better question to ask might be, should I pick what design is closest to the 1911 or should I pick what design is best? The answer to those two questions are not necessarily the same, and it is not that difficult to adapt to new platforms that offer some advantages over the 1911.

 

[427Cobra]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

HK products are over rated and over priced, they do nothing better than a Glock or M&P, Glock is my tried n true pistol of choice but that doesn't mean I don't like the M&P, don't base your decision on how it feels in your hand, go rent them and shoot them, either will serve you well.

 

[chainring]

Re: HKP30L vs. M&P9 vs. G17/34

I hear that the M&P with thumb safety is a big hit with people who are accustomed to 1911 shooting, as posted above. You'd probably be happy right out of the box with that one. That having been said, I think the G34 is the best handgun available, hands down. I didn't have any 1911 baggage when I started on Glocks, though.