gunfight_big
The New G30S From Glock.
The LAPD’s Special Investigation Section (SIS) was formed in 1965 by then-Chief of Detectives, Thad Brown. At the time, Los Angeles was dealing with an increasing number of career criminals, so his goal was to create a unit of expert detectives who could follow these habitual offenders, gather conclusive evidence against them and ultimately testify against them in court.
The concept worked and SIS quickly earned a reputation as one of the most effective law enforcement units in the country. Its officers became extremely skilled at surveillance and intelligence gathering and, because of the hardcore nature of the criminals they targeted, also developed specialized apprehension tactics. In many cases, their interdictions actually took place during the commission of a crime to ensure conclusive evidence and an airtight case.
Thanks to the SIS’s innovative methods, most of the criminals they targeted were apprehended without incident. Some, however, chose to resist and were dealt with quickly and efficiently by SIS officers, who by necessity, also trained to become expert marksmen and tacticians.
As one of the nation’s most elite law enforcement units with decades of hard-won experience, the SIS has some strong preferences when it comes to their choice of sidearm. And based on those preferences, Glock recently introduced a new model developed specifically for the SIS: the Glock 30S.
Specific Design
The story of the G30S is brilliant, yet deceptively simple. In late 2011, several senior members of the SIS took a hard analytical look at exactly what they needed in a handgun. They based their analysis on the actual operational methods of the unit’s members and the circumstances they typically encountered during an armed interdiction. For example, since SIS officers work exclusively in plain clothes, they needed something well concealed and comfortable to carry during prolonged stakeouts and surveillance. Comfortable carry, while important, was secondary to performance however.
Based on its proven track record for stopping power, SIS’s caliber of choice is .45 ACP — more specifically Federal’s Tactical bonded 230-grain +P Hollow Point. Confident in that choice of ammo, the next question was magazine capacity. To determine that, they took a critical look at the details of their armed encounters, carefully analyzing the number of rounds required to stop each criminal and the number of assailants typically involved. Their goal was to determine a practical minimum magazine capacity that would allow a single SIS officer to resolve their typical tactical situations without requiring a reload.
Historically, most SIS confrontations involve two to three criminals — most often two armed robbers and a getaway driver. Based on the realities of the number of suspects involved, actual field hit rates, the possibility of suspects wearing body armor and the prolific use of narcotics, a lightweight, concealable pistol with a total capacity of at least 10 rounds was considered optimal.
With their basic requirements defined, SIS contacted Glock’s West Coast law enforcement sales specialist to arrange a meeting and a test firing of Glock’s off-the-shelf pistols for comparison. Since Glocks had long been authorized duty pistols for LAPD officers and many SIS members carried them regularly, they were already intimately familiar with their dynamics. Nevertheless, they carefully evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of each and communicated their needs to the Glock representative. Based on their feedback, he then took their requirements back to Glock headquarters and presented it to the engineers for consideration.
The 10-round G30 mags help to turn a detective’s personal G30S into a serious defensive tool.
The grip of the G30S is “slim” in spite of the 10-round .45 ACP mag capacity.
Ergonomics and features are all classic Glock.
Melding
Glock’s engineers first took a critical look at their G30 and the Slimline G36 — the most compact and concealable .45s in the stock product line. The G30’s double-stack magazine met the 10-round (plus one in the chamber) requirement, but its wide slide is the same width (1.2″) as that of its full-sized counterpart, the G21. The slide of the G36, however, is 13 percent slimmer at only 1.10″ wide. It’s also lighter than the G30’s slide, allowing it to cycle a bit faster.
Since the rail dimensions of both the G30 and the G36 are identical, combining the lighter slide of the G36 with the high capacity of the G30 was a snap. After confirming there were no mechanical or safety concerns, Glock’s engineers mated the parts of each gun together, loaded a few magazines and headed to the range.
Although their R&D process was deceptively simple, the results of the experiment were profound. The lighter, narrower slide of the G36 streamlined the pistol and gave it a faster cycle time, enhancing shot-to-shot recovery. The wide grip enhanced recoil management and provided a home for the 10-round magazine, yet the frame’s “SF” (Short Frame) configuration kept trigger reach and the overall girth of the grip manageable for virtually all hand sizes. Best of all, the extreme consistency and precise tolerances of Glock’s manufacturing processes allowed the hybrid pistol to function absolutely flawlessly.
Satisfied with their proof of concept, Glock assembled several pistols and sent them to SIS for testing. After extensive evaluation, SIS determined they were in fact exactly what they wanted and requested Glock produce a batch of “off-catalog” pistols for them. While Glock was considering SIS’s request, a federal law enforcement agency got wind of the project and expressed a strong interest in it as well. What began as a small run of off-catalog guns quickly gained momentum and evolved into a plan to make the gun available as a standard model. The G30S was born.
Takedown and operation of the new SIS-driven G30S is vintage Glock, with no surprises.
A Test Gun
Because the Glock law enforcement sales rep involved in this project is an old friend of mine, I actually learned of the G30S project at the 2012 SHOT Show. However, it wasn’t until late 2012 samples of the unique gun were available for review. I quickly jumped at the chance to get one to review for American COP.
When I opened the familiar black Glock case, I must admit I was initially underwhelmed. At first glance, the G30S looked pretty ordinary. I could tell something was different, but it was hard to put a finger on it until I compared it side by side with a standard G30. Its slimmer slide was then immediately obvious, but I didn’t really appreciate the difference until I tucked it into an IWB holster and carried it for a while. The narrower slide width of the G30S actually does make a significant difference in carry comfort.
Smaller, however, is not always better — especially when it comes to big-bore pistols. To evaluate the gun’s shootability, I grabbed several boxes of .45 hardball and Gold Dot hollowpoints and headed to the range. Truth be told, I carry Glocks regularly and own full-sized, compact and sub-compact versions in 9mm, .40 and 10mm. Although I have shot a buddy’s full-sized Glock 21 on occasions, I didn’t like it much because it was too chunky in my hand. The short frame of the G30S, however, felt great in my hand.
Working entirely undercover, the SIS detectives needed solid firepower for their
all-too-frequent armed encounters with multiple suspects. The G30S gives them 11
total .45 ACP rounds in a tidy package.
The G30S puts the manageable .45 ACP G30 frame with the slim G36. The result is a
handy, easy-to-carry .45 with a 10-round mag. Oh, it shoots well too.
Did It Work?
After a few slow, deliberate shots confirmed the test gun shot to point of aim, I picked up the pace. Shot-to-shot recovery was quick and I had no problems keeping multiple-shot strings exactly where I wanted them. In short, the G30S was a joy to shoot and, like all my other Glocks, easily digested everything I fed it without a hiccup.
Although some might dismiss the G30S as just another Glock variant, it’s much more than that. Unlike many firearms that are the result of an engineer’s overactive imagination, the G30S combines a proven design with the hard-won wisdom of one of our nation’s most elite law enforcement units. The efforts from all concerned took a good thing and used logic and actual street experience to make it better.
Although originally intended as a special project only for the SIS, the G30S was officially unveiled at SHOT 2013 as a standard model in the Glock line. If you’re searching for an ultimate carry gun in the Glock family, you owe it to yourself to give the G30S a hard look.
By Michael Janich
Photos: Dan Henderson
View This American COP June 2013 Issue Now!
