Does HK use MIM parts?
Im getting the HK bug but I was wondering if they have followed the trend and use MIM in their small parts?
The two pistols that I am considering are the P30L & the HK45.
I have held both of these pistols in my hand and they feel amazing but at the time I didn't think to look closely enough to try to see if the small parts were machined or MIM'd and I doubt that I would be able to tell with out disassembling them.
Also wondering if a single sided slide release is available or if ambi is the only game in town?
Haven't heard any reports about it.
I believe Hk has used some MIM parts for quite a long time...at least back to the beginning of the USP/Mark 23 series...but I can't remember exactly what parts are made using that process. It obviously makes no difference though...is this a concern for you?
With the P30/Hk45 series, it's a two piece design, so yes...you could just install the left-side slide release. I'm not sure if this would cause any other issues though.
If they do use MiM parts, I do not know. Though there are no reports of frequent parts failures in the newer HK family of pistols. They work as advertised.
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I prefer not to have any MIM parts in my guns. I have seen too many problems with once reliable pistols once the manufacturer cheeps out and starts using MIM parts.
Please don’t take this the wrong way this is by no means a HK bashing post. As I said earlier I have handled both the P30L and the HK45 and they both scream quality that I don’t think is matched by any other polymer pistol on the market. I was highly impressed by both of them the hard part is deciding if I should go with the 9mm or 45. It's just for this kind of dough I would prefer to have all machined parts.
I would also like to state that I have been doing some goggling on both of these pistols and have seen very few reported problems with them
Originally Posted By RabidMonkeyPox:
If they do use MiM parts, I do not know. Though there are no reports of frequent parts failures in the newer HK family of pistols. They work as advertised.
Reaching back into my memory here: I believe they do, and I believe Glock does- as do many of the newer service pistols.
The thing is: they were designed to run, and run well, while making use of metals like that.
Problems with MIM occur when, say, something was designed utilizing spring steel or tool steel, and someone swaps it with a *poorly made* MIM part. (Well done MIM isn't a problem).
My 2 cents? Don't worry about it.
I agree. There is a time and place for everything...including materials and methods of manufacture. Certain materials in a machine can be perfect for one part, yet be terrible if used for something else. You can also find crappy machined parts just as you can find crappy MIM parts...and vice-versa. Just my opinion, but when I lay out cash for an Hk, I'm doing so to buy known quality, reliability, and durability of the system. Hk is second to none when it comes to these qualities whether they use all machined parts or not. I don't buy Hk's for their parts, I buy them for their results...and they have continuously delivered those results for over 60 years, and earned a premiere reputation for doing so.
A machine, when looked at as a system can be greater than the sum of it's parts.
1 + 1 can = 3
and
1 + 1 can = 1
As for caliber choice...well we all know that's completely personal preference. The benefits of the 9mm caliber completely outweigh any benefits the .45 might have in my mind. What caliber are you currently most invested in?
Currently I have all 9's except for an old West German P220 that I've had for years that I don’t shoot. It's probably been at least 5 years since it's seen the light of day.
So I would probably go with the P30L. It's just that I was so impressed with the HK45's grip. When it comes to polymer 45's I'm used to shooting my brothers G21 and G30 and those things are bricks in comparison.
Yes, the extractors, hammers, and slide releases are MIM in addition to some internal parts.
