The Pocket Cannon: Meet Glock's Model 30 Gun (A Powerful Weapon)

Glock’s most powerful—and compact—handgun is a mix of old and new technology. The Glock 30 subcompact handgun merges the .45 ACP round, a product of the Industrial Revolution, with modern handgun technology. The result is a highly concealable firearm that, once drawn, has few equals.

The combination of firepower and concealability makes the Glock 30 an excellent backup gun for law enforcement or a concealed carry gun for those who can legally do so. Although small, the G30 does not skimp on raw power. Glock’s .45 subcompact reportedly suffers from less muzzle flip than other large calibers, small frame handguns. The recoil of the .45 ACP round, generally considered a firm backward push is generally assessed as less than one might expect for a lightweight gun. Powerful, reliable, and controllable, the G30 might just be Glock’s ultimate subcompact handgun.

Glock’s most powerful—and compact—handgun is a mix of old and new technology. The Glock 30 subcompact handgun merges the .45 ACP round, a product of the Industrial Revolution, with modern handgun technology. The result is a highly concealable firearm that, once drawn, has few equals.

The .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (ACP) round was developed by prolific arms inventor John Moses Browning. The U.S. Army’s experience with the .38 Long Colt round during thePhilippine Insurrection left it wanting a more powerful round able to neutralize with fewer shots. Combat against Filipino insurgents, at times hand to hand, divided combatants into two categories: the quick and the dead. A single .38 Long Colt gunshot wound was often not enough to drop an insurgent before he landed a fatal chop with an edged weapon.

In response, John Browning developed the larger, heavier .45 ACP round. The .38 Long Colt round typically transferred 180 foot-pounds of energy on target. The .45 ACP round, on the other hand, easily transferred twice as much energy. Paired with the M1911 series semi-automatic pistol, also a Browning design, .45 ACP was the dominant handgun caliber of the U.S. military for more than sixty years.