Hi-Power in .30 Luger?

My only Luger is in .30 caliber. I like the round but don’t reload for it. Factory ammo is still available in both FMJ and JSP.

I only shoot my Luger once or twice a year, so buying factory ammo isn’t a big deal.

I knew Hi Powers were made in .30 but I’ve never seen one.
 
I believe you can swap in a 9mm barrel instead of having to buy the more expensive 30 Luger.

30 Luger is somewhat similar to 357 Sig but not as hot.
 
If that is the one in our local armslist be cautious. I saw that this morning.
Price is low for what it is and the ad is generic looking. I wouldn't send any money on that one for sure.
Whoever posted it also registered on armslist today. Good luck if it's legit and it is truely someone local, but be careful if they offer to ship or want you to send money.
 
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LVSteve said:
I wonder if these were made for one of the many countries where 9x19 is seen as a military caliber, therefore illegal for civilians to own.
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Georg Luger actually developed the 7.65mm BEFORE the 9mm. If memory serves me right, there was a Borchardt load that Luger modified and then used to develop his famous design.

So the .30 (7.65) was actually the original standard load for the Luger. For several decades it was the Swiss army’s issue caliber.

It was the Germans who wanted a 9mm, achieved by simply widening the neck of the .30.

So the .30 Luger is a military caliber too, and I suspect FN just saw some demand.

PS: After a bit of research, I’m thinking you’re right. Specifically, Vanderlinden states that the .30 HP was introduced in the 1970s for the commercial market in Germany and France where military ammunition is restricted. Now in respect to Germany, that statement is and always was nonsense, but France did apparently prohibit for a time in the past some specific calibers including the 9mm, so that may be the origin.

It makes little sense otherwise to buy a .30 over a 9mm, so only 1500 were imported to the US and sales-wise it was a total flop. I’d guess that low number makes it a bit of a collector thing now.
 
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29aholic said:
I believe you can swap in a 9mm barrel instead of having to buy the more expensive 30 Luger.

30 Luger is somewhat similar to 357 Sig but not as hot.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately not, the slide will not work with a 9mm barrel. Barrel diameter different. You need a complete 9mm slide and barrel to swap. Frame is the same though so you are good there.
 
dusty3030 said:
Unfortunately not, the slide will not work with a 9mm barrel. Barrel diameter different. You need a complete 9mm slide and barrel to swap. Frame is the same though so you are good there.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying that.
 
Dusty: yep that's the one. Location says Memphis and I only deal FTF. Never send money. I sent him an e-mail, but haven't heard back yet. I'm hoping to get more info before I need to respond.

Ok, guys, so what do you think this thing is worth?
 
I saw a High Power in .30 Luger over 20 years ago, I have knee problems today from kicking myself so often for not buying it. :)

I had a .30 Parabellum, and really like shooting the round for fun, although I did not care for the grip safety on my particular Luger. I still have a couple of boxes of ammunition, I'm waiting for SIG USA to make their newer 210 in that caliber. Not while holding my breath, of course. :cool:
 
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I bought a 1st year Sig P220 in 30 Luger. (1976) It is in this day and age a unique caliber. Pretty cool actually. Looks like a 9mm necked down to a 30 cal bullet. I bought it mostly as a collector interest along with a P220 in 9mm and P220 in 38 Super. But I shoot it too.
Also it looks like a 9mm to a 7.65 but the casing is not the same length so it will not chamber in a 9mm barrel.
 
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As I recall, the cartridge was the basis for development of the 7.62x25. They share many similar characteristics.
 
The story I remember, maybe true maybe not, was that Browning built 5,000 of the 30 Luger HPs for the Italian market as calibers above 7.62 were illegal after WWII. Some of those eventually found their way to the US market. Maybe true, maybe not. One additional consideration, they take different magazines. When was the last time we saw an HP magazine in 30 Luger for sale? If anyone has one, I need one. Here's a 9mm and a 30 Luger.

Jeff
SWCA #1457
 

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    9mm and 30 Luger Browning HPs.jpg
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I would love to have anything chambered in .30 Luger, but would probably not pay much of a premium for it. That is mainly because I enjoy cartridges which are a little out of the mainstream, especially if they are historic.

Regarding effectiveness, there can be no debate that the 9x19 is superior to the .30 Luger. I would really like to have .30 Luger barrels for some of my 9mms but I have never found any. Theoretically, all that would be needed to convert most 9mms to .30 Luger would be a new barrel and probably a weaker slide spring. A 9mm magazine should work fine for .30 Luger. That is apparently not the case for the Browning HP if the slide will not accommodate a .30 Luger barrel and magazines won't work. No problem (at present) getting .30 Luger ammo. I am pretty sure that Fiocchi still makes it, maybe others. I have several boxes of Fiocchi .30 Luger put away just in case I ever find a .30 Luger pistol at an attractive price.
 
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Never owned one but the HP was being assembled in Portugal when 30 was introduced. The 30 Luger may be a better field cartridge than 9mm. I have shot many Lugers in 30 but they were all 4" standard pattern guns. It would be interesting to have a target sighted pistol to see what degree of accuracy it would produce. It would be good for Varmit and small game.
 
I saw one in .30 Luger that had the crest of the Dalai Lama on it.

In 1980 I didn’t have $500 to buy it.

(A new Stenograph machine was $275 then.)
 
Drm50 said:
Never owned one but the HP was being assembled in Portugal when 30 was introduced. The 30 Luger may be a better field cartridge than 9mm. I have shot many Lugers in 30 but they were all 4" standard pattern guns. It would be interesting to have a target sighted pistol to see what degree of accuracy it would produce. It would be good for Varmit and small game.
Click to expand...

Lugers in .30 are much better than 4" standard guns. And they don't need fancy sights.

But not all .30 Luger ammo is accurate.
 
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