First Impression: H&K VP9

So the long-awaited day finally arrived and I picked up my new VP9 yesterday afternoon. And after everything I had read, I was expecting a clunky trigger pull, a high bore axis, and ergonomics that put a Glock to shame but aren’t quite enough to tip the scales in the VP9’s favor.

The VP9 includes magazines, grip inserts for the back and sidestraps, and HK swagger.

The VP9 includes magazines, grip inserts for the back and sidestraps, and H&K swagger. The swagger costs less than it has in the past…

What I found when I opened the case was a very good stock trigger (surprisingly good) with hardly any grit in it at all, sights and ergonomics that I really like, and the same feeling of quality that H&K pistols normally exude in a gun that costs hundreds of dollars less. The charging supports at the rear of the slide looked a little gimmicky to me in the press release materials, until I handed the VP9 to my wife who weighs all of 90 lbs and she racked the slide with FAR less effort than any other semi-auto she’s shot in the past. I think I’ll probably end up liking the standard grip inserts, but I have fairly large hands, so I plan to at least try the others in the weeks to come. The trigger has a positive reset and feels like it’s breaking around 5 pounds, but that will be measured as soon as I have the time.

Although I’ve still got to find some time to put the VP9 through its paces, I shoot with a very high grip and I don’t anticipate the higher-than-Glock bore axis being a noticeable issue, particularly in conjunction with the fantastic ergonomics of the VP9 (think P30). It is higher than some other options, but not by as much as I expected based on other articles. I’ll definitely be heading out to the range early this week to sling some lead and I’ll be sure to report back soon after. With an empty magazine, the VP9 weighs in at 25.56 ounces, which is roughly the same as either a Glock 17 or a Smith & Wesson M&P 9, so if you’re used to shooting or carrying either of those, this shouldn’t be much of a change.

I’ve also reached out to the nice people at Blade-Tech to get a feel for which holsters will work so that I can get one on the way ASAP to start running this thing in some matches. As I find other holster options, I’ll certainly include them in future VP9 posts, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the OWB holster that they make for the P30 should work with the VP9 as well. If you’re already used to Glocks and have the spare parts on hand for those, this might not blow you away value-wise, but I would DEFINITELY suggest that anyone looking for a polymer handgun who isn’t already heavily invested in another platform give the VP9 a try as soon as you can find one. More details and an in-depth review on the way soon! HP

Colt Driver; Heckler and Koch VP9, MSRP $719 (street price ~$619), www.hk-usa.com

*HUGE thanks to my friends at Perry’s Gun Shop for helping me locate this thing. They get a lot of cool stuff in there every week, so be sure to keep an eye on their Facebook page if you’re looking for a VP9 or anything else. Tell them HP sent you!

 

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