VP9 updates?

[EricM]

Nothing to report on mine through ~1000 rounds, which isn't significant usage. No failures, etc. of any kind.

I did need to change my grip to make sure the slide locks to the rear after the last round is fired. I'm left-handed and the right side slide release lever is in a bad spot (for me). I have to wrap my shooting hand thumb around the top of my support hand to prevent it from contacting the slide stop if my grip shifts even slightly during recoil.

Same story here -- 1000 rounds, no problems, lefty with slide lock issues. I've made the necessary adjustments to my grip just like I did back when I was shooting the P30 a few years ago, not a huge deal, but I prefer the placement on guns like the P2000. Or better yet, USP -- I always found that lever very easy to manipulate with my index finger.

Nearly all my rounds fired have been with Taylor Freelance +5 basepads. Running 10-8 rear sight with 0.125" wide x 0.165" tall Dawson fiber optic front sight, POI is right behind the dot at 25 yards. Dawson sight required major fitting. I haven't decided yet whether the VP9 will take a trip to Cold Bore Customs for my usual grip texturing. It feels pretty decent as is, need to get some more time with it in various conditions.

I'm pretty sure I didn't win the trigger lottery on my copy...I haven't had a chance to handle any others, but mine didn't really match the hype. Started off with a gritty 6 lb break that felt like it had 3 stages, has smoothed out and is now at 5.5 lb but I wouldn't call it crisp. Bill Geissele might say it breaks like asparagus. Not gonna sweat it, shoots great, I've never really been one to seek the proverbial glass-rod break anyway. I dig the trigger geometry.

Seems like a solid gun so far. Glad I got one instead of going back to the P30 when I decided to pick up a full-sized pistol again. The VP9 isn't likely to replace my hammer-fired HKs for AIWB carry, but I look forward to shooting it in competition.

[mizer67]

Same story here -- 1000 rounds, no problems, lefty with slide lock issues. I've made the necessary adjustments to my grip just like I did back when I was shooting the P30 a few years ago, not a huge deal, but I prefer the placement on guns like the P2000. Or better yet, USP -- I always found that lever very easy to manipulate with my index finger.

Nearly all my rounds fired have been with Taylor Freelance +5 basepads. Running 10-8 rear sight with 0.125" wide x 0.165" tall Dawson fiber optic front sight, POI is right behind the dot at 25 yards. Dawson sight required major fitting. I haven't decided yet whether the VP9 will take a trip to Cold Bore Customs for my usual grip texturing. It feels pretty decent as is, need to get some more time with it in various conditions.

I'm pretty sure I didn't win the trigger lottery on my copy...I haven't had a chance to handle any others, but mine didn't really match the hype. Started off with a gritty 6 lb break that felt like it had 3 stages, has smoothed out and is now at 5.5 lb but I wouldn't call it crisp. Bill Geissele might say it breaks like asparagus. Not gonna sweat it, shoots great, I've never really been one to seek the proverbial glass-rod break anyway. I dig the trigger geometry.

Seems like a solid gun so far. Glad I got one instead of going back to the P30 when I decided to pick up a full-sized pistol again. The VP9 isn't likely to replace my hammer-fired HKs for AIWB carry, but I look forward to shooting it in competition.

I did write H&K and ask if there were any new, shorter or different slide stops in the works, but their answer was, "no".

I would echo your statement about the trigger, it's not that great but still better than the typical box-stock Glock. I would say min breaks more like an old carrot.

My trigger has a couple of stages as well: A relatively short and smooth pre-travel like a decent 2-stage rifle trigger with only minimal grit as you push the FPB out of the way, until you hit a spongy wall. If I'm going slow enough, I can feel another stage where the striker creeps across the release point before the actual break.

I can only really feel these in dry fire. It rarely causes me any issues though in live fire.

[JHC]

I would echo your statement about the trigger, it's not that great but still better than the typical box-stock Glock. I would say min breaks more like an old carrot.

My trigger has a couple of stages as well: A relatively short and smooth pre-travel like a decent 2-stage rifle trigger with only minimal grit as you push the FPB out of the way, until you hit a spongy wall. If I'm going slow enough, I can feel another stage where the striker creeps across the release point before the actual break.

I can only really feel these in dry fire. It rarely causes me any issues though in live fire.

Wow. That's descriptive. It's great so many like it. Now I'm even more curious to try one out because that's a gnarly description of the greatest striker trigger ever.

[GJM]

Wow. That's descriptive. It's great so many like it. Now I'm even more curious to try one out because that's a gnarly description of the greatest striker trigger ever.

Let me fix that for you, "greatest HK striker trigger ever (since the P7)."

[BobLoblaw]

Guess I didn't get a lemon as I've done better shooting with the VP9 vs any other polymer 9mm. The trigger geometry and small grip panels alleviate my small hand issues but as others have said, SH thumbs stop the slide lock occasionally. The only thing keeping me from carrying it AIWB is the lack of a 5 Shot SME. Not sure if I always sucked at shooting the P30 or if the VP9 has simply spoiled my trigger finger.

[mizer67]

Let me fix that for you, "greatest HK striker trigger ever (since the P7)."

Isn't it the only H&K striker fired trigger since the P7?

I don't mean to say it's a bad trigger per se, just that was the best I can do to describe how it feels to me. "Carrot", "glass rod" etc. are some of the more typical terms I've seen used to describe triggers.

It's similar to an SSA in that its got a (relatively) smooth and light first stage, then hits a solid wall of a second stage. However, it's too heavy and not crisp enough to be a "glass rod" break and the sponginess reminds me of a carrot a little past its prime in that it bends a little before it breaks. The PPQ trigger for instance is closer to a "glass rod" break, but neither compare to some metal frame SA or DA/SA guns in SA that I've fired.

It's really only noticeable in dry fire, when going slowly.

All that being said, perhaps it's the honeymoon phase, but it's a very easy gun to shoot well. Putting 90 of my shots over 100 rounds into a 3.5" circle at 50 ft. is childs play easy, even with the stock sights. With a similar sized Glock, I'd drop 10% more shots.

[JHC]

Let me fix that for you, "greatest HK striker trigger ever (since the P7)."

Thanks for fixing that! Quite true. I forgot about that.

[Jared]

Well, I coonfingered one this weekend at a gunshop. Trigger wise, I just was not impressed. I remarked to the guy behind the counter that I could run the trigger on my G34 without disturbing the sights more easily than I could the VP9. He looked...... deflated.

Other than that, I could see my grip was gonna interfere with the slide lock, same as it did on the P30 I had.

I'm not really "down on" the VP9, it's just that I can see enough niggling issues there that I'm likely gonna pass.

[BoppaBear]

I like the VP9 so far. It is a great pistol, but as stated previously, it won't be a carry gun unless all of my other HKs mysteriously disappear.

I carry AIWB and like hammer-fired pistols. That's just me.

My VP is a NS gun with a TLR-1 and +5 mag extensions, and a range toy.

[Mjolnir]

I had an out of spec trigger bar on one of mine which was causing a long, spongy reset.

I purchased that pistol after playing with another one that was promised another customer.

So I bought another. And another to use in a Dave Harrington course.

The pistols are very accurate, possess great ergonomics and have very nice triggers.

The second pistol has 2645 rounds thru it - all in one week. With no additional lubrication.

I do use grease/oil combo to be honest though.

During all if the fast, accurate shooting I had only one malfunction - a double feed at approximately 1,800 round mark. I was pinching the slide very hard with my strong hand as I have picked up that habit running 1911s...

It's remarkably easy to hit well with this pistol; very 1911-like in that regard (and, for me, like a well-broken in Sig P226).

Other than that #2 ran like a champ and sits in the safe waiting the opportunity to attend another course.

#1 now sits in kydex after digesting 500 rounds of ball and 120 rounds of Fed HST 124 grain.

Note: compared to my M&Ps, Gen4 Model 17s and P30s I find the VP9 to be overall a better pistol than all of them and it's one of the few guns I'm not motivated to change things on which is kinda depressing, really. And also kinda funny.



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"One cannot awaken a man who pretends to be asleep."