I picked up a discounted FDE VP9 from PSA last month, with the $200 rebate.  Man, that thing is easy to shoot, and I am adapting to the paddle mag release quickly.  The trigger is lighter than expected.  I certainly can see the hype around it and prefer it to my other striker guns in the safe.

I'm liking mine too. Got it from Rooftop defense a while back for $500.
It's the optic ready model.
Couldn't pass up that deal.

I've been running my VP since shortly after the release of them. The trigger and ergos are very good and I honestly have become a fan of the paddle release. The only thing I would have liked better about the platform is if it had been "like sized" to my G19.

I have a VP9SK OR, am very impressed. Just ordered FDE version and an optic ready slide. Can't wait to get to the range once the weather breaks a little.

I recently pulled my VP9 out of safe where it has seen very little attention in the past 8 years. I never liked the trigger b/c of the very awkward reset and the fact that the trigger pull appeared to have a bi-polar personality. Sometimes it was smooth and other times it felt like it had 20 extra parts and linkages that were out of alingment. A VP9 video showed up in my YT feed a few days ago addressing this very issue so I decided to give the gun another go.

I love the ergos and the quality/finish of the slide but after having many other pistols since first purchasing the VP9, I'm now noticing a few things. The trigger is definitely janky. When pulling the trigger to the wall, it is clicky, noisy, cheap feeling and has a variety of different pull weights, stacking, grittiness and reset characteristics depending on where you decide to place a drop of oil. None of my other pistols make much so much noise when dry firing. I read a forum post about breaking the edge on the ramp of the disconnector bar in order to smooth out the trigger, so I spent a good amount of time partially disassembling/reassembling the gun, dry firing and generally doing a deep dive on all internal metal to metal, metal to plastic, spring and hinge surfaces.  A VP9 version of the $.25 trigger job smoothed things out considerably but I also discovered something else... The frame wall next to the trigger and disconnector bars on the passenger side of the gun is extremely thin and flexible. I should note at this point that I am a lefty so when I engage a vice type grip to mitigate recoil, my right palm presses against the thin plastic wall and it interferes greatly with the trigger feel/characteristics. Depending on grip force exerted, I can induce drag, stacking issues and a gritty feeling trigger. Try it yourself... Press firmly on the side of the frame just behind or below the right side slide release while pulling the trigger. I don't think this issue affects right handed shooters as nothing runs from the trigger to the sear on the left side.

The gun is accurate, reliable and comfortable but the lower half feels a bit cheap. The grip texture is meh and I can induce clicking noises out of the backstrap and side panels just by firmly gripping the thing. Looking under the hood, you immediately can tell that a team of autists overengineered the moving bits, but once you get a good trigger, it is a really good take up, wall and break. Another thing... 90% of the reviews compare the VP9 to a G19 sized pistol. I got to thinking and it sure did look to be G17 sized to me. VP9 vs. G17...

Attached File


So now we are talking about a full sized go-to-war handgun.

One last gripe... The trigger spring is a PITA and H&K recommends a special set of curved jaw needle nose pliers for taking the gun down for a deep cleaning/polishing.

Knowing what I know now, would I still purchase one? I don't know. The HK logo is worth a lot in my mind. Maybe too much.

Interesting observation on putting pressure on the right side of the frame, it certainly could induce some issues with the way that curved spring rides against the frame.  The thinness of the frame also, shit you can see light through it is so thin in some places.

The trigger return spring is not difficult.  I used a small pair of standard needle nosed pliers, had it changed in 5 minutes.

It’s not just that S spring. (As a left handed shooter) when you do the press out “vice” double hand grip that so many instructors encourage, you can literally smash the trigger bar into the disconnect bar. Once that happens, you can feel the side of the gun pulsing as you manipulate the trigger and as soon as the trigger bar hits the ramp on the disconnect you can hear the bars grinding together. At that point, everything you had in muscle memory re: trigger behavior, goes out the window. The really weird part is that sometimes during a dry fire session, the trigger group will decide to radically change its characteristics. I’ll take the slide off, check for obstructions, manually cycle the sear, induce a reset, etc. and nothing works to bring it back to normal. I’ll put the gun away for the day, pick it up the next and it is back to the smooth trigger pull I achieved directly after taking down the edge on the disconnect bar ramp. I don’t think this is just my pistol either. I’ve shot other VP9s and noted similar oddities.

Pics scraped from the web:

Attached File


The components in question:

Attached File

https://hkparts.net/all-parts/hk-pistol-trigger-return-spring-tool/

They really are an upgrade over regular needle-nose if you're going to be gunsmithing your HKs.

Everyone is using their trigger finger to drop the mag, correct?

@intheburbs

I don’t have any red dot pistols yet but I’ve been looking at getting an optics-ready VP9.

Which Trijicon is that?  How do you like it?  Any other optics you would recommend?

You have something wrong. VP9s I have shot (including mine) are nothing like that.


No. Trigger hand middle finger, or else the off hand thumb.

Thank you! @intheburbs

Is it the Trijicon RMR® Type 2 Red Dot Sight specifically?

Which MOA red dot size do you use and why?  

Which adapter plate does it use?

The one I’m looking at says the sights have 1/3 co-witness.

https://dkfirearms.com/product/hk-vp9-tactical-optics-ready-9mm/

I will also take a look at the Holosun.

I try not to own handguns without paddle release.
Congrats on a really nice shooting gun. I like mine a lot too.
I just don't know where it belongs in my menagerie. It's too big to EDC, and it's not big and solid enough to compel me to get rid of the USP Fhotay.
What did she run after rebate? I think I paid about $525 6 or 7 years ago for a base model. I've seen them still around that price.
Amazing after this run of inflation, really.

My VP9 trigger had a frequent false reset.

Sent it in and HK fixed it.

It’s my EDC gun. If I don’t have that boat anchor on my belt I don’t feel right. Even nap with it on…

I love my Glocks too, but they feel like 2x4s by comparison, even the Gen 5 G45 I have isn’t as comfy to hold.

@DOE

Which Holosun is that and which sights?

@C-4

It's a 508T X2 on a HK steel plate 2 (RMR).  The sights came with the OR slide.  XS brand.  Front tritium and black rears.  Was waiting on FCD's plate, but that was delayed.

Thank you!

Cost was $499 plus tax, with free shipping.  FDE night sight model, no optics cut.  The $200 buck rebate was for the HK store, so I picked up 4 magazines.  So with FFL fee, it was $550 with 6 mags.

I just picked up a VP9-B, it has the mag release button and I'm waiting on my "free $200 HK bucks" to get the 4 mags.  After shipping,tax and FFL I'm into it for $570ish.  I always liked my P30 but typically dont shoot DA/SA guns that well and have been meaning to grab a VP9 sometime.  

I also just got my first HK, a used VP9 in excellent condition with mags, case, papers, etc. I wasn’t looking for one at all but couldn’t pass it up for $400.

The VP9 made me forget about Glocks forever.

Just got my 4 mags ordered from HK.  Had to pay $14 shipping on free mags...LoL. Still a nice promotion from HK.

Ive been carrying some form of Hk for 25 years.  I have always used my trigger finger to drop mags.  It is the fastest way and is superior to thumb on a button.

Any suggestions for a good vendor for the slide charging tabs and fillers?

I am probably in the minority but I like the "B" model more for a couple reasons. One, it does not have the trigger groove as on the paddle mag. release model. The paddle mag. pistol I own, I sanded down the groove as it irritates my trigger finger when shooting it. Second, the B model has more room under the trigger guard at the grip, so that it feels like the "Glock trigger guard undercut". Either way, you can't beat the quality of them.

Any suggestions for a good vendor for the slide charging tabs and fillers?

Numrich has the tabs but am not sure about the fillers.