Heckler and Koch’s most popular handgun has been the VP9. This year, they’ve made noteworthy updates to keep this gun current with shooters’ expectations. True Pearce spent some time with the new VP9 at the range at SHOT Show 2020.
The VP9’s barrel is just over 4″ long and the overall length is 7.34″. That barrel is finished with polygonal rifling, which H&K has been using for decades on their pistols.
H&K was also an early adopter of polymers in their guns. The VP9 makes good use of its polymer frame with interchangeable grip panels. Many guns come with a couple of backstrap options to fit the shooter’s hand better, but the VP9 also has changeable side panels as well so it can be set up asymmetrically for a truly custom grip. There are 27 possible setups, and the gun ships with all the panels included.
Another update is the new iron sights. The front is a high visibility dot, and the rear sights are deep-cut and blacked with serrations to reduce glare. The gun’s 7″ length makes for a 6.38″ sight radius.
Another significant update is that all VP9 models will now be optics-ready. They have five different plates for the popular sights ready to go and they’ll ship with the plate for the optic the customer wants to use.
The standard magazine is updated to a 17-round mag. American customers will be glad to see that the magazine catch has been changed to a U.S.-style button as an option instead of a lever on the trigger guard. The trigger remains one of the best striker-fired triggers on the market.
With these updates, Heckler & Koch’s venerable VP9 pistol is ready for many more years of service. The new VP9 is shipping now, and the MSRP is $799
Specs
| Caliber | 9 mm x 19 |
| Length | 7.34 in. |
| Height | 5.41 in. |
| Width | 1.32 in. |
| Barrel Length | 4.09 in. |
| Sight Radius | 6.38 in. |
| Weight (with empty magazine) | 25.56 oz. |
| Magazine Capacity | 10 / 15 / 17 |
| Trigger Pull | 5.4 lbs. |
| Trigger Travel | .24 inches |
| Return Travel | .12 inches |
| Barrel Profile/Twist | Polygonal, 6 grooves, right-hand twist, 1 in 9.8 inches |
I just got my first VP9 with the old style mag release , but I like it that way. I have had a bad first outing with my new VP9, first time I went to the range I shot two shots and it hung up, cleared it and shot once and the trigger was really hard to pull, so I cleared it again and shot twice and it was hard to pull the trigger again. I know H&K are good guns , but I am having a time with mine. I guess I will try to look at it myself and if it is something simple ,great if not , I will have to take it to a gunsmith or send in for warranty. I never had a new gun do this, I hope it is something easy to fix !!! I will report back !
Love my VP9’s. First H&K I’ve ever bought. The longer I’ve owned them the more I appreciate them. From the rear slide studs to the mag paddle release, it’s a well thought out gun and 100% reliable. I own other polymer striker pistols and the vp9 imo is really underrated in the market.
Correction: The vp9 optics adapter plates are on HK’s webstore, but they are not listed under vp9 parts. They are on the main page for “handgun parts”. That’s why I missed it earlier. $29 on the website.
You may want to fix your article as there are some errors. The photos still show the magazine release on the trigger guard. The video still shows the magazine release on the trigger guard. Going to H&K’s website still shows the updated 2020 model with magazine release on trigger guard. On their website if you scroll down to the model numbers, it only shows the the push button magazine release on the older (non 2020) models.
Looking at HK’s part store, I don’t see any optic ready slides, no optic adapter plates, and no 17 round mags. Other videos I’ve watched say those things are coming along with kits to make your old 15 round mags hold 17 rounds. One website showed the optics adapter plates at $27 each. The gun will not ship with all 5 plates, you have to specify which one you want.
As said in the video and the article, the gun will ship with the plate the customer specifies. Here’s a link to the instruction manual for changing the American-style magazine catch to either side. I could be wrong, I’m just using information I found on HK-usa.com.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/hkusa/20181019153825/Push-Button-Instructional-Supplement-OCT-19-2018.pdf
The current VP9 is excellent and one of it’s BEST features is the mag catch on the trigger guard. After the 5 seconds it takes to get used to it, you’ll find it’s far superior to the more conventional US mag catch. I am an American and I have guns with both types, the mag catch on the trigger guard is faster and easier to use. More guns should come that way.
One of these days with the H&K