Are HK pistols worth the money?

[wojownik]

I am a current HK owner (p7 and 2000). I think HK pistols are generally priced on the priced on the high (premium) side, but then again the US dollar is pretty weak. I don't necessarily think the HK is overpriced, but I think the dollar is undervalued against the Euro, inflating HK prices further.

I am also a current Sig owner (p6, p220, p226, p228, p229). Sigs are also generally priced on the premium side. However Sigs have significant US components - so if you buy the argument that US parts are cheaper than Euro parts these days, then a $800 Sig might be more "expensive" than an $800 HK.

Look at the prices of CZ pistols surging as well - they just had a price increase mainly to adjust for the dollar. Now CZ75s are in the 600 range and up.

So is HK overpriced? IMHO, on the one hand - "no" (not really next to other higher end pistols) - on the other hand "yes" they are all overpriced these days...

 

[StarDust1]

Picture of the problem boy

As indicated in my earlier post I had many issues with this $1,000,00 pistol, the biggest of which was the slow response from H&K in addressing them....

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

^^^looks like the slide is pulling away from the frame near the front.


most threads i read about HK's cust serv aren't very flattering. did they eventually fix it for you?

 

[481]

This topic got contentious quickly. It's just a poll folks.

 

[NWCP]

I own more than my share of HKs. I feel they are well worth the cost and mine at least have been reliable and accurate from day one. Not so much as an FTE. Many HKs are available for well under $1000. My question would be why do so many guys drop the big bucks on custom, or semi custom 1911 clones? At times they cost far more than an HK. I purchase a handgun based on quality of build, track record for reliability, how it fits my hand and my current need. Whether, or not the pistol is worth what you pay for it is pretty subjective. I can't see buying a Glock that doesn't fit my hand well just to save a couple hundred bucks. That's a what I call the K-Mart mentality. While cost comes into the equation, why would a shooter not invest in a weapon that works well, fits well and will last a lifetime? This is also a tool that may, God forbid, be required to save one's own hide in the event something goes terribly wrong and your life is threatened. I have total confidence in my HKs and trust they would do the job that is required in the event I need to use one.

 

[Coltman 77]

Quote by NWCP:

"Whether, or not the pistol is worth what you pay for it is pretty subjective. I can't see buying a Glock that doesn't fit my hand well just to save a couple hundred bucks. That's a what I call a K-Mart mentality. While cost comes into the equation, why would a shooter not invest in a weapon that works well, fits well and will last a lifetime? This is also a tool that may, God forbid, be required to save one's own hide in the event something goes terribly wrong and your life is threatened. I have total confidence in my HKs and trust they would do the job that is required in the event I need to use one."

Very well stated.

There are many times to be thrifty but buying firearms for self defense isn't one of them.

 

[doc540]

I've bought several HK's and will buy another.

Ergonomically the design makes sense and the controls fit my hands.

I buy'em used for $500-$600, so, yes, they're worth the money.

 

[Boats]

A memo must come in the box these days:

Welcome to the no compromise world of H und K. You may one day feel the need to defend your purchase of our product against charges of overpayment for a polymer framed handgun. We have included these complimentary guidelines to assist you in our marketing mission. Please note that for even semi prompt warranty assistance you will need to be able to point to public instances that conform to the following points.

• You WILL publicly state that you feel the H und K is worth the euros you paid for it, whether you believe it or not.
  
• You WILL criticize custom and near custom 1911A1 production, though these guns have, in many cases, the personal attention of a gunsmith rather than an assembler and not a trace of plastic or stampings and your pistol does not.
  
• You MAY declare that you buy a pistol based upon its track record, but we would understand avoidance of this point as none of our pistols really have a track record outside of our testing facilities.
  
• You WILL declare all of our Western European competition "down market," "cheap," and/or "Worthy only of subhumans who don't care to spend what it takes to defend their worthless lives and those of their midget bovine harlots."
  
• You WILL describe the overspending on our product "an investment." Do not worry, we will pay the royalties to leftist politicians all over the world who re-branded a toxic adjective so that we may avoid being called out on the grounds that our customers pay a hefty "H und K tax."
  
• You WILL blame conversion rates for our prices whether the dollar is up or down. You will ignore that companies like Glock and Beretta have held the line on prices for years despite importing many of their wares into the US.

Please complete your warranty card so that we may contact you in the future with new talking points as required.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

he's referring to disassembly, not takedown

There is no need to take the gun down any further......at least on a regular basis.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

they say that its worth every penny yet you can buy a XD for almost half the price and get the same thing essentially.

 

[StarDust1]

^^^looks like the slide is pulling away from the frame near the front.


most threads i read about HK's cust serv aren't very flattering. did they eventually fix it for you?

Yes they did, it took them seven months to return the pistol to me! As a consequence they converted the LEM at no charge...If you look closely at the top of the backstrap, where the insert joins the frame, you can make out the seam between frame and insert, something you cannot do with my little M&P 9C which cost "literally" half as much...
My understanding is(correct me if I'm wrong)that H&K has eliminated the trigger guard groove entirely....

 

[wojownik]

Wrong on Beretta, Boats. The Beretta USA factory in Accokeek, Maryland builds them here in the US.

 

[Enachos]

To me they are overpriced. My $500 glock has had no malfunctions to this day so I'll stick with it. I don't see why I would find it reasonable to pay close to a grand for another pistol when this one has performed just as well. If i found and H&K priced at around $500 then i would definitely buy one but otherwise I wouldn't even pay $600 for one.

 

[Boats]

Only the M9/92Fs and the Tomcat are made in Maryland. If you buy a PX-4 or a 90-Two, the whole shebang comes from Italy, magazines and all.

In fact all recent civilian market 92 series pistols are being imported as BUSA fills a huge military contract for the M9 and M9A1.

 

[NWCP]

Welcome to the no compromise world of H und K. You may one day feel the need to defend your purchase of our product against charges of overpayment for a polymer framed handgun. We have included these complimentary guidelines to assist you in our marketing mission. Please note that for even semi prompt warranty assistance you will need to be able to point to public instances that conform to the following points.
You WILL publicly state that you feel the H und K is worth the euros you paid for it, whether you believe it or not.
You WILL criticize custom and near custom 1911A1 production, though these guns have, in many cases, the personal attention of a gunsmith rather than an assembler and not a trace of plastic or stampings and your pistol does not.
You MAY declare that you buy a pistol based upon its track record, but we would understand avoidance of this point as none of our pistols really have a track record outside of our testing facilities.
You WILL declare all of our Western European competition "down market," "cheap," and/or "Worthy only of subhumans who don't care to spend what it takes to defend their worthless lives and those of their midget bovine harlots."
You WILL describe the overspending on our product "an investment." Do not worry, we will pay the royalties to leftist politicians all over the world who re-branded a toxic adjective so that we may avoid being called out on the grounds that our customers pay a hefty "H und K tax."
You WILL blame conversion rates for our prices whether the dollar is up or down. You will ignore that companies like Glock and Beretta have held the line on prices for years despite importing many of their wares into the US.

Please complete your warranty card so that we may contact you in the future with new talking points as required.

Dang Boats, did an old girlfriend run off with an HK rep way back when, or are you allergic to a well made polymer pistol? HK has a history of both police and military action with their pistols, machine pistols and assault rifles as well.

 

[Bentonville]

Customer Service from HK is nothing less than exemplary. They are prompt with the turn-around, knowledgeable of the product, and professional in every way. This is based on my long experience with HK. For other testimonials from satisfied customers, do a search on the HKPro handgun forum.

 

[CPshooter]

I'm not going to bother to defend my "subjective" comments. You can try and belittle what other people have to say and call it "subjective" all you want, but are we all not participating in this thread because we have our own opinions and experiences to base our comments off of? Obviously, without buying a very large sample of each kind of gun out there and testing each brand head to head for reliability/durability, one cannot form a completely "objective" argument for or against one particular brand of pistol.

Some of you need to lighten up a little and have a little more fun with these discussions. Don't get mad just because I know (through my personal experiences in owning most of the polymer pistols out there) that H&Ks are worth the premium cost to me. I'm telling you, there's a reason why H&K pistols demand a premium over the competition that goes beyond the cost of raw materials. Does a Porsche require any more material to manufacture than say, a VW? I'm sure if you talked to a Porsche owner, he'd be happy to explain why his Porsche was worth every penny. I could do the same with my H&K pistols, but once again, the "what can a Porsche do that my VW can't" mentality won't allow some of you to absorb the idea that maybe something costs more because it is a better product. Why would BMW sell a 7-series for under $20k when it is a $70k+ ride?

Anyhow, I'd like to share something I came across earlier today while browsing the forums over at HKpro.com. It might be of little or no value to you (perhaps a little “subjective”), but it’s a great example of why I feel these pistols are worth every cent. The thread can be found right here. See post #9. A member wrote the following:
” I have never seen any major component failure!

I shoot a variety of government/military issue HK handguns/rifles at work. Terrible job,
I know. I've worn out three pairs of shooting gloves in two years. We pound the hell out of the guns. I'm talking about shooting HK 45's and P2000's for 3000 round sesions w/o lubrication. I have never seen any major component failure!

After a pistol of rifle fails, it is because of normal wear and tear. Springs loose tension, guns do need to be refurbished. But unlike some other handguns that see firing block breaks, rail cracking, etc., HK has never failed as a testing platform. This is why Insight uses HK products. One of them anyway. HK builds tanks. I have shot over ten thousand rounds through several model guns with no lube, cleaning, or rest, w/o any problems.
We need to shock test each "item" with three thousand rounds, before it hits SOCOM hands in the field. We ship a lot of products. Yes my hands have calluses.
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it. I am a PATRIOT. I take pride saving lives, and ending the bad guys.

Bottom line, don't worry about your HK breaking. I haven't seen one break in over four years, any model, and over half a million rounds.

This is why I chose HK for my protection of myself and my country. I bet you'll hear the same from everyone here. Other than small...personal upgrades/adjustments, the gun won't let you down. I quoted this a month ago, as a testament to HK. If we are the perfect race....then HK's are the perfect gun.”

 

[2ndamd]

Not just NO! But, Hell NO!!!

They are a good gun but, not great. I liked the USP I was issued. But, I would not put in the category of Sig or even Glock.

 

[SeanMTX]

I own a Glock and an HK (G27 and HK USPc .40). I have owned many, many other pistols.

I like and appreciate most all of what I own or have owned (there's a couple of mistakes here and there).

I bought my Glock from a THR member for $550 (had a number of upgrades) and I bought my HK for $540. Both were used, but the Glock MUCH more so.

For the price, the HK is a better product. Are they worth the premium asked for by the company? It is if you're willing to pay it.

The value of any product is only what the purchaser is willing to pay. No more, no less.

I'd buy another HK if I found a good deal on it....but hey, that's me. Your experience/opinion/intelligence/love of HK/love of other products may vary.

 

[w_houle]

Sure, especially since it retains a lot of it's monetary value

 

[Prion]

Yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes know yes no yes no yes no yes no. Pointless.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

When I was young and influincial, and cutting my teeth on modern video game consoles with Rainbow Six, I bought the HK jazz. Saved for years, bought a USP Tactical 45 as a 21st birthday present to myself. What a disappointment.

I'll never own another HK at any price. Given the choice, I'd by another Glock at HK prices before I ever bought an HK at Glock prices.

 

[ckone]

An observation: ever notice that more experienced shooters with lots of trigger time with different guns tend to look at H&K's as solid, but nothing special, and from what I've seen usually choose something else do to H&K's notoriosly so-so triggers, complicated detail strip process or pricey mags and such...

On the other side of things, in my experience, H&K's are by far and away most popular with newbs or relativly new shooters who buy the H&K hype and want to be "real operators"...

Just sayin'

 

[Guillermo]

Yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes know yes no yes no yes no yes no. Pointless

isn't that what these boards are about?

 

[waterhouse]

In general, I'd probably say no. however:

If I woke up tomorrow and all of my P7s had been stolen, I'd probably pay $1000 for one if that's what the going price was. Since the going price is less than that, I'd say the P7 is worth it to me, but it is my carry gun and I'm super familiar with it, so it has more value to me.

I own and enjoy a USP Tactical. Since I bought it used and it had a threaded barrel (which can cost a few hundred bucks to add to another gun) for my suppressor it was a great value to me. At the time it was one of the few guns from the factory set up for a suppressor, which was handy, I'll give them credit for that. It has been perfectly reliable, and has a decent trigger, but it really isn't all that special. I'll get a 1911 set up for the suppressor at some point and probably sell the Tac. Since it came with the threaded barrel for less than buying just about any other gun and adding a threaded barrel, I'd say it was worth it.

From the current lineup, I personally don't think they are a great value, but they are good, reliable guns and if they fit your hand and you shoot them well they might be the best answer for you.

ETA: I didn't vote in the poll since it was not model specific.