H&K VP9 Build Quality

[Cowboybebop]

Some have wondered why the VP9 is $200+ cheaper than the P30 or USP.

I took a close look at the VP9 the other day and noticed a few things.

1. The takedown lever and pin are actually polymer. I don't think I've ever seen a polymer slide stop before. Doesn't that pin take a lot of punishment when the slide comes forward? Maybe it's got a steel pin inside that we can't see?

2. The grip texture is not that sandpaper finish you find on the P30 or USP. It's molded halfmoon shapes, and not as grippy.

3. The slide rails are not part of the frame, they are not molded into the polymer like many other designs (Glock, USP). They are held in place with roll pins, and appear to be separate units that can be removed (similar to Sig P250). There is a roll pin for the front slide rail and one for the rear. The other half of the assembly is held in place by the trigger pin (for the front rail) and by a little tab sandwiched into a slot in the rear of the grip (for the rear rail).

4. Many of the small parts appear to be stamped sheet metal, unlike the P30/USP where most are MIM'd.

5. There is no recoil buffer at all. The USP has a double spring buffer and the P30 has a polymer buffer. Some have said that HK removed it to allow for a lower bore axis.

Anyway I thought the differences were interesting. It explains the lower price point a little.

Anyone else know how H&K is able to sell these for so much cheaper?

I'm going to put my flame suit on and say that these VP9's are not as high quality as the P30's. What do you guys think?

 

[Girodin]

If you look at what they are doing with their manufacture rebate, the VP 9 isn't really selling for much if any less than the p30 et al.

 

[tahunua001]

I absolutely agree. I've noticed from some of the first people that were given demos and posted I HD pictures that they have quite a few tool marks on the inside which most other guns in the price range(XDMs, sigs, ETC) do not have. it's purely cosmetic but not something you would expect from the HK cultists claims of superior fit and finish on all HK products. the roll pinned slide rails and plasit slide stop are not something that I was aware of and is a little terrifying. I had fully intended to buy a VP9 to compare to my XDMs and such as a price point equivalency test as both are right around $600 on a good day, but so far nobody in my area is willing to order me one for less than MSRP(about $800). I may still get one since HK has a reputation for standing by their products but I have a feeling that this gun is in no way up to the quality standards of the price bracket that they have it in.

 

[guyfromohio]

They built a. Gun to compete with the other striker-fired polymers on the market. My LGS guy said that "striker mechanisms are cheaper to manufacture than hammers". Didn't fact check that one.

 

[Pilot]

The slide rails are designed to be replaceable if they get worn out unlike other pistols where the entire frame would need to be trashed.

 

[wild cat mccane]

I doubt the take down lever is only polymer.

On my P30, the hammer looks polymer. However, it is polymer coated metal.

 

[Eral Flinn]

I just ordered 3 per my research and faith that H&K is the same company I've known for many years.

C-7 Z51

 

[earlthegoat2]

It seems cheap as I tested how it felt. Nothing like my P2000SK. Im not impressed.

Now, if I shot one....maybe a different story.

 

[tarosean]

Hmmmmm.. This is some bright polymer.

Having owned both the big diference is mold lines in the vp9's frame.

 

[HKGuns]

Some have wondered why the VP9 is $200+ cheaper than the P30 or USP.

I took a close look at the VP9 the other day and noticed a few things.

1. The takedown lever and pin are actually polymer. I don't think I've ever seen a polymer slide stop before. Doesn't that pin take a lot of punishment when the slide comes forward? Maybe it's got a steel pin inside that we can't see?

2. The grip texture is not that sandpaper finish you find on the P30 or USP. It's molded halfmoon shapes, and not as grippy.

3. The slide rails are not part of the frame, they are not molded into the polymer like many other designs (Glock, USP). They are held in place with roll pins, and appear to be separate units that can be removed (similar to Sig P250). There is a roll pin for the front slide rail and one for the rear. The other half of the assembly is held in place by the trigger pin (for the front rail) and by a little tab sandwiched into a slot in the rear of the grip (for the rear rail).

4. Many of the small parts appear to be stamped sheet metal, unlike the P30/USP where most are MIM'd.

5. There is no recoil buffer at all. The USP has a double spring buffer and the P30 has a polymer buffer. Some have said that HK removed it to allow for a lower bore axis.

Anyway I thought the differences were interesting. It explains the lower price point a little.

Anyone else know how H&K is able to sell these for so much cheaper?

I'm going to put my flame suit on and say that these VP9's are not as high quality as the P30's. What do you guys think?

Takedown lever is steel, you are pretty much mistaken on that one.

The grip texture is different.

The recoil buffer is hardly missed when shooting.

Mine has no tool marks either, just like my other HK's.

I see no quality concerns with the pistol. Mine has been 100% reliable out of the box, just like my other HK's.

I've read precious few things bad about this pistol so far and it certainly beats any similar sized offering fro gLoCk.

Sounds like you are trolling to me.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

The new recoil assembly seems to obviate the need for a buffer. I think the smoother grip panels of the VP9 are a response to the smattering of complaints about how rough the texture is on the panels of the P30; some have grouses that it scratches them up when carried IWB. I'll concede that it's a little rough on bare skin but it doesn't bug me. I'm not an engineer but from field stripping the VP9 and shooting it my impression is that it's built as well as the rest of their guns.

 

[Cowboybebop]

The take down lever really looked like polymer to me in the store. It felt "warm" when you touch it as opposed to when you touch the slide release it feels "cold". But I didn't take a magnet to it or try to scratch it.

Is it actually steel?

 

[HKGuns]

The take down lever really looked like polymer to me in the store. It felt "warm" when you touch it as opposed to when you touch the slide release it feels "cold". But I didn't take a magnet to it or try to scratch it.



Is it actually steel?

Yes it is steel, as is the guide rod and the sights.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Reminds me of a funny story; I got my first USP in the mid 90's shortly after they came out in the US. Then last year I bought another one brand new and freaked out over the "plastic hammer" on it! $900 and it has a plastic hammer?! I swore! Well, sure enough about 15 minutes research and I learned it's just a rubber coating over a steel hammer. Seems the change was made to further improve drop safely in the event it landed hammer first.

But realistically now I *** get it ***. It doesn't much matter to me what a machine is made out of so long as it suits the task at hand. At one time a polymer frame would be heresy, now it's getting hard to find a service gun that isn't poly. Fifty years ago people would think you were crazy if you suggested that optics would basically be standard on military rifles, yet nowadays they basically are. Ford has even switched over to using aluminum instead of steel on the frames of their new pickups.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Ford has even switched over to using aluminum instead of steel on the frames of their new pickups.

I'm interested to see how that turns out.

 

[tarosean]

Is it actually steel?

Do you think I painted those wear lines on my lever???

Yes it is steel.

 

[HKGuns]

I'm interested to see how that turns out.

Aluminum has been used for years, all will be fine with the F150.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Aluminum has been used for years, all will be fine with the F150.

I'm not concerned about durability. I am a forester by trade and drive pickups on logging roads in deep snow fairly often. Where I live there is a lot of freeze and thaw cycles, and snow gets crusted over. It is easy in a lighter truck to get high centered and stuck in those circumstances. So my interest is in how the lighter weight mixed with a full sized frame will change the handling characteristics.

Anyway, it's not a truck forum so sorry for diverting.

I haven't shot a VP9 yet, but plan to buy one some time next year. I have handled one though and compared it to my HK45, and to a P30 in the store. It is in fact a different animal than the P30 guns, and it should be treated as such. It appeared to share the same build quality and solid looking components as other HK's, IMO. I also haven't heard any negative reports about the gun.

I think the folks who are concerned about durability or longevity of the VP9 should have faith. What is the last product HK put out that was truly a lemon of a design, or required major recalls? Their customer service reputation is fantastic as well, so if something was to go wrong, I have no doubt they would make it right. This is based on my opinion and limited experience with the HK brand though. So feel free to feel otherwise.

I also hear people mock HK for being slow to bring a product to market. I think it's because they extensively test their products, and make sure they won't have major failures and recalls.

I am confident the VP9 will be around for several years, and I hope they expend the line to a VP45, and a VP compact version.

 

[B!ngoFuelUSN]

Though the parts count, the performance and longevity of a handgun is more than the sum of them. Looking reasonably closely between my VP9 and P30, I see little difference. More importantly, the VP9 is a fine shooting handgun. Great balance, great trigger pull and reset, modest recoil. I own a number of H&K's and the new VP9 doesn't seem out of line with the rest of them. We'll see about how long it remains as solid and reliable as it is today but H&K has earned a lot of trust with me. I'm assuming it will be as excellent as all of its predecessors.
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