cslinger
Member
Ok so I recently picked up on a whim an HK P2000 in .40 with the LEM trigger. I had been intrigued by these since they came out because they just fit me so well and I was also intrigued by the LEM trigger. Below is a short review.
All ratings are based out of 10 rounds.
Build Quality - 9 Rounds
Build quality, fit and finish were excellent. I cannot in good faith give it more then 9 rounds though since it is a plastic gun. It seemed to be a very robust firearm with great lockup and good heft. I save the 10s for guns made out of metal.
Reliability - 10 Rounds.
I test my auto loaders with both ball and HP ammo and also shoot them at odd angles etc. I intentionally limp wrist, shoot sideways, hold the gun upside down etc. in order to attempt to induce a malfunction. I do this so I know the firearms limitations and because in a a fight it is not likely I will be deploying the gun in ideal circumstances. The HK would not choke, period.
Trigger - 1 Rounds / 6 Rounds.
Ok here is where things go off track. I simply could not get used to the LEM trigger. It was very very smooth and light enough but the reset was just plain weird, almost spongy. I am so used to a traditional double action that this just through me for a loop. The trigger was just not crisp and felt really weird on reset. I give it a 1 for me personally and a 6 overall. The SIG DAK seems to be a much better design and I personally would prefer even a Glock over the LEM. Once again, this was only due to my personal feelings. There was nothing wrong with the trigger it just didn't do it for me.
Accuracy - 2 Rounds / 7 Rounds.
Due to the above mentioned trigger that I simply could not adjust to, I just couldn't shoot the gun accurately without ALOT of concentration. With very intense concentration the gun proved to be very accurate but it was not natural for me. Hence the 2 rating for me personally. When I first brought the gun out I thought maybe I was just having a bad range session but shooting another .45 and a snubby I brought proved that it wasn't just me having a bad day. Subsequent range sessions showed this as well.
Ergonomics - 10+ Rounds.
HK knocks this out of the park. The gun is 100% ambi, feels good, has 4 backstraps and just plain feels great. I cannot imagine somebody not finding a someway to make this gun comfortable for them.
Concealability - 8 Rounds.
Although a medium to full sized gun I found the gun to conceal very well. It was easier to carry and hide then a SIG P229 which was the closest thing I had for comparison. I really found it quite remarkable how easy it was to carry a gun of this size.
Value - 2 Rounds
It is an $800 plastic gun. Is it better then a Glock, Walther or XD? Yes in some small ways such as it being fully ambi, the ergos and the trigger assuming the LEM system works for you. Is it THAT MUCH better then the competition, NO. Lets be realistic, you are paying for the HK name and this gun ain't no P7 work of art.
Gun Snobbery - 8 Rounds
It is an HK and that is just much cooler then a Glock, XD, Ruger, Walther or even a plastic SIG. It is not however an HK P7 or P9 or Expert. So although it rates high on the cool factor it is still just really cool tactical tupperware.
Overall - 3 Rounds / 7 Rounds
Once again for me this gun just didn't work. I simply did not shoot it well and wasn't ready to devote the time and effort to learn to shoot it well. I didn't like the trigger at all. So for me the gun only gets a 3. If I take myself out of the equation it is a solid 7. The gun just plain works and has a whole lot going for it. Really the only thing that drives the overall score down is its cost/value.
I just want to add that although I am critical of how the gun worked for ME, there was nothing wrong with the gun at all. It is a wonderful defensive firearm that should make for a great jack of all trades gun for the one gun kind of person. It is well put together, cool and has great ergos. I am just dissapointed with how it worked for me personally.
So in my dissapointment I asked myself, "Self, what would John Wayne Do?. That is when I head the voice say...."Pilgrim, get rid of that Kraut Piece of Plastic and get yourself a good ole' American made piece of Walnut and Steel." Well when the duke talks to me I do two things.
1)Refill my prescription of Paxil
2)Listen to what he says.
That being said I traded the HK for a Marlin 1894C in .357, a boatload of ammo and several speedloaders. I had been looking for this gun for a long time and finally found one NIB locally and got a good value in trade. I was dissapointed that the HK didn't work for me but in the end I am very glad I tried it.
Stay tuned for part two or the range report of the Marlin in the rifle section.
Chris
All ratings are based out of 10 rounds.
Build Quality - 9 Rounds
Build quality, fit and finish were excellent. I cannot in good faith give it more then 9 rounds though since it is a plastic gun. It seemed to be a very robust firearm with great lockup and good heft. I save the 10s for guns made out of metal.
Reliability - 10 Rounds.
I test my auto loaders with both ball and HP ammo and also shoot them at odd angles etc. I intentionally limp wrist, shoot sideways, hold the gun upside down etc. in order to attempt to induce a malfunction. I do this so I know the firearms limitations and because in a a fight it is not likely I will be deploying the gun in ideal circumstances. The HK would not choke, period.
Trigger - 1 Rounds / 6 Rounds.
Ok here is where things go off track. I simply could not get used to the LEM trigger. It was very very smooth and light enough but the reset was just plain weird, almost spongy. I am so used to a traditional double action that this just through me for a loop. The trigger was just not crisp and felt really weird on reset. I give it a 1 for me personally and a 6 overall. The SIG DAK seems to be a much better design and I personally would prefer even a Glock over the LEM. Once again, this was only due to my personal feelings. There was nothing wrong with the trigger it just didn't do it for me.
Accuracy - 2 Rounds / 7 Rounds.
Due to the above mentioned trigger that I simply could not adjust to, I just couldn't shoot the gun accurately without ALOT of concentration. With very intense concentration the gun proved to be very accurate but it was not natural for me. Hence the 2 rating for me personally. When I first brought the gun out I thought maybe I was just having a bad range session but shooting another .45 and a snubby I brought proved that it wasn't just me having a bad day. Subsequent range sessions showed this as well.
Ergonomics - 10+ Rounds.
HK knocks this out of the park. The gun is 100% ambi, feels good, has 4 backstraps and just plain feels great. I cannot imagine somebody not finding a someway to make this gun comfortable for them.
Concealability - 8 Rounds.
Although a medium to full sized gun I found the gun to conceal very well. It was easier to carry and hide then a SIG P229 which was the closest thing I had for comparison. I really found it quite remarkable how easy it was to carry a gun of this size.
Value - 2 Rounds
It is an $800 plastic gun. Is it better then a Glock, Walther or XD? Yes in some small ways such as it being fully ambi, the ergos and the trigger assuming the LEM system works for you. Is it THAT MUCH better then the competition, NO. Lets be realistic, you are paying for the HK name and this gun ain't no P7 work of art.
Gun Snobbery - 8 Rounds
It is an HK and that is just much cooler then a Glock, XD, Ruger, Walther or even a plastic SIG. It is not however an HK P7 or P9 or Expert. So although it rates high on the cool factor it is still just really cool tactical tupperware.
Overall - 3 Rounds / 7 Rounds
Once again for me this gun just didn't work. I simply did not shoot it well and wasn't ready to devote the time and effort to learn to shoot it well. I didn't like the trigger at all. So for me the gun only gets a 3. If I take myself out of the equation it is a solid 7. The gun just plain works and has a whole lot going for it. Really the only thing that drives the overall score down is its cost/value.
I just want to add that although I am critical of how the gun worked for ME, there was nothing wrong with the gun at all. It is a wonderful defensive firearm that should make for a great jack of all trades gun for the one gun kind of person. It is well put together, cool and has great ergos. I am just dissapointed with how it worked for me personally.
So in my dissapointment I asked myself, "Self, what would John Wayne Do?. That is when I head the voice say...."Pilgrim, get rid of that Kraut Piece of Plastic and get yourself a good ole' American made piece of Walnut and Steel." Well when the duke talks to me I do two things.
1)Refill my prescription of Paxil
2)Listen to what he says.
That being said I traded the HK for a Marlin 1894C in .357, a boatload of ammo and several speedloaders. I had been looking for this gun for a long time and finally found one NIB locally and got a good value in trade. I was dissapointed that the HK didn't work for me but in the end I am very glad I tried it.
Stay tuned for part two or the range report of the Marlin in the rifle section.
Chris
