I want to love the VP9 versus my Glocks but...

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  • KokomoDave

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    So, I love the H&K VP9 series. The "people's pistol" by der uber brand that hates non-military / non-LEO Americans but loves our green.
    So, KD...why you no stocking the pistole? Being a multi source armorer, I do like the modularity of all things Glock. I like the availability of reasonable priced holsters, quality of aftermarket barrels, stocking of quality sighting systems, blah blah blah.
    The H&K fits my hand a heck of a lot better. The grip angle is idea, I shoot the VP9 a heck of a lot more accurately, etc. My small quibble why I don't have one? $50.00 per magazine! Out fricking ragious!! Yes ETS makes aftermarket mags. Are they durable enough for duty / CC ? Maybe. I have so many Glock mags that I bought when I had my business at jobber cost but can no longer get that kind of pricing for der wunder pistole. I also have no suppressor threading in the metric type of my Gemtech.
    I guess I am having a hard time justifying the switch. Plus not finding a good price on a used VP9 or even finding a good used one.
    Someone enlighten me as I am brain dead.
     

    flatlander

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    Check with Marksman Shooting in Westfield. They had one in there today. I used to have several HK's but sold them because of the cost of mags and sold my suppressors.

    The family like their Glocks with 10 mags for each and holsters that work for them.
     

    Route 45

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    If the HK feels better in your hand and you shoot the HK faster and more accurately than a Glock, don't worry about anything else. Quit whining about magazine prices and buy some. You're worried about saving a few bucks on the one tool that can potentially save your life in a deadly force encounter? Who the heck figures that their life is only worth a few bucks or a few hundred bucks? I'm betting that no one ever got into a deadly situation and thought, "Gee, I sure am glad that these magazines don't cost $50!"

    Who gives a **** about modularity? Pick the platform that works best for you, buy the sights and holsters that you like, and forget about it. Is it a Lego toy, or a defensive tool? Suppressor? Do you carry it with a suppressor? You're not Liam Neesom, get with the program. You ain't gonna be using a suppressed pistol for anything other than shits and giggles at the range.

    Don't be brain dead. But if you are, then Glocks are perfect. :)
     

    MCgrease08

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    I was in the same position a year ago, heavily invested in the Glock 19 platform. I carried it for years, had thousands of rounds with it, multiple training classes and several holsters. The only problem was that I never really shot it all that well.

    Several years prior I had shot a HK VP9 and it felt like it was made for my hand. I hit what I was aiming at with relative ease compared to the Glock, but I felt that I was too invested in the Glock to make a switch so I stubbornly kept carrying it, despite being a mediocre shooter with it.

    Fast forward to a year ago and I took another defensive pistol class with the Glock. I was not happy with my performance and found myself constantly milking the grip. It just really didn't feel comfortable in my hand at all. I finally admitted to myself that life is too short to carry and train with a gun I don't love shooting. I made the decision to switch to the VP9 and sold off everything Glock 19 related in one package.

    I now have two VP9s and could not be happier with the decision to switch. I'm still not a crack shot by any means, but I at least have a gun I like enough to put in the practice time to get better with it.

    I've also found you can get mags around $38-40 if you look. Still not Glock mag prices, but not too bad.

    IMG_20210304_141957988.jpg
     

    WebSnyper

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    Similar to the above experience but my switch wasn't to the HK. I know several folks myself included who for years stuck with Glock because they were invested in the platform (and Glock did good things with it as a platform, shared mags between many models, shared holsters, etc). and mags are inexpensive, and the simplicity, etc.

    But at some point your needs go beyond a Honda Civic of the gun world or whatever you choose to compare the Glock to (maybe the standard 2 door F150 pickup truck is a more apt comparison), and you may need a different solution for your needs.
     

    63PGP

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    Look on the bright side that the VP9 mags are only 50. USP 9 Jet Funnel mags are 90 and out of stock........
     

    Amishman44

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    I've had a few H&K's over the years, mainly in the P-2000 category, a 9mm, a subcompact 9mm, and a subcompact .40...and ended up selling them all! Not that I didn't like them, because I did...I just preferred the Glock platform, as the OP said because of it's multiplicity capabilities and, mainly, because I was already set up with it.
    The H&K's were very accurate, comfortable in the grip, were of an excellent design, etc., but I shot the Glock equally well or better and I preferred the grip angle on the Glock pistols as it's more 'natural' to me having grown up on revolvers!
    I believe one should carry and practice with what they shoot best...be it a Glock, a H&K, or a Ruger pistol...everyone is different and everyone had a 'natural-fit-n-feel' that makes a difference in how well they shoot something! I carry revolvers more than I do SA's and am comfortable with them!
    When your life depends on it, use what works best for you!
     

    Flight567

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    Glocks are fine. I do believe that glock has the best ecosystem for 9mm Handguns. Perhaps sig and CZ are close, though you'll run into the same issues with either(mag prices). I can't say that you're wrong in thinking about switching but perhaps also think about the price of ammunition to bring your proficiency with the glock to the same level as it is with the HK.

    Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk
     

    Flight567

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    I shoot Glocks well.
    But like the HK more.
    Now if I only had the arrogancd to justify owning ........another

    LMAO
    Well... you never know, maybe if you buy another glock you'll like it more?
    Things like that happen. And the good news is that if you DO end up liking the glock more, it gives you a reason to try another HK

    Sent from my SM-N981U using Tapatalk
     

    ECS686

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    If you can afford an HK you should be able to affird slightly higher priced mags. (like the guy wanting a BMW but shy about oil change costs LOL)

    I get it with the Glock, M&P and Sig saturation (for the most part) andnoarts availability. But once you get holster, mags etc what else do you really need?
     

    russc2542

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    Go price P7 mags.

    Don't complain because the BMW calls for synthetic oil,

    Maybe the reason there's so much aftermarket for glock is there's so much room for improvement? LOL kidding kidding... but only kinda.

    They're perfectly serviceable firearms and the cross compatability is a benefit if you want to have scaled clones of one gun. I think the honda civic analogy is quite apt: bone stock they're reasonably priced, options to fit most people's needs, fairly reliable, and easy to operate. There's also enough aftermarket to build one without a single factory part. That being said, it'll never be a corvette or mercedes or jeep no matter how much money you dump into it. If you shoot the HK better, shoot the HK, pucker up and buy a couple mags. OK so maybe you only buy 10 mags instead of 50 but you're more accurate so you won't need as much ammo anyway, right? Yes they're disposeable if they get accidentally damaged but they also last if you don't deliberately damage them.

    I go on about the right tool for the job knowing full well I work my subaru Baja harder than most people use their full size trucks.
     

    9mmfan

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    I shot and carried the Glock 19 for years. It seemed like a perfect carry gun. Thing is I only shot so-so with it.
    My son picked up a VP 9 at a gun show from a dealer one year.
    Some time later I shot it and was stunned. Shot it better the first time than I EVER shot the 19.
    Bought it from my son first thing.
    I now also have the P30 LEM. That is one sweet handgun.
     

    Route 45

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    I shot and carried the Glock 19 for years. It seemed like a perfect carry gun. Thing is I only shot so-so with it.
    My son picked up a VP 9 at a gun show from a dealer one year.
    Some time later I shot it and was stunned. Shot it better the first time than I EVER shot the 19.
    Bought it from my son first thing.
    I now also have the P30 LEM. That is one sweet handgun.
    The fact of the matter is, for the majority of people, Glock ergonomics suck. Period. There wasn't a huge cottage industry sculpting, stippling, sanding and reshaping Glocks just because people enjoy wasting money. And once all of that money is blown, they are still marginally comfortable and still do not point naturally. Spend a little more on the trigger, and it's still not as good as a VP9, PPQ or even a TP9 out of the box. Heck, the M&P 2.0 has a better trigger than stock Glocks do.

    Ask any trainer, "low left" is a very common issue when most people shoot Glocks. Why? The damned things don't fit most hands. They are awkward. They are blocky. The only people who get good with them are people who train past the wonky ergonomics and get used to them, or people born with the same congenital hand defect as Gaston that makes the pistols tolerable.

    I'm not surprised at all when someone picks up a pistol with a correct grip angle and comfortable ergonomics and goes from so-so to Jerry Miculek. A pistol that points naturally, hits naturally.

    Not a bad idea to have a G19 and a pile of mags in the back of the safe for SHTF due to its commonality. But there are much better options out there.
     

    Haven

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    Watch around Black Friday, because sometimes HK runs a deal on magazines. I picked up 4 HK VP9 magazines from HK Black Friday in 2019 for $99.

    I also have 4 ProMag VP9 mags, they work ok, but they rattle a bit. So I only use them for range use.

    I just picked up a 2020 VP9 slide for my 2017 VP9. So I can now mount an optic on it. I plan to eventually get a VP9sk when they are optics ready. I keep hoping HK will announce one...
     

    Amishman44

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    The fact of the matter is, for the majority of people, Glock ergonomics suck. Period. There wasn't a huge cottage industry sculpting, stippling, sanding and reshaping Glocks just because people enjoy wasting money. And once all of that money is blown, they are still marginally comfortable and still do not point naturally. Spend a little more on the trigger, and it's still not as good as a VP9, PPQ or even a TP9 out of the box. Heck, the M&P 2.0 has a better trigger than stock Glocks do.

    Ask any trainer, "low left" is a very common issue when most people shoot Glocks. Why? The damned things don't fit most hands. They are awkward. They are blocky. The only people who get good with them are people who train past the wonky ergonomics and get used to them, or people born with the same congenital hand defect as Gaston that makes the pistols tolerable.

    I'm not surprised at all when someone picks up a pistol with a correct grip angle and comfortable ergonomics and goes from so-so to Jerry Miculek. A pistol that points naturally, hits naturally.

    Not a bad idea to have a G19 and a pile of mags in the back of the safe for SHTF due to its commonality. But there are much better options out there.
    Interestingly, I find that Glocks aim / point more naturally for me than any other semi-auto pistol out there. I grew up with single-action revolvers and am comfortable with the 18-degree grip angle.
    I do realize that not all handguns fit every individual and Glock is not exempt from that rule!
    I've done 'grip-mods' on several different Glock grips and it wasn't until the Gen 4 frames came out that I was comfortable with the full-sized frames (17 22 31).
    My wife prefers Beretta's and I do like the way her 92FS shoots!
    Thank goodness there's more than one manufacturer of firearms so that more people's needs and comfort levels can be attained!
     
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