HK VP9 or VP40

UtahGetMe2

UtahGetMe2

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I'm new to the game and am planning to pick up my first pistol. Through friends and rentals I've been able to try out the following: SW M&P40, Glock 23, Beretta 92, and some other SWs that I can't recall the models of. All were 40 cal and I thought I was set on that being the first caliber I would get.

I've been doing a lot of research and found the HK Vp40 and after feeling it in some stores I got very interested. Mass Firearms School only has the Vp9 and I went there this morning to try that out and absolutely loved it. So now I'm wondering if I should get the Vp9 or chance getting the Vp40 without trying it beforehand. ...Cheaper ammo does sound appealing...

My uses would be primarily range just to build my skills and home defense with occasional carry here and there. Any input from some more experienced people?
 
I always push people to buy 9mm's for their first handgun. Manageable recoil and cost of ammo will increase range time. The 40cal can be really snappy in some guns and has the potential to take the enjoyment out of shooting for new comers.
 
mikerossi1976 said:
I always push people to buy 9mm's for their first handgun. Manageable recoil and cost of ammo will increase range time. The 40cal can be really snappy in some guns and has the potential to take the enjoyment out of shooting for new comers.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. I don't mind the kick of the 40 cal, but today I went with a friend who has a Glock 23 and I did enjoy the Vp9 more out of the two.
 
Nothing wrong with the vp9, great hun and fun at the range. For home defense pickup some self defense ammo and you should be gtg.

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both are fine choices, but if you're looking for your first pistol I would say go with 9mm. while I am a .40S&W fan, I would say 9mm and 45acp can handle pretty much any situation just fine (and do so at lower pressures).

second pistol should be a full size 45acp or 357/38 revolver.

just my 2c
 
Pvt. Cowboy said:
It's a really solid performing gun. Super accurate. My only beef with it was the mag release. Otherwise I loved it.
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I have a USP compact 9, and it's snappier than other similar 9mm's I've tried, maybe a high bore axis? Is the VP9 the same, or is the bore axis lower like a Glock?
 
I would suggest a 9mm for your first gun. Have you tried shooting a Glock 17 or 19?


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Welcome! You'll learn some great tips here from people and you'll learn who's not worth your time.

The reason why I would choose the 40 is due to being able to change to a 9mm barrel. I love shooting 40 cal and I have a G23, but a conversion barrel for 9mm makes shooting just as cheap as ever, plus the magazines for 40 feed 9mm just as well. I've had no issues.
 
First you could not have shot a Beretta 92 in 40. They only come in 9mm. A Beretta 96 perhaps ?

Now the big thing is where is the fortay going? FBI is going back to the 9mm and the naysayers say this is the deathknell of the 40 because all of LE will follow. It is true that other agencies have gone to 9mm and still others have gone to .45.

There are those who say all modern loads are equal and caliber size doesn't matter anymore. They point to the sharper recoil of the 40 and the accelerated wear of 9mm framed guns that shoot 40 caliber ammo.

Well relying on any bullet to expand no matter how well engineered is still iffy. A .40 hole leaves a bigger hole than a .355 one every day of the week and a 45 even bigger. Whether it's that much of a difference between 40 and 9mm is open to debate I suppose.

Among the semi trained, the 9nm is easier to control. There is no doubt and qualification scores have gone up with those agencies switching from 40 back to 9mm.

The 40 is not going away soon and there will be LE trade ins on the market at good prices. I saw a Beretta 96 recently at Four Seasons for under 400 dollars used. Most likely a PD trade in.
Nice thing too plenty of older 40's around with higher cap pre ban mags usually in the 12 round cap variety.

The 40 approximates the old 38-40 or Winchester 38WCF round. It can do the job.

Having made the case for the 40, look seriously at the 9. Better prices on ammo, outstanding new bullet designs for personal defense that work under most conditions (all handgun ammo is iffy to begin with, remember rule 1: never bring a handgun to a gunfight) and better controllability.

There are 40 haters who abound on NES. I don't hate the 40. To me it is meh. It works, does the job, but is a compromise and like a lot of compromises doesn't really satisfy most consumers. It's adequate. But, we get to the individual and subjectivity: if you like the 40 and it shoots well for you, get it. Handguns are very personal, like knives the most intimate of all weapons and hence subjective. Two of my favorites are obsolete by today's standards but are two I like the best. If you like the 40 and the VP go with the 40 but objectively I think the 9 is a better choice. I have heard nothing but great things about the VP regardless.
 
Go with the vp9 bought one from carl fourseasons 3 mags loader night sight side straps backstraps . that p9 can be set to you're best hand fit and feel. very accurate smooth trigger straight shooter. try it you will love it. 2 options out there 2 mag version with painted glow sights or 3 mag version with night sights . 579.00 for 2mag and 659.oo for 3 mag with night sights
 
NES hates on the .40 alot. I started with a .40 for my first gun and if I could do it over again I would have started with a 9mm or even a 22lr like the ruger sr22. If you wanna learn the fundamentals of marksmanship, nothing better than a .22, you can shoot 500 rounds in a day without issue and its affordable. That said if you can only buy one, the 9mm will offer more versatility than the .22 as it is a suitable self defense cartridge. good luck with your search and welcome to the most fun game on earth
 
Thanks for all of the input everyone.

I'm definitely set on getting a brand new pistol for my first one, but that doesn't mean used is out of the question for others (most likely many others) in the future. I lurked for a while on here and other forums before making a username at NES trying to research for myself and like I said, I've already narrowed it down to the HK Vp__ and as of now, leaning towards the 9 over the 40.

...Based on yesterday's shooting the Vp9, ammo pricing to get more practice out of my dollars and it seems like most people who have weighed in support the Vp9 (or just support either).
 
MachineHead said:
Welcome! You'll learn some great tips here from people and you'll learn who's not worth your time.

The reason why I would choose the 40 is due to being able to change to a 9mm barrel. I love shooting 40 cal and I have a G23, but a conversion barrel for 9mm makes shooting just as cheap as ever, plus the magazines for 40 feed 9mm just as well. I've had no issues.
Click to expand...

Great point
 
Varmint said:
I have a USP compact 9, and it's snappier than other similar 9mm's I've tried, maybe a high bore axis? Is the VP9 the same, or is the bore axis lower like a Glock?
Click to expand...

I shoot Sigs now, so bore axis isn't something I can really complain about lol. If I remember correctly it was higher, definitely unlike a glock.

Still shoots like a dream.
 
I think the question should be VP9 or VP45. Skip the 40. [smile] Plus, realistically, with the FBI getting out of the .40 business, and going back to 9mm, over time I would think .40 will become increasingly unpopular over time.
 
Pvt. Cowboy said:
I shoot Sigs now, so bore axis isn't something I can really complain about lol. If I remember correctly it was higher, definitely unlike a glock.

Still shoots like a dream.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks. I just rented a Glock 19, Sig P229 Elite, and compared to my USP Compact 9, which i shot for the first time. The Glock had the least muzzle flip and the USP had the most, with the Sig in the middle. The H&K was amazingly accurate for me though. I still can't hit squat with Glocks.
 
beaker said:
I think the question should be VP9 or VP45. Skip the 40. [smile] Plus, realistically, with the FBI getting out of the .40 business, and going back to 9mm, over time I would think .40 will become increasingly unpopular over time.
Click to expand...
At which time, everyone will recommend a .40, when the market is flooded with dirt cheap police trades. Right up my alley.
 
MachineHead said:
Welcome! You'll learn some great tips here from people and you'll learn who's not worth your time.

The reason why I would choose the 40 is due to being able to change to a 9mm barrel. I love shooting 40 cal and I have a G23, but a conversion barrel for 9mm makes shooting just as cheap as ever, plus the magazines for 40 feed 9mm just as well. I've had no issues.
Click to expand...

This sounds like a decent idea, but not sure if I want to mess around with anything like that yet.

- - - Updated - - -

Al-Jim19 said:
At which time, everyone will recommend a .40, when the market is flooded with dirt cheap police trades. Right up my alley.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a good strategy to find a cheap 40 in the future
 

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