HK Lovers??

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Nathan

New member
There are some brands and guns which get respect and/or love from the market. HK gets a lot of this....actually more than most...but it's a bit odd due to their relatively low market penetration.

I can see 1911 love, S&W or Colt revolver love, Glock, XD, but HK? Help me understand why?

Do I need one? Which one? Why?

Btw, I think I could be happy with only a 5" 1911, 5" XD45 and a DW CCO that all run flawless, but I gotta know if I should be thinking about HK...
 
Try before you buy. If your able to rent one or several h&k's. Before dropping the cash. Variety is the spice of life but not for everyone.
 
If you use, like, enjoy and own firearms, then yes, you should have a HK because they are the best guns made today. HKs are as reliable as they come, as robust as they come and as user friendly as they come
 
There are some brands and guns which get respect and/or love from the market. HK gets a lot of this....actually more than most...but it's a bit odd due to their relatively low market penetration.
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As someone that has owned over a dozen HKs for a few years now, has been a part of their forum, and follows market trends I do and don't agree with this. HK does I think get respect in that their products are generally well thought of in terms of reliability and build quality. That said there is no end of haters that bemoan the high costs, paint HK owners as elitist fanboys, and never stop comparing their own choices to HKs. HK has within recent months had $200 rebates on the USP, HK45, and P30 lines of pistols, and though there are no rebates the dealer cost on the P2000 and P2000sk has plummeted after the new year and can be found for $600 online. The VP9 came out to street prices of $625-$650 and now be found for $550 online. I bring this up because one of the biggest complaints about HK, cost, has changed relatively recently.

I can see 1911 love, S&W or Colt revolver love, Glock, XD, but HK? Help me understand why?
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I'm not sure why Glock or XD are more deserving of "love" than any more polymer pistol.

Do I need one? Which one? Why?

Btw, I think I could be happy with only a 5" 1911, 5" XD45 and a DW CCO that all run flawless, but I gotta know if I should be thinking about HK...
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Honestly if you really like classic metal pistols I;m not sure what an HK gets you, unless you buy a P7.
 
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First off, I have absolutely NO "brand loyalty". Not dedicated to any particular maker, although I admit that the most common auto-loaders I own are Sig, and the revolvers are Smith & Wesson. I also own autos from Colt, Beretta, S&W, Ruger, Browning, Walther and (cough) Glock. Revolvers also from Colt, Freedom Arms and Ruger. Absolutely NOT dedicated to any one maker.

I had never owned an H&K, due only to the perceived overly-high prices. Funny, because several of my Sigs & my F/A all exceeded the typical street prices for a new HK, but we all have a certain bias or prejudice.

I retired at the end of last October, and wanted to give myself a gift. Couldn't think of any strong firearm-related desires, so I asked myself, "Within my budget, if cost wasn't otherwise a factor, what would I like to try out?". It was then that I realized that I'd admired the write-ups & evaluations for some of the HK autos, but never even considered acquiring one. Time to look a bit more closely!

Realizing it would be range/plinking gun most of the time, my options were pretty broad. Spent a couple months reading more in-depth, interrogating trusted & experienced owners, and ghosting a couple stocking dealers to fondle their wares, I found that I liked them all. Had a few laid out on the counter-tops, and narrowed down the field based on how they felt in my hand. Owning all the offered calibers in other sidearms, and reloading for each, the caliber options were not a consideration.

Finally, just before Christmas, I chose the Model HK 45. Hugh beast, but not too heavy. Enough polymer/plastic to lighten it up, the balance felt good. Felt better than the Compact version. Grip is a bit wider than my 1911 platforms, but still very comfortable. One big surprise was that the finger-grooved front strap actually felt great in my hand, unlike the Glock 23, which shoots very well for me, but feels un-natural. Price tag at that shop was $1,299.00 but I rembered seeing it at two others. Sat in my truck & made a couple calls, drove out and bought one for $1,069.00 OTD.

I've put just under 2,500 rounds through it since the end of December, without a single complaint. Not the finest trigger I own, but we're becoming very good friends. Accuracy is not only 'natural', but phenomenal! Follow-ups and double-taps are easy. It's becoming one of my favorite handguns, and I'm almost ashamed to say that my 1911s, 4516, and 4513TSW haven't seen 500 rounds, combined, in this time-frame.

Recent reading has me thinking about this new-fangled striker-fired thing, called the VP9. I hear it sells for a lot less than the other HK products, and folks really love them. Reputed to be one of the top triggers available. Gonna have to sit one on a counter-top beside the Walther PPQ, and see what I think.

Still not a "follower" or "snob", but I have come to develop a strong appreciation for the H&K product I own. I would be surprised if an open-minded shooter didn't share my feelings, after giving them a fair trial.
 
Glocks and XDs are missing a critical component that most HK's, including my HK45, have. ;) Buy whatever you wish, I'm very happy with my DA/SA HK even though I prefer metal frames.
 
H&Ks have some of the finest end-product engineering out there. The triggers are combat--read: heavy, long, tough compared to a lot of other DA/SA options out there--but the match trigger kits make an USP shoot a lot like a Sig with the SRT.

As Tunnel Rat was saying, the largest barrier of entry for H&K has been cost. It was what certainly kept me away from them. Everything in their line up is ~$200 lower cost right now than six months ago, which takes a lot of sting out of the purchase.

Their handguns are built thick, solidly, with incredible attention to detail. The ergonomics, once mastered, are every bit as easy (or easier) to operate than most any other setup. Their accuracy is near peerless. They have a lot going for them, haters or not.

As for what you 'need'? Few folks really need a handgun, much less a thousand dollar H&K. Which one you 'want' is up to you. The P30 is the current pinnacle of the USP series evolution, and it shows. Then again, a classic USP is hard to beat. The HK45 is probably the best designed high-cap .45 on the market. And finally, the VP9 has a lot of folks waxing poetic. I haven't fired one, so who knows because I sure don't.
 
I am not loyal to any specific brand. HK is one of the finest firearm maker and I do enjoy owning/using them. I am more addicted to firearms than to any specific brand. At one time, I had the following HKs:

1 x P7M8
3 x P7
3 x P30 9mm
2 x P2000sk 9mm
1 x P2000sk .40s&w
2 x USPc .40s&w
1 x P2000 9mm

After multiple programs trying to quick my addiction, I manage to only have 4 remaining HKs from the above list (P2000sk 9mm, P30 9mm, P7M8 and P7).

Yg
 
I was addicted to SIGs, the German made models, specifically the MasterShop Series X. Great handguns, accurate, reliable, with built in quality. Especially liked the adjustable triggers. Also own several US made SIGs which are exceptionally good guns, but not in the same class as the German models, IMHO.

After owning a couple of plastics guns, including a H&K p30s, said I'd never own another.The p30s had the worst triggers I've ever used, both LEM and standard.

Discovered the H&K USP models with match triggers, straight from the factory, at much more reasonable prices than the German made SIGs. They are as accurate as any gun I've ever handled, quality construction and reliable. I own five H&Ks now, two USP Tacticals, two USP Experts and a Mark 23. While waiting for the Dan Wesson I have on order, I'll probably put my H&K USP 9 mm Tactical in my carry rotation. They're approximately the same size.

Been thinking about getting the H&K p2000sk, or m/b the p2000. Need to check them out first.:)
 
For me it honestly has a lot to do with aesthetics. I just think their guns are gorgeous, specifically the USP. A lot of people think it looks like a brick. I guess I get that. But to me it's the perfect balance between utilitarianism and looks: that's why I find their guns so attractive. Petty reason to buy a gun? Maybe. But it gives me a lot of pleasure to be able to look over and see this beautiful gun sitting (holstered of course) on my nightstand.

And after owning the gun for about a year, I must say, it preforms almost as beautifully as it looks. Most of all it's a reliable gun. I have put about 2000 rounds through it and it hasn't choked once, on any type of ammo. I also think the stock trigger is underrated. It's not the best for accurate single fire IMO, but it really feels great when preforming bursts or mag dumps. Some people have complained about the reset, but I think it's solid and the ergonomics of the pistol make it very comfortable to shoot rapidly IMO. The gun really tames the recoil of the .40 SW. For this reason, it's honestly hard for me to imagine buying any other gun in this chambering.

That's another reason I like HK, they do fit into certain niches that I'm attracted to. I like .40 SW handguns and HK is one of the few companies that has designed guns for .40 from the ground up. They also have the one of the smallest DA/SA 9mms on the market today, the P2000sk. I hope to own one soon because there really isn't any other double-stack DA/SA gun that is potentially small enough for pocket carry.

These are the reasons I have quickly become a big fan of HK. But I'm a fairly inexperienced gun owner so take my opinions with a grain of salt.
 
VP9

The VP9 is the first time in a long time that HK have given a flying monkey's about the civilian market. It comes out right around the time that they were suffering financial "issues" and had financial deadlines to meet. Now they want to talk to us mere mortals and know we don't have government money. Sucks to be HK. Nice guns though.
-SS-
 
HK Lovers??

no such thing. there are sig lovers, and there are people who are confused.

seriously tho. i don't like a single modern hk design. the only hk i kept was a p7.
 
I like a polymer pistol. I love the ergonomics of my HK's. They have never failed me. I own a VP9, P30 and P2000. All in 9mm. In the eyes, the P2000 is a perfect do it all handgun, and is my favorite.

I am close to HK fanboy status. I prefer them to most other handguns.
 
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Also not a brand loyalist or snob. Also, I'm big on personal preference. I first carried a USP .40 with a stainless slide in DAO but that was for about a year because I hated the trigger pull. I referred to it as "crunchy." When the P2000 came out, I jumped on it because I liked the light and smooth LEM trigger, it fit my hand perfectly, I liked the medium size for on and off duty carry, I like the quality and brand reputation and I really liked how it shot...after purchasing it.

Just as others may have suggested, go handle models that fit your bill where ever you can find them(rent or borrow)and put some rounds through them. If the H&K offerings don't do it for you, move on to other makers.
 
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