HK VP9, P30, 2000, 509 or USP? What seems more durable?

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Ignition Override

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Woops: the 509 is an FN. Busy hour at gun show, then driving 30 min. to sell my last EG Makarov.
****Only Had Makarovs as Carry or Range guns (until Nov. a rifle guy, then took a 2-day class with an Amer./Israeli instructor)****

My new types of carry & or 'new collector' guns are multiplying: began in Nov with a CZ PO1, added used Sig P 229 (.40), just bought brand-new retail M11 A1 (9mm).

Would find a first HK interesting after plenty of reading and Youtube, today's gun show.
 
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Durability seems to be a worry of the past. Even the cheap plastic guns will
go for more rounds than most of us will shoot in many lifetimes. I'll hazard to say
as long as you stay with reputable brand names, durability will never be an issue.
 
I would expect all the HKs are very durable. IMO you are better off choosing the model that works best for you and shoots best for you than worrying about which is more durable. My personal preference is the P30 and VP9 and I own both. I m betting it would take scores of cases of ammo to wear one out and by them you would have spent several times the worth of the pistol in ammo costs. HKs also have a lifetime warranty for the original owner.
 
Ichiban, thanks. I was clearly confused after handling multiple HKs and a few FNs at today's show. Then I drove a while to sell my last EG Makarov to a dedicated collector.

Having been a rifle guy and Makarov type with metal guns, and only two exceptions, considering a polymer frame is Not easy. Doesn't look, maybe feel right.

? Striker-fired 'carry': with no decockers, apparently these are often carried with a round chambered as the striker must then remain 'cocked', so to speak?

It would not bug me-just curious.
I've always carried my .380 Russian Mak. for two years loaded and the hammer down, and the same very recently with the used DA/SA Sig P229 (.40).
 
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I would rate it USP > P series > VP9. To me the USP is a tank. It’s the only pistol I know of where the manufacturer states it is fine with +p and +p+ ammo. I seem to remember from my days on the HK forums that a factory USP 45 has gone hundreds of thousands of rounds at the factory back in Germany. The P30 has had a number of torture tests and the P2000 has served DHS quite well to my knowledge firing a pretty hot 40SW load. The VP9. I have owned one and was never impressed with what seemed to me to be a less durable design internally. From initial issues with the trigger bar spring detaching to torture tests that have been pretty lackluster. I fully admit these torture tests go into the realm of close to absurd, but the USP has passed those same tests just fine and I think the P30 would do well too. Now will it likely still serve you just fine? I believe so, but if I had to rank them I don’t think it’s at the same level as the others.


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I don't know about torture tests and such, but I've had my USP 45 compact for some 15 years and it's been shot a lot.

No problems thus far.
 
I personally think the best of the HK pistols is the least known/lowest resale valued-P2000. Not blocky like the USP and better trigger than the P30.
 
Thanks for the clear evaluations.

Assuming I like the trigger feel tomorrow on a USP range rental gun, there is a pretty used .40 USP at some Memphis-area pawn shop. Their price $450.

Saw some faded finish on it at today's gun show, but had no chance to try the trigger.
 
I know that FN claims 1 million rounds fired thru development pistols during the 509 Program.

Not sure how that compares to what HK does.

I like the lines, don't really like the trigger and I hate the mag release but I FEEL that it's going to be as durable (or should be) as our beloved HKs.


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What Tunnelrat said pretty much word for word.

The P2000 is my personal favorite. It’s durable, accurate and basically a Glock 19/23 with a hammer and a better recoil system.(HK recoil spring assemblies are rated for an obnoxious number of rounds)

Also owned a VP9 and it just didn’t feel HK no compromise. Basically where all the other HKs feel professional grade the VP felt consumer grade, but that is nothing more then my own personal impression. The German Bundesweir just adopted the SFP9(vp9) so it obviously doesn’t suck.

As far as the FN it might be awesome but it simply doesn’t have the history of the USP or P series HKs.
 
Assuming I like the trigger feel tomorrow on a USP
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Don’t hold your breath. :) ;). I love my HKs. They are my go to guns. They really are fantastic.......but the trigger is ....... well it will reliably expel a loaded projectile when depressed......that’s about as much praise as I got.

Seriously normal HKs don’t have great triggers. They are perfectly serviceable but you will not walk away thinking “Damn that is a sweet trigger”.
 
^ agreed. A lighter hammer spring can help. A match trigger kit is even better, though that adds to the cost.


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cslinger said:
As far as the FN it might be awesome but it simply doesn’t have the history of the USP or P series HKs.
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That doesn't matter here. The question deals with the "here and now". I DO appreciate the wonderful history of HK - especially their long guns - but take a look at FN's past and it's as least as colorful as HK's.

Consumer products? Recently? I'll side with HK though it's close. I'd have no qualms carrying the 509 IFF (if and only if) the left side mag release works as intended.

That said, I'd like to pull that pistol apart and see how robust the internals are. I need to go to my local "fun store". You've got me curious.



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As an aside I have some of that DHS 155 grain stuff and it is as close to feeling like a .40+p as I have ever felt. I prefer HST 180 or 165 grain. That 155 grain stuff is a beast out of my P2K and I imagine gives/gave those DHS Guns a workout.
 
Ignition Override: said:
Assuming I like the trigger feel tomorrow on a USP range rental gun, there is a pretty used .40 USP at some Memphis-area pawn shop. Their price $450.
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I have a P30 and a P2000 9mm and I have an HK45. The P30 and the P2000 are both both great range guns you can carry and great carry guns you can shoot well at the range. I had an HK USP40, sorry I sold it but if I find another one for $450 I’ll just grab it.
 
Guys/gals:

If I find any used USP in .40 (vs. avail. 357 Sig conversions), and the USP's DA trigger stinks, will look for a used or discounted retail P2000, maybe a P30, if these have less chances of issues compared to VP9s.
 
Ignition Override said:
Guys/gals:

If I find any used USP in .40 (vs. avail. 357 Sig conversions), and the USP's DA trigger stinks, will look for a used or discounted retail P2000, maybe a P30, if these have less chances of issues compared to VP9s.
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You will be fine with the VP9 if you like it and you probably will if you like a striker fired pistol. The VP9 has been over three years now with reports of over 100,000 sold and one rarely reads about a problem with the VP9. I have had mine about three years and it has been terrific and I trust it 100 percent. One thing I really like about the VP9 is the shape of the trigger and that it does not break so far back compared to my other HKs. On HK Pro the HK shooting team captain has said they are very durable in his experience and they have some with pretty high round count.

P30 is great too if you like it. HK recently did some price cuts on the P30 and my local gun store was selling new ones for $599 last time I was there. P30SK is also sweet if you are looking for CCW. I CCW mine with either 10 or 13 round magazine. This is mine with the HK 13 round magazine.

I changed the hammer spring to a 2 LB lighter one and installed the newer HK firing pin block spring which is lighter and the DA trigger pull on my P30L improved quite a bit to be about 8.5 LBs and is very smooth. I spend just over $10 for the parts and did it myself. The SA trigger pull was always very nice on my P30L.

Personally I am not a fan of the USP series compared to the P30 and HK45 but they are fine pistols too.

As always try your best to find and shoot pistols you are considering to see what works best for you. I know that is not always possible and if that is the case at minimum try to handle and dry fired them gripping like you are shooting at a target. I usually aim at something high on the wall or the ceiling after verifying myself that the pistol is unloaded (even if the counter person already has) and making sure I don't sweep anyone with the muzzle. I always ask permission to dry fire first.

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