Interesting and productive day at the range/gun store (New acquisition)

[marine6680]

Went down to the local PSA store to do a little shooting and browsing.

Got there, and it was a little crowded... The foundation "America's Mighty Warriors" was having an event to raise money for the foundation. $5 got you a 9mm bullet for a bullseye competition to win a PSA AR.


Managed to get a lane to shoot in... and the main reasons for being there was to get a better sight in for my SKS and Vz58 with some quality ammo... And to do some testing on a Colt Commander 1911, that I have been working on for a friend. He was having feeding and other issues.

Well after I got that done, I found out when I pulled out my g19... That I have forgotten to pack ammo for it. So that cut the range trip short.


Well, I decided to do a little browsing since I didn't get to do much shooting.


And while there, I found two poor, sad, dejected souls who followed me home.

What?

You thought I was going to say I won the AR?

Then why would I be posting in the Handgun forum...



The VP9 was for me... the Springfield Loaded was for my fiance... A condition of getting myself the VP9. "It was on sale" was what I heard. Expect a first range trip report/review soon. Probably tomorrow, as we got 10 free range passes for getting a Springfield. Its a special they have going.


We also almost got a Springfield National Match for the Loaded sale price. The salesman grabbed the wrong box from the back, and had it not had the target style sights, I may not have noticed the mix up. And seeing that they don't do barcode scans, and the salespeople tell the front counter people what price to ring up when they take the firearms to the front for final sale...

We could have gotten a $500 discount on a NM model... But the sales guy would have most likely got in big trouble... and I can't be that dishonest.

 

[Roland Thunder]

That VP-9 looks a lot like a Walther PPQ. I saw one of those in the store today.

 

[marine6680]

Similar feel to the PPQ.


I am getting the Walther next.

 

[Slimjim9]

We could have gotten a $500 discount on a NM model... But the sales guy would have most likely got in big trouble... and I can't be that dishonest.

Good for you. If you had walked out with a gun and $500 extra dollars, you could have been arrested for armed robbery.

 

[WVMountaineer]

I love it! God Bless

 

[marine6680]

While its fresh on my mind...

I have looked everything over well... and I think I have a good handle on how things work on the VP9.

Things like the trigger disconnect, sear engagement, striker block, the safety to prevent disassembly with a mag inserted, and the method used to allow disassembly without pulling the trigger.

Its a odd trigger design to be sure. Its simple in parts, but complex in geometries.

The trigger bar rides a camming surface of the trigger disconnect lever, to align it with a connector, that lowers the sear when it is pushed rearward by the trigger bar.

The striker block is different in that it moves laterally rather than vertically like every other pistol. A nub on the trigger bar activates it just like other pistols, but it moves to the side. Its a rotating lever rather than a plunger moving up.

The disconnect works much like other pistols, A metal tab rides in a cutout on the slide, and when the slide moves, the tab is pushed down as the cutout moves away... But instead of being part of the trigger bar, it is a separate lever that pushes down on a tab of the trigger bar to disconnect it from the connector. The tab on the trigger bar is the same one that follows the cam surface to align the trigger bar and connector.

The safety that prevents the takedown lever from moving if a mag is inserted is a simple lever that rotates and blocks the takedown lever when a mag lifts it up.

The way it allows disassembly without pulling the trigger once again involves the trigger disconnect bar... When the takedown lever is rotated, the trigger bar moves slightly to allow a tab on it to sit over a tab on the side of the sear. When you push the slide forward, the disconnect pushes down on the trigger bar as it would when the slide cycles when firing, and because of the sear tab, the sear is also pushed down. This makes sliding off the slide a bit stiff, but it is slowly getting easier to do.


Comparison of the trigger to other pistols I own.

Sig p320, since so many compare these pistols... The VP9 has a little more overall travel. It also has more takeup, but less overtravel. The Sig has a clean break, and a slightly notchy feel during the take up, as the striker block is engaged. The VP9 has some creep before the break, and the feel is a little gritty. I only notice the gritty feeling when pulling very slow, and it is caused by the trigger bar following the cam surface. A little grease on that surface smoothed it out a little. (its actually hidden, and needed to use a pick to get a little down in there) I would give the Sig the edge here.

My FS M&P with polished parts and a tweaked Apex FSS... no contest, the M&P overall travel is half or a little less than the VP9. With a crisp clean break and smooth pull.

M&P9c, with polished and tuned stock trigger, and apex poly replacement trigger... Similar overall travel, take up, and over travel. The M&P has a crisper/cleaner break.

Stock M&P trigger... The VP9 is better by a good amount. A stock M&P trigger is notchy/stagey and has a good bit of creep. Overall travel is longer. The trigger on them seems like it flexes and makes getting a good feel of the trigger more difficult. Which is why I do work on the triggers of my M&Ps.

Glock 19 with tuned trigger... Very similar actually. The glock trigger take up is stiffer due to the need to finish cocking the striker as you pull the trigger, but final pull weight is lighter.


I do like the ability to swap out side plates and the backstrap. All the various combinations had their merits, but I stuck with the simple Medium setu as it comes from the factory. It seemed a good overall feel that many would be happy with.