Hi guys,
I have had the chance to handle (not fire) the Vektor. It looks like something from Star Trek, with a little resemblance to the old Whitney Wolverine. It has a gas delayed blowback action. A gas port ahead of the chamber allows gas to escape into a cylindrical hole in the frame below the barrel. There it impacts on a piston attached to the slide and slows the rearward motion of the slide. Sounds more complicated than it is, and I think the design will allow a lot of use before the cylinder and piston, as well as the inside of the frame and slide will need cleaning.
The recoil spring (around the barrel) is pretty heavy and the slide is smoother than I would like; retracting the slide needs a fairly strong hand. The trigger pull is heavier than the Glock and not as smooth.
One major drawback is that the magazine release is nearly unusable as it is flush with the frame and has to be pushed below the surface of the frame to eject the magazine.
Another drawback is the manual safety, although some would feel it isn't needed. It operates like that of the M1 rifle, having to be pushed forward by the trigger finger. This means that, if it is used, the trigger finger has to move forward to disengage the safety before moving backward to fire the gun. That means at least a second lost at possibly the very worst time. A good manual safety should be able to be disengaged simultaneously with trigger pull.
Now - surprise. I agreed to buy it! (Dependent on approval by our famous Maryland handgun board). Why? D--d if I know. Just the looks, I guess.
Jim