I'm writing this review because I've owned both pistols and duty carried both. I've owned a plethora of pistols, striker fired, hammer fired, revolver etc. I've shot virtually every major pistol on the market. Spoiler alert, I sold my VP9 recently and now carry my Glock 19 exclusively on duty. My reasoning? Weight, size, durability, and reliability.
Now. The VP9 is a fine pistol. I loved shooting it. The recoil impulse was soft, the trigger pull (after repair) was phenomenal. Accuracy was phenomenal as well. However, my particular pistol came from the factory with an out of spec trigger bar burr that caused a gritty take up, to the point where it felt like it had a break before the actual break. HK resolved this issue very quickly and repaired my pistol. After breaking it in by dry firing it a couple thousand times the trigger pull was amazing. Almost too light. So light it made me think twice about carrying it as a defensive sidearm. Another thing I didn't like was the reset. It is short but not smooth, it kicks the trigger about a quarter inch forward to where you're not actually on the reset when you release the trigger.
However I still liked the pistol enough to carry it for duty. Now where I really got discouraged was with a full level 2 holster and dual mag carrier the rig weighed a ton. It was weighing my duty belt down to the point where it was uncomfortable, and even with a 2 inch drop on my holster I still had trouble driving and getting it hung up on the seat and seatbelt.
So I decided to buy a glock 19 and try it out. I bought a mid ride holster and dual mag carrier. Instantly I could feel the difference. It is night and day how much lighter, shorter, more comfortable to wear this pistol is vs the hk. Sure, it's ugly and the fit and finish isnt even comparable. But, I have no doubts that it can endure any punishment I put it through with mostly flying colors. The VP9 I'm not so confident in just because it's such a new platform and hasn't been proven time and again.
Surprisingly, after putting 300 rounds through my gen 4 19 I am shooting much better groups, with less felt recoil. Now, this may be due to the fact that I'm used to the abnormal grip angle owning many Glock pistols, or that they just point more naturally for me since I have XXL hands. It also may be due to the lower bore axis on the the Glock.
My favorite feature on the Glock though has got to be the reset. I think even with the heavier half cocked pull the reset makes the pistol easier to make follow up shots and consistently place rounds where you want them to go. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Now. The VP9 is a fine pistol. I loved shooting it. The recoil impulse was soft, the trigger pull (after repair) was phenomenal. Accuracy was phenomenal as well. However, my particular pistol came from the factory with an out of spec trigger bar burr that caused a gritty take up, to the point where it felt like it had a break before the actual break. HK resolved this issue very quickly and repaired my pistol. After breaking it in by dry firing it a couple thousand times the trigger pull was amazing. Almost too light. So light it made me think twice about carrying it as a defensive sidearm. Another thing I didn't like was the reset. It is short but not smooth, it kicks the trigger about a quarter inch forward to where you're not actually on the reset when you release the trigger.
However I still liked the pistol enough to carry it for duty. Now where I really got discouraged was with a full level 2 holster and dual mag carrier the rig weighed a ton. It was weighing my duty belt down to the point where it was uncomfortable, and even with a 2 inch drop on my holster I still had trouble driving and getting it hung up on the seat and seatbelt.
So I decided to buy a glock 19 and try it out. I bought a mid ride holster and dual mag carrier. Instantly I could feel the difference. It is night and day how much lighter, shorter, more comfortable to wear this pistol is vs the hk. Sure, it's ugly and the fit and finish isnt even comparable. But, I have no doubts that it can endure any punishment I put it through with mostly flying colors. The VP9 I'm not so confident in just because it's such a new platform and hasn't been proven time and again.
Surprisingly, after putting 300 rounds through my gen 4 19 I am shooting much better groups, with less felt recoil. Now, this may be due to the fact that I'm used to the abnormal grip angle owning many Glock pistols, or that they just point more naturally for me since I have XXL hands. It also may be due to the lower bore axis on the the Glock.
My favorite feature on the Glock though has got to be the reset. I think even with the heavier half cocked pull the reset makes the pistol easier to make follow up shots and consistently place rounds where you want them to go. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.