OUTDOORSMAN S PICK: RUGER S VERSATILE SR1911 10MM TOTAL DEFENSE HK S NEW VP9SK SUBCOMPACT SUPERSTAR HAMMER GUN REVIVAL: SPRINGFIELD ARMORY GOES DA/SA WITH XD-E CHARTER ARMS PITBULL: HANDY 9MM REVOLVER, NEW DURABLE FINISH SHARP NEW BLADES OUR TOP CHOICES FOR EVERYDAY CARRY FORM, FIT & FUNCTION 10 SELECT RIGS TO WEAR ALL DAY WORLD OF FIREPOWER PRESENTS WINTER 2017 U.S. $9.99 DISPLAY UNTIL: 11/21/17 0 74369 01506 7 88 ENGAGED MEDIA INC.
THIS HK A-OK IS THE NEW HECKLER & KOCH VP9SK SUB-COMPACT 9MM HAS WHAT IT TAKES WHEN YOU TAKE IT WITH YOU STORY AND PHOTOS BY STEVEN PAUL BARLOW 36 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS WINTER 2017
WINTER 2017 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS37
Sometimes being a handful is a good thing. The new VP9SK from Heckler & Koch is a double-stack 9mm that gives you a little something extra to grasp and once you get your hands on this pistol, you won t want to let go. NOT A SKINNY GUN I know. Slim, single-stack 9mm pistols are all the rage these days. That s because people seem to be more concerned with carry convenience than actual self-defense capabilities. A pistol designed with a staggered (commonly called double-stack ) magazine has some advantages, however. For one, there s the higher capacity. Instead of 6+1 rounds, a typical double-stack gives you 10+1. Carry a spare magazine and those 21 rounds can be comforting travel companions. Below: The small wings at the rear of the slide provide a sure grip when chambering a round. FOR ANYONE IN THE MARKET FOR A TOP- NOTCH CARRY GUN IN 9MM, IT WOULD BE HARD TO FIND A BETTER ONE THAN THIS HK VP9SK. Another advantage is that because a double-stack is a bit wider, it s normally easier to manage the recoil because the impact is spread across a larger surface. And, as I mentioned, there s more to hold. Skinny guns can have a tendency to torque sideways in your hand, especially if your grip isn t the most fi rm or steady. When would that be? That might happen when fi ring from awkward positions or one-handed during a defensive situation when you re fending off an attack or diving for cover. OK, so what s so special about this HK pistol specifi cally? VP9SK FEATURES The VP9SK is the sub-compact model in HK s striker-fi red VP series. It has a 3.39-inch barrel with polygonal rifl ing that is supposed to benefi t both accuracy and velocity. It features a machined steel slide fi nished in matte black. It has cocking serrations front and rear as well as charging supports slight protrusions on both sides at the rear of the slide that allow for a positive grip when manipulating the slide. The forward serrations I could live without I fi nd them wholly unnecessary but adding these small grasping wings at the rear 38 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS FALL 2017
could mean dropping your magazine and leaving you with a single-shot pistol with which to survive an encounter not a good thing. Above: The VP9SK barrel features polygonal rifling, which is believed to promote greater accuracy and velocity. Below: The firing pin safety inside the slide of the VP9SK rotates aside rather than depresses when the trigger is pulled. Of any of the differences in pistol controls, this style of magazine release is perhaps the easiest when it comes to making the adjustment. It simply takes very little training to get used to it. After a few speed reload drills, it s second nature. Two 10-round magazines come with the VP9SK. One is fl ush-fi tting with the grip. The other has an extended fl oorplate that allows you to get a full grip on the pistol, further enhancing your ability to control the pistol. You can purchase the longer, 15-round magazines designed for the full-size VP pistols. These will work fi ne, especially with the available sleeves that fi t over the magazines to fi ll in the gap below the fl l is a great idea. They provide a solid hold so there s no fumbling the slide when chambering a round. Red marks on the top of external extractor and at the rear of the striker give visual indicators that a round is chambered and the striker is cocked. There is no manual safety on the slide or frame. There is the usual blade safety in the trigger itself. Internally, there s a fi ring pin block, but it pivots out of the way when the trigger is pulled rather than being depressed as with the plunger systems found on other pistols. ALL IS AMBI Righties or lefties will feel equally at home with this pistol. All of the controls are ambidextrous. Slide lock release levers are on each side of the polymer frame. The magazine releases consist of levers on each side of the trigger guard. This setup, different than the usual push-button mag releases found on most semi-auto pistols, shouldn t concern you. While you want consistency in the way your fi rearms operate, I fi nd these releases are actually better positioned. You are less likely to depress this type of release accidentally, whic WINTER FALL 2017 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS39
GLOWING SIGHTS The VP9SK comes standard with fi xed metal sights mounted in dovetails. These three-dot sights appear to be painted on with phosphorescent paint. Aft r b ing xpos d to light for a Above: Extra backstraps and side panels allow the owner to customize the grip of the VP9SK. The threeghts feature horescent hat glows in rk after expoo light. True m night sights o available. THE GOOD GRIP, TOGETHER WITH ITS VERY GOOD TRIGGER... MADE THE PISTOL EASY TO SHOOT WELL. the dark. The sights work well in daylight and would provide an advantage if you walked into a dark room from outside. True tritium night sights are also available. A third magazine (one with an extended baseplate) is included with the model equipped with night sights. EASY DISASSEMBLY Field-stripping the VP9SK is easily accomplished without tools or the need to pull the trigger fi rst. Lock the slide the rear, remove the magazine and check to ensure the gun is completely empty. Then, rotate the takedown lever located on the left side of the frame to the down position. From there, you can unlock the slide and slip it off the frame. The captured recoil spring/guide rod assembly and barrel are then easily removed. RANGE TIME This HK pistol is not blocky like 40 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS FALL 2017
some other double-stack designs. It was contoured to fit my hand well as-is. But the pistol comes with two additional sets of backstraps and side panels that allow you to customize the grip to your liking. The good grip, together with its very good trigger measuring 5.25 pounds on my gauge made the pistol easy to shoot well. The trigger seemed more crisp than on many other striker-fired guns and the reset was short and easy to discern. Fifteen-yard groups were in the 1.5-inch range with all ammo tested. More important than the ability to shoot tiny groups from the bench, a defensive handgun must perform well when handled quickly from the holster. The sights must be easy to acquire, the gun must be controllable shot to shot and target to target, hits must be close to point of aim and reloads have to be fast and sure. The HK VP9SK excels in all of these areas. Just as important, too, is that there were no malfunctions of any kind throughout my work with this gun. Takedown of the VP9SK is easily accomplished without the need to pull the trigger first, eliminating one more route to a negligent discharge by those less disciplined in gun handling procedures. WINTER FALL 2017 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS41
ELECTRONIC EARPLUGS MAKE SENSE FOR FIELD USE I don t like to fire a gun ever without proper hearing protection. That creates a problem when I m hunting because I want to be alert to the sound of approaching game. And when an animal arrives, I can t afford the time or additional motion of putting hearing protection in place before taking a shot. Etymotic GunSport Pro electronic earplugs provide a solution. They re more compact than large electronic muffs and are excellent for use afield or at the range. They have noise reduction rating of 25 decibels. Each earplug has a tiny switch on the outside. Turn the switch up and you can hear surrounding sound normally, but with protection from loud blasts. Turn the switch down and surrounding sound is amplified up to five times, allowing you to hear approaching game animals or important range commands. Included in the kit are an assortment of removable plugs of different size and configurations to ensure you have a good fit to your ears. Most of my time with the VP9SK was spent in informal plinking at soup cans and a 5-inch plastic ball. I also did some transition and speed reload drills, loading the magazines with two rounds each, drawing, engaging two targets with one round each, reloading and repeating. Above: Finding a holster that will accept the VP9SK should be no problem. In this case, the author used a De- Santis Vanquisher. holsters specifi cally for the VP9SK. Crossbreed Holsters also has models available for the pistol, including the excellent Founder s Series Freedom IWB holster. The MSRP on these earplugs is $299, a good investment in protecting your hearing. Shooting the gun was fun due in large part to the recoil being controllable, thanks to the wider grip of the HK combined with the relatively mild 9mm rounds. CARRY OPTIONS HK is a major handgun manufacturer, so the holster makers are quick to get on board with products compatible with their new pistol models. For the test, I went with the versatile DeSantis Vanquisher, which is a one-size-fi ts-most type of rig. But the company also makes its Tuck This II and Sof-Tuck inside-the-waistband Right: The VP9SK comes in a padded hard case, but this is a gun you will carry more than store. 42 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS WINTER 2017
Below: The VP9SK comes with two magazines, one with a flat floorplate and one with an extended floorplate. The capacity of each is 10 rounds. RIGHTIES AND LEFTIES WILL FEEL EQUALLY AT HOME WITH THIS PISTOL. feeling that this could be your primary self-defense weapon for many years to come. I WANT ONE For anyone in the market for a topnotch carry gun in 9mm, it would be hard to fi nd a better one than this HK VP9SK. It s an excellent pistol from an excellent manufacturer. It has a feel of quality about it that gives you the SHOOTING RESULTS AMMO AVG. VELOCITY SMALLEST GRP. AVG. GRP. CCI BLAZER 124-GRAIN FMJ 1,031 FPS 1.25 1.6 AMERICAN EAGLE 124-GRAIN FMJ 1,041 FPS 1.25 1.5 COLT 124-GRAIN FMJ 1,055 FPS 1.25 1.6 SPEER GOLD DOT 124-GRAIN JHP 1,094 FPS 1.0 1.4 <Velocity measured in feet per second as indicated by Chrony chronograph 15 feet from the muzzle. Group size in inches, the average being the results of five five-shot groups fired at 15 yards from a rest. Left: The VP9SK features ambidextrous slide stop release levers, making the pistol equally user friendly for both righties and lefties. The problem for me is that, even though I love this HK pistol, I already have pistols in this size range that fi t the same role. So, do I trade away one of my older guns and go with this HK or should I just face the unfortunate fact that I can t buy every gun that I want? Decisions, decisions CC HK VP9SK SPECS Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch Model: VP9SK Type: Sub-compact semi-automatic pistol Caliber: 9mm Parabellum Barrel Length: 3.39 inches Overall Length: 6.61 inches Height: 4.57 inches Width: 1.31 inches Sight Radius: 5.73 inches Weight: 23.07 ounces Capacity: 10+1 Other: Includes two interchangeable backstraps, two magazines (one with extended floorplate), lockable hard case MSRP: $719 ($819 with optional night sights and a third magazine) ON THE WEB 01) Heckler & Koch www.hk-usa.com 03) DeSantis Gunhide www.desantisholster.com 02) Crossbreed Holsters www.crossbreedholsters.com 04) Etymotic GunSport Pro Earplugs www.etymotic.com 44 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS WINTER 2017