HK VP9SK 9mm

The HK VP9SK packs in 10+1 rounds of 9mm in a very compact package,
and all at an affordable price.

The new HK VP9SK takes all that is righteous and wholesome about the
superlative HK VP9 and shrinks it down into something more portable.

Heckler and Koch entered previously uncharted territory when they produced a polymer-framed, striker-fired combat pistol priced within reach of the common man. In years past it seemed HK handguns were the sole purview of well-heeled gun snobs blessed with personal helicopters to get to the range and a support staff to load their magazines. With the VP-series guns folks of average means could finally afford legendary HK quality.

The full-size Volkspistole comes in 9mm and .40 S&W as well as a variety of hues, sights and barrel configurations. No less a gunman than James Bond wielded one in the latest 007 movie Spectre. If you are a regular reader of this superlative tome you may recall I am myself an unabashed fan. I typically keep such stuff as this both beside the bed and on my belt.

While I can and have toted my full-sized VP guns comfortably underneath my surgical scrubs while slogging through a typical 13-hour day, such a chore could be made easier if the guns were scrunched up a bit. Alas, the HK guys seem to have heard the entreaties of the masses, shortened a VP9 in most dimensions, and foisted the subsequently miniaturized heater upon the market as the new VP9SK. SK stands for “sub kompact” in the native tongue.

I tote mine on a decent belt underneath surgical scrubs and can forget it’s there
with my other gear very easily. The HK VP9SK makes for a great everyday companion.

Those nifty HK “cocking supports” have carried over into the new VP9SK. These little
patented ears aid in purchase on the slide when hands are sweaty or you are in a rush.

The SK is very compact, yet still hand-filling.

Pertinent Anatomy

All the cool-guy stuff is still here to include the deep slide grooves, cocking supports and ambidextrous everything. The patented cocking supports are the little polymer ears at the back of the slide that grant proper purchase when you are rushed or terrified. They do not interfere with anything yet remain removable should they unduly bruise anyone’s sensibilities.

The SK sports the same non-nuclear luminescent sights, stubby bit of Picatinny rail and blade safety imbedded in the trigger. Also akin to the VP9, the SK includes three backstraps and six side panels, all of which can be mixed and matched with nothing fancier than a carpenter’s nail. I have caveman hands so I like the thickest backstrap. I also like to thicken the right side and thin the left. Farting around to find the combination most suitable’s half the fun. It’s like Legos for gun nerds. The same panels can be found on the gun’s predecessor, the similar but thoroughly different HK P30SK.

The niftiest new addition is actually in the magazines. The VP9SK comes with two. One has a conventional flat floorplate, while the other sports a generous finger groove. The flat plate leaves the fifth finger wrapped around underneath the magazine, while the finger groove puts all five digits to work. I shot fine with the flat version, but the finger groove was the cat’s pajamas. With the finger groove magazine installed the SK shoots just about as well as its big brother.

All of the controls are ambidextrous and perfectly replicated on both sides of the gun.

The primary safety on the HK VP9SK is a blade device oriented in the center of the trigger.
The gun goes off safe when the finger touches the trigger.

One of the niftiest new additions to the VP9SK is the new extended magazine baseplate.
One 10-round magazine comes with a standard flat baseplate... while the other has some
extra real estate to support your fifth finger.

Cogitations

The HK crew makes imminently shootable guns. The VP9SK is not as thin as a GLOCK 43 nor is it quite as crisp as is a tuned Smith wheelgun. However, the VP9SK sports 10+1 of 9mm onboard along with the inimitable HK striker-fired trigger. The HK VP trigger sports a short, light take-up with a nice crisp break beginning to flirt with true single-action guns as regards comportment.

Life is a series of compromises. The perfect defensive gun would fire high-explosive rounds from a detachable 40-round magazine and remain effective from contact range out to a kilometer in utter darkness and any weather. However, this hypothetical weapon out here in the real world would also weigh 79 pounds empty, kick like a rhino on crack and have to remain plugged into a wall socket for power. Good luck concealing such a beast.

In the new HK VP9SK, however, we find a simply superlative compromise. The VP9SK is a compact combat handgun with service-sized features in a size easy to hide. I tote mine in an Alien Gear Cloak Tuck IWB holster and thrive in my scrubs at work. The VP9SK with the new finger groove magazine shoots as well as a much bigger pistol yet packs about like something approximating a mouse gun. I’m crazy about mine.

For more info: www.americanhandgunner.com/index, Ph: (706) 568-1906.

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