HK VP9 Torture Test

[JohnC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOu5ZGfgtVk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79JHYiaQlE4

Thoughts on this? Edited December 8, 2015 by JohnC

[Peace]

I watched just a bit of it the other night... but it was on mute because the wife was asleep.   from what I could see, I would say, "ouch".  

 

It had already fallen off of the potential list because it is no smaller than a G19 or G23, but this will keep it off the list.

[nightrunner]

You can look at it and tell it doesn't have the refinement built into that H&Ks hammer fired guns have, but I definitely did not expect that at all.

[Wingshooter]

Wow, I didn't expect it to fail so easily.

[TGO David]

I'm really not sure what that test showed us other than that, with determined effort, you can break anything.  The fact that sand and grit kept it from going into battery isn't really surprising either.  I've seen this happen with the vaunted Glock 19 and 17 in the past too.

 

All of the crap he did to that gun is beyond the parameters of what 99% of the people carrying them will ever expose them to.  It doesn't change my mind about my VP9 at all.

[felinesNfreedom]

I'm really not sure what that test showed us other than that, with determined effort, you can break anything.  The fact that sand and grit kept it from going into battery isn't really surprising either.  I've seen this happen with the vaunted Glock 19 and 17 in the past too.

 

All of the crap he did to that gun is beyond the parameters of what 99% of the people carrying them will ever expose them to.  It doesn't change my mind about my VP9 at all.

 

I've seen Hi Points stand up to more than that

 

:stalk:

[Erik88]

I'm really not sure what that test showed us other than that, with determined effort, you can break anything.  The fact that sand and grit kept it from going into battery isn't really surprising either.  I've seen this happen with the vaunted Glock 19 and 17 in the past too.

 

All of the crap he did to that gun is beyond the parameters of what 99% of the people carrying them will ever expose them to.  It doesn't change my mind about my VP9 at all.

 

I get what you're saying and I like the VP9, but I've also seen Glocks perform better than this under the same conditions.

 

That being said, this probably isn't a big enough sample size to determine if the VP9 is inferior to the Glock ( or others).

[JReedEsq]

While I agree that this type of test is extreme, the initial drop it in the mud puddle, definitely seems like something that could actually happen and it did cause a failure.  That says a lot more to me than "Hey look this broke after I threw it at something."    

[hlb14]

Having owned a VP9, seeing this wouldn't prevent me from owning another. The VP wasn't designed to go through "military trials", it was an answer to what the people wanted. A striker fired P30. Seeing it fail so quickly was disappointing, but not surprising.

I may be a bit biased though, as I am a fan of all things HK.

[JReedEsq]

This test doesn't mean much unless you were to line up a Glock 17, M&P 9, Walther PPQ, and the VP9 and do the same thing to all of them.  A lot of us (myself included) suspect that a Glock 17 would have held up better.  Without a more extensive (& more expensive) test we don't really know anything.  

[TNWNGR]

That whole test is pretty much BS in my mind and I didn;t even bother to finish watching the video.

[nightrunner]

I did mean to mention about his mud test. He said the consistency was like wet concrete, very thick and sandy. Wet sand will make ANYTHING choke. Not Glock or anything else will run with wet sand in it. Hell, if you get wet sand in a revolver, bet it jams up.

And one side of the magazine release breaking off is kind of expected with what he put it through and how far they stick out.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I've watched similar torture tests of Glock, Sig, and Beretta handguns that also fail when they are subjected to being covered in wet sand and mud.

[TripleDigitRide]

I just did a quick search of "Glock fails torture test", and there was no shortage of videos that were similar to the VP9.

[Wingshooter]

This test doesn't mean much unless you were to line up a Glock 17, M&P 9, Walther PPQ, and the VP9 and do the same thing to all of them.  A lot of us (myself included) suspect that a Glock 17 would have held up better.  Without a more extensive (& more expensive) test we don't really know anything.

That's exactly what I found lacking... test them side by side.

I didnt expect it to fail right away with the mud puddle though. I like the VP9. I have a USPc and really like it too.

[Peace]

yup.  for me it was the "right off the bat" factor that troubles me.  

[zybysco]

I really love the way my VP9 feels, but I know there is no way it will compete with my Glocks. It suffers from the same issue most guns do. It is overly complicated with a lot of parts. It fits my hand like a glove though. And that's why I bought it.

[JohnC]

All of the crap he did to that gun is beyond the parameters of what 99% of the people carrying them will ever expose them to.  It doesn't change my mind about my VP9 at all.

I can agree with that. I doubt 99% of us here would be putting a handgun through that much abuse in a lifetime, so these torture tests really only serve as sacrificial entertainment. lol

It is fun to see how much abuse some of these guns can take, though.

[runco]

I also agree with TGODavid, however I also rely and respect Military and LEO decisions on sidearm selections.  Who am I to say what is a good gun, let the U.S. military test and use, let the LEO test and use, let other government agencies test and use, and then I will ride their coat tails. 

 

When I was a young whipper snapper with handguns, I use to go with which ever way the wind blows.  Then I finally realized that military, LEO, and other agencies really do test hard what is there, and its not solely lowest bid guys (its a combo I know) that they go with.  Even though I may never encounter the environmental conditions or the torture use of these handguns like in government tests and like this video from the OP, but one may never know.  So for close to 20+ years now, I stay with the main stream government guns (Sig, Glock, Beretta).  I have not ventured into S&W, but likely will someday.  I did venture into 1911 some, just to see if I like it. 

 

Will I ever buy a VP9, cosmetically I think they are appealing, but likely will wait until several agencies are using these as their sidearm.  But that is just me, and I am a weird gun nut.

[samson7x]

I was pretty shocked it failed right away as well.  I expected more from HK.

 

My brother is in the market and looking at the VP9 as an option.  I sent him the video and he's now leaning more toward a G17.

 

I agree the test was extreme at the end, but falling in a mud hole?  Hell, that is completely plausible. 

[DaveTN]

My thoughts come from being a Toolmaker by trade and a gun collector/shooter as a hobby. My comments are not specific to this test or the HK; they apply to all guns.

First off let’s be serious and look at gun basics. They are mechanical devices, the machining and the fit and finish is critical for their operation. Most of us want a quality weapon that will fire every time and be accurate. A competition weapon will require the best fit and finish; tolerances and fit will be tight. They require movement and returning to the same position every time. They will be affected by heat (coefficient of thermal expansion) and any debris introduced that will interfere with the fit of moving parts. Can you pour sand in them and maintain function and accuracy? Of course not.

Duty weapons (M&P, Glock, Sig, Beretta, etc.) have tolerances built into their design that allow for more heat and the introduction of some normal debris from carrying. Can you pour sand in them and maintain function and accuracy? Maybe, but probably not.

Each weapon, each circumstance, and each result will be different; they are mechanical devices and can fail.

Can a weapon be built to be drug through the mud and still work? Sure, I think that was the goal for the AK. Can you do that AND have an accurate weapon? Not yet.

So my thought is that whoever made this video ran out of stuff that really matters to do a story on. I only watched the first few minutes.

Physics, metallurgy and math; those darn things get in the way every time.

[JohnC]

I was pretty shocked it failed right away as well.  I expected more from HK.
 
My brother is in the market and looking at the VP9 as an option.  I sent him the video and he's now leaning more toward a G17.
 
I agree the test was extreme at the end, but falling in a mud hole?  Hell, that is completely plausible.

I wouldn't base a decision solely on a torture test unless he's Mil/Leo or a survivalist living in a jungle. Is he going to be using it in a harsh environment or battlefield?

[samson7x]

I wouldn't base a decision solely on a torture test unless he's Mil/Leo or a survivalist living in a jungle. Is he going to be using it in a harsh environment or battlefield?

 

No battlefields.  He's not basing it solely on this test....was on the fence anyway.

[btq96r]

Earlier this week, I bought a VP9 from someone selling one on another website.  Advertised as like new with 30 rounds fired, regular sights (which I'll swap out for tritium ones) and two 15rd mags for $520 shipped.  Good deal to me, and that video isn't going to make me think otherwise.

 

I'll be carrying it out and about with no worries. 

Edited December 6, 2015 by btq96r

[DaveTN]

I'll be carrying it out and about with no worries.

Stay away from mud puddles.