HK VP9 or Walther PPQ

[gdubya]

Looking for a 9mm full-size polymer-framed striker fired pistol, but I don't like Glock hand feel, and while M&P9 ergos feel good to me, the trigger seemed pretty marginal. Further research seems to be steering me toward the VP9 or PPQ. Price online is close enough ($530 PPQ / $570 VP9) to be a wash. I have held both, but shot neither. Both felt good, trigger super close on both but maybe just a little smoother with more tactile reset on PPQ. I don't really think either would be a mistake.

However, I am interested in the opinions of folks here (especially owners of either or both pistols) and why they feel the way they do.

Is there something else I am not thinking of (accessories, customer service, etc) that would influence your decision?

Thanks in advance for opinions and feedback.

[Hmac]

Looking for a 9mm full-size polymer-framed striker fired pistol, but I don't like Glock hand feel, and while M&P9 ergos feel good to me, the trigger seemed pretty marginal. Further research seems to be steering me toward the VP9 or PPQ. Price online is close enough ($530 PPQ / $570 VP9) to be a wash. I have held both, but shot neither. Both felt good, trigger super close on both but maybe just a little smoother with more tactile reset on PPQ. I don't really think either would be a mistake.

However, I am interested in the opinions of folks here (especially owners of either or both pistols) and why they feel the way they do.

Is there something else I am not thinking of (accessories, customer service, etc) that would influence your decision?

Thanks in advance for opinions and feedback.

I have both, about 5000 rounds through the PPQ, about 2000 through the VP9. Both are excellent. Both have a very nice, crisp break and short reset. Only difference is a longer takeup on the PPQ, but slightly lighter pull. VP9 has a slightly shorter prepravel but a little firmer trigger break. The difference is not significant. Both have plenty of accessories...holsters, sights, etc. The PPQ is just a hair smaller, but I find no difference in concealability. I would definitely score them a wash. IMHO, you would not be disappointed with either in long term use.

[treed]

I have the ppq and absolutely love it. Ergos are great, with the ppq giving you the choice of paddle mag release or button depending on model. Shoot them both if possible or flip a coin, I doubt you will be unhappy with either.

[grimbeaver]

Hmac since you own both any thoughts on difference in takedown/cleaning difficulty? The VP9 has a takedown lever while the PPQ has a takedown catch. Any durability concerns with the takedown catch? I've been eyeing the PPQ myself so I'm interested in this thread too.

[David]

I have both as well, and I completely agree with Hmac above. They are close enough that it's down to very small personal preferences, such as how they each fit in your hand, etc. One nice thing about the VP9 is that it's more customizable to your hand, since it has additional side panels in various sizes, rather than just different back straps. Some people even put different sizes on the left versus the right for a very customized feel. You may not need that, but it's fun to try the different configurations and find the one that's perfect for you.

[Hmac]

Hmac since you own both any thoughts on difference in takedown/cleaning difficulty? The VP9 has a takedown lever while the PPQ has a takedown catch. Any durability concerns with the takedown catch? I've been eyeing the PPQ myself so I'm interested in this thread too.

No issues with either. Both are very durable and very well-made. Takedown is straightforward. I guess I generally prefer takedown levers to the polymer slide-down tabs, but it's a negligible issue for me. Both work fine, and appear to be reliable and durable.

One issue to consider, I guess....some people have complained about a relative lack of responsiveness for parts or repairs from Walther Arms customer service. I haven't had to use their services. I did buy some spare parts for the PPQ a while ago (I actually have two PPQs) but bought them from Earl's Repair. Haven't used the parts yet. I'm waiting to replace the RSA since at a little over 5000 rounds, but it's still ejecting just fine. HK used to have a reputation for bad customer service, but these day's it's reportedly pretty good. I don't know about that either. In either case, all I have is second-hand reports from the Walther Forums, and from M4C. No first-hand experience.

It is also a valid point about the paddle release vs the standard button release. I am utterly indifferent to the method. Both work fine for me. My PPQs are both paddle release, as is the VP9. Some people feel strongly about it. I don't.

[andrewP]

One issue to consider, I guess....some people have complained about a relative lack of responsiveness for parts or repairs from Walther Arms customer service.

I've got personal experience there, albeit from almost 2 years ago. My P99c's recoil spring assembly gave up at only 1315 rounds through the gun (I guess 1320 if you count the 5 on the factory test target). They didn't even want to see the broken part in order to analyze what went wrong. They were only interested in selling me a new one. (Gun was more than 1 year old, and thus out of warranty even given the low round count.) Can't say I was terribly pleased by this. Hopefully their customer service department has gotten better since then. I know that they've since changed the warranty policy to lifetime, so that's something. Not sure if that covers things like early RSA failure or not, and I'm not about to count on them "upgrading" the warranty on mine to match products sold under the new policy. Given the difference in design, I imagine the PPQ and full-size P99's RSA are less stressed than the P99c's, and therefore less prone to failure. In fact, the type of failure I experienced would be impossible on either of the larger guns.

All that grumpiness aside, I love the gun too much to get myself to replace it with something else. It conceals well, it's accurate, and it's ergonomically great for me; I love the paddle mag release, and the slide lock (release) lever is exactly where my thumb needs it to be for easy activation without being prone to accidental activation. Honestly, I really just want to acquire a full-size and/or a PPQ M1 to complement it, which says something given my customer service experience.

[gdubya]

Held them side by side today. I liked the ppq trigger ever so slightly better. However, ergos on the vp9 were slightly better for me. I especially personally like the paddle mag release which with my long fingers I can reach with forefinger or thumb of either hand. I could not find a ppq m1 to try in person, so cannot say how that would be.

Ended up picking up the VP9 from our own ThunderJohn and can't wait to try it out. Of course, now I also want the 5" PPQ so there is always that.