I really struggled with the decision of capturing my first impressions of the optics ready VP9 and the Trijicon RMR in a single blog post or splitting into two separate posts. I went with the former option for two very simple reasons. First, another first impressions review on the H&K VP9 felt redundant. Second, one can’t really establish first impressions of the RMR without mounting it to a gun in the first place.
The H&K VP9
While the VP9 was definitely not on my list of top guns to obtain in 2020 and purchasing another handgun was not part of my overall plan for 2020, the idea of optics on a pistol for self defense, home defense, and competition has been a very attractive idea for quite some time. That interest coupled with my high level of satisfaction with the VP9 and becoming aware that an optics ready version would be available in early 2020 made the decision to purchase one pretty hard to resist.
Just like my first VP9, the optics ready VP9 is range ready right out of the box. In the box, one gets:
- A nice plastic hard case,
- two 17-round magazines (new design from the 15-round predecessors),
- small, medium, and large grip side panels and back straps (with the medium ones installed by default),
- a magazine loader (or thumb saver),
- an owner’s manual,
- and the VP9.
There were a few differences between this VP9 and the first one. These differences include:
- Optics cut with a cover plate secured by two screws,
- 1 less magazine,
- and different sights.
The sights on this VP9 include a blacked out serrated rear sight and a large yellow dot front sight. These sights are the types of sights I prefer for recreational or competitive shooting in a well lit environment. However, they are not ideal for low light self defense or home defense situations.
A couple of things to note for those who obtain this gun with the intention of installing a red dot sight (RDS) on it. There are four adapter plates currently available for mounting a RDS. They are:
- #1 for the Meopta MeoSight III, EOTech MRDS, and Noblex Sight 3
- #2 for the Trijicon RMR and Holosun
- #3 for the C-More STS2
- #4 for the Leupold DeltaPoint
These plates are not included and cost $29 from H&K’s web store.
The other thing to note is that once a RDS is installed, the standard height OEM sights are completely useless as they are obstructed by the RDS. One may want to consider installing suppressor height sights for back up or co-witness purposes. I’m currently considering picking up a set from Heinie Specialty Products.
Update (5/7/2020): A reader pointed out that the dovetail cutouts for the sights on the optics-ready VP9 2020 are not the same size as the previously produced VP9s. I contacted Heinie who confirmed the current sights (linked above) will not fit the new VP9. However, they are currently testing prototypes and expect to begin production soon.
Update 2 (10/1/2020): While I haven’t looked very hard for suppressor height sights since the previous update, I learned that XS Sights now offers suppressor height sights specifically manufactured for the optics-ready VP9 2002. XS Sights has graciously offered to send me a set of these sights to test. Expect a full review of them in the near future.
Update 3 (2/15/2022): The XS Sights I received are fantastic. It took me a while to get around to writing a review of them, but that review is finally done and available here: XS Sights Minimalist Tritium Night Sights
The Trijicon RMR Type 2
The Trijicon RMR Type 2 is available in three different illumination models each of which comes with various color, dot size, and mounting options for a total of 97 choices (as of the publish date of this post). I went with the adjustable LED illumination option in black, with a 3.25 MOA dot, and no mount.
Out of the box, the RMR comes with everything needed to mount it to a pistol (unless it’s a Glock). Optionally, one may want (or need) to separately purchase a RMR mount sealing plate to guarantee a good seal to protect the RMR from the elements.
In the box, one gets:
- The box which is actually a pretty nice hard case that is way too large for the RMR, but also includes:
- two long mounting screws (which won’t work with the Glock MOS system),
- an allen wrench,
- a user manual,
- a sticker,
- some other marketing materials I didn’t pay attention to,
- and the RMR itself.
The VP9 and RMR Combo
Ok. Here is the deal. I’ve taken a pistol I have thoroughly enjoyed shooting and thrown a red dot on it. The combined result is simply outstanding. But it isn’t without a few things that could be better.
As I start diving into the pros and cons of this set up, please keep in mind that this was only the second time shooting a pistol outfitted with a red dot sight. My first experience shooting one was when I briefly handled the instructors STI Staccato P while attending a training course. That’s my point of reference. But truthfully, my prior experience regardless of the gun and optic is irrelevant compared to my lack of experience.
That said, I really like this set up. The VP9 is a VP9. It feels like a VP9. It runs like a VP9. Only difference is a couple of extra rounds with the new 17 round mags. Fully loaded it’s a VP9 with 13.3% more fuel in the tank.
The optic takes almost no time to get used. Put the dot on the target, squeeze the trigger, and hole is punched right near where the dot was. While the function is the same as the iron sights, there are some noticeable differences.
One of my favorite differences was how much easier it was to be accurate at longer distances (25 yards) that it was with iron sights. I think this was in part by the optic allowing you to focus on the target instead of focusing on the front sight, without a blurry target I found myself getting A-zone hits at 25 yards with significantly less effort.
On the flip side, one drawback to the RDS was that I found myself looking at a lens with no dot quite a few times when drawing and presenting the pistol to take a shot at an intermediate distance. This slowed my typical draw to shot times. I suspect some dry practice presentation drills will alleviate this. I also think that adding some suppressor height sights (mentioned earlier in this post) will aid in finding the dot when it’s not in the lens as it provides a point of reference that is not available with just the red dot. At the end of the day, I suspect folks who are new to pistols with red dot sights will run into this issue.
In the same spirit as the original first impressions review of the VP9, I have no problem recommending this gun to just about anyone looking for a duty-sized defensive pistol. While the stock sights are great for recreational or competitive shooting, they are inadequate for low light shooting scenarios. As such, this gun probably not the best choice for the gun owner who will use this as a defensive pistol and will keep it bone stock as either the addition of a RDS or a night sight upgrade are essential for that use, and I’d recommend going both (as I most likely will).
Hi Uncle Zo, I have the 2020 VP9 with a Vortex red dot, i was wondering if you were able to find any suppressor height sights that would accommodate the 2020 OR model, apparently the dovetail isn’t the same as previous models so a lot of sights that are on the market do not in fact fit the OR model. HK have stated the new dovetail is a kin to the p2000 model. I took a look at the Heinie sights that you mentioned, but those seem to be for the older models as well. Thanks for the wright up, it was very informative.
That’s good information on the sights. Thanks for sharing it.
I haven’t shopped for sights yet due to the COVID-19 slowing down my gun slinging activities. I’m scheduled to take a Red Dot Essentials over at KR Training later this month where I am hoping to get some advice from much more capable and experienced shooters than myself before picking up sights for the 2020 VP9. I’m sure I’ll do a write up on whatever sights I land on once I actually do pick them up and run them a bit.
I’d love to hear about what you find and decide on when you pick up sights for your VP9.
As a follow up, I reached out the Heinie and confirmed that their suppressor height sights will not fit the HK VP9 2020 model. However, they are currently testing prototypes for the HK VP9 2020 right now and expect to start a production run very soon.
I’ve got the same setup:
Optic ready HK VP9 and the 3.25MOA Trijicon RMR (model RM06-C-700672).
I got the “02” adapter plate from H&K.
However, I managed to strip one of the screws attaching the RMR to the plate.
I called Trijicon and got the specs for the replacement screws and thought I’d share them here, as your post was very helpful (Thank you).
#6-32 UNC x 1/2″ FHCS– Torques Nylon Patch w/ a T10 Torques Head
If you order directly from Trijicon the part # (for screws only) is BP-HSC3325-2
And as you stated, they recommended 12 inch pounds of torque.
I bought a little Husky micrometer adjustable torque screwdriver as well, I always wanted one of those…
I called my local Fastenal and the closest they could match it up with was this:
FHSCS # 6-32 x 1/2″
SKU # 1124179
The other identifying numbers on the label are “pb058409” and “LOT# 143256526”
Took me a while to hunt these down so I thought I’d share everything.
The head on these screws is a little bigger but fit perfectly, better than the original. These particular ones were also a 2mm HEX socket, and looks to be an extremely strong quality class rating.
Glad you found the post useful. I appreciate you sharing your experience and the specs. I’m certain other folks will find it useful. Thanks!
Does the newly released VP9L OR with the 20 rd mags have supressor high sights or the same standard examples?? I saw an OR replacement slide with supressor sights drsigned for the VP9 tactical threaded bbl model It would make sense to use these sights on this new offering but what do I know? I just bought one off GB. I figure they will release a long slide OR with a threadrd bbl and proper high night sights at some point. Did not want to wait. Im a little confused about the #2 mounting plate vs the sealing plate device I see for sale at Midwat and OP. Could someone elaborate in this?Thanks foe enjoyable helpful writeup
I’m not sure on the status of the VP9L OR. I would hope future variants come with suppressor height sights. I suspect (and hope) the tactical version comes with them since the point of the threaded barrel is to put a silencer on it.
As far as the plate and the sealing plate (assuming we are talking about the Trijicon RMR) goes, when I chatted with an HK rep about it they mentioned the sealing plate is not required. I wasn’t personally convinced since I was able see to a tiny bit of the RMR sealing ring exposed without the sealing plate. As such, I went a head and installed one.
All in all, the gun with the RMR continues to run great and I’ve had no need for the sights. I am currently testing the XS Sights suppressor height sights linked in the post.
Hope this helps.
I purchased the smaller version of the normal RMR- the RMRcc because the width if the regular RMR over lapped the mounting area of my 2020 optic ready VP9, but I can’t seem to find a mounting plate for it. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
BZ.
I’m not familiar with the RMRcc yet, but from what I understand it does have a different footprint and I don’t know that it’s shared with any other red dots. From my understanding, Trijicon has a number of adapter plates designed to use the rear sight dove tail (and thereby replace the rear sight). I don’t know if Trijicon has a dovetail plate specifically for the VP9 OR. Wish I had better information for you, but I don’t at this time.
@Brian Zall: FYI, I called and asked Trijicon if the RMRcc would work on the 2020 VP9 OR, and they said no, that I need to use the regular RMR.
@Uncle Zo: Thank you for this post. It was very informative.
I have a new VP H&K 9 mm and a Nr. 1 optic plate Which is the best red dot sight for it Where can I purchase it?
The #1 plate is compatible with the following: Meopta Meo Sight III, EOTech MRDS, Noblex Sight 3, and Meprolight microRDS.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with any of those and therefore can’t offer an opinion on which would be the best. My preference is for the Trijicon RMR with a #2 plate as described in the post.
I’m in the process of adding XS Suppressor Height sights to my 2020 VP9 -O.R Next will be a reflex sight. After reading some issues with Trijicon’s SRO and having to mount it so far forward, even though there’s 1/2″ gap between the rear sight, (thanks HK) I’ve decided on a RMR. I learned a lot here, thanks!