Firearms Handguns Reviews Self Defense

5,000 Rounds and Counting with the VP9 and RMR Combo

Five thousand rounds through a single gun might sound like a lot, but it goes by faster than one would expect when putting in the work with a gun. Zero failures after 5K is something to take note of.

Seems like it was just yesterday that I wrote the 2,000 round review of the RMR-equipped VP9. Even though in actuality more than a year has gone by, here I am writing yet another review on this marvelous blaster that has sailed past 5,000 rounds without so much as batting an eye. It’s quite simple. I load it, charge it, shoot it, and the cycle repeats over and over again with the occasional rudimentary cleaning.

It is quite amazing to me when I think about it. I’ve concealed carried this gun almost exclusively every day for the past two years. I’ve dry fired it countless times. It’s been used in dozens of local IDPA and USPSA matches. I’ve depended on it to get me through the majority of firearms classes I’ve attended including the Rangemaster Instructor Development course where it fired it’s 5,000th round and kept on trucking.

I called H&K to inquire about preventative part replacements I should do around the 5,000 count mark a couple of weeks prior to the class. The representative laughed out loud and instructed me to call back after 20,000 rounds. I had such a hard time believing that nothing other than routine cleanings was necessary that I ended up taking a spare gun to the class that did nothing more than take up space in the range bag.

Moreover, I haven’t been the bastion of clean guns. In fact, the last cleanings occurred in the hotel room I stayed in while attending the Rangemaster class. In both of those cases, since I failed to adequately plan and pack for remote gun cleaning, I ended up running a dry bore snake down the barrel, wiping the field stripped pistol with tissues, and rubbing fresh gun grease using my finger as an applicator. The VP9 didn’t seem to mind and kept functioning without a hitch.

Yeah, I’m impressed. Not just because nothing has broken yet, but also because it has fired and cycled every round I’ve fed it without a single malfunction. Not one.

I’d be willing to bet that the Trijicon RMR I originally installed on the VP9 would also be happily chugging along. However, I did replace the first RMR about a thousand rounds ago with another RMR with a larger dot. There was nothing wrong with the original RMR. I have simply developed a strong preference for larger dots on pistol mounted optics and decided the pistol I depend on every single day could benefit from what I consider to be an upgrade.

There really isn’t too much more I can say about the Heckler & Koch VP9 that I haven’t already mentioned in prior reviews. Really the only thing that has changed is that the finish continues to wear as expected and the wear points are shinier than before. Out of all the pistols I’ve handled, this is the pistol I’ve come to trust the most and one that I don’t hesitate to suggest to folks who are looking for a quality pistol for defensive carry. Similar things can be said about the RMR optic, the tall XS Sights back up iron sights, and the G-Code Incog Eclipse holster.

5 comments

  1. I typically carry a Sig Sauer P365XL, however, I did carry my H&K VP9 while my 365 was down for a broken trigger bar spring. Even though the VP9 is larger than the 365 in every dimension, I found it very easy to carry it concealed with just a T shirt and shorts. I also note that the VP9 is a much more accurate, or should I say easier shooter than the 365.

  2. Pingback: A Dry Fire Session

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