HK’s come with pretty stiff recoil springs. The frames rub the slide a little when new also. It usually takes a few hundred rounds to break them in.
Limp wristing is also a known culprit in polymer framed handguns.
The barrel might have a different profile feed ramp compared to the factory one? Maybe even a fitting issue?
Aftermarket magazine release could have magazine riding a little high putting more pressure on the slide?
Sometimes aftermarket parts don’t have the qc of the factory parts. Or they just aren’t as good.
Personally, I’d put it back to stock & break it in with a few hundred rounds. Then, change things out one at a time. Function testing after every part change. Once everything is running 100%, function & accuracy testing with self defense ammo.
Hope you get it worked out.

 

By the way when you say limp wristing, What does that mean? Are you referring to my grip on the gun?

If so, I highly doubt it. Not to sound full of myself because I'm absolutely not an urban person, I don't think that was the problem. I've got a really good grip and I've adjusted all of the grip panels to fit my hand perfectly.

It was a very secure two-handed shot. HOWEVER, I know there's always room to improve, and I suppose it is possible that it was a user error.

Based on what you said about the break-in process and the stock parts, my gut tells me that that is the culprit.

 

You could try running some +p ammo for 100 rounds. I've also heard of people leaving the slide locked back for a day to break the springs in.

 

I like the idea of locking the slide back for a day to break the springs in a little. And the plus p would certainly save money on the break-in process.

Very creative solutions Thank you

I think this may be one of those situations where there is simply no substitute for doing it the right way the first time, and then adding on.

Got to walk before you can run, seems to be What I need to do.

Thanks again

 

I like the idea of locking the slide back for a day to break the springs in a little.

Just from a technical perspective:

That doesn't do anything at all in a modern gun.
If springs would set in that position, the engineering department would have done something wrong.

Consider it more of a placebo pill.

 

So based on the information I received from @rc51pete I believe I know what I need to do.

Return the gun to stock, break it in with at least 200 rounds.
and then add an upgraded part, one at a time and run a good amount of rounds through the gun to make sure the part is working in concert with the rest of the action.
Then repeat. with each upgrade, one at a time.

So that's where I'm at now.

If anyone still has any information they think would be valuable or just want to let a new HK owner know some things that I don't know but need to know, I welcome any and all additional advice!

 

Based on what is described, my gut is saying it is either the after market barrel, extended mag release or both.
I think it’s probably the after market mag release. If the part of the release that interacts with the mag is off at all after the first shot the mag will drop lower in the grip than it should. When the next round is stripped out of the mag it tilts up at a higher angle than it should. I have seen this happen at the range with after market mag releases that are out of spec and the jams had the angles yours have.

Assuming you have some snap caps or other dummy rounds laying around I would put the factory barrel back in and cycle some snap caps through it. If it feeds correctly you know it is either the barrel or tolerance stacking.

Then you need to put the after market barrel back in and switch to the stock mag release. Then cycle some snap caps through it. If this combo functions then you know the problem is tolerance stacking and you can only run either the barrel or after market mag release, not both.

if neither of these works put in both the factory barrel and mag release and run the snap caps through. If that works then the problem is solved and both after market parts are out of spec and can’t be used. If it still doesn’t work at this point you messed something up some where and need to return to factory.

Doing it this way will take 10=15 minutes to determine the most likely two culprits, instead of having to do a detail strip, how ever long that takes you.

 

HK pistols are engineered to operate on Nato 124 grain loads

 

this is what i was about to add.

OP:
i would return the pistol to stock and fire a couple boxes of 124gr ammo and then if you feel the need to start replacing the parts that work, do so one at a time.

this is my humble opinion but His are designed to have a bunch or parts replaced like "other popular polymer pistols" that have everything thing under the sun made by thousands of various companies.

 

I keep thinking- "what if I was in a defensive encounter and this happened?"

I keep thinking: Why bubba with guns that are for defensive use?

When you spend the money you poured into that gun before even firing a single shot into training, you wouldn't need all that stuff in the first place.

 

You need to get your trigger finger and your brain on the same page so they can coordinate when you flinch ( tighten your grip ) when you pull the trigger .

 

If you are looking for reliability and durability those aftermarket parts are not upgrades.

 

This is a reasonable thread of inquiry: does Lazy Wolf or Whatever Company all of a sudden have such better employees and systems than H&K such that they can improve on not one, but several parts of someone else's gun design? Who are these folks?

Just from a technical perspective:

That doesn't do anything at all in a modern gun.
If springs would set in that position, the engineering department would have done something wrong.

Consider it more of a placebo pill.

I have heard of people doing all sorts of things with springs and this is one of the wilder ideas, materials-wise. You could probably leave it locked back for ten years and it would fire the first and next n shots nicely.

In regards to the barrel, I did a meticulous side by side analysis of the stock barrel and this barrel and they are all but identical. Measurements are spot on, maybe a micron off here or there. So what I'm trying to say is I'm satisfied with the quality of the trigger system, springs and barrel.

This is the heart of the matter. You are not doing an analysis that is extensive enough to tell you if X part is comparable or even "drop-in" functional compared to a part that is designed, built, and released under whatever quality standard H&K engineers maintain. I do respect your meticulous comparison.

 

If it was new and bone stock I'd tell you to lock back the slide for a few nights and also put some +p ammo through it as they come pretty tight from HK. That said you added a few extra variables that definitely warrant a look at too. Good luck 👍

 

Hey everybody I was hoping you can help me out. I bought an HK for the reliability and great reputation.

I finally got a chance to take a shot with my brand new VP9SK and it had a malfunction (on the very first shot out of the brand new pistol...)
Failure to feed.

There are upgrades that COULD have interfered, and possibly caused this malfunction, however, I HIGHLY doubt it, because I spared no expense and got only the best upgrades possible.

1. Threaded barrel, the same one you get on HK parts
2. Lazy Wolf f3 trigger system
3. Lazy wolf duty/carry reduced power spring set. Set included a reduced trigger pull spring, down to 3.5 lb. And a reduced power sear spring.
(4. It also has an upgraded extended aluminum mag release-however I feel to see how that would have anything to do with a malfunction of this type.)

I welcome any and all advice, this experience has me more than a little disheartened.

I keep thinking- "what if I was in a defensive encounter and this happened?"
IN THAT INSTANCE, I WOULD BE THINKING TO MYSELF:
"I have a high quality and reliable pistol, high quality ammunition, and the best upgrades money can buy, (darn near $1,500 into the gun and upgrades combined), I would expect it to cycle properly... ESPECIALLY being brand new! BUT, if I had gotten into a defensive encounter, and faced returning fire from my adversary, there's a great chance I would turn out dead."

Not very comforting! I'd appreciate any and all advice, criticism, and assistance you all can provide.

(I AM GOOD WITH MACHINES AND MECHANICAL OBJECTS INCLUDING FIREARMS. JUST HAVE A KNACK FOR IT. SO I CAN HANDLE ADVANCED ADVICE. NOT A GUNSMITH, BUT I HAVE ALL THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO DO ALMOST ANYTHING HERE AT MY HOUSE SO PLEASE DON'T SPARE THE DETAILS!)

I've included several pictures below in case it helps. They are a little blurry in order to protect the serial number. But they should be clear enough for you to get a good feel for what is taking place.

PLEASE HELP!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

Brian K View attachment 333676 View attachment 333677 View attachment 333678 View attachment 333679 View attachment 333680 View attachment 333681

You have may or may not have made several mistakes. First restore the gun to the way it came out of the box. Next make sure is is clean and properly lubed. Then go shoot it, at least 50 rds or so. HK pistols are the most reliable out of the box pistols made.

If all is well with the stock gun, , make one modification, and then go shoot it again, at least 50 rds or so. If all is still well, repeat. The source of your trouble should present itself shortly in this sequence and you will know what it is. Doing a bunch of mods together is just asking for trouble. And will have you chasing your tail.

 

Thank you so much.

I'm 34 and, Believe it or not, I've never had a new gun, pistol or otherwise. This is my first and only brand new weapon.

So I've never had to deal with this breaking in process!
Also, I've never added so many integral components in order to upgrade the weapon all at the same time.

The chain of events when like this:
I knew that I was getting the gun from my birthday for about 6 months.
So I did all the research on everything I wanted to do, purely based on expert review of the weapon.
Then, I took what all the experts said, found the (In My Opinion*) 'weak spots', and tried to address them with these upgraded, albeit aftermarket, yet still high-quality, parts.

But I see now that as you say, I made a few mistakes. As you said, HK is the most reliable- period!

Thanks for the great advice. I will definitely return the gun to stock and proceed in a methodical way.

Brian

 

There's a lot of good advice on this thread.
Also a lot of stuff that probably doesn't matter but probably won't hurt anything.

Return to Stock. Break it in with quality ammo for a few hundred rounds.
THEN see if there's still any issues.

With regards to the after market parts... Congratulations on your success in turning a pure HK into a HK framed clone. There are aftermarket parts that don't really change anything. There are aftermarket parts that may help fit the gun to you or you to the gun. Then there are aftermarket parts that may be detrimental to the function of the gun or make the fit to your worse. Apply any aftermarket parts with care and caution. It is only an upgrade if it is a net improvement.

WRT 'grains' and Plus P.
Grains are a unit of measure. 1 grain = 1/7000 of a pound.
Grains are a useful unit of measure for bullets, powder weights, chemical reagents, and historically was used in apothecary measurements.

When referring to ammo by grains it typically means the bullet weight only.

Plus P or +P ammunition generally refers to ammunition where the combination of bullet, powder and primer results in chamber pressure that exceeds industry standard. The industry MAY or MAY NOT have set an additional limitation on the pressure denoted by +P marked ammo. The industry generally does NOT indicate a limit regarding +P+ ammo. To make this slightly more confusing there are two major industry standard organizations SAMMI for the U.S. CIP for most of Europe. For the most part with most cartridges the numbers are the same between the two agencies but there are a few situations where the numbers do not agree. Quite often this is where SAAMI has lowered the max pressures for a given caliber out of concern for antique weapons and antiquated designs that may not be in great shape or may not be designed with modern pressure limits in mind.

So for 9mm ammo that uses different grain weight bullets from something like 90 grains to 147 grains in both standard and +P pressure ratings. I've seen ammunition that is sold as 9mm NATO that appears to be anywhere from standard 9mm pressure to near 9mm +P levels.

 

If you read my post I said in terms of reliability and durability. Does the Lazy Wolf trigger have less take up and shorter reset? Yes, but they are not anywhere near as durable and reliable as the factory trigger. There are many well documented accounts of what has been the issues with them.

As for the barrel, HK does alot of things well, what they do best is barrels IMO. The only thing that barrel does better than a factory HK barrel is possess threads. All other areas I'd take the OEM barrel.

As for the aftermarket parts. I look at the way polymers and metals interact when there is repetitve friction. If HK designed a specific piece to be polymer, personally I'd just leave it polymer. Does it matter? maybe, maybe not. It might have no functional difference, but thats the way the gun was designed, if HK wanted an aluminum part there, they would have put one. Just something to think about. Anyway, enjoy the piece, it's def a massive upgrade over any Springfield XD.

Also, I did not see anyone attack you. I just saw someone reply to your post with the same demeanor you were displaying.

Best of luck...

 

Well stated. 👍
I would add that “as designed” encompasses “as tested”. HK is well known for devoting more of their budget than most to testing. It’s why recalls are not really a thing and design improvements are small and far between. I’m not an engineer but substituting one material for another that might seem better might not be at all (as you noted). It is a flawed position to assume it’s better because it seems like it’s a better material. Until it’s tested, in that platform, you don’t know. And I laugh when someone says “I’ve shot 500 rounds through it and no problems at all...”. Testing is controlled firing of tens of thousands or rounds thru multiple test samples followed by careful inspection to see what just happened. Lol.
This doesn’t happen with most if not all of the aftermarket as we are discussing.
Similarly someone said some aftermarket barrel was “just as accurate if not more” than OEM. Really? Based on what? They don’t know. At best they have a subjective experience. It would take multiple samples shot from fixtures to even approach that broad of a statement. The only thing known in the barrel conversation is HKs are known for accuracy and reliability with their OEM parts.
The OP started by admitting he was new to HK and welcomed advice and criticism. He got advice and only got criticism if you believe in things like “micro aggression” lol. He got advice from extremely knowledgeable folks like German and others who are NOT new to HK and NOT new to the aftermarket. Hopefully that advice will resonate. OEM is the gold standard with HK and why when you stray from that you may well be inviting problems. Research should have also shown that overwhelmingly almost every VP9SK works great, as designed....unless someone “improved” it. Lol.
Lots of threads start with “My HK is malfunctioning” and somewhere in the thread after there are many ammo suggestions and spring storage stuff(lol) we learn it’s a Franken-HK from mods. Hmmm. There is a theme there....

 

In many ways, HK is a very different gun company when it comes to precise engineering. I know some of the master gunsmiths in Oberndorf, and know how they obsess on designs and manufacturing engineering decisions. The high precision manufacturing tooling now available has changed some things in firearm - and particularly handgun - manufacturing engineering in the past decade. We see this in the extensive accessory offerings for some manufacturer products - particularly in the SIG chassis based offerings.

The planning and decision making on designs at HK is quite exacting. I personally don't make changes to HK products I have bought, and they run remarkable well and maintain superb accuracy.

 

wrt projectile grain weight,
Although there is a wide range of projectiles available in 9mm most ammunition will run between 115 and 125 grains. This is the sweet spot for this caliber with regards to what works. 147 grain ammo was developed to make using a suppressor with the caliber easier and more effective. There are rounds developed with lighter than 115 grain bullets designed to reduce recoil while still being effective self defense rounds for people who have limited hand strength or lack of recoil tolerance. Those rounds may trade off mass for velocity.

Quality ammunition between 115 and 125 grains is your best bet for break in and most applications. Once you are convinced the gun is broken in and works with those if you have a reason to move to a special purpose ammunition you need to once again verify it works with your gun.

 

Wow how incredibly insightful.

Thank you very much for sharing this vital information with a newbie like me!

Now, Is it hard to find the 124 grain, or whatever, that I'm supposed to use? (Someone said HK their design to only work with that.)- At least in the beginning. The self-defense rounds I picked up when I bought the gun were 115 grain.

So I'm just curious if you're aware of the availability or rarity of the proper ammo.

Any particular BRAND and TYPE of ammo? Preferably DEFENSIVE, FMJ if nothing else is available, of course.

Thanks again for your knowledgeable commentary, I appreciate it more than you could know!

Brian TK

 

How long does this love fest go on ?

 

Helped my boss pick out a pistol at a recent gun show, he knew he wanted a HK and I don't think he was too fond of my P30's, he actually knew, or thought he knew he wanted a striker gun....we left that show with his new OD Green VP9. After his first range trip with it, it was instant love!

He wanted me to shoot it, he brought it to work and I took it home and cleaned it up good and took my daughter and her boyfriend to shoot it. The boyfriend is 19 years old and new to shooting, he immediately fell in love with my boss' pistol and said that that identical pistol would be his very first ever pistol purchase....somewhere around 5 weeks later he bought a ODG VP9 LE from CDNN!

Now I don't personally own a VP9 but after shooting these two different ones, I can't imagine doing anything to one except adding steel night sights and buying a lot of magazines! The boyfriend ask me if the LE was worth the extra $100 bucks for the upgraded sights and one extra magazine, absolutely!!!

The trigger on both are outstanding, I told both of those guys the VP9 is a cheater pistol, they shoot great, and they're so easy to shoot great, I'm thinking pretty hard on one and I've NEVER been interested in a striker fired HK. Different strokes and all but if I do buy one it'll stay bone stock unless it needs sights!

 

Hello there again!

Well you certainly do persist in making your point better and better don't you? Lol

Mine is actually the 2022 model, with night sights. And the red dot cut out.

How cool that two people in your life picked one of these guns up. I think you've got the bug you'll own one soon!

Anyway,

I'm finally understanding about the grandiosity and complexity of the intensive engineering, r&d, and testing aspects of HK, and I love what I have heard!
Ultimately, it comes back to the same old saying, if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I've already removed ALL of the aftermarket parts except for the trigger and reduced power spring kit.

It's a real pain to get into the sear pack, and get the reduced power sear spring out.
Well, honestly that part's easy. It's putting the sear pack back in that is extremely challenging, for me anyway.
When I put the RP spring in, I almost wasn't able to get the securing pin through the frame from end to end, to go back in place.

It just kept stepping in its tracks, stuck on what I will refer to as the 'leg' of the sear pack. And these rolled pins get deformed if you lay into them too hard, so it was quite the delicate balancing act, but eventually I got it done (AND THAT WAS PROBABLY MORE LUCK THAN SKILL OR ANYTHING ELSE TO BE QUITE HONEST LOL)!
SO, that's why I'm dragging my feet on that.

So I've got a question for you @German;
Once I've removed the trigger and springs and replaced them with their factory counterparts, and have arrived back at a 100% stock platform,
what am I to do about the threaded barrel situation?
Or rather I guess I should ask, what would YOU do?

I suppose I could forget about running a threaded barrel on this VP9SK? Which would mean at some point I need to get a gun with a threaded barrel.

I don't have the money for more guns, so it would have to wait quite a while, but I could eventually get a Canik, VP9 tactical, or a few others that already come with threaded barrels. But I don't have the money to buy another gun now, soon or even in the foreseeable future at any time.

IRT to an OEM HK threaded barrel for the VP9SK, I would have thought that this would be something HK should be producing themselves! But I've searched and searched, and I really don't think they make an OEM threaded barrel for my gun.

I really want the ability to run suppressors and compensators, but ultimately this is a carry and defensive weapon. I won't be running with a suppressor in the field on a daily basis, but I do have a micro compensator that mitigates a bit of muzzle flip and recoil.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks again Brian K

 

Hello there again!

Well you certainly do persist in making your point better and better don't you? Lol

Not really, that was my first post in this thread, but I guess I'm glad you got my point!

 

I've been buying the 124 gr FMJ brass Fiocchi. Works great in both of my VP9sk.
You can typically find it for around $360/case. Or $18/box.

Cartridge	9mm Luger
Grain Weight	124 Grains
Quantity	1000 Round
Configuration	(20 Boxes of 50)
Muzzle Velocity	1150 Feet Per Second
Muzzle Energy	364 Foot Pounds
Bullet Style	Full Metal Jacket
Lead Free	No
Case Type	Brass
Primer	Boxer
Corrosive	No
Reloadable	Yes

Delivery Information

Shipping Weight	28.460 Pounds
DOT-Regulated

 

I've been around a while and can't remember such a BS post . NO one talked about the real experience level as a pistol shooter of the OP . What I find hilarious is the extended mag release being a part of the problem . Are you Effing kidding me ?

 

Headline reads:
Newbie D*cks up new pistol with aftermarket crap parts critical to function/feeding and gets failures...many respond with tired "Just run 124gr through it".

 

New VP 9 Owner Failure to feed issues

Hey guys. New to HK but not to shooting. Guessing this topic has been discussed in the forum but I have been unable to locate other threads discussing this. After much research decided to purchase a VP 9FDE. Needless to say I was very excited...until I took it the range and experienced 8 or...

www.hkpro.com

 

Also the vp9's get finicky when you put a griffin comp on it. Its very effective of pulling the barrel forward not allowing the slide to function properly. Take the comp off and try again. The same thing happened to me.

 

Thought I’d throw this out there, my one and only ammo related issue with any of my HK’s….and I never even once pulled the trigger!

Out of spec brass on Cor-Bon JHP 115gr +P. Always loved that round out of my G26, flat and straight as a laser! It absolutely locked my P2000sk down, took some real force to get the slide back and get that round out. Maybe it was just a bad lot? Never took that chance again, strictly HST 124gr +P from that incident forward.

And S&B 124gr practice ammo for all of my 9mm HK’s, never had one issue ever!

 

.".There were plenty of threads in the past with (mostly newer shooters or new to HK) and the original vp9 rsa having these issues. "

I was very active on the forum when the VP9 rolled out . I got one of the first ones released and shot the piss out of it . The issue with the first RSA was being too weak . The slide could be pushed out of battery very easily . HK sent me the new RSA ( stronger spring ) about a year later , and I went and bought the weak 115gr Blazer ammo to test with . Besides cases landing in my shoes and shirt pocket, no problemo ! So , I don't remember folks having problems with weak ammo or having to lock the slide back when the VP first rolled out . Not saying it didn't happen , I just don't remember seeing it here .

" These guns are tight off the factory floor ".
" after the firearm has filed itself down closer to normal running tolerances. "

The tolerance that HK uses to manufacture their guns are what they are . There is no metal or other materials that " wear in " . You'll see the finish up near the muzzle of the barrel, the barrel hood , or up under the top of the slide eventually show some discoloration on the finish due to rubbing , but there is no metal being removed or displaced .

 

Pushed out of battery with the original rsa then the pistols being very tight once they started putting the vp40 rsa in them. That's when the leave the slide locked back and +p ammo tips started. Also to say the metal on metal contact points don't wear in is a joke . There are literally visible points of contact that wear in. With this bs discussion im tempted to take photos my new in box 45c group buy pistol this weekend and run 1000 rounds through it to prove it.
It took about 1200 rounds through my black 45c to loosen up and maybe another 2-300 for the trigger to also smooth out as well. I find this argument kinda comical coming from someone who has the experience you have driving these pistols

*You can even see where the polymer itself near the rails gets knarled as you break the pistols in..