The HK VP9 is an incredibly popular handgun in this country – and it doesn’t really kick hard. But that doesn’t mean much if you’re here looking for solutions for heavy recoil.
With that said, here are a few things you can do to reduce recoil with your HK VP9.
Install an HK Compensator
Probably the easiest thing you can do to cut recoil with your VP9, without making any other changes to what you shoot or how you shoot, is to install a compatible HK compensator.
An HK compensator, properly installed, can effectively reduce recoil and muzzle flip, in the former case, by as much as 50%, without affecting shot power.
This will reduce recoil fatigue, can potentially help improve your accuracy by helping to counteract flinching, and in the latter case, can enable faster, more accurate follow-up shots.
Moreover, some HK compensators, like those sold by Anarchy Outdoors, are not only compatible with the VP9 but the VP40, are made from durable materials, and are easy to install.
This is a hack for other guns as well, if you like the suggestion. There are compensators available for other handguns, and they can make an even more pronounced impact on guns chambered around bigger calibers.
For any rifles you have with threaded muzzles, a muzzle brake is also an option (that’s what they’re called when paired with rifles) so keep that in mind too.
Shoot Lighter Rounds
There is absolutely no reason to shoot +P rounds at the range, unless you are expressly training for duty or for defensive applications, since you will want to know how those rounds behave in your gun.
But if you’re just plinking, having a good time at the range, training a new shooter, drilling, or burning brass, you should be shooting the lightest rounds you can find.
Ditch the +P, they’re more expensive anyway. You should be shooting FMJ at the range if you’re burning brass.
By the way, it goes deeper than this. There are two metrics you can look at to make sure you’re shooting lower-recoil rounds.
One is bullet mass, measured in grains, and the other is muzzle velocity, which is measured in FPS. The lower both of these metrics are, the lower felt recoil will be, too, holding all else equal.
Now here’s the thing – you can sidestep this just by looking for muzzle energy. The lower the muzzle energy, the lower the recoil – you’re welcome.
Hold the Gun Properly
Lastly, if you’re serious about wanting to cut back on recoil while shooting your VP9, you need to learn how to hold the gun properly.
Ditch the cup-and-saucer approach – you need to maximize surface area contact between you and the gun and hold the gun as high up on the frame as you can.
Make sure that your support hand’s fingers wrap fully around your shooting hand’s fingers and that both thumbs are laid alongside the frame, maximizing contact – on the left side for right-handed shooters and on the right for left-handed shooters.
Also, make sure that your grip is as high on the frame as possible, and lean into the shot a little. That will best position you to absorb recoil.
The Importance of Range Time
The last bit of advice here is that you’re never going to get more proficient at shooting, break the bad habit of flinching, or learn to live with recoil if you don’t spend adequate time at the range.
So pack up your range bag and bring your VP9 to the range. Put in the work and in time, especially with these tips and techniques, you’ll be able to wrangle recoil and shoot more efficiently.
