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VP9 / VP40 Recoil Springs


TacticalReload

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Based on what I'm seeing (as well as reading online), HKs are typically over-sprung. Plus I usually go to a lighter spring for all competition / target guns regardless for all the usual reasons that people switch to lighter springs (ie, use with minor loads, faster slide speed, avoiding slide momentum causing nose to dip when slamming forward, etc.).

This pistol will not be a "competition pistol" per se, but I would occasionally like to swap out the spring for use with some lighter target loads. I just can't find anyone offering a spring option for the pistols.

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Damn... I forgot to put the part about not clipping coils in my original post here like I did when I posted the same question on HKpro. :goof: I've done a fair amount of research on the matter and despite the various debates on line about it, I'm of the belief that cutting coils off a spring reduces preload and makes the beginning part of the travel softer (since it's shorter -- duh) but that it actually stiffens the spring at the later half of the travel. This was something I ran into back when I was toying around with vehicle modifications... people who cut coil spring to lower their cars actually get a harsher and stiffer ride... some how I lost track of this knowledge since I have cut coils off gunsprings before with varying degrees of success (or failure). I'm not positive about the physics of it, but I read it on the internet so it must be true.

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Not an expert on the VP9 by any stretch but IMO, it is not one of the H&K's that I would consider over sprung. In fact, I think it's a bit on the under sprung side. When the striker is cocked on the VP9, you can see how light the spring already is as you can momentarily move the slide out of battery just by flicking it back and forward quickly with your wrist. Also, when an actual round is chambered and you perform a press check, the slide barely goes back into battery and sometimes needs a nudge. I shoot soft loads in my VP9 all the time and have never had any issues with malfunctions.

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HKparts has an aftermarket guide rod you can buy that you can change our the springs. It uses Glock flat recoil springs. I call the company and they say to use Glock 19 springs. Although a word of caution. You cannot go to light on the springs. There is play in the front of the slide so I have just stayed at 15lbs. Any lighter and the play becomes to much.

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 9:39 AM, apetrulis01 said:

HKparts has an aftermarket guide rod you can buy that you can change our the springs. It uses Glock flat recoil springs. I call the company and they say to use Glock 19 springs. Although a word of caution. You cannot go to light on the springs. There is play in the front of the slide so I have just stayed at 15lbs. Any lighter and the play becomes to much.

After reading this post I ordered a Glock 19 15 lb. spring for my SS guide rod. It was much shorter that my factory spring and would not lock up the slide. I cannot find the overall length of the Glock 17 spring, but I think it may be best to try to modify a 1911 flat spring to ensure that it is long enough to lock slide. This is only a suggestion.

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On 9/13/2016 at 9:11 AM, IGOTTHEPOO said:

After reading this post I ordered a Glock 19 15 lb. spring for my SS guide rod. It was much shorter that my factory spring and would not lock up the slide. I cannot find the overall length of the Glock 17 spring, but I think it may be best to try to modify a 1911 flat spring to ensure that it is long enough to lock slide. This is only a suggestion.

Order a Glock 17 recoil spring and it works fine.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/31/2016 at 9:06 PM, TacticalReload said:

This pistol will not be a "competition pistol" per se, but I would occasionally like to swap out the spring for use with some lighter target loads. I just can't find anyone offering a spring option for the pistols.

How light of loads?  I'm running factory replacement spring and it cycled 124gr bullets at 975fps fine...granted it was only 20 rounds of test loads...

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  • 1 month later...

My newer VP9 was having a little trouble with my light loads and my older one was fine. I called HK yesterday and they told me that they are now using the VP40 spring for all vp's ,tactical, 9, and 40. The lighter spring has red paint and the newer spring has no paint. I had the silver spring in my newer vp. HK no longer stocks the red spring but HKparts does. (One on the way)

Joe

Edited by johes
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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎11‎/‎16‎/‎2016 at 8:31 AM, johes said:

My newer VP9 was having a little trouble with my light loads and my older one was fine. I called HK yesterday and they told me that they are now using the VP40 spring for all vp's ,tactical, 9, and 40. The lighter spring has red paint and the newer spring has no paint. I had the silver spring in my newer vp. HK no longer stocks the red spring but HKparts does. (One on the way)

Joe

Glock did the same thing with there guide rods awhile ago.

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My understanding is that the VP40 and VP9 were designed using the same RSA, which worked fine and made sense, given that the VP40 has a heavier slide.  Then, prior to release and distribution, the VP9 got a lighter RSA for a felt recoil benefit.  

Anyway, whereas now it's a natural thing to say the VP9 is using the VP40 RSA, I think it's just as accurate to say that the VP9 is now shipped with the VP RSA it was originally designed with.
 

Personally, I'm using the HKParts stainless steel RSA anyway. ;) 

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I have narrowed it down to the HKparts steel guide rod and a Glock 17 15lb recoil spring. It is a little lighter then the factory and doesn't make the gun nose dive going back into battery. This combo has really tighten up the spacing between the double taps. 

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