TAKE CHARGE CARRY WITH CONFIDENCE
HK VP9 vs Sig P320
In this post we pit the HK VP9 vs Sig P320.
Both of these popular pistols have a couple of key differences. Those differences are not necessarily right or wrong, but more or less features that will benefit one user more than another. So when we’re comparing the HK VP9 vs Sig P320, we’re not going to look at this as much as pros or cons for the pistol, but pros or cons for the individual user.
They should help you determine what is the best handgun for you in your unique situation.
Table of contents
Size
| Metrics | HK VP9 | Sig P320 |
| Weight No Mag(Oz) | 22.6 | 26.2 |
| Weight Empty Mag(Oz) | 25.6 | 29.2 |
| Weight With A Full Mag(Oz) | 33 | 36.6 |
| Height(top of Slide to bottom of Magazine Baseplate)(Inches) | 5.34 | 5.43 |
| Length (Inches) | 7.29 | 7.8 |
| Width of Grip(Inches) | 1.26 | 1.33 |
| Width of Slide(Inches) | 1.13 | 1.06 |
| Width Across Controls(Inches) | 1.28 | 1.30 |
HK VP9 vs Sig P320 Concealed Carry
So when you look at these guns and their size, they’re very close in size. The height from the top of the slide to the bottom of the magazine base plate is almost identical. The HK VP9 is a 10th of an inch shorter. That is going to come into play for some builds and body types when carrying the gun in the appendix.
If you’re planning to carry this gun at three to five o’clock, the length of the grip isn’t going to play as big of a role. But what will play a big role is the shapeliness of the grip. Both the Sig P320 and HK VP9 are very well-rounded on the humps, but the HK VP9 is more well-rounded and it’s a more organic shape.
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This means that if your shirt happens to print on the grip of the gun. It’ll be slightly less notable than the Sig P320. So that’s going to be an advantage for the HK VP9 again.
Weight
Another advantage for the HK VP9 vs Sig P320 is the weight. The gun weighs around three ounces less. Most of that weight is going to be in the length of the slide difference. So if you’re checking out a shorter variant of the Sig P320, that has a compact or carry-only slide. The weights on the guns are going to be almost identical.
Sig P320
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Overall I think there is going to be an advantage for the HK VP9 vs Sig P320 when it comes to concealment.
But it’s not that much of an advantage. It’s going to be around five to 10%, depending on which issue you’re looking at. If you can conceal an HK VP9 without a problem, then you’ll more than likely be able to conceal a SIG P320 as well. Your margin of error just isn’t going to be as large.
Ergonomics
Frame
The frames on these two guns take two drastically different approaches. The Sig P320 uses grip modules where you replace the entire grip module to get a different feel for the gun. These grip modules are available in small, medium, and large. Although the medium ones are the only readily available grip modules on the market. You can get the grip models in both a standard version and an X Series version.
Both the standard and X Series are available in 17-round and 15-round grip lengths. So it allows some options for concealment. The Sig P320 is definitely a lot more modular of a gun than the HK VP9.
Meaning you can completely switch the length of the grip for different missions. The HK VP9 has removable backstraps as well as removable side panels. That allows you to customize the grip to your hand.
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This makes it a somewhat unique feature and the only other gun on the market. That’s I’m aware of minus the HK P30 on which the HK VP9 is based. I can’t really say that one is better than the other. The grip modules on the Sig P320 feel cheap. There’s no way around that but the HK P30 does not have the modularity that the Sig P320 has.
Length
Now when it comes to the length of the grip itself, there isn’t much of a difference. The usable portion between the undercut of the trigger guard and the bottom of the grip is similar. But there is a key advantage for the Sig P320 if you have larger hands.
On the HK VP9, there are finger grooves and the bottom finger groove swells out at the bottom. So if you have larger hands and your pinky finger happens to sit on top of that swell. It’s going to be very uncomfortable when you’re gripping the gun.
The Sig P320 does not have finger grooves and extends down flat. Worst case scenario, your finger hangs off the bottom or touches the bottom of the magazine base plate. os it will be much more comfortable if you have larger hands than the HK VP9. That right there would be a fatal flaw for the HK VP9 for individuals with larger hands.
Feeling-wise, the guns both feel really good in the hand. I really think it comes down to personal preference. They both have grips that fill your hand up and the grip angles themselves are somewhat similar. Although the grip angle on the HK is a little more aggressive. Again, this is all personal preference and I can’t say that one is better than the other.
Texture
The texturing on the grip is quite different. The texturing on the Sig P320 has a sandpaper-like feel while the HK VP9 has a hard plastic-like feel. While the texturing on the HK VP9 feels slick when you just rub over it. when you get a good grip on the pistol and grip it tightly, the pistol texturing does a very good job of holding the gun in place.
It does not move in your hand. It doesn’t do quite as good of a job as the Sig P320 texture. In my opinion, the texturing around the Sig P320 is just slightly better.
Sig P320
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Slide
When it comes to manipulating the slides on these firearms, they both have forward cocking serrations. The serrations are fairly aggressive on both. I really can’t tell a difference from one to the other. I prefer the ergonomics of the HK to the Sig P320. But when it comes to ease of manipulation, there really isn’t a difference.
The slide on the HK VP9 is chamfered at the top is filleted at the top, while there’s a chamfer with a hard edge on the SIG P320. That makes the HK VP9 just slightly more comfortable in the hand but I’m really nitpicking to find a difference. I would say the HK VP9 is slightly better than the Sig P320, but not by much at all.
Sights
Stock
When it comes to sights, these guns are going to have similar options but there are a few advantages for the SIG P320. The HK VP9 is going to come with one or three different sight setups.
The base model will have three-dot luminescent sights. While the night sight model will have the same sight picture on the luminescent sights but with tritium night sights. Their sight pictures are very outdated. Frankly not that good. The HK VP9 2020 comes with a blacked-out rear and a front sight that has a large white dot, that is also luminescent.
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The luminescent front dot is a little bit large for my taste but overall that is the best sight picture out of the HK VP9 factory sights. I would likely want to replace the sights with an aftermarket option if I were going to use this gun as a primary. The Sig P320 on the other hand comes with standard three-dot sights on the base model.
Some of the upgraded models come with night sights that have white rings around them and are also outdated. Much like the HK sight picture.
Sig Upgrades
A couple of the Sig P320 models though, come with the SIGLITE Night Sights. The SIGLITE Night Sights are a very good set of sights for a factory gun. The rear sight is blacked out and has two tritium vials in the rear one. The front sight has a Tritium vial that is surrounded by a green luminescent ring. The green luminescent ring is fairly bright in the sunlight, although not as bright as I would like it to be.
Those sights are so good that you’re going to have a hard time just finding the money to replace them. So I’m going to say the Sig P320 definitely has a better set of sights versus the HK VP9.
Aftermarket
Aftermarket there’s no comparison. There are tons of options for the Sig P320 while there are not many options, at all, for the HK VP9. So just because of that, there’s no way to give the HK VP9 a win. You’ll likely be able to find an aftermarket set of sights that you can live with on the HK VP9.
But you’re not going to find as many options as the Sig P320. You’re almost guaranteed to find ones you like on the Sig P320. While that may not happen with the HK VP9.
Red Dot Optics
Currently, Sig offers multiple pistols with a red dot optic installed on the firearm or they offer a pistol with red dot cuts. Sig red dot sight cuts can get quite confusing as they’ve offered a lot of different options over the years.
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There are adapter plates to change those old options to newer options as well.
You can buy aftermarket offerings for the SIG to change it to more popular dots like the Holosun 507K or the Trijicon RMR.
Sig P320
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So standard, these pistols usually come set up for a Leupold Deltapoint Pro or a SIG ROMEO-series dot. The HK VP9 on the other hand does have the HK VP9 2020 variant which is red dot ready or red dot compatible but to be red dot ready, you have to purchase a separate mounting plate. There are a couple of aftermarket options for these plates. Just to understand that’s going to be an added cost to the handgun, to get a red dot on it.
Controls
Safety
You can order the Sig P320 with frame-mounted thumb safety. The thumb safety on the Sig P320 is somewhat similar to a 1911 style safety. In placement in the fact that you can ride that safety with your thumb to help control recoil when firing. It’s a nice feature to have. The safety is well-designed.
There is no safety like that on the HK VP9. So if you’re looking for a polymer striker-fired pistol with safety and you’re comparing these two pistols, the Sig P320 is going to be your only choice.
Trigger
The trigger on these guns is definitely different. We’re going to go over each one on their own, so then you can look at the features and trigger pull and decide which one you like the best.
HK VP9 Trigger Pull
The trigger pull on the HK VP9 is just a standard striker-fired trigger. Has a very light take-up. You’re going to reach a wall and it’s going to have a fairly clean break and then a long reset that’s reset directly from the wall.
Before you feel a little bit of take-up and then the trigger breaks again. The break isn’t heavy, but it’s not super light either. It’s a good trigger but it’s not any fantastic trigger. There’s nothing about it that would set it apart from any other triggers on the market. But it is what I would call a hard wall trigger.
Sig P320
The Sig P320 on the other hand has light take-up and then you’re going to feel some creep before the trigger breaks in a rolling break. You’re going to have a fairly short reset before you feel that creep again and then the rolling break. Which trigger you prefer is going to come down, do you like the hard break or a rolling break.
I myself find that I like the rolling break and shoot the Sig P320 a little bit better as far as the trigger goes, than the HK VP9. But I know other people that have the exact opposite experience, so it comes down to personal preference.
Slide Lock
The slide lock on the Sig P320 sits surprisingly far forward and it’s placed perfectly for my thumb. If somebody has smaller hands, they’re going to have issues with it. The slide stops are ambidextrous and positioned completely in the same position, so there’s no difference in experience from the right-handed to the left-handed user. They’re a little bit small and not quite as easy to use as I would like.
The HK VP9 on the other hand has a slightly recessed design on the left-hand side of the pistol. Has a setup for a right-hand shoot. It sits a little further back, so if you have smaller hands. It’s going to be easier to reach, but with the recess, it can be a little bit hard to grab. It can be easy to swipe over if you don’t dig in towards the frame when dropping the slide.
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Now the right-hand side release, set up for a left-hand shooter, is a little bit easier to use. But overall, I still think the HK is a better setup than the Sig P320. Just for the fact that it’ll work with a smaller hand. It’s just as easy for me to drop the slide with as the Sig. So you don’t see a lot of difference between myself and the size of my hands. Somebody with smaller hands is going to get a massive benefit from the HK-style slide lock.
Magazine Release
There are clear design differences between the Sig P320 magazine release and HK VP9. I myself prefer the HK VP9 magazine release versus the Sig P320 magazine release. That’s not because it’s functionally any better, it’s more of a class thing. The HK VP9 magazine release just seems a little bit classier. I like the toggle-style release. I can drop it using my thumb, my middle finger, or my trigger finger, and the only downside is, all methods require me to break my grip.
The Sig P320 on the other hand, I do not have to break my grip although somebody with smaller hands would, and the magazine release is reversible if you’re left-handed. The HK VP9 is completely ambidextrous. So again, this is a personal preference. If you prefer a push-button style magazine release, you’re going to like the Sig P320 better. But if you like being a little bit eccentric, then the HK VP9 magazine release is probably going to be for you.
Magazine Well
The magazine well on the Sig P320 is very narrow with the standard grip module. The same applies to the HK VP9. Neither of these has much of a bevel inside of the magazine well. If you switch the grip module out on the Sig P320 to an X Series grip module, then it will be massively improved.
A lot easier to get a magazine in. So if you’re comparing the HK VP9 vs Sig P320 with an X series frame, then the SIG P320 is the winner. But otherwise, it’s a draw.
Quality
The Sig P320 doesn’t seem like a cheap handgun but the grip module does feel pretty cheap. The polymer they use it just doesn’t scream quality, whereas the polymer HK uses in the HK VP9, feels really good in the hand. It seems like a higher quality polymer. Overall the HK VP9 just seems like a higher quality pistol than the Sig P320.
Aftermarket
Aftermarket there aren’t a lot of options for the HK VP9. The Sig P320 on the other hand has more aftermarket options than you can imagine. It’s quickly catching up to Glock’s infamous aftermarket. So that should tell you just how many aftermarket options there are currently for the Sig P320.
Aesthetics
Aesthetically this is always going to come down to personal preference. I think the Sig P320 is a more utilitarian-looking handgun, at least in the standard format. The HK VP9 looks a little bit busy. So you have a stark contrast between the two guns.
Personally, I find the HK VP9 has elements of elegance but it’s not an elegant handgun. So I really can’t decide which one I think looks better. This is a tie in my opinion, but you may differ.
Sig P320
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Shooting
Shooting both these guns is a great experience. Both of these guns have a higher bore axis, which generally means they have a little more muscle flip. But that muzzle flip also tends to tame recoil a little bit. So if you’re an inexperienced shooter, both of these guns should work well for you.
If you have smaller hands, I think the HK VP9 will work better for you without question, but the Sig P230 is still a good option.
I myself like the way the Sig P320 shoots, I’ve had a lot of rounds behind it. I have not had nearly as many rounds behind the HK VP9. So I can’t necessarily give a completely unbiased opinion here. The HK VP9 I like, but the Sig P320 I am biased towards, just for the fact that it has more aftermarket options and there are a lot more of them out there.
The Sig P320 is quickly becoming a GLOCK-like handgun in terms of part support. The HK VP9 still doesn’t have that level of support in the US market. The way the slides track on the gun, the HK VP9 actually does shoot slightly better.
It tracks like a CZ 75.
This is really amazing for a polymer frame gun that is this light, but the Sig P320 is no slouch either. They’re both really good guns and they don’t shoot all that different. Just depends on what you’re looking at.
Price/Value
You’ll typically see a $100-$150 premium on the HK VP9 vs Sig P320. There is no doubt the HK is a higher quality gun but that’s quite a premium for a better quality frame. You can buy 2-3 extra P320 grip modules for that difference in price.
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Dollar for dollar it’s hard to say the difference makes the HK worth it but what gun you choose isn’t always about the value of dollars and cents. I personally find the HK to be a better value for me.
Related Articles
Pros/Cons
HK VP9 Pros
- Quality
- Size for Concealed Carry
Sig P320 Pros
- Grip Modules
- Grip for larger hands
HK VP9 Cons
- Finger Grooves
Sig P320 Cons
- Quality
3 Comments
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Nice review! I am looking at these 2 guns as my first firearm so glad I came across this. I’m leaning towards the Sig so your very last line showing “Quality” as a Con concerns me.
I got the VP9 as my first gun years ago. I have not been disappointed thus far. No experience with the SIG yet.
Just bought the Sig. The magazine release lever so close to the trigger was a deal breaker for me.