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| Country |
West Germany |
| Type |
Automatic pistol |
| Manufacturer |
Heckler & Koch |
| Introduction |
1970 |
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The VP70 is a 9 mm, 18-round, double action only, semi-automatic/three-round burst capable polymer frame pistol manufactured by German arms firm Heckler & Koch GmbH. VP stands for Volkspistole (\"The people\'s pistol\" literally \"Folk pistol\"), and the designation 70 was for the year of the first edition: 1970.
It was the first polymer-framed pistol and predates the Glock 17. The weapon weighed 820 g (28.9 oz) unloaded, lighter than most other metal framed pistols of the time. Although it was the first polymer pistol, the Remington Nylon 66 rifle was the first polymer-framed firearm in production.
One unique feature of this weapon involved the combination stock/holster for the martial version of the VP70. The stock incorporates a selector switch that, when mounted, allows selective fire. Cyclic rounds per minute for three-round burst is an impressive 2200rpm. When not mounted, the stock acts as a holster. The VP70 uses a spring loaded striker like a Glock, instead of a conventional firing pin. It is double action only so the trigger pull is relatively heavy. In lieu of a blade front sight, the VP70 uses a polished ramp with a central notch in the middle to provide the illusion of a dark front post.
The handgun comes in two varieties. The \"Z\" (Zivil, civilian) variant is a semiautomatic only version, generally with no provision to mount a stock; the \"M\" (Militär, military) variant is burst capable. The VP70 was produced from 1970 until 1989. Four hundred VP70-Z pistols were made chambered in 9x21mm IMI; these samples were made primarily for the civilian market of Italy, where the use of the 9x19mm Parabellum is a sole privilege of military and law enforcement agencies. Those VP70-Z pistols sold in Italy can mount the stock-holster but are not selective-fire capable.
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