Went to the range for the first time in a good while and wanted to check out some 9s.

Grabbed the P320 first because the wife took a shine to it. Put about 20 rounds through it and made a nice ragged hole. It was a pleasure to shoot. The trigger was fantastic.

Went and swapped it for the PPS. Put 10 rounds through and sent it right back. One of the most uncomfortable guns I have ever shot. Felt like holding a piece of cardboard.

Got the VP9 next and was impressed. My only prior HK pistol experience was a USP compact I owned for a shot time and couldn't shoot for shit. The trigger on the VP was a huge step up from the USP. Not as nice as the P320 IMHO. It was really nice but not as accurate as the P320 in my hands.

Walked out into the shop and saw that the Sig is $200ish cheaper than the HK so it's a double no brainer now.

I'll be welcoming another SIG to the family soon and my first ever 9mm.

Good choice of a gun I love mine.

OK, but your PPS (probably a Gen1) is not exactly an apples to apples comparison. Depending on which 320 you were shooting the PPS M2 or PPQ may have been a better comparison. Not saying your outcome would be different, but my PPQ trigger and ergos rival my VP9 and 320 quite well.

Good call. Welcome in advance to the P320 club.

The Walther PPS is a subcompact single stack poly frame pistol. Not sure why you were comparing it to the VP9 and P320. A PPQ would make more sense for that.

In any case congrats on the P320 as it is a fine pistol. Not sure why you were seeing a VP9 for $200 more than a P320 unless you were looking at the LE or Tactical model.

I wasn't looking to do an apples to apples comparison honestly. I didn't even know the range allowed up to 4 swaps because I rarely rent anything.

The PPS was just a pistol I had liked the idea of and wanted to try out.

The VP9 I just knew a lot of people had raved about it.

I didn't pay attention to the specific models under the sales counter too much but the P320s were around 550 and the VP9 they had was 750. No one at the counter wanted to help us so we just peaked at the prices. I'll be going to the gun show this weekend and I can cross shop them more but unless I found a VP9 cheaper than the Sig, I doubt I would choose it over the P320.

If you can find an FFL in your area to do a transfer, you can find the VP9 online for a lot less.
I've seen them from $450-$600 depending on model (2 mags or 3 mags with night sights)

quote:

Originally posted by Phelen_Kell:
If you can find an FFL in your area to do a transfer, you can find the VP9 online for a lot less.
I've seen them from $450-$600 depending on model (2 mags or 3 mags with night sights)

^^This. The P320 is an excellent gun, but there's no reason to pay $750+ tax for a VP9. The VP9 compact should be out in a month or so also!

To each his own. I am loving my new 320 RX full size and shoot it very well, but I also have a PPS classic and shoot it better than any small, single stack.

My first pistol was an HK USP full size and as much as I like the lefty friendly ergos and the reliability, due to the combination of the LEM trigger and the grip that is probably too large for my hands, I never shot it as well as striker fired pistols with configurable grips. Now that the 320 is my 'house gun' I will finally be selling the USP

quote:

Originally posted by BklynBoy:
To each his own. I am loving my new 320 RX full size and shoot it very well, but I also have a PPS classic and shoot it better than any small, single stack.

My first pistol was an HK USP full size and as much as I like the lefty friendly ergos and the reliability, due to the combination of the LEM trigger and the grip that is probably too large for my hands, I never shot it as well as striker fired pistols with configurable grips. Now that the 320 is my 'house gun' I will finally be selling the USP

I'm witcha; my two-gun carry selection consists of P320 Compact 9 or .357S, and a Walther PPS M2 9mm. Due to its vanish-under-a-thin-shirt size the Walther rides in my pants at 1 o'clock probably 85% of the time.

But even more amazing, at the range I always shoot just as many rounds through the Walther as I do the Sig. My BIL just retired from HoustonPD and shot it last year; he also liked shooting it more than the 320. Don't get me wrong -- love the P320 and it's a soft shooting dream. But something about the PPS M2 just fits my hand like a single stack P30.

I also have a PPS Classic in 9mm and shoot it every bit as well, even with the unconventional grip. I Taloned it long ago and love it. I just switched to M2 really for mag-change drill consistency; when I switched from HK paddle-release guns to the 320 I would instinctively do the wrong thing every time I switched back and forth between the thumb-button P320 and the paddle-release PPS Classic.

quote:

Walked out into the shop and saw that the Sig is $200ish cheaper than the HK so it's a double no brainer now.

$200 higher than the 320??? Holy inflated MSRP, Batman!

In my area, I can actually get the VP9 a little cheaper than the 320.

No matter though, the 320 is by most all accounts an outstanding firearm. I'm sure you will be happy with it.

Priced them out at the gun show and depending on the table, the price difference was $50-75 more for the VP9.

Saw the P320 as low as 499. Didn't see a VP9 for less than 550 and even that was rare. Most of the P320s were 525-550 and the VPs were $600 ish.

quote:

Originally posted by Scurvy:
Priced them out at the gun show and depending on the table, the price difference was $50-75 more for the VP9.

Saw the P320 as low as 499. Didn't see a VP9 for less than 550 and even that was rare. Most of the P320s were 525-550 and the VPs were $600 ish.

This has been my experience as well.

Sig has done an amazing job with the 320. I iwll end up with one in the safe soon

As for the PPS, it may depend upon your hand size. I have big hands so it took a while to adjust how I held it. At first it was bad, but with adjustments the last 2000+ rounds have not been an issue

quote:

Originally posted by bubbadoc:
Sig has done an amazing job with the 320. I iwll end up with one in the safe soon

As for the PPS, it may depend upon your hand size. I have big hands so it took a while to adjust how I held it. At first it was bad, but with adjustments the last 2000+ rounds have not been an issue

I don't get to shoot as much as I like so if I can't pick up a pistol and immediately be happy with how it feels and how it shoots, I'm not interested. I don't have the time to learn to like a gun.

Home defense is the concern so size, weight isn't a limiting factor.

I can understand how first imprssions are not always final impressions, as with your experience with the PPS.

The first time I held a M1 PPS years ago, it felt top heavy, and like you, the grip was just plain flat.

Even years earlier, the first Makarov I ever looked at and examined, (Chinese 59), I thought was the ugliest pistol ever.

But in later times, after owning both, those first impressions were wrong.

You still made a good choice.