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Heckler & Koch’s VP9 made its debut in 2014, and it was two things for which H&K wasn’t well-known for at the time—striker-fired and affordable (well, by H&K standards anyway). The polymer-frame gun has an excellent trigger pull, superb ergonomics and a truly customizable grip frame with an ingenious stock panel system. Now you can add a threaded barrel to the list of options with the introduction of the VP9 Tactical in both 9 mm Luger and .40 S&W. Night sights are standard. And, of course, the thread pattern on the 4.70" barrel is metric. hk-usa.com
Defensive gun use is defined by uncertainty. You don’t know when it will happen, how far away the threat will be, how many threats you will face or what position you will be in when it begins.
In 2025, Turkish manufacturer Derya Arms opened a new facility in Florida, enabling the company to produce a number of new products domestically, such as its new OBone suppressor.
The cycle of operation is the mechanical sequence of events that it takes to fire one shot out of a firearm. If one of those steps fails to take place as designed, there is an interruption in the cycle of operation and the gun stops firing.
The Colt Model 1911 pistol and its derivatives are among the most iconic military handguns ever made. But in 2026, does the M1911 still hold up as a quality defensive arm?