Heckler&Koch VP9 - Manual (Page 8)

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AMMUNITION
WARNING: HK specifically disclaims any re spon si bil i ties for any damage or injury
that should occur because of, or as a result of, the use of faulty, remanufactured, or
reloaded (hand load ed) ammunition, or of cartridges oth er than those for which the
pistol was orig i nal ly cham bered for.
The HK VP9 pistol is designed to fire quality, factory-loaded am mu ni tion, load ed to NATO
or SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) spec i fi ca tions for use
spe cifi cal ly in handguns.
The following guidelines should be considered when se lect ing the cor rect am mu ni tion for
your pis tol:
1. Be sure the am mu ni tion you have chosen is com pat i ble with your pistol-proper caliber,
cartridge, bul let weight, etc. Caliber markings on the VP9 pistol appear on the left side
of the slide and on the bar rel locking block, visible through the ejection port on the
right side of the slide.
2. Prior to loading the mag a zine and cham ber, carefully in spect all car tridg es for the fol-
lowing ab nor mal i ties:
• Cracked, split, dirty or cor rod ed cases
• Improperly seat ed pro jec tiles and/or primers
• Damaged pro jec tiles.
3. Do not attempt to fire a cartridge in which the pro jec tile has been forced back into the
case. Upon firing, this con di tion may result in increased chamber pres sure above safe
lim its.
4. Do not fire am mu ni tion through a pis tol that:
• Is for eign and/or out dat ed mil i tary sur plus
• Is as sem bled with cor ro sive prim er and/or propellant
• Is ex posed to oil, grease, wa ter or direct sun light. If possible, re move contaminants
be fore use and cool down am mu ni tion ex posed to di rect sun light or heat. (Ex po-
sure to sourc es of heat could raise the cham ber pres sure of the car tridge above safe
limits.)
• Is loaded spe cif i cal ly for use in submachine guns.
CAUTION: HK firearms are designed to function with quality, manufactured brass-
cased ammunition. Use of steel or aluminum-cased cartridges is not recommended and
could adversely affect safe and reliable functioning. Use of cast-lead bullets is also not
recommended.
NOTE: HK handguns are safe for use with new, high-quality U.S. factory ammunition
manufactured to SAAMI specifications. For further information on ammunition selection,
contact HK Customer Service at 706-568-1906, email: [email protected].
FILLING AND EMPTYING THE MAGAzINE
NOTE: Do not attempt to load more than the prescribed number of cartridges into
the magazine. Do not alter the shape of the magazine housing, fol low er or spring. To
do so may cause stoppages or the mag a zine may not seat properly in the pistol.
Filling the Magazine
Figure 7 — Loading the magazine
1. Hold the magazine in the non-firing hand with the back side of the mag a zine resting
against the palm.
2. Using the firing hand, hold a car tridge between the index finger and thumb with the
projectile facing the palm.
3. Press the rim of the cartridge down against the forward edge of the mag a zine follower
or on the top car tridge al ready in the magazine.
4. Slide the cartridge back into the mag a zine under the feed lips.
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until the magazine is full. The viewing holes in the back of the
mag azine allow the operator to confirm the number of car tridg es present with in the
mag a zine.
Emptying the Magazine - Exert pressure with a finger on the base of the cartridge and
push each cartridge forward out of the mag a zine one at a time until the magazine is
empty.
LOADING
WARNING: Forcefully inserting a loaded mag a zine into many pistols may cause the
pistol’s slide to close, cham ber ing a car tridge and mak ing the pistol ready to fire.
When inserting a magazine, always be sure the VP9 pistol is point ed in a safe di rec tion
with your fingers off the trigger and outside the trig ger guard. Failure to do so could
cause you to un in ten tion al ly fire the pistol, re sult ing in se ri ous injury or death.
Administrative Loading - Used to initially load the pistol before it is to be fired.
Slide rearward or forward, chamber empty.
1. Make sure fingers are out side of the trig ger guard and the pis tol is point ed in a safe
direction at all times!
2. Insert magazine - Insert the mag a zine firmly into the frame. Tug on the magazine to
insure that it is fully seated and engaged.
3. Chamber a cartridge - Chamber a cartridge by de press ing the slide re lease or by pulling
the slide fully to the rear and releasing it. Do not ride the slide for ward!