The Ultimate Firearms Destination for the Gun Lifestyle

What’s Old Is New Again: The B&T VP9

In a delightful nod to the obscure British Welrod pistol, B&T is releasing to the public a highly unique pistol they’re tentatively calling the VP9. (No, it’s not the same as HK’s striker pistol of the same name. In order to prevent confusion, B&T may release their product under a different moniker. Time will tell.)

20180124_102910

The B&T VP9 has an intriguing backstory. An unspecified government agency in Europe approached B&T with some very specific requirements for a very specific mission set. After producing a small number of the pistols for this particular customer, B&T re-purposed the design and sold limited numbers to veterinarians for humanely dispatching wounded or suffering animals. The nomenclature VP9 actually stands for Veterinarian Pistol, 9mm.

20180124_102931

So what is it exactly that B&T produced? A 5-shot, bolt action, 9mm pistol. Yes, bolt action. The breech must be unlocked and then manually cycled after each shot. While this may sound outdated or inefficient, the locked breach and lack of reciprocating slide keep this gun spooky quiet.

Additionally, the magazine is contained in the pistol grip, meaning that you must detach the entire pistol grip to reload. Again, it may seem inefficient when thinking in USPSA terms. But it offers the distinct advantage of the VP9 being able to be broken down into three primary components that can fit into a cargo pocket or shaving kit.

20180124_102959

The barrel itself is only 1.5 inches long. The rest of the gun is all suppressor, itself a unique design of aluminum spacers and wipes that does not actually feature any traditional baffles. Wipes, while consumable, are incredibly quiet and easy to swap out and dispose of. When you factor in all these seemingly odd design features, the intended end user of this pistol begins to take shape. B&T tells us they are actually producing a small batch of these pistol in their US factory, as a cost-benefit analysis against the unfathomable hassle of tackling both State Department and BATF import vetting procedures. The roll marks on the final production guns is still up for discussion, depending on how these two parallel strategies pan out.

20180124_103036

No price point has been decided but for the collector of pew pew oddities, the B&T VP9 is certainly an admirable addition to any collection.

Enter Your E-Mail to Receieve a Free 50-Target Pack from RECOIL!

NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOIL

For years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included).

Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.

You want this. Trust Us.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to the Free
Newsletter