The VP70 is a 9×19mm, 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[2][3][4] (literally "People's Pistol"), and the designation 70 was for the first year of production, 1970.
Heckler & Koch VP70 | |
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VP70Z variant
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Type | Pistol / Machine pistol |
Place of origin | West Germany |
Service history | |
Used by | See Users |
Wars | Lebanese Civil War |
Production history | |
Designed | 1970 |
Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Produced | 1970–1989 |
Variants | VP70M, VP70Z |
Specifications | |
Mass | 820 grams (28.9 oz) empty |
Length | 204 millimetres (8.0 in) |
Barrel length | 116 millimetres (4.6 in) |
Width | 32 millimetres (1.3 in)[1] |
Height | 142 millimetres (5.6 in) |
Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum 9×21mm IMI (VP70Z only) |
Action | Blowback |
Rate of fire | 2200 rounds/min (three-round-burst mode) |
Effective firing range | 50m |
Feed system | 18-round box magazine |
The VP70 combined a number of design features that were innovative, or at least very unusual for its time:
The handgun comes in two varieties. The "M" (Militär, military) variant is selective-fire (semi-auto/three-round bursts), the "Z" (Zivil, civilian) variant is a semi-automatic-only version. The VP70Z has no provision to attach the stock, and also lacks the internal mechanical parts required for the burst-fire function even if the stock was attached. The VP70Z also has a crossbolt safety right behind the trigger; on the VP70M this is replaced with a non-functional plug, relying only on the heavy double-action trigger for safety.
Four hundred VP70Zs were made in 9×21mm IMI; these samples were made primarily for the civilian market of Italy, where the use of the 9×19mm Parabellum was at the time permitted only to military and law enforcement agencies. All of the VP70Z pistols sold to Italy had the provision to mount the stock, but still lacked the three-round-burst firing capability.
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HK says the VP [...] means Volks Pistole or People's Pistol [...] This is where another (erroneous) name for the pistol comes from. Vollautomatische Pistole.
Around 1970, Heckler & Koch developed the selective-fire VP70 (VolksPistole: People's Pistol) with the reported hope that it would be chosen to arm village militias in Vietnam.[permanent dead link]