Heckler & Koch VP70

The VP70 is a 9mm handgun designed by Heckler & Koch that was released in 1970. It is the first polymer framed handgun. Two main variants were manufactured; the VP-70M, which features a detachable stock that introduces a burst-fire mechanism, and the VP-70Z, which is the civilian variant that cannot use the stock piece and thus cannot use the burst-fire option.

The VP70M can only fire a burst mode while the stock is attached. This holds true in the Resident Evil games. In Resident Evil 2, the Burst mode is only available after Leon finds the stock. In Resident Evil 4, the gun is always set on Burst, and the stock is not removable. However, single shots are possible with quick light taps on the fire button. Upon closer examination it is possible to see a small selector switch on the stock, which protrudes slightly to show that the gun is in Burst mode.

Resident Evil 2


The Heckler & Koch VP70 was Leon's starting handgun during Resident Evil 2.

The VP70 is a useful starting gun, with a larger magazine than Claire's Browning. The VP70 is a preferred choice when fighting the lesser enemies of the game such as zombies and cerberus dogs. Leon can also find Handgun Parts (in a locked desk outside the Police Station library) which upgrade the VP70 to the VP70 machine-pistol (called the VP70 Burst ingame). Using these parts, the handgun gains a plastic stock and burst functionality. Upgraded, Leon can effectively take on tougher opponents such as lickers with ease when using the Burst Mode, but with the disadvantage of a much heavier ammunition usage. Both versions fire 9x19mm Parabellum rounds.

Umbrella Security Service operative HUNK carries the basic VP70 handgun in his kit during the Fourth Survivor mission, which he can use best to kill Cerberus and the slow moving Ivy B.O.W.s

Resident Evil 4
"Ah! An awesome choice, stranger. It's got a three-round rapid-fire capability, although it uses up ammo rather quickly."



The H&K VP70 (Matilda in-game) is available for purchase from the Merchant for 70,000 pesetas. It can be bought only after completing the game once. It has a permanently-equipped stock and fires in rapid three-round bursts, although it is possible to fire one or two rounds at a time. The Matilda takes up 10 spaces (5x2) of Leon's inventory. It is the second-largest 9mm handgun in the game, after the Red9 and its stock.

Upgrade Chart

 * Cost is in parenthesis

|Level| Firepower    |Firerate|   Reload Time   |    Capacity    | |    |               |        |                 |                |   |  1  | 1.0           |  0.47  |  1.73           |  15            |   |  2  | 1.2 (15,000)  |    -   |  1.47 (6,000)   |  18 (7,000)    |   |  3  | 1.4 (17,000)  |    -   |  0.87 (15,000)  |  21 (10,000)   |   |  4  | 1.6 (20,000)  |    -   |       -         |  24 (12,000)   |   |  5  | 1.8 (25,000)  |    -   |       -         |  27 (16,000)   |   |  6  | 2.0 (35,000)  |    -   |       -         |  30 (20,000)   |   | Exc |      -        |    -   |       -         |  100 (35,000)  |

The Matilda's exclusive upgrade increases its capacity to 100 rounds.

As the Merchant implies, the Matilda does indeed burn through ammo very quickly. While a fully-upgraded Matilda can perform the same role as an automatic, care must be taken to preserve ammunition.

Resident Evil: Degeneration
Leon is again seen using his VP70 during a flashback of the Raccoon City Outbreak.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles
It is once again seen in REUC, used by HUNK during the "Fourth Survivor" scenario. It has no stock attached and cannot fire in burst mode yet it is still referred to as the "Matilda".

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
As DC covers the events of RE2, the VP-70 is featured as a usable handgun, most likely as Leon's starting handgun for the RE2 segment. He can also be seen with this weapon during the events of Operation Javier.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
The VP70 returns as the Matilda, as confirmed by the Inserted Evil minigame. Solving Clue 5 will lead to the website for Kendo's Gun shop. By solving the puzzle, players are entered to recieve a code for the weapon nearer the game's release. There are 3300 Xbox360 and PS3 dlc codes, respectively. The Matilda has gold plating, a unique stock, and a laser module under the barrel. The special Matilda is also availabe for those who purchase the special edition of the game.

Trivia



 * Leon's VP-70 is based on the earlier production models, as noted by the thumb ridge on the grip.
 * Resident Evil 2 contains many references to the Alien franchise. In the 1984 film Aliens, the pistol used by the Colonial Marines is a Heckler & Koch VP70.
 * Its name in Resident Evil 4, Matilda, may refer to the Jean Reno's film Léon, the Professional, as the main characters of the film bear the names "Léon" and "Mathilda".
 * Its the name of HUNK's handgun in Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles.
 * On the real VP70, the stock could double as a holster in a similar manner as another German handgun featured in Resident Evil 4, the Mauser C-96.
 * In the novel Resident Evil: City of the Dead the VP-70 is mentioned as being the new standard issue sidearm for the RPD, replacing the Browning Hi-Power due to it's higher ammo capacity. This switch is described as being in response to the recent increase in violent crime across the city. In reality, issuing VP-70s in such large numbers would be nearly impossible in 1998, as HK ceased production of the VP-70 line in 1989.
 * The real VP-70 did not feature a slide catch, meaning that when the last round in a magazine was fired the slide would not lock back in the open position, and the shooter would have to manually work the slide to chamber the first round as opposed to simply releasing the slide catch. Yet when the last round in a magazine is fired ingame, the slide will lock back in the same manner as most semi-automatic pistols. It is also notable that Leon is able to eject an empty magazine without repositioning his hands (as if the magazine catch was located at the rear of the tiggerguard, known as a thumb release), while the real VP-70 used a European style magazine catch, which is a latch at the base of the grip.
 * In the new Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City trailer, Leon can be seen with a Glock 17, and the VP70 is no where to be seen. Note that the game is still in development they might change the Glock 17 to VP70 since that's the gun Leon started out with in RE2.
 * In the cover of standart version of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, Vector is showed using a normal VP70.