The VP70 combined a number of design features that were innovative, or at least very unusual for its time: • It was the first
polymer-
framed handgun, predating the
Glock 17 by 12 years. At unloaded, the weapon is lighter than most metal framed pistols of the time. • It has a double-stack, double-feed magazine; double-feed magazines are uncommon for pistols even today. These magazines hold 18 rounds, a rather high capacity for its original production time. • As on the
Mauser C96 and the
Lahti L35, the stock was designed to be used as a holster when not mounted. On the military version of the VP70 this combination includes a unique feature: when mounted, a
selective-fire switch, located on the stock, allows switching the weapon to a three-round-burst mode, with a 2,200 rounds per minute cyclic rate of fire. • The VP70 uses a spring-loaded striker like a Glock, instead of a conventional hammer. • It is
double-action only, with a quite heavy trigger pull, akin to a staple gun. • In lieu of a blade front sight, the VP70 uses a polished ramp with a central notch in the middle to provide the illusion of a dark front post. • The barrel has very deeply cut
rifling; this was done to purposely vent gas past the bullet, placing less gas pressure on the slide, a critical part of the VP70's direct blowback function. This also results in slightly reduced bullet velocity when compared to other pistols with similar, or even slightly shorter barrel length. == Variants ==