Vektor SP2
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 118 mm
- Weight, empty
- 995 g
- Introduced
- 1992
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Vektor SP2 is a full-size, short-recoil, locked-breech semi-automatic pistol chambered in .40 S&W and manufactured in South Africa by Vektor, the small-arms division of the Denel corporation. Mechanically almost identical to the 9mm Vektor SP1, it differs primarily in calibre and magazines. The design draws broadly on the Italian Beretta 92, using an open-top slide and a Walther-style tilting locking block, and was offered in standard service, compact (General's Model) and long-barrelled competition forms.
Vektor was the small-arms arm of South Africa's state-owned Denel corporation, developing the SP1 and SP2 in the early 1990s as modern replacements for the Beretta 92-derived Z-88 service pistol.
The SP1 and SP2 share a common design and differ mainly in chambering (9x19mm for the SP1, .40 S&W for the SP2) and magazine. The line descended from South Africa's earlier Z-88 service pistol.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Denel SOC Ltd (Mechem Division)
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- South Africa
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1992
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 118 mm
- Overall length
- 210 mm
- Height
- 142 mm
- Width
- 38 mm
- Weight, empty
- 995 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Double action
- Capacity
- 11
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 308 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 546 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Ambidextrous safety
Open top slide
Double action single action
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 75 .40 S&W pistols | 995 g | 734 g | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 75 .40 S&W pistols | 210 mm | 185 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .40 S&W pistols | 118 mm | 102 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 75 .40 S&W pistols | 11 | 11 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Vektor SP2
How much does the Vektor SP2 weigh?
The Vektor SP2 weighs 995 g (2.19 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Vektor SP2?
The Vektor SP2 is chambered in .40 S&W.
How many rounds does the Vektor SP2 hold?
The Vektor SP2 holds 11 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Vektor SP2?
The Vektor SP2 is 210 mm (8.27 in) long overall, with a 118 mm (4.65 in) barrel.
Who makes the Vektor SP2?
The Vektor SP2 is made by Denel SOC Ltd (Mechem Division) (South Africa).
When was the Vektor SP2 introduced?
The Vektor SP2 was introduced in 1992.
How does the Vektor SP2 operate?
The Vektor SP2 uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- South African National Defence Force
- South Africa
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/vektor-sp2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "vektor-sp2", "name": "Vektor SP2", "manufacturer": { "id": "denel", "name": "Denel SOC Ltd (Mechem Division)", "countryCode": "ZA", "foundedYear": 1992, "website": "https://www.denel.co.za", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": "active", "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": true, "makesFirearms": true, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "8dfe88963f5e34499ffba094698a3c37ba562a533e0eda4b734921958156913a" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "ZA", "year_introduced": 1992, "barrel_length_mm": 118, "weight_empty_g": 995, "action_type": "short_recoil"}