For my first gun: HK USP45 or Colt Gov't S80?

S

staind

Inactive
Hi,

Read a lot about guns and have fired my friend's 9mm's so it's time for me to get my own. I'm from the Philippines and in this part of the globe, the HK USP45 Compact is priced the same as the HK USP 9mm full-size and the Colt Gov't S80. All of em being roughly around $950! :eek The other guns have at least a 40% markup so the above are my best bets.

Anyway, If you were me, which of the above would you choose as my first gun? Can you give me the pro's and con's of your choice? I know that we all have our own preferences so please state yours.

The guns I've fired lately are a Beretta 92DS (hi-cap FS) and a hi-cap S&W 9mm. Liked both cuz of the light recoil. Fired a Colt Gov't a few years back and had fun with it although I remember the heavy recoil. Have not actually seen a USP yet but I'll do this weekend.

Any feedback from you re: what to look for when shopping for the above guns or whatever would greatly be appreciated.

:)
 
Kabayan staind ;)

First off, welcome to TFL!

Where were you at the gun shows last year? :confused: You could have easily availed of very good discounts on a variety of excellent firearms: HKs, Glocks, Rugers, Walthers, CZ's, Beretta, Taurus, SW's, Brownings, & 1911's galore - Charles Dalys(Armscor), STI, Colt, ParaOrdnance; shotguns and rifles - and licencing booths - all under one roof! :D

I got my USP9 for much less that what you've stated (around $550), allowing me to buy holsters, a belt and ammo with what i had left. If I were you, I'd wait for the next gunshow (August as I last heard). Till then, do more research (use the search function here :D), test out some guns if possible, check out the gun stores, and determine what your true need is: is it for concealed carry, home defense, practical sports shooting, or hunting? Different chores require different tools, so be careful. This is one investment that pays to be right the first time around. You wouldn't want to wind up taking a big loss selling off your "second-hand" gun.

Stay safe, kabayan ;)
 
hello there,
first off you've already had a feel of a handgun . 9mm as you stated. and have and eye
for the USP45 compact and full size 9 +1911.
i would tell you right now that for a first gun the UPSC45 is a bit much in recoil compared
to the 9mm. the 1911 is a full size gun which would aid a bit in recoil not to mention it's
metal compared to the polymer frame of the UPSC. the USP 9 mm would be a bettter choice
as a first gun. hi-cap plus HK is a well made handgun (you can't go wrong) .
I'm a 1911 fan myself but also have a variety of handguns from hk's, to custom para's
and 9mm , 40's and 45's . My first gun was a beretta then my second was a 70 series gold cup
that my father had given me.
i remember firing a few firearms in the PI when i was young and my father had always
loved the colt 1911. now i understand why. he's first handgun was also a BHP .
good luck .
 
Another hearty welcome to TFL-

And with that said, I would recommend the H&K USP. A high
quality, dependable firearm that has performed well in all the
rigourous test's conducted by the federal government. On the
flip side on the coin, the only series 80 Colt I can honestly
recommend would be the Colt Combat Elite .45ACP or it's twin;
the Colt Delta Elite 10mm. I've seen too many standard Gov't
Model .45's that had lot's of problem's, straight out-of-the-box.
If a Colt Government Model is what you desire, seek out a nice
series 70's model; as IMHO they are built better.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.
 
Another vote for the HK USP. You can't go wrong with this pistol. Once you shoot it you will fall in love, and the HKs in the safe will keep multiplying!
 
I have one of each. My Colt .45 is a 1991A1 Government Enhanced that has been tricked out and has about $1200 in it. My H&K Compact .45 is bone stock and cost me around $700.

Starting with neither and knowing what I know of each I would take the H&K Compact .45 in a heartbeat.

It is simply the more modern of the two and everything about it is brought up to date.

The H&K finish is near legendary for toughness, the take down is as simple as it gets and if recoil is an issue the HK Compact is more comfortable to shoot than a traditional .45 (for me anyway). There is a recoil buffer in the Compact that really absorbs the sharpest part of the recoil and makes shooting it a lot very easy to do.

The nine modes you can have the trigger/safety put in give you a lot of flexibility. Mine is set to Double Action first shot, Single action second and the decocker. I love double action first shot guns for their speed of deployment and your ability to safely carry with a round in the chamber.

The accuracy of a HK compact, out of the box, will beat any 45 until you get into the really high end customized .45's.

The downside is that, if you like to tinker and add parts then there is not much anywhere like a .45. As you probably know you can build a .45 from aftermarket parts. They are unique in that respect.
 
I would recommend the USP as well. Mine have been absolute joys to own and shoot. I originally bought my Colt 1991a1 last year. Was happy w/ it & had no functioning problems, but, it turned into a bit of a project gun and is now a semi-custom piece w/ new beavertail, hammer, trigger & trigger job, sights, mag well, grips and a ramped barrel is in the works.
Get the USP and a lot of rounds for it! ;)
 
USPs are fairly large. Unnecessarily so, imo.

I recommend their compact line, which I see you're considering.
 
thank you all for the suggestions!

just been to a gun shop to check out the HK USP9 Compact (that's the only HK demo unit they have). They also have a (per the shop owner) tricked out all-stainless-stell Colt Gov't (with a Remington slide and Bomar sights). That thing is a beauty. But it's a used gun and more expensive. It's about $1200 :eek: compared to $950.

The HK USP looks like a toy compared to the Colt, esp. when you decock it. Feels very plastic to me. I'll check out more shops tomorrow.

Apparently, there are only Compact HK's in this country. The full-size version is a rarity.

New_comer: Dya have the number of the guy/shop that sold you the USP9? Would you by any chance be selling it? ;) Kabayan, please text me at 0917-815-9369. The name's joey. Thanks!

AUGUST is lightyears away! :( :( :(

Having said that, would I be better off gettin a Taurus Millenium PT911 right now for $650 or a Ruger P95DC for $750 then wait till August (for the gunshow) to get an HK USP45 or Colt Gov't? Or should I be better off gettin either of the latter right now? :confused:

Thanks everyone and happy shooting!
 
my opinion , if you have that spare cash to throw in to a taurus, hell just wait and
get the 1911 style handguns or HK, you seem to be set on the 45's if so then that is a good
choice since you don't really care for the plastic feel. 45's never die. no matter how many designs will come in the future the 1911 still has the best trigger. unless somebody will
come up with something similar. :)
 
A buddy at work just bought an HK USP .45 and loves it. He was more than happy to replace his Ruger P90.

On the Rugers, let me say that they are great guns, but not worth my time. The bottom line is that they are good for the bottom line; cheap to buy and of reasonable quality/accuracy. You can get one if it feels right for you, but you're not getting a top of the line weapon.

My Colt 1911 is a dream and I wouldn't want to replace it with an HK, though that is a great weapon from everything I've seen. My thinking is this:

The HK is based on the 1911 in its design (the frame-mounted safety and slide release are identical to those found on the 1911). After that, though, it seems the HK gets very complicated.

On the other hand, I can take a 1911 apart without any qualms. The parts are large, easily handled, and quite simple. Understanding the design of the 1911 and its operation takes a matter of seconds. Combine that with the overwhelming number of aftermarket parts and you have a tinkerer's dream. I'm a tinkerer and love the idea that I can have a weapon that is absolutely mine!

Of course, you have to consider what weapon fits you and shoots well for you. While I like my friend's Glock, and I can shoot it with some accuracy, the weapon just doesn't feel good in my hand and doesn't appeal to my sence of style. Similarly, a bud's Sigma feels awful to my hand, though it's accurate. The HK felt great and I thought about buying one. The only thing that stops me is that I can't add parts to it.

Feel them all and get the one that appeals the most to you.
 
Thanks again for your help guys!

To tell you honestly, I really like the feel of the Colt 1911. But I don't mind having an HK USP45 either. I plan to have both so doesn't matter which one I get first as long as I get one soon! :)

Target shooting is addictive! :) :D

New_comer: Oh, so you're the one that sent me that number. I'll phone Gary up, hope he can give me a good deal.


This forum is great! Happy shooting!
 
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