Glock 23 or HK USP 40 Compact?

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Pipper

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I'm planning on purchasing a 2nd handgun tomorrow, and I've narrowed the choice to the Glock and HK. I have not shot either gun, and I've been unable to locate a range in my area that will rent guns in order to try them out. So, I'm going on what I've read and reputation. The additional cost of the HK does not bother me. I guess that I'm interested in your subjective evaluations. How much do you enjoy shooting these guns? Which gun do you enjoy shooting more (assuming you've shot both)? If you have familiarity with warranty and customer service, I'd be very interested in hearing your knowledge and experiences.

I'd also like to know which you think may be better for concealed carry.

I appreciate any suggestions.
 
I'd go with the Glock 23 for it's pure simplicity. There are no decocking levers, or external safties to fiddle with. I like the looks of the HK... but I just don't like the price.

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Ben

"Gun Control Is Being Able To Hit Your Target"
 
I've fired Glocks and USPs. I vastly prefer the USP. The trigger feels much smoother, and the gun just feels more stable in general.

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"Taking a long view of history, we may say that
anyone who lays down his arms deserves whatever he gets."
--Jeff Cooper
 
Being a long time Glock fan AND a recent HK convert maybe I can help.

Glock PRO:

1. Reliable
2. Durable
3. Simple

Glock CON:

1. Lousy hand ergonomics, points high.
2. Only 1 mode of operation Safe Action, if
find later that you prefer a safety, DA/SA
trigger etc... nothing you can do with the
Glock.
3. Alleged K.B. problem, I say alleged
because I believe it's due to improper
reloading. It may be a concern to others, though.

H.K. USP .40C PRO:

1. Reliable
2. Durable
3. Ergonomic
4. Multi modal

H.K. USP .40C CON:

1. Cost, spare mags are twice as much as glock mags, harder to find.
2. Slow customer service
3. No hi cap mags (that may be important to
you, or not).

Those are just a few things I could come up with off the top. As far as shooting, I was a big proponent of the Safe Action system until I shot an HK. I actually shoot better with the HK because I tended to "slap" the Glock trigger once it reset. It seems that the Glock trigger had to much length of pull in relation to its weight.

Also something to consider is how dedicated you are to mastering a DA/SA trigger pull. If this is for casual shooting, a Glock may the best choice. The reason being, the Glock is an easy gun to shoot well BUT if you are dedicated to shooting a DA/SA, I think a shooter can do better with the HK.

Confused yet? I am. I hope you can make sense of this post and what I'm trying to say.

Ahh... get the H.K., you'll end up with it sooner or later.

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Dan

Check me out at:
www.mindspring.com/~susdan/interest.htm
www.mindspring.com/~susdan/GlocksnGoodies.htm
 
You have a hard, but wonderful decision to make.

Glock 23: Fine gun, reliable, good finish, cheap.

Usp 40c: Fine gun, reliable, ok finish, moderate price, Hk quality.

The guns have basically the same recoil. I found the guns to have equal accuracy. However,the Hk is just safer. People will debate you on the safe action, but it is basically a medium trigger pull DAO. Don't fool with this for a concealed carry gun. I own one, I like it (never thought I would), but I only use it as a car gun (and if I ever get around to hunting, I'll carry it then). However, if your purpose for this gun is simmilar to mine (Hike/car/hunting), the Glock is superior. The gun will accept pre-ban hi-caps (pricey) and the finish will take some serious abuse--the USP (unless you get the stainless) will not.

(In actuality, I recommend the P7M8, I just put down a few bucks on one of the German police refurbs. This will be my 4th p7--just can't get enough!)
 
Greetings Pipper; If the gun of choice is for
a duty sidearm, I would go with the Glock 23.
Daily use (weapon presentations) will not
effect the Tennifer finish on Glock's. As
carried all day long in a holster you will
find that Glock's are light, concealable,
and a joy to carry. I carry the M23 in a
Galco belt slide holster, and hardly even
know I have it on.

On the other hand, the H&K's are like the
Sig-Sauer line; very fun to shoot. Highly
accurate; but not easy to conceal.

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Ala Dan
 
IMHO you won't go wrong with either choice. It really comes down to what you feel comfortable with. That said, for me HKs (both the fullsize and compact models) are more comfortable than their Glock counterparts. I feel safer with the safety/decocker on HKs. Placement of the mag release on HKs facilitates really quick mag changes. HKs are definitely more expensive but for me the price difference is justified. When I look at my HKs I get the feeling that they were made with a lot of forethought and engineering. I like Glocks too but they give me the impression of being a utilitarian tool. Yesterday I was at my local shop and picked up a G17 because it was barely used and really cheap... I needed something to keep me occupied until my HK Expert arrives.
 
I have carried a Glock 23 for several years almost daily. I love it. I think it is the ultimate plain clothes handgun. For all the reasons named above, and ease of maintainence. 14 rounds of .40 in a gun that thin, light and reliable is really hard to beat. I have several guns to choose from, but that is the one I have chosen, day in and day out, for years.

NOW, I am about to be issued a full size HK USP .40 for on-duty Uniform LE work. I will be carrying this gun 5 days a week, 8-10 hours a day. I'll have to qualify with it and remain proficient with it. SO, do I want to carry a Glock off Duty? Probably not, I know intellectually that the USP compact is for all practical purposes just as good as the Glock 23 for my plain clothes needs, so I am going to be purchasing one of them for off-duty use. I won't be getting rid of my Glock, but I'd rather use one system at a time.

In YOUR decision, you really can't go wrong, both are good guns and legitimate choices. Consider things like the finish and the maintainence issues, in case the gun doesn't get cleaned every day and in the odd case that something breaks. Good Luck.
 
I have the best of both worlds...

I bought a G-19 and gave it to my wife. At the same time, I bought a USP Compact 40 for me (variant one - though I am thinking about getting the regular hammer to replace the burred one on my USP40C).

I am happy with both.

Now, if either model came with a frame accommodating an 8-10 round single-stack magazine, that would be a real gun to own.

Skorzeny

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For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu
 
Let's see you can get the HK (pretty much all hype) or the Glock (againa lot of hype).

Finish: Glock wins
Ergonomics: Glock wins (lower bore axis)
Shootability: Glock wins (no DA/SA transition)
Feel: up to you
Accuracy:=
Simplicity: Glock
Customer service: Glock
Concealibility:=
Safety: Glock has 3, HK has 2. Glocks don't have an external one though.
SHTF factor: Glock (no safety to thumb off)
Reliability:= (might get a bad one might get a good one, something you have to find out)

So take your pick.

P.S. I prefer Glock

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D2V
http://rosie.acmecity.com/chuckle/247/open.html
 
Well, as I put before, I own both (actually the Glock 19 belongs to the wife) and here are what I found:

Finish - both are excellent, but for me in any case, the Glock finish is wearing a bit faster.

Ergonomics - the Glock indeed has a lower bore axis and is nicer that way, but H&K grip is thinner and better shaped (for me).

Shootability - the Glock Safe-action, I think, is better than DA/SA. However, the USP40C can be carried cocked & locked. So, H&K wins for me here, too, because single-action every time beats Safe-action everytime.

As I listed, I think that the USP40C beats Glock in some areas.

On the other hand, the weaknesses of the USP40C are: unavailability of high-cap magazines (and other parts) and the relative thickness of the gun compared to the Glocks.

The Glock has lower bore axis, but my Glock has malfunctioned about five times (three times during the break-in and twice with questionable ammo) in 500 rounds or so (though to be fair it shot my choice of defense ammo 200 rounds straight without malfunction) whereas the USP40C has not malfunctioned once in 500 rounds.

Nonetheless, the Glock is my house gun because both my wife and I can handle it competently (USP40C controls confuse my wife).

Skorzeny

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For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu
 
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