HK USP "HE" finish - how well does it wear?

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CMOS

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Simple enough question. I have a USP-C right now but in stainless (love it of course). I have the opprotunity to buy a full size USP in the "HE" finish so I am wondering how well the finish holds up to repeated holstering, etc.

Comments?

Thanks.

CMOS

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CMOS,

The HE finish isn't great. I had a USP9 (FS). Since I carry a P7M8/PSP, I never carried the USP9 (it was a 15 round home defense sprayer). I kept the gun in the factory box, never bought a holster for it, Guess what...the dust(not dirt) in the bottom of the box rubbed the finish out from under the ejection port(it gathered on top of an adhesive residue left by a warning sticker). I have been carrying a PSP with standard blueing in an old Bianchi IWB holster for a few months and none of the finish has worn off. Just my personal take.

GHB
 
To agree with Mr. Bell, I have a USP9 fullsize who has an interesting scratch on the slide revealing shiny steel where it had a horrible run in... with the plastic case it came in.

*shrug*

Just my anecdotal experience -- I don't have any experience comparisons with any other finishes.

-Jon
 
In my experience, the HE finish on my USPs have not been great as far as preserving appearance, but it has done a great job of corrosion resistance. I have to watch all my blued or parked guns for rust, but have never had to worry about the USPs, and with minimal care, have never seen any signs of corrosion on any of my USPs.

Tim http://www.streetpro.com
Street Smart Professional Equipment
Blackhawk, SUREFIRE, Mad Dog Knives, Aimpoint Distributor
 
The HE Finish will get that worn in look - really quick. But the finish penetrates the steel to some degree - enough that even where worn - its still protecting the metal. Unless its a deep scratch going under the surface.

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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
 
I own a USP .40 full size and am very interested in this topic. Problem is Mr. Don't Know Much would like to know what HE or FS means. Sorry.
 
:)

NO problem BMC.

"HE" - hostile envoronment finish
"FS" - full size

CMOS

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Wow thanks CMOS! Problem is, how do I know if I have one? To my knowledge my USP is just blued. Is this HE a special option that I can buy, or am I supposed to have it already.
Sorry, I'm ignorant.
 
All USP's that are blued have the "HE" finish. The finish on my departments duty guns are holding up well for the most part.We are seeing some surface rust on those guns exposed to the elements (motorcycles and bicycles). I have carried my USP concealed for two years and have no rust on it. A light coating of oil on the slide is the key element to prevent rust. The slide can then be wiped with a dry patch and enough oil will remain on the slide to prevent any rusting.

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El Cid '89
 
BMC - you HAVE the "HE" finish. USP's only come in "HE" and stainless versions (someone correct me if I'm wrong please).

CMOS

This is my gun. There are many like it but this one is mine.
 
The HE finish is far less durable than it should be, given the qualty expected from H&K, and the cost of the USP series of guns. H&K hypes it for its corrosion-resistance, but a gun like this should also be resistant to abrasion, and holster wear is pretty marked after only a few weeks of use with a Kydex holster, and worse (at contact points) with leather. I have two USP .45 Compacts, one with the HE finish, the other with the SS slide. Unfortunately, the one with the HE finish is highly accurate & precise, while the SS one is mediocre, at best. Probably just bad luck, but has anyone else noticed a difference in performance or accuracy between HE-finish and stainless steel USPs?

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"Potius sero quam nunquam."
 
sawbones, why would there be any difference between the 2? The 2 guns should have the exact same barrel.(?)

CMOS

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So, for my edification, do they have the exact same barrel? We all know that the length, bore, rifling pattern is the same, but I'm interested in knowing composition. Do both guns use stainless barrels?



Slight possibility exists for molecular differences between carbon and stainless to affect accuracy (or between barrel of one material and slide of another). That said, I think Sawbone's SS was just a lemon.
 
The barrels are exactly the same inside & out, and both are carbon steel, so far as I can tell. Barrel length is 3.75", or thereabouts, on both. The HE gun is Variant 10, while the SS gun is Variant 2, but that shouldn't matter. I've done what I can for the SS gun by replacing the factory sights (which shot low with anything & everything, even with 230 gr +P) with Ashley Express sights; a higher-than-usual rear sight now brings POI up to POA, approximately, but consistency is still poor, with best groups at 3-4" at 8 yards (piss-poor), while the HE gun has POI=POA exactly, with "one hole" groups. The guns appear to be equally tight in barrel-to-frame fit (slightly sloppy, kind of like Glocks, just a little tighter) and in frame to slide fit, and single action trigger let-off feels just the same on both. Too bad there's no "lemon insurance" for guns! I suppose I could send the gun back to H&K, but I'm not sure if "unacceptable precision" would be considered a defect by them, or not.

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"Potius sero quam nunquam."
 
BIG THANKS to CMOS and CAK for adding another point to my handgun IQ level. Now for my opinion on HE:
I have been carrying my HK USP .40 HE (thanks again) about an average of twice a week. I carry it in a Bianchi nylon holster (yeah yeah I'm a cheap little dirtbag, I know). I clean my USP once a month (lightly oil the slide), more if I go to the range (full cleaning). So far so good.

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RONIN - samurai with no masters
 
No problem BMC. Our "fee" is for you to get at least 2 people to join a pro-gun group like GOA, LEAA or NRA.

Be safe.

CMOS

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