HK USP9 vs USP40

P

Paul K

New member
Ok.... i dont know if i want the 40SW anymore.
but i really cant decide.... sence this is MY first handgun (not my dads) i want it to my spec, not his.

I want to do some target shooting, and im not sure if the USP40 will be accurate enough.
I also want it for home defence, and i want it to be able to have good knock down power.
so which should i get?
Ugh... how can somthing so simple be so complex.
 
I'm not an expert on this, nor do I play one on TV (I don't even watch experts on TV for that matter), but this is my experience after shooting all three calibers for about 4 years now.

I like the 9mm for target practice. Cheap ammo and good accuracy. Although I wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of one, I want something bigger for home defense. I like the Browning HP or the CZ-75 for target work. I've tried the USP 9, but the trigger is not smooth enough for informal bullseye shooting.

I like the power of the .40 Auto for defensive use, but the ammo is more expensive than the 9mm and I have a hard time shooting it accurately for target practice. I haven't determined whether the accuracy issue is with the shooter or the cartridge, but I'm leaning toward the cartridge. I've done a lot of hand loading and bench rest tests.

For my home defense gun, I've selected the USP40 equipped with a laser sight. It fits in the night safe, but not a holster. I figure that I'll mostly hit what I'm pointing at with it and I have 13 round mags to make up for those shots that I do miss. I also carry a SIG 229 40. I like its size and fit in my hand, although it is much more accurate with the 357 SIG cartridge.

In defense situations, pinpoint accuracy is not as important as good enough accuracy and power. So I think that the .40 is an excellent compromise.

For both accuracy and big holes in the Bad Guy, the .45 ACP fits the bill. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive to shoot and carries fewer rounds than either of the other two choices. If I had to choose only one to do both target and defensive shooting, I'd go with the 45, keep several extra mags for reloads, and practice enough to reliably hit what I'm aiming at.
 
I'd go with the 9mm. Easier to shoot. Cheaper to shoot. While not quite as much power as .40 or .45, it's enough. I certainly wouldn't want to be on the recieving end of one. I have more 9mm's than any other caliber. If I could only have one gun, it would probably be a nine. My first was also a nine.
 
As incredibly large and weighty as the USP is, I would strongly suggest the .40. The recoil dampening system on the USP's is top notch, and combined with the weight of the pistol, will feel like a hot 9mm at most.

As for accuracy, I'll try not to laugh. The HK's are amazingly accurate, and I venture to say, more accurate than most of us... even in .40. Contrary to popular belief, the .40 is NOT less accurate than any other cartridge. It has been proven many times in controlled test environments. When comparing apples to apples, the .40 is just as accurate as any other round. True though, that the extra "bang" that the .40 carries can cause "mental and emotional" inaccuracy with some shooters, due to the flinch factor.

Third, unless you're going to buy pre-ban full-caps, why buy a pistol designed to hold 16 rounds that only holds 10? I feel much better losing 3 rounds instead of 6....

Aside from that, the only real differences will be that the 9mm recoils slightly less, and the .40 has more power for the HD role.
 
I would not rule out the .40 USP based on the assumption that it will not be accurate enough.

Of the handguns I own (Beretta, H&K, CZ, Kimber, Ruger, etc.) I can shoot the H&K USP .40 more accurate than any ofthe others. If you were to lock them into a Ransom, that might not be the case, but when I shoot them it is. I have a silouhette target hanging above my bench right now from my last range trip. At 15 yards I put 18 rounds into 1.5 inches (basically one big hole) with two flyers opening the group to barely over two inches. I can keep two magazines in the head of the target at 15 yards semi-rapid fire.

Plenty accurate enough for me.

As for the 9mm. I'd feel well armed with either of them.

Shake
 
Go for the USP 40 compact. My friend has had one for about 3 months. And I hadn't spent much time behind the trigger of one, but I finally did this past weekend. The grip is ok, the weight is nice, and the sights are really nice. Normally I cannot hit a darn thing with it. But after getting the hang of the recoil, I was shooting pretty well. I shot it well enough that my friend (the pistol owner) was jealous. The 40 is fine once you get the hang of it.
 
Paul,

The myth that .40 S&W is not an accurate round is just that - a myth.

9mm is cheaper.

I believe in big bores.

I prefer, carry, and compete with HK .45's.

If you are sketchy about the accuracy of a .40 and don't like a 9mm for SD, check out a .45. The USP .45 F is not that much bigger than a .40F and a USP .45C only gives up 2 rounds to the .40C (since no Hi Caps are available - but they are for 9MM and for .40F).

Just a thought to confuse the matter even more.
 
The USP .40 I rented sold me on the USP series. I went with the .45 simply because I like the caliber.

The USP .40 was very accurate. I'm not sure what would be the mechanism of this supposed inherent inaccuracy? Heck, I'm pretty darn accurate with my Glock 27. I would say that shooter --> gun -------> cartridge is the order (decending) of those things that affect accuracy.

I think your best bet would be to rent a .40 and see if you like the recoil impulse. If you really like velocity, look at the 357 SIG round. Swap a barrel, you can have the .40, swap it again, you have the SIG. Voila! Not so sure about swapping down to 9mm due to the difference in the breechface/headspace, although the no malfunctions of the Sig conversion sounds promising.

(And above all this, I certainly feel that a 9mm is a fine defense round, especially when using modern HPs.)
 
The USP40 was designed around the 40cal, rather than just being an adapted 9mm. It can handle the round, and the recoil buffer is incredibly effective. The reason the 40cal is 'inaccurate' is because people can't always handle the snap of the pistol. The USP doesn't have the pronounced snap of the other pistols. Have fun!!!
 
I thought the "buffer" was only used in the compact version of the 40 - just like the .45C. However I thought .40F (just like the .45F) had dual recoil springs.
 
From the 1993 H&K Catalog when the USP was introduced:

"One of the most important unique design features of the HK USP is the mechanical recoil reduction system. This system is incorporated into the recoil/buffer spring assmebly located below the barrel. Designed primarily to buffer the slide and barrel and reduce recoil effects on the pistol components, the system also lowers the recoil forces felt by the shooter.

This recoil reduction system was tested and proven in the HK .45 ACP Handgun designed for the US Sepcial Operations Command in 1992. Using the same system as the USP, this pistol fired a steady diet of more than 27,000 +P cartridges without damage to any of the components, including the polymer frame. This buffering effect plays a major role in extending the service life of the HK USP, especially when you consider the punishment inflicted on any pistol that fires a steady diet of the powerful .40 S&W cartridge.

The recoil reduction system employed in the HK USP is insensitive to ammunition types and requires no special adjustment or maintenance."

Later on the compacts came out with the little plastic "buffer" that floats along the rod.
 
I like the .40 version more than the 9mm. I have 2 .40s in V1 configuration and a .45 also in V1. Variant 1 (V1) is the most common steup with the decocker/safety on the left side if the pistol (for right-handed shooters).
 
Buy the USP9, then get yourself the HK caliber conversion to 40SW. That way, you get two guns in one!;)

Regards,

New_comer
 
Paul,

As someone who carries the USP 40 (VarianT 7 - UGH!) on duty, I feel I am somewhat qualified to comment here.

Pro:

Toughest gun you'll ever own.
Will shoot in any conditions.
Very accurate - much more accurate than my awful DAO trigger tends to allow.
Looks cool - big badaxx gun.

Con:

Huge. Very heavy, especially when I carry it in plainclothes/off duty.
Hi-caps are extremely expensive.
Variant 7 DAO trigger is awful - long and heavy. Traditional DA/SA trigger is much better - Variant ..?
Grip is too vertical for me. The gun points way down. I like the Glock grip angle better, but that's just me.

Bottom line: If I had to buy an HK, I'd get the compact .40 with a DA/SA/decocker. If you like the HK platform, including the somewhat vertical grip angle, you won't go wrong with any of them (just DON'T GET VARIANT 7!).
 
WildBoarZ, so spoon feed the idiot (me) here alreay - does a .40F have a plastic buffer or a dual spring. (I have never seen one apart)
 
I think the easiest way to decide which gun to get is to flip a coin. I have decided that I want a USP, but until I flipped a coin I didn't know which one I would get first. The USP45F won the toss.(Best 5 of 7;))
 
I bought the USP9 full size, because I wanted something I could put 300 rounds through every time I went to the range (without breaking the bank). The gun is very accurate and comfortable to shoot. My next purchase will be the .45 full size, which will be outfitted with the HK UTL light and night sights as the primary home defense gun. the 9mm will mainly be a range gun.

Either one can be learned as an accurate range gun or an excellent home defense gun. I say rent both and pick the cartridge you like shooting the most. Essentially, they are the same gun, just throwing different bullets downrange. I think your decision lies in cartridge preference, not between the two USP's.

I have shot the full size USP in 9, .40, and .45. I have shot the Compact in .357SIG. All are excellent guns, and in Variant One they all feel so similar (.45f is a bigger gun, though) the choice boils down to what cartridge you like to shoot best. Either way, you're going to have an excellent firearm.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top