I really REALLY really REALLY want a H&K USP .45... really..

I have an HK USP Compact .45. It has advantages and disadvantages.

On the plus side, it has been accurate and reliable in my admittedly limited shooting of it. It can be carried cocked and locked. Felt recoil is relatively mild, but it does seem to have more muzzle flip than I prefer.

On the down side, it is still somewhat large. In particular, the slide is quite wide, significantly wider than a M1911. This thickness makes it harder to conceal. What irks me is that it is so completely pointless. It's supposed to be a concealble gun, so why didn't they make the slide thinner? If the slide on my Kimber Compact can be significantly thinner, so can the USP Compact.

The DA trigger is frankly horrendous. Horribly heavy. The SA trigger is fair, not as good as my Sig, and certainly not as good as a M1911, but better than a Glock. Unfortunately, there is no target trigger available for the Compact model.

I have medium-sized hands and the grip is just a little too big; I can't quite reach the trigger how I want and keep the gun properly in the web of my hand. Instead, I have to scootch my hand around a little bit.

The USP has a unique mag release, an ambidextrous lever where the trigger guard meets grip. It's too far for your thumb, but easily reached by your forefinger. The problem is that it is DIFFERENT than many of my other guns. I've trained and practiced to hit the mag release with my thumb. I don't trust myself under stress to remember that I'm carrying the USP and to release the mag with my forefinger rather than thumb. So either I only carry the USP and train on it, or I don't carry it at all. I've decided not to carry the USP at all and not to use it as a home defense gun. All because they had to be different.

So when it comes to the USP, my thumbs are firmly sideways. Some good things, some bad things.

M1911
 
MilesTeg
Over time, the USP's have lost some of their magical power over me. It all started when I met this new girl - the Beretta Cougar 8045.****

************

My friend wishes he'd never bought his Cougar. He does have rather large hands, and what bothers him is that basically the trigger is placed such that his fingers wrap around way too far. We're talking past the 2nd knuckle. So as you can imagine, he has a hard time shooting it straight. Makes me wonder how big-handed guys do in the military, though I don't know how similar Cougars are to 92's.
 
Thanks for the info re: bending the strut. Makes very good sense that these guys at the gunshop are screwing up there own inventory...


And the USP magazine release... ahhh... If only all my other pistols could have the same thing. I love it and think it could very well be my favorite feature of the pistol.
 
Calcitanium,

I would say that I have larger than average hands (not Hulk Hogan but still large). Usually the complaints I hear about the 92's and the Cougar's (own both) are that the grip is too big for smaller hands. I have never had any problems but everyone is different and each has his own brand loyalties, ergonomic preferences, and sense of style. I also like the slide mounted safety, on the Beretta's, as much as a frame mounted one. I also know I am in the minority on this. If I had started out on another style of handgun, then I would probably have a problem with it as well. My only complaint about the Cougar is the 8 round mag. It is roughly the same size as the Para-Ord double stack but holds 2 less.

As for your friend, have you checked his grip position. He might be rotating his grip too far and that is the problem. A slight shift in grip causes me to move from the 1st pad to well into the 2nd kunckle. Unless he is new to shooting, I would think he would have noticed the problem with the trigger reach before he bought it.

In the end, he should sell it and get something that fits - whether that is Beretta, HK, SIG, etc..

Have a good one,
Miles
 
That sucks, I love my HK Here is my model
View


The only problem I have ever had is the slide not locking back after emptying a mag. The guys over at HKPRO say it is a problem in the mags and no the gun. Anyway I still love the gun, it funs to fire, accurate for a service pistol, and has a very intimidating look to it. If you like it alot I suggest you wait till you come across one that does not break when your trying it out at the shop.
 
Well duders... quick post here.. just getting over the Stomach Flu so I'm not all within spec.. but I went ahead and got the USP! :D

Since I paid for it in full I was able to shoot it at the range/pro shop I got it at while my 10 day wait goes on.

Very nice, very nice indeed. :)

They had a new one in and I snapped it up before they had time to mess with it, LOL

I did a full function check and everything worked great.

Question: How should I break this gun in? I only put 50 rounds through it. Just plain ole factory PMC.

Thanks guys, now I'm gonna go drink some pink stuff... lol
 
Geez. I am suprised at what you have encountered. I have had no problems with mine at all. Continuous shooting with any quality plinking ammo, will loosen her up a bit. I noticed my spring isn't as tight, as expected. Nice choice!

Semper Fi-
JJC
 
You should have clean it first before firing it, but it doesn't really matter much. The only thing you need to do to break it in is to shoot it, a lot. It might hicup once during the first few hundred rounds, but mine didn't at all.
 
Just sold my NIB HK USP/C. I won't get into the bloody details of why. Let's just say the experience was less than stellar than with Sig, Glock, Browning, Colt, or Beretta.

I so badly wanted to like my HK also. It looked really cool, it said HK on its side, and it fit my hand perfectly. Before the USP the only HK pistol available was the pricey P7. Many here will attest to how wonderful USPs are but like you I've had bad luck with them. No big deal. Similar stories about defective "Brand A" abound also.


If the USP/F .45 is your dream gun its worth looking for a good sample, owning it and getting it out of your system. But what you really want is a ......oh never mind.



And about "breaking in" a gun. Most times it does but sometimes it doesn't.
 
As someone once said on another thread: "Every gun is a beast unto itself." No matter what the brand name, you have to wring it out and see how well it functions. I doubt that any brand has all sterling examples that never screw up.

That being said, H&K's are my preferred pistols. I have a USP40C that flung empty brass right between my eyes when I first bought it. I sent it back to H&K, they tuned the extractor, and it hasn't happened since. Oh, and it's never malfunctioned in the four years I've had it.

My current favorite is a USP 45F w/ UTL light for home defense. Zero malfunctions in the first 1000 rounds and fantastic accuracy.

In between these two guns, I bought a USP 40F that jammed four times in the first 200 rounds, with both magazines. I wasn't feeling very tolerant that day, so I got my money back.

I don't claim H&K's are flawless, but I still want a proven one in my hand when it counts.
Good Shooting, CoyDog
 
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