Info On USP .45 Compact

V

VictorLouis

New member
I saw one today in stainless, w/o the internal, keyed safety lock(ala Steyr & Taurus). The dealer says that makes it more desirable(sure). I researched a few past posts here w/mostly good input. The gun has been out for over two years, and seems to be reliable.

My questions are for anyone who's had experience with it up against a LW Comm., P220, or P97. Is there more apparent felt recoil, or less? More, or less muzzle flip? And, has anyone chrono'ed any loads from this one in comparison with there other .45s? I know that polygonal rifling 'should' account for for more velocity, with all else being equal; but, I'm still leary about sub-4" barrel lengths in .45s.

How about it, folks, what do you think?
 
I've never shot a USP .45 compact, but I did have the full size one. It was reliable and accurate enough for me but the trigger sucked big donkey nuts. I traded it it for a Sig P220 2 tone model and don't regret it at all. The Sig is more accurate, just as reliable, has a much better trigger, and fit MY hand better.

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It's a quite precise, but not so compact pistol. It's large, but this
makes the bearing of nasty P+ loads much better. And since I have huge
hands, I need large guns. The only drawback is that one has to replace
the recoil puffer every 1000 rounds.

One can't go wrong a lot with it, IMO, unless he needs an
ultracompact gun. But then I suppose he will chosse another caliber.
 
While I own only 9mm HK pistols I have had the pleasure of shooting the USPc 45. Most impressive.

mussi, I have never heard of the need to replace the recoil buffer every 1000 rounds. The manual specifically states it is good for "over 20,000 rounds" of service.

My friend who owns this pistol has shot just about every type of ammo he could get his hands on with no failures at all.

IMHO, the USPc 45 is the best of both worlds - SA/DA with cocked-and-locked capability.

CMOS

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NRA? Good. Now join the GOA!

The NRA is our shield, the GOA will be our sword.
 
VL - My 45C has approx 1500 rnds (factory ball & jhp's, no lead, with a fair amount of +P stuff) thru and hasn't missed a beat. The felt recoil is low as .45's go, right in with my Beretta Cougar, but it is a light gun, so there's a bit more muzzle flip, but easy enough to do quick follow-ups/double-taps. Mine has a decent trigger in both SA & DA, though I find the DA trigger to be on the light side. It's accurate, and with a 3.8" barrel, I don't sweat any minor loss of velocity, esp. with 185 gr +P ammo. I like it well enough that I'm in the market for a 9C to keep it company. Go for it. M2
 
I have the 45c. Nice enough gun, although I don't shoot it as well as my G30 and Kimber 45. DA trigger is atrocious and single action is good. I used it C&L. It is reliable to the extreme and even kept on working after I broke a firing pin. It did pick up a little surface rust when I intentionally left it sit our after a session in a downpour. I agree that, "....but it is a light gun, so there's a bit more muzzle flip, but easy enough to do quick follow-ups/double-taps."

I'm probably going to sell mine to get a 1911 compact of some sort. A reliable 1911 serves the same puropost for me and aftermarket parts, adustability, etc. are much better for the 1911.

ljlc
 
I carried a Compact 45 for the best part of 2 years. Never a malfunction with 5000 + rounds through it. Recoil was light compared to other guns I've fired and muzzel flip although present was not excessive and very controlable.

The statement about recoil buffer replacement at 1000 rounds was not correct, maybe 10,000 rounds but we're talking a free part from HK and a no big deal self replacement at that.

I carry a Compact 357 Sig now but not because the 45 wasn't good.
 
Thanks so far, guys. I should've asked in my initial post; but, what is a fair street price for this gun. It's tagged at $772, which I know is too much. :(
 
Hi VictorLouis;
I have two USP .45 Compacts, in variants 2 & 10. I've also owned two Sig P220s.
The muzzle flip & felt recoil are the same for both pistols, as far as I can tell.
The Sig, of course, doesn't have the "cocked & locked" carry option of the USP. On the other hand, the DA trigger pull of the Sig is superior to that on the USP. The stocks on both guns are equally comfortable, with the standard Sig magazine holding 7 rounds, and the USP mag holding 8.
It's an excellent pistol, certainly.
As noted, it's a little (5%) bigger than the other USP Compacts, but it's still quite handy and easily carried.
As dvc mentioned, there has been an inordinate tendency for firing pin breakage with dry-firing (use snap caps).
FWIW, I too, like poster ljlcdl above, like shooting my Glock 30 better, since it's as accurate as the USP, but has less felt recoil & muzzle flip. If your hands are on the smaller side, you'll almost certainly like the feel of the USP grip better than the Glock 30, though.
"You pays your money, and you takes your choice", and the USP is a GOOD choice, too, though the price you mention is high. Mine were $550 and $575 (HE slide finish and st. steel slide, respectively) about a year ago.
Best of luck in your choosings.


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"Potius sero quam nunquam."
 
HK compact is not compact enough to conceal without loose outer garments.If you want a great HK get a TACTICAL.It's a real tack driver,a great trigger, and the O RING barrel sure works wonders.I think all HKs will have the O RING barrels in the near future.My 45 carry is a GLOCK 30.Soft on the recoil,and easy on the pocketbook.
 
Personally I've never understood some of the comments about the USP's trigger, I think It's the best DA/SA you can get. Way better than the Glocks trigger IMHO. Anyway, my better half and I own a bunch of USP's and we love'em. They are a little chunky for CCW but but we both regularly carry the USP 45c and I'll carry the USP 45 fullsize in winter (sometimes even the SOCOM when I'm feeling macho).

We've NEVER had a problem of ANY kind and were at 25,000+ rounds thru all the variants we have. The recoil buffer does an excellent job on the fullsize USP's but keep in mind that the compact DOES NOT have the buffer. Inspite of this I feel the recoil on the compact is quite mild, though a little "sharper".
 
I agree with most of the postings here. The USP is not very compact. In particular, it is significantly wider than an M1911. It is reliable. Recoil isn't a big deal, but I've always felt that .45 isn't a heavy recoiling caliber. I've got a .40 Kahr that I think recoils more than any .45 I've shot. YMMV.

Regarding the trigger, the SA trigger is ok. Not as good as a Kimber out of the box. Not as good as my Sig P239s SA trigger. The DA trigger absolutely sucks. The Sigs DA trigger is much better. The USPCs DA trigger is way, way too heavy. That said, I don't think it's that big a problem, since if I carried the USPC, I'd carry it cocked and locked. (I don't carry my USPC because I own several guns that I consider better alternatives for CCW.)

But if you are intending to carry it hammer down, I'd recommend that you plan on getting a trigger job done.

Jared
 
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