More questions about USP

C

CockNBama

New member
I don't see many HK models of any sort, but I still think I want a large USP. Can someone share comparative info about the Expert and the Elite?

How good is the USP compared to other HK models, especially its accuracy?

I'm not really sure why I'm captivated by the USP. It just keeps popping back up as one of those "desirements".
 
USP's are great, the best shooter I ever had was a 9mm Elite, someone offered me more than I paid, and I let it go. Regret that one big time.
Also had a Tactical 45, now just the plain USP 45.
All very accurate, soft shooters.
DA pull is usually short and stiff, but SA is usually good on a plain USP to very good on the match models.
 
I don't know specifically about the Elite or Expert, but I have had a regular standard USP .45 for several years now and it is a joy to shoot.
 
The USP is my favorite polymer platform, I have at least one of every variant, including the Match, Elite and Expert. In my opinion the best outright shooter of all of them is the Elite, due in part to its longer sight radius. The barrels on the Match, Elite and Expert are hand fitted to the slide for that last little 1% in accuracy. The test target on my Elite 9mm is something like an inch at 25m.

The match trigger on the Expert and Elite is the same and pretty good, especially in SA as mentioned. Note that it is a slightly different trigger than the match trigger found in the Tactical models. You can further lighten them with a new mainspring.

I recommend them highly, assuming you don't mind the chunky dimensions and (superior) magazine release.
 
I had a full-size USP40 that I regret letting go. If I replace it, I’ll probably go with a USP Compact in .40S&W. But I prefer my P30 and P2000 in 9mm and my HK45 over the USP equivalents.
 
The Elite is the most accurate pistol I've ever shot. Wish I could find one in 9mm. The trigger is glass smooth, breaks nice and resets quickly.
 
I finally stopped wondering about it, and bought the Elite .45 yesterday.

Didn't need very much cleaning, and was not accompanied by a test target. Dry firing convinced me that I like the trigger fine. Hope it will shoot as well as the FNX .45.

Couldn't find a holster for it, so I'll have to tote it around in a flour sack, I reckon.

Thanks for the comments along the way.
 
I bought a USP 40 when they first came out (one with "conventional" rifling) and it's still the only polymer pistol I've ever owned. "Soft" shooting, accurate and reliable but, like the CZ 97, bigger hands are a benefit to being able to handle it best.
 
I've owned 11, or 12, HKs, maybe more; I can't remember now. The group included the huge Mark 23 and a couple of p7s, along with a p4. The USPs were all models, both 9mm and .45ACP, with the target/match triggers, some were Tactical models. I was able to do my most accurate shooting with .45ACP Tactical and the Mark 23. I sold all the HKs mainly because I had several other handguns that were as good and some were superior. After thinking it over, I wish I had kept them all except for the p4. Had I been able to acquire the Match (?) models, it likely would have changed my thinking at the time. But, I tired of waiting for HK (2 years) to produce those models for the US market, making my collection of them incomplete. Petty, I know. I also had a couple of other HKs, without target/match triggers, which had horrible triggers. HK choice of triggers was terribly confusing, at least for me. HK fans will disagree with most of what I've said. However, pistol ownership is a personal thing.
 
I treated this subject too lightly. USP is "Universal Service Pistol". I know that the p7 was used by the police force, maybe the p7m8 was also used as a service pistol. I believe the standard pistols labeled "USP" were also used by police. I do not think the USP models labeled Expert and Tactical were actual service pistols, just using the name because of the similarities in appearance. The Tactical USP has about a 1/2 inch more sight radius than a standard USP, I think the Expert USP also has that longer sight radius. I bought the Expert and Tactical USPs because the triggers were the target/match type. I'm not sure if the proper label is target, or match. IMO those triggers were superior to all the other triggers in non Expert and Tactial HKs. Many, many HK fans will disagree with that opinion. I also owned the p30sl and the p30sk HKs, hated the triggers; loved the guns other wise. The p7 series have great triggers.

If you're thinking standard HK USPs, find out about the trigger versions. You may love the different versions available, maybe not.

I think my accuracy with the .45ACP USP Tactical and the Mark 23 was due to sight radius. The Mark 23 was about 1 1/2 inches greater than a standard USP. As previously mentioned the Tactical was about i/2 greater.

As mentioned in my first post I had several pistols as good, or better than the HKs. Probably could have been more selective in which ones I sold.

If you're looking for Elites, I think the only one you'll readily find will be in .45ACP. I think the Experts are as good as the Elites, certainly less expensive and will be easier to find.

Do a bunch of research. Get different opinions.

I'd buy a Match .45ACP and 9mm if available at a reasonable price.
Elite and Match USPs are more scarce, especially the Match model. Seemed so desirable to me that I considered having my daughter, who lives in Germany, buy one for me. I never saw anything special about the Elite models; have to admit only had limited experience with the .45ACP model. No experience with the 9mm Elite.
 
CockNBama,
Good choice. The Elite is a superior pistol IMHO. Will deliver many years, (lifetimes) -, of reliable and accurate shooting pleasure. Enjoy.

 
Thank you, PSP. It's off to a good start - I took it and my FNX .45 to the range yesterday, and the results were gratifying.

And maybe I'm quirky about it, but it looks cool.
 
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