I don't care about whether a particular gun has a rail or not. What I do care about is if it is comfortable in my hand and if I can shoot it accurately. For me, the HK 45 does both. I don't have the "C" version, just the standard USP, but I love shooting it. I too, don't think the recoil is any less with it than with any other full size .45. Nevertheless, it seems that I can get back on target faster with it than I can with my other .45's. If you like HK's but are more into 9mm, check out the HK P30, oh my, what a sweet shooting pistol. Way more accurate in my hands than my Glock 19 or 17.