Mauser KAR98K
07-14-13, 16:33
It started in finding a good semi-auto pistol for my dear mother. I live with my now widowed mother. She is thankful I have been here though I not happy living with mom and dad, which started back in the summer of '09 when I stopped driving ITR and went to college to get a degree. When my dad had complication after his heart surgery in late 2011, he was in the hospital for 9 months fighting his infections. He was at a care center that was over 100 miles away, so me and my mom where always going to Nashville once to four times a week just to be there and be very supportive (and making sure the docs weren't killing him).
Long story short, I was fearing for my mother's safety, and i wanted her to have a weapon that she could handle, operate and shoot accurately. Trying to convince her that the .44 magnum Colt was not a good idea, and winning out after I asked her how fast could she reload six rounds under stress, she relented. My concern was her hand strength, so I opted 9mm.
Our pistol search landed on a H&K USP that she could operate the slide and it had a thumb safety (rules of the house were, no Glocks...Dad's, not mine). Tickled that we had agreed on the HK, but I had to shake my head that it had to be the most expensive pistol at our LGS.
Fast track to after my dear dad passed away to Sandy Hook, I snagged a Glock 22 just because most of my nieghbors had .40s, and my two of them had G22s. I brought it home and it suddenly became HER pistol. She could pull back the slide and, "Oh, I like this trigger better. Wanna trade?"
"Oookaaayy."
Took her to the range with it after she recouped from a small surgery, and found out she didn't care for the .40. Too snappy, wasn't very accurate, and it hurt her hand.
So I let her shoot my M&P 45 just for comparison, and she loved it. Recoil wasn't bad, she could pull the slide back, very accurate, loved thed APEX FSS trigger, TRL light, and she could disassemble it very qiuckly for cleaning. I made a note to look for her an M&P45 and sell the Glock then (I couldn't hit a thing with it eaither).
Well, it appears that once I put defensive rounds in and put it on her nioght stand, it became HER pistol. Found this out while looking at a M&P45 w/o thumb safety that I wasn't looking to get her one but, "I thought we were replacing yours. After all, you broke it in for me.":jester: News to me...
But here is my predicament. Lately I have been carrying and shooting the USP9 more. Mostly because it is an HK and it is a shame just to leave it in the safe all the time. I also have an M&P9 with one of the new barrels I snagged from Midway. What I have found, and I have been shooting a massive amount of ammo with both the M&P and USP, is that I am better with the USP. Not by much, but I am noticeably better.
Both my M&P9 and USP are bone stock, though I have been wanting to get an APEX kit for the M&P, and I have the new barrel in it as well. But I seem to get a better purchase with the USP, it is a little more comfortable to wear, and I get find my sights quicker with it.
The questions I have that, really, I like some opinions here for:
I am a big M&P guy, and I would like to replace my M&P45. But should I instead consider getting an HK USP 45, or HK45 instead? One knock I have for the HK is I am not keen on shooting lead rounds through the barrel, while the m&P eats everything.
Instead of getting the Apex kit and knight sights for the M&P9, should I devote the money to a light attachment, night-sights, and a better holster for the USP? Like I said, I am good with both, but just a bit better with the USP. But I am not very comfortable shooting it in low light as my M&P has a light that I don't have to spend money to have a mod to put on it...because it is not HK and S&W doesn't hate you.
I love both pistols, really like the ergos on the M&P, but I cannot deny I do better with the USP. I am at a crossroads with this.
Long story short, I was fearing for my mother's safety, and i wanted her to have a weapon that she could handle, operate and shoot accurately. Trying to convince her that the .44 magnum Colt was not a good idea, and winning out after I asked her how fast could she reload six rounds under stress, she relented. My concern was her hand strength, so I opted 9mm.
Our pistol search landed on a H&K USP that she could operate the slide and it had a thumb safety (rules of the house were, no Glocks...Dad's, not mine). Tickled that we had agreed on the HK, but I had to shake my head that it had to be the most expensive pistol at our LGS.
Fast track to after my dear dad passed away to Sandy Hook, I snagged a Glock 22 just because most of my nieghbors had .40s, and my two of them had G22s. I brought it home and it suddenly became HER pistol. She could pull back the slide and, "Oh, I like this trigger better. Wanna trade?"
"Oookaaayy."
Took her to the range with it after she recouped from a small surgery, and found out she didn't care for the .40. Too snappy, wasn't very accurate, and it hurt her hand.
So I let her shoot my M&P 45 just for comparison, and she loved it. Recoil wasn't bad, she could pull the slide back, very accurate, loved thed APEX FSS trigger, TRL light, and she could disassemble it very qiuckly for cleaning. I made a note to look for her an M&P45 and sell the Glock then (I couldn't hit a thing with it eaither).
Well, it appears that once I put defensive rounds in and put it on her nioght stand, it became HER pistol. Found this out while looking at a M&P45 w/o thumb safety that I wasn't looking to get her one but, "I thought we were replacing yours. After all, you broke it in for me.":jester: News to me...
But here is my predicament. Lately I have been carrying and shooting the USP9 more. Mostly because it is an HK and it is a shame just to leave it in the safe all the time. I also have an M&P9 with one of the new barrels I snagged from Midway. What I have found, and I have been shooting a massive amount of ammo with both the M&P and USP, is that I am better with the USP. Not by much, but I am noticeably better.
Both my M&P9 and USP are bone stock, though I have been wanting to get an APEX kit for the M&P, and I have the new barrel in it as well. But I seem to get a better purchase with the USP, it is a little more comfortable to wear, and I get find my sights quicker with it.
The questions I have that, really, I like some opinions here for:
I am a big M&P guy, and I would like to replace my M&P45. But should I instead consider getting an HK USP 45, or HK45 instead? One knock I have for the HK is I am not keen on shooting lead rounds through the barrel, while the m&P eats everything.
Instead of getting the Apex kit and knight sights for the M&P9, should I devote the money to a light attachment, night-sights, and a better holster for the USP? Like I said, I am good with both, but just a bit better with the USP. But I am not very comfortable shooting it in low light as my M&P has a light that I don't have to spend money to have a mod to put on it...because it is not HK and S&W doesn't hate you.
I love both pistols, really like the ergos on the M&P, but I cannot deny I do better with the USP. I am at a crossroads with this.