HK USP 45 notes.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

Hunter basically nailed all the important points.

Frankly, it is my belief that the HK USP45 is the most durable .45 you can buy, other than maybe the MK23, and I was able to get my USP for less than my Glock 19 MOS.

I also believe, as Hunter does, that the .45 is simply a more effective round than the 9mm. Where the 9mm shines is capacity, size efficiency and recoil management. Those are very important. As Hunter says, the USP .45 is very light kicking and has excellent capacity. If you are looking at a combat handgun for home defense, concealment is not typically an issue.

I understand the 9mm is back. I am old enough that I have seen the wheel turn from .45 in the early 80s, to 9mm by the mid to late 80s, to .40 in the 90s, back to .45 in the early 00s, back to 9mm again. I believe the wheel will turn at least until the government gets our guns, and probably even after that. Other considerations aside, I would rather shoot someone with a 230 grain .45 projectile than a 147 grain .35 projectile, especially given that bullets are evolving for both at the same time.

[Ron3]

Great answers, thanks, guys!

I put in the plate that makes the selector a decock-only. I dont know what "Version" that makes it.

I have a holster that I think will work. It just needs some material removed where the USP trigger guard gets fat at the bottom. Then I can try it out in a match.

[newyork]

Variant 3 I think


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[Ed L.]

Hunter basically nailed all the important points.

Frankly, it is my belief that the HK USP45 is the most durable .45 you can buy, other than maybe the MK23

How is the USP45 more durable than the HK45? I remember Larry Vickers saying something to the effect that if you had unlimited trucks of ammo and were firing it through every .45 on the market the HK45 would be the last one still running. I would imagine that they would be about the same in durability.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

The HK45 lacks the MK23/USP recoil reduction system. This system reduced recoil forces ~30% which was necessary to deal with the MK23's insane 30,000 round +P endurance requirement. The USP adopted the system which they were obviously proud of, and probably helped them alleviate concerns about .40 which was causing troubles with competitor designs at the time and contributed to the godawful P7M10 slide fiasco. Of course, everyone else had issues as well, Glock never really seemed to address all the issues, and SIG basically went the M10 route by bulking up their slides on the 228/229 etc. When the USP .45 Compact came out they swapped the system to a more conventional spring and plastic buffer system, I suspect because it wouldn't fit in the smaller frame. The HK45 is really just an extended USP .45 compact (even down to the magazines) with an over eager contouring job done on the frame and a modern rail.

That being said, I am not arguing that the HK45 is not a durable gun, and Vickers is justifiably proud of his association with the gun.I know that they chose the USP compact platform because it allowed for a more ergonomic gun (and later it helped when the JCP project required two variants). I just believe the USP is even more durable, and I don't believe the USP recoil reduction system was meaningless hype (and of course it brought with it recoil characteristics that can be problematic for high speed shooting). Some would say the USP and of course the MK23 are overbuilt, but that is a different discussion.

[hotrodder636]

I am interested in the effect of longevity when shooting .45 Super in the USP. I have an HK45 and had been wondering for a while if it could handle Super like I had heard the USP could.

[Hunter Rose]

I am interested in the effect of longevity when shooting .45 Super in the USP. I have an HK45 and had been wondering for a while if it could handle Super like I had heard the USP could.

The USP 45 can handle 45 Super because of the recoil reduction system. Even then, wear is increased on the gun. The HK45 just has a standard recoil system (upscaled from the USP 45 Compact). While the HK45 might be able to reliably handle some 45 Super rounds, if you plan on shooting a lot of 45 Super thought it you will be battering the gun a lot more than normal.

Just read the Pistol Forum thread linked above, it literally has dozens of pages discussing nothing but the USP, HK45, and compact versions of each and how they handle 45 Super.

[Bullz]

Edit: I didn't feel the original post was helpful... Short version:

1) Match/LEM hybrid trigger is amazing on the USP45
2) I've been using HKs for over a decade and never had an HK spring wear out. Mags stay loaded all the time.
3) Original 12 round mags are available all over the place and directly from HK webstore.
4) If anyone knows where to get a good knockoff of the old Raven Concealment Phantom Holster for a USP45, please let me know.

[hotrodder636]

I will check it out, thanks!

The USP 45 can handle 45 Super because of the recoil reduction system. Even then, wear is increased on the gun. The HK45 just has a standard recoil system (upscaled from the USP 45 Compact). While the HK45 might be able to reliably handle some 45 Super rounds, if you plan on shooting a lot of 45 Super thought it you will be battering the gun a lot more than normal.

Just read the Pistol Forum thread linked above, it literally has dozens of pages discussing nothing but the USP, HK45, and compact versions of each and how they handle 45 Super.

[Ron3]

I spent about 300 rds more with my USP .45.
Its interesting how plinking with a gun is so different than shooting it alone, with a timer, and being honest with yourself with it.

The DA trigger, from the decock position stinks. It's not the distance but the weight. The 1st shot is either fast or accurate. I spent a bit of time just working that, too. It's made easier by the excellent decocker placement.

I completely understand why a person would keep this gun condition One.

It's a very accurate pistol.

I really like the mag release.

My main complaint is the recoil and recovery. This isnt a gun you "mag dump" or fire "bursts" from. It's a deliberate pistol. Aim, shoot, wait for recoil to finish, aim, etc. Even with the Talon grips, with me sweating profusely trying to shoot fast at close range, the gun jumps all over and squirms in my hands.

Extremely reliable. It will feed a wide-mouth Gold Dot holding the gun pointed up and releasing the slide as slow as possible. Without any bumps, just smoothly. Even Glocks wont do that. (M9's will)

Anyway, the gun is probably best as a 9mm and single action only.

I was offered to trade this gun for a G34 gen 3 that I know to be good so I'll probably do that. Only have about $450 into the USP anyway.