9mm USP, convince me not to buy it

I have the HK USP Tactical in .45. The trigger is a non-issue, it is easily as good as any Glock or other polymer gun and to be honest, probably a bit better than most. It is my scholarly opinion that if you are into plastic guns this is the best of the breed with the possible exception of the HK Mark 23. I wouldn't worry about parts availability; I have heard tons of guys that 'know someone' that has had service problems but I have never run in to anyone that has actually had problems themselves. Any number of self-proclaimed cool kids will tell you HK sucks, but they are also the same ones that will tell you that Kimber/Colt/Glock/Etc suck without having shot them. It is a better gun than most plastic guns but it should be as it costs twice as much as some of them.

It is a step above most service guns but not a full blown match pistol - and it is priced that way. The ergonomics are absolutely stellar and I say that as a man with medium sized hands. Fellas with bigger hands shoot this gun very well. That is my two cents, your mileage may vary.
 
my first pistol was a USP9, loved it dearly but two things bothered me a bit;
1 - the proprietary rail, not that big a deal but picatiny would've been nice, adapter sucks.
2 - the mag release, honestly I love it but my work gun has the standard push button, and I sometimes caught myself fondeling for a lever on slide lock... not something I wanted to experience when it matters.
mind you if the USP9c wasn't prohib I would've bought that, and probably never been able to sell it, I was fine with the fullsize really, but it is big. The compact is just perfect, best looking handgun ever made IMHO.
 
The paddle mag release is a superior design to be sure, but on the USP I feel it's a bit too short. The longer paddles on more recent HKs and Walthers (Like the P99AS or PPQ) are better. IUf that's the one feature you really like, check out those options as well.

I've gotten a USP recently, I don't think it's anything particularly special. The SA pull is pretty nice, but the DA pull is long and spongy. Grip angle feels strange. The polymer feels cheap, though I'm sure it's fine. Grip texture, though, is fantastic.

It's accurate, but not significantly more accurate than say, my Glock or Steyr. The recoil's not as nice as you'd expect considering the weight of the gun.

Having both the safety and decock as the same lever is a really ergonomic design. But the decock gave me some issues where sometimes it was just stuck in place until I flipped it up to "safe" then back down again. This issue has sort of gone away on it's own, so I don't know what caused it or what I may have done to fix it.

It actually gave me a bunch of failures to extract resulting in double feeds when I first got it (second hand) using winchester white box. I cleaned the extractor channel and it's worked flawlessly ever since, though. Apparently that's an issue other people have too. "Just keep it clean" they say, but you have to hammer out a roll pin to remove the extractor. I'm not a fan of that.

It's definitely a classy looking HK, though. Those newer ones, like the P30 just look atrocious to me.

the mag release, honestly I love it but my work gun has the standard push button, and I sometimes caught myself fondeling for a lever on slide lock... not something I wanted to experience when it matters.
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I have done this too. I never gone for a push button on the HK, but I often catch myself going for a lever on my other guns, including the work gun which is bad news.
 
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My USP is awesome. Everyone who comes to the range with me also loves it. The DA trigger is long and could be better, but compared to my S&W SD9 I just bought, I appreciate it much more now. SD9 has the worst trigger I've ever used.

I did buy the HK45 and didn't care for it, give me the clubbed USP version and that's all I need. They are great guns, anyone who disagrees - hasn't used one.

th
 
OP, I don't know if you've seen a 2-Tone H&K, but they're impeccable. This is a compact but you get the picture - gorgeous pistols.

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Petamocto said:
Hold a Walther PPQ before you buy. Ergos are awesome, build quality is perfect like H&K, and the trigger has been reviewed as the best available.
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X2. I bought a PPQ and do like HK. I was planning on getting a HK but not after shooting the PPQ. The PPQ ergos are like the HK only in some ways a bit better. The trigger is excellent and the accuracy is very good. Right now the PPQ is my favourite pistol. The HK is very nice as well. But for shooting the PPQ is hard to beat, especially for those like myself who do like the paddle mag release. It's also available in the M2 for those who like the traditional mag release.
 
Haha love this thread. We're never really supportive of our fellow gun addicts - we would be lousy sponsors at AA "this drink is good. Have one. Treat yourself! "
I just recently got the 9mm stainless usp, which I've been searching for! Has a nice trigger & fits me perfect. Yes it's large like a brick, but it's a solid well built machine.
I also got a p30 in trade. It's unbelievably difficult to say which I like more (1st world problems lol)



 
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jparent said:
Ain't nuthin' i would trade my Glock for.
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I'd trade nothing for a Glock. I tried M&P, G17, HK's, Sigs, 1911's, revolvers, etc. I have 2 friends who bought a G17 then got rid of it in a month. With the ton of people who love them, there are a ton who don't like them.

I shoot the best with my Sig 226 and my HK USP is a close second. All that matters is what works for you. Glock's are dependable but so is an HK or Sig. Splitting hairs here as you buy what you like, what fits you and what you shoot the best. Anything else is secondary. Bought a HK45 and didn't care for it, keep coming back to my 226 and USP. Everyone is different.
 
That's only true if you try reaching it with your thumb, try with the trigger finger or middle finger and problem solved. It even allowed me to keep my grip, something I cannot say with most thumb push button mag release. To me that was a plus, a superior desing, but as I said before my work gun (M&P) has a push button, and I found myself looking for a lever with my middle finger once or twice... That's the only reason I sold my USP, I didn't want to find myself doing that when it would matter most, and under stress I think I might have.

GR0M said:
Can't reach mag release which is located very far forward
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Yes the usp compact seems like a better size, but it seems like there's just the one chambered in .45 & retails around $1500. The thing about full size pistols is magazine capacity, but here in canada it doesn't matter cause we're limited to 10. Why I love my new s&w m&p compact in .40- was made to hold 10 in the small mags
 
jamesD83 said:
Yes the usp compact seems like a better size, but it seems like there's just the one chambered in .45 & retails around $1500. The thing about full size pistols is magazine capacity, but here in canada it doesn't matter cause we're limited to 10. Why I love my new s&w m&p compact in .40- was made to hold 10 in the small mags
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SD40? My SD9 has the worst trigger I've ever used. People complain about the HK trigger, but it's light years better than that 25c trigger on the SD.
 
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