First Pistol (Update)

capp: Yeah it's unfortunate how that works (also the fact that I probably won't get a chance to shoot these pistols before I buy one). Oh that's fine then? I just wanted to make sure I'd actually be able to drop a mag if one is in there and make sure that's not a bad habit or anything.

So do any of you have answers to the questions? It'd be much appreciated!

(Oh and Bear Den had the cheapest new SIG I've seen yet - $1050 for the two-tone in .40).

-Rohann
 
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Hey Rohann,
Judging by your Deas Gu Cath you're a Canadian Scottish?
I use to be with that unit before I moved to Vancouver.

I'd like to help you out and take you shooting with some of my guns. My folks still in Victoria and I get over there once a month.
PM me if you're interested.
 
funny I have Rob's HK and it is now sitting at the 25000rd mark without issue no flex that I can tell no FTF or jams....I shoot it awesome,for me the Sig is awesome but way to flippy in .40 9mm is much better in the sig
 
ill agree to 9mm in the sig

i went and shot a bunch of gun yesterday to facilitate my choice for a 9mm
hated glock
didnt shoot very well with the usp
shot decent with m&p
sig kicked ass

im ordering 229, ive got small hands so the grip on the 226 have about a cm and a half sticking out at the bottom. and the 229 is lighter, just wish the sas came in 9mm
 
if it feels good in your hand do it......get the gun that fits or feels right and you will be a much better shooter!!I can shoot almost any pistol good,but if I close my eyes and pull up my USP I am right on it it just feels good for me
 
im no expert (sig is first pistol), but it was just a matter of picking it up, bringing it up from low ready to aim, stuff like that

i liked my hand hitting the bottom of the grip because i instantly knew where my hand was, but some people might like more room on the grip. personal thing really
 
Oh okay, thanks. Reason being is I like most of the aspects of the USP better but the SIG just seems to fit a bit nicer. Is there any way to change this (get a different grip for the USP, etc.)? The USP was a little big but the manual safety, position of mag release and nearly everything about it I like better.

-Rohann
 
You can't really modify the grip on a USP. Hogue makes a rubber grip (handall) that slips over - I've tried it, it makes the grip larger (adding palm swells) but more comfy. Unfortunately I found that the handall tended to shift in use which I found to be a disadvantage for action style shooting (IPSC etc...)

You could (though I would never recommend) dremel or sand some material off the USP grip however this will drastically reduce the resale value, totally void any warranty and may affect the integrity of the frame - IMO all bad things.

Having owned and shot both guns, I'd agree that it's a tough choice. I bought my USP first because that was the best deal that came down the pipe. I shot it for 2 years before buying a 1911 which I shot for 2 years before getting a 226. I've no regrets, all 3 have a place in my collection.
 
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raks: Oh okay, thanks for the tips. Yeah I don't think I'd be able to sand it down. The grip thing is really what's balancing the 226 out - I like nearly everything about the USP (the deal is better too), but the Sig just felt better in my hand. The USP was lighter, I liked the mag release position better, it had a manual safety, was slightly smaller, but it just didn't feel as good as the Sig! The checkering is a cheese grater on the hand, but I wouldn't really want to make it bigger. So you like both then? Well it may just come down to what is cheaper.

heavenIsAlie: Oh yeah? I liked the positioning better actually, as I found with the SIG I had to adjust me hand position to get my thumb on there, but with the USP I could just flick my middle finger.

One more: Is there any distinct disadvantage to having a pistol that's slightly too big?

Thanks for all the help and info, and sorry for the indecisiveness!

-Rohann
 
Rohann said:
raks:
One more: Is there any distinct disadvantage to having a pistol that's slightly too big
-Rohann
Click to expand...

Yes there is. If you can't grip the pistol in such a way that it aligns itself in the pocket of your hand (the V formed by your thumb and trigger finger) with the long bone of your forearm, you will have an unnatural grip on the pistol that will affect your ability to hit smoothly and quickly. See the Tod Jarret video that's on You Tube for the correct way to hold a pistol.
If the pistol is too big you have to shuffle your hand around the side of the gun (known as the h-grip) This shifts the recoil away from the pad of your hand and onto the base knuckle of your thumb, the gun is much less predictable in recoil when it's bouncing of the bones in your hand. Also it's much harder to align the sights on a pistol when the pistol is sideways in your hand. To get an idea of the best "natural pointer" get your hands on a 1911 (whether you ever intend to own one or not) there's a reason so many gun companies use it's dimensions as a start point.
 
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i could hit the sig release no problem with my thumb, but adjusting your grip a bit and then adjusting it back during a mag change isnt a big issue imo, as long as its practiced i doubt it would make a difference in your time.

i just hated pushing the usp one down, dunno what it was but it just annoyed me
 
ian: Oh okay, that makes sense (I did see that video though, thanks for the reference). I found I could align it alright but had to adjust the grip a tad. It did feel slightly too big but I could still get my finger on the trigger with it aligned properly. I'll see if I can play with one again before I buy though, just to make sure.

h.I.A.:Yeah that's true; I mean I would prefer a button safety that I could reach but I found this way to be much quicker and more fluid (you can still hit it with your thumb if so desired).

-Rohann
 
Rohann said:
raks: So you like both then?
Click to expand...

I don't feel that I've found the perfect pistol for ME yet. The USP is great and I love my 226, but both have disadvantages for ME that mean I will choose one or the other depending on the task/match. For MY guns the basic difference is calibre, if both my USP and 226 were 9mm, or .40 I don't know if I'd keep both.

Since MY USP is a .45 and the 226 is a 9mm I like having the choice. From a strictly ergonomic standpoint I think it's a tie - a 'high grip' on the 226 means that my thumb holds down the slide lock - which has lead to 'problems' more than once. The USP has it's foibles as well, it is not as nice in my hand, but it's extremely accurate and the controls are intuitive. In the end, I've won trophies (and had copious amounts of fun) with both...

As many have been saying you're probably going to have to compromise. I think one reason there's any market for new guns is the simple fact that few of us have found that 'prefect combination'. ;)
 
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