H&K USP vs SIG 226

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Danny Boy

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I am in the market for a semi-auto pistol and have narrowed it down to H&K USP and SIG 226 in 9mm. As there were threads on these guns in past, they are not recent discussions. So let me start this up again. I hope your recent experience can help me to decide which one to buy. Please don’t tell me to buy both.

I like these two because there are reliable and reputable firearms. Last weekend I went to a local gun shop and handled them. Here is what I found:

Size/Weight – They are about the same dimension and weight. If any difference, H&K is a little heavier (without the magazine). The grips are about the same size (or at least I haven’t noticed any significant difference). H&K has the more aggressive checker pattern, which can be smooth-out by sand paper. They both feel equally comfortable in my hands.

Trigger – I read that SIG has a smoother trigger. From the two I tried, SIG is a little smoother (not by much). It is like comparing TVs in the stores. Sony has a sharper image than Toshiba. But that difference would not be noticed or remembered once you take it home.

Ease of Maintenance - I asked the shop clerk to field strip the guns. SIG came apart easily. The clerk was not able to remove the pin to take the USP apart citing that the gun was too new. I didn’t force him to go further. This leaves some doubts in my mind if H&K is hard to take part for cleaning.

Price – six or half a dozen. SIG has refurbished 226 which sells for $200-$300 less. I am interested in the two-tone or stainless. So availability is an important factor. Although I am not in a hurry, but waiting six months is out of the question. Who has the two-tone or stainless in stock (new or refurbished)?

Warranty – I was told that they are all one-year warranty. I though I read it from the H&K website that the gun has a lifetime warranty (Same for the SIG). Is the lifetime warranty only for the US? Can someone confirm this?

Have I missed out other considerations?

Before I went to the store, I favoured the USP a little bit more. But after the visit I am back to 50/50.

Please help.
 
I doubt you'll find a refurbished Sig in Stainless. Most of the refurbs are old police issue, and blued is king there.

I have a USP in stainless, and I love it. It's easy to take down. One pin, and the slide comes right off.
 
I have a two-tone Sig P-226 in 9mm and a USP Custom Sport in 9mm. Both are excellent guns and you won't go wrong either way.

Some personal preferences is that I prefer the metal trigger of the P-226 over the poly trigger of the USP and in general I find the P-226 operation to be a bit smoother than the USP. That could be from the USP being a poly framed gun, but I cannot say for sure as I have never used any other poly framed guns for more than a couple of mags.

I do not regret the purchasing of either gun. They are both reliable, accurate, and enjoyable to shoot. My P-226 was my first pistol and my USP Custom Sport is my IPSC psitol. Both were purchased used.

I hope this helps, drop me a line if you have any questions.

PS: If you get a two-tone Sig, be careful what hoster you use. I got an Uncle Mikes Kydex holster with mine and after some use I got some nice scratches on my slide.
 
No guns comes apart easier/faster than a Sig.
Glock may be a close second but you still have to pull the trigger
then fumble with the wee lil take down bar.
Anyway, I've been going to the range I'm at now for about 3.5 yrs.
Out of all the guns I've seen go thru the range selection there is only ONE
that has been there the entire time. A little spring here and there, sure.
But that's expected after 250ish - 750ish rnds. per day, times ###X days...
So, without further delay;
oh,

oh,

oh,

here it comes....

Sig P226.
 
I have a stainless 226. I tried the HK and the SIG, and liked the SIG more. I would recommend you try shooting both and see which one feels better.
 
I like the SIg better because of the size, both are excellent pistols, with my Sig I have to replaced the trigger to a short one and the same time install a Wolff reduced power hammer sprng, now it shoots like my tune SW 625.
 
I hear good things about the HK, but the Sig is a better looking pistol in my opinion. However you should try to shoot both before buying and get the one that fits your hand best.
 
Danny Boy said:
I am in the market for a semi-auto pistol and have narrowed it down to H&K USP and SIG 226 in 9mm. As there were threads on these guns in past, they are not recent discussions. So let me start this up again. I hope your recent experience can help me to decide which one to buy. Please don’t tell me to buy both.

I like these two because there are reliable and reputable firearms. Last weekend I went to a local gun shop and handled them. Here is what I found:

Size/Weight – They are about the same dimension and weight. If any difference, H&K is a little heavier (without the magazine). The grips are about the same size (or at least I haven’t noticed any significant difference). H&K has the more aggressive checker pattern, which can be smooth-out by sand paper. They both feel equally comfortable in my hands.

Trigger – I read that SIG has a smoother trigger. From the two I tried, SIG is a little smoother (not by much). It is like comparing TVs in the stores. Sony has a sharper image than Toshiba. But that difference would not be noticed or remembered once you take it home.

Ease of Maintenance - I asked the shop clerk to field strip the guns. SIG came apart easily. The clerk was not able to remove the pin to take the USP apart citing that the gun was too new. I didn’t force him to go further. This leaves some doubts in my mind if H&K is hard to take part for cleaning.

Price – six or half a dozen. SIG has refurbished 226 which sells for $200-$300 less. I am interested in the two-tone or stainless. So availability is an important factor. Although I am not in a hurry, but waiting six months is out of the question. Who has the two-tone or stainless in stock (new or refurbished)?

Warranty – I was told that they are all one-year warranty. I though I read it from the H&K website that the gun has a lifetime warranty (Same for the SIG). Is the lifetime warranty only for the US? Can someone confirm this?

Have I missed out other considerations?

Before I went to the store, I favoured the USP a little bit more. But after the visit I am back to 50/50.

Please help.
Click to expand...


The person trying to take this apart did not know what he was doing. The lock-out feature was probably on, and he may have bent the strut. It takes me all of 10 seconds to take it apart, as illustrated here in this video
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v700/Shaunamo/?action=view&current=000_0025.flv
 
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WithoutWarning said:
No guns comes apart easier/faster than a Sig.
Click to expand...
You ought to try my Norinco Tokarev.

Oh, you mean come apart on purpose. Never mind. :redface:

Seriously, I've never tried a SIG but to field strip a Steyr MA-1 all you need to do is push in a button with one thumb, flip a lever with the other, and push the slide forward. To reassemble, just push the slide back -- the lever pops back into position automatically.
 
I have both and both are extremely good systems. The HK has a bit of an awkward grip while the sig can be fitted with a variety of grips to better suit the shooter. The Sig is straight-forward to dismantle and there seems to be more parts available while I have not had the guts to dismantle my USP......yet. I feel that you can't go wrong with either and let what feels/shoots best for you make your decision
 
The newer sigs are made from Stainless steel anyway(with a black nitron finish!), but still have the aloy frame.

I would go with the 226, I was doign the sig vs the hk thing when I was looking for my first decent pistol, and chose the sig. The plastic trigger, mags, ect was a huge turn off for me.
 
I like the high friction, tear-your-hands-up type of grips that the USP comes with because you can keep a grip on it even if your hands get sweaty. When I rented a SIG I found it got a little slippery. My hands can sweat a lot when I shoot, you may not have this problem.
 
Danny Boy said:
I am in the market for a semi-auto pistol and have narrowed it down to H&K USP and SIG 226 in 9mm. As there were threads on these guns in past, they are not recent discussions. So let me start this up again. I hope your recent experience can help me to decide which one to buy. Please don’t tell me to buy both.

I like these two because there are reliable and reputable firearms. Last weekend I went to a local gun shop and handled them. Here is what I found:

Size/Weight – They are about the same dimension and weight. If any difference, H&K is a little heavier (without the magazine). The grips are about the same size (or at least I haven’t noticed any significant difference). H&K has the more aggressive checker pattern, which can be smooth-out by sand paper. They both feel equally comfortable in my hands.

Trigger – I read that SIG has a smoother trigger. From the two I tried, SIG is a little smoother (not by much). It is like comparing TVs in the stores. Sony has a sharper image than Toshiba. But that difference would not be noticed or remembered once you take it home.

Ease of Maintenance - I asked the shop clerk to field strip the guns. SIG came apart easily. The clerk was not able to remove the pin to take the USP apart citing that the gun was too new. I didn’t force him to go further. This leaves some doubts in my mind if H&K is hard to take part for cleaning.

Price – six or half a dozen. SIG has refurbished 226 which sells for $200-$300 less. I am interested in the two-tone or stainless. So availability is an important factor. Although I am not in a hurry, but waiting six months is out of the question. Who has the two-tone or stainless in stock (new or refurbished)?

Warranty – I was told that they are all one-year warranty. I though I read it from the H&K website that the gun has a lifetime warranty (Same for the SIG). Is the lifetime warranty only for the US? Can someone confirm this?

Have I missed out other considerations?

Before I went to the store, I favoured the USP a little bit more. But after the visit I am back to 50/50.

Please help.
Click to expand...
1) Size/weight: P226 is actually a little heavier than the USP (in the case of P226ST, a lot heavier). USP's grip is a little thinner, but Sig feels more ergonomic.

2) Trigger. HK's single action trigger is a little lighter, but Sig's trigger pull is a little shorter and crisper. With regards to the DA trigger – no contest, Sig wins.

3) Ease of maintenance – both pistols are very easy to take apart. The store clerk likely had no clue what he was doing.

4) Price: basic USP = $1000, P226 = $1100, P226ST = $1250. Yes, a Sig refurb can be had for a few hundred dollars less, but the same is true of a used USP in good/excellent condition.

5) Warranty. HK's international warranty is one year (lifetime warranty only applies to the States). Not sure about Sig but I would imagine it to be the same.

Overall, I think both guns are excellent. My only concern would be with the quality of recent American-made Sigs (and by recent I mean very recent – made in the last year or two). If sigforum is to be believed, Sigarms' quality is slipping. HKs, on the other hand, are still made in Germany and you hardly ever hear any complaints about them.
 
maurice said:
The person trying to take this apart did not know what he was doing. The lock-out feature was probably on, and he may have bent the strut. It takes me all of 10 seconds to take it apart, as illustrated here in this video
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v700/Shaunamo/?action=view&current=000_0025.flv
Click to expand...

I knew the store clerk had problems. Your video clip demonstrates the point.

Grip - I have no problem with either gun. They feel pretty well the same. Not sure if I would say the same if I test fire them.

Dragonblade said:
If you get a two-tone Sig, be careful what hoster you use. I got an Uncle Mikes Kydex holster with mine and after some use I got some nice scratches on my slide.
Click to expand...

I thought the two-tone or the stainless would resist scratches better. Maybe leather holster is a better way to go.

capp325 said:
1) Warranty. HK's international warranty is one year (lifetime warranty only applies to the States). Not sure about Sig but I would imagine it to be the same.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the warranty information. Make the right decision is very important to me. I will sit on this for a week or two.

Thanks for the feed back.

Danny
 
Also consider replacement parts, like springs ect. The sig parts are allot more avalible here, especialy if you want to order spares, or don't want to wait for parts from germany.

In a crappy fobus holster the 5000rds my sig has seen going in and out of the holster probably every 20rds it has shown no wear on the black nitron finish.

A used, or refurb sig is the way to go in my mind, just allot more value for the money, and you can sell it again if you have to for not much loss.
 
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The store clerk probably just didn't match up the notch and the pin properly when trying to take down the USP.
 
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