HK USP - 9mm or .45?

Very interesting. Everyone loves the USP but the vote on calibre seems about equal. I count 5 votes for the .45 and 4 for the 9mm. (as well as three or four for the .40)
 
aiwa said:
Three if you count the .40. I've never had a plastic gun in .45. I expect the mass of my 1911 goes along way to softening recoil of the .45. What's the recoil like on the USP .45 - in comparison to my 1911?
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The standard 1911 configuration (without extra weight up front in the frame due to rails, or slide lightening, ports, etc.) is quite light and has a fairly decent amount of recoil as 45acp gives off. For polymer guns, you'd really be surprised how well the Glock 21 absorbs and directs that recoil. I think they are much nicer in that regard compared to 1911s.

I've never owned a USP in 45, but I did own a Mark 23 - it was an absolute pig of a pistol.
Recoil was rediculous for the size and weight. There is little wonder they were rarely if ever were used operationally.
 
I'm assuming "regular" USP? In that case, probably .45

Only probably though.

I have a USP Compact Tactical .45 - It's a fun gun, but my god is it hard shooting a small frame .45

I was thinking of selling/trading it for a USP9, but I managed to find a H&K VP9 which will do. Since it's a different pistol I have one more excuse NOT to sell the USP (Excuse to tell my wife that is)
 
If you are a newbie starting out and doing that same old same old with the .45 vs 9mm debate...do yourself a favour: flip a coin.

For regular guns like the 1911 the .45 has an edge over the 9mm with cheap cast lead bullets. Velocities are low, which cast lead bullets like, and they tend to shoot better in 45's than 9's with their higher pressures and velocities. That is a moot point for the HK guns as they have polygonal rifling in the barrels - and the manufacturer specifically forbids the use of cast lead in their guns. Polygonal rifling and soft cast lead do NOT get along and some people have had KA-BOOMS because of it. The cool kids at the HK Forum told me that if you cast your lead super hard, you can fire it in HK guns and not worry about it. Personally - I would rather not. Darwin and Murphy have a hate-on for me and I would rather not give them any easy opportunities.

For me the calibre selection simply came down to real world shooting. On the range I tend to shoot best with the 45 and not as well with the 9 or .40. That's just me with my eyes, my hands, and my marksmanship - your mileage will vary. I was lucky in that the guys that shoot at the ranges I go to are very free with their guns and ammo and will let friends try their guns out. That's what every shooter needs to do: lay hands on the gun and actually shoot it before making a decision. In the case of the 9 vs 45 in the HK USP - you can't go wrong either way.
 
That is because nobody actually uses them. People pay top dollar because HK built them for special ops (who as far as I'm aware don't use them). So they end up being safe queens in gun guys collections.
Sure, there is little doubt that they will carry HKs reliability, but for real use?
They are kind of a joke.
 
Lots of guns are fun despite that they may not be suitable for 'real use'. The DE, Wildey, X-frame smiths, etc. I like big pistols (hence USP rather than more compact alternatives). The main reason I've avoided the M23 is that I'd sooner have 2 pistols for my $2k rather than 1.
 
beltfed said:
I've never owned a USP in 45, but I did own a Mark 23 - it was an absolute pig of a pistol.
Recoil was ridiculous for the size and weight.
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Laugh2, hope you are not serious, (fixed your spelling mistake too:p). The gun is an absolute gem to shoot. As accurate and soft shooting my STI TargetMaster, however the trigger pull not so such. I got almost 5 thousand rounds of lead 200 SWC through it. It's a keeper.

 
aiwa said:
Johnl, that is a beautiful gun. Spl01, why 'curse'?
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Thanks, I have big mitts this gun fits me fine. I had a Desert Eagle and the grip was a non issue too. You mentioned you would like one but price is high. Keep an eye on the EE, I have seen them go for about $1500 used. Also don't worry about round count. I remember reading the SOCOM testing on these guns and they gave up testing after 100,000 rounds and it still ran like a clock.
 
I really like the USP in 9mm...it's maybe a wee bit big for the calibre but that makes it a joy to shoot. And they're so easy to shoot well...I owned one last year, took it to the range twice, sold it, then had a chance it buy it back earlier this year. These are the first 19 shots I took with it (I thought I loaded 20!) after getting it back. Distance was 10m.
[youtube]MG1_k8QRBlA[/youtube]
 
johnl said:
Laugh2, hope you are not serious, (fixed your spelling mistake too:p). The gun is an absolute gem to shoot.
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As I said, for the size and weight, recoil and specifically, muzzle flip was ridiculous.
I can't think of another 45 I have used that has as much muzzle rise as the mk23.

I'm glad you like it. If it fits your hand well you must be built like a silverback:d
 
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