Depending on your hand size and shape, the right grip can make you a much better shooter vs. one which just doesn't fit your hand properly.
I think this is right. If you have big mitts, the USP could be a tremendous platform for you. Problem is, most people have average size hands and the USP cannot be changed.. except with a Hogue handall which makes it even bigger.
The adjustable grip panels (side and back) are a good idea for all doublestack guns - if there is room for it in the design. There is always going to be room for different backstraps, but, for HK at least, only the P30, P30L and HK45 have the interchangeable side panels.
The HK45, HK45C, P30, P30L, P2000, and P2000SK all have the interchangable backstraps. Note that the HK45C and P2000 have the same kind of grip... which I find interesting. The HK45C was reviewed in one of the recent gun mags. It looks really interesting... but if reports of the USP Compact .45 Tactical (which we can get in Canada) are anything to go by, it probably has some pretty hefty snap to it.
I think HK should try and get the size of their doublestack mags down. The USP mags are way too thick... thickest on the market that I can think of. They don't even fit in most standard doublestack mag pouches... a GLOCK 9mm/.40S&W mag loader (which fits over almost everything) will not fit over them, as another example. The P2000 mags are closer to the industry standard size but they are still a little bit thicker than SIG, Beretta, GLOCK, etc. mags. I know this because my mag holders on my belt are adjusted for SIG 229 mags, and when I switch the P2000 holster on to that belt, I just stick the mags in about 2 inches rather than all the way down. If I push them all the way down they are tricky to get out quickly. Very tight. USP mags, I think you would have to loosen the screw all the way to get them in there, and maybe even put in some washers or something.
If your mags are thick, interchangeable or not... you have to keep the amount of material on either side of the mag down to something reasonable.
HK is making a lot of good progress on their designs as the years go on. The guns they are putting out now are head and shoulders better than the USP design from the early 1990s.. in my view... Now, whether the current HKs are better than the old HKs... the P9S and the P7 series... that is a debate that will likely go on among HK fans forever.
HK makes a nice gun though. They are a very tough design. They show very little wear under heavy use. They don't dirty up very much, and they are extremely reliable. Like GLOCK, you don't really have to clean them, but it is a good idea in terms of accuracy and maximizing the life of your investment. (Note: I'm talking about the USP and subsequent guns here. The P7s you are not going to be able to get away without cleaning them).
