JTQ
Member
I agree.
Getting the safety in no-man's land is possible, and I wanted to let brutus51 of the possibility, but it's probably not an issue for most users.
H&K USP
- Thread starter brutus51
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Getting the safety in no-man's land is possible, and I wanted to let brutus51 of the possibility, but it's probably not an issue for most users.
When I got my first USP 45 I rode the safety and it did decock on me during recoil.
I changed it changed to variant 9, eliminating the decocker with a $20 detent plate, easy swap.
Later I changed my habits and stopped riding safeties all together and my current USP is variant 1.
O rings are only on certain USP models like the Tactical, Expert and Elite. The HK45 and 45C also have O rings.
They come with extra rings that just slip over the barrel end.
No, sorry. Not me. I've never used his services before.
bassjam
Member
I had a USP 45 for several years. I wear either a tight fitting medium glove or a slightly loose large, and the USP was a tad big for me. That and I could never get over that the trigger always felt like it was flexing while being pulled and I eventually sold it. Lust for the caliber took me back to a very similar FNX 45 last year with similar results. The FN fit me a little better, but I still wasn't quite really in love with the large size or the long DA reach and sold it after 6 months. I'll stick with 1911's in .45. Then again, the SIG P220 has always interested me....
Not only no, but H*LL NO. A 1911 is about the furthest thing from an HK as you can get. Only similarity is JMB's Tilting Barrel Action. I've owned many many HK's over the years, all are gone sans one relatively new addition, butttttt even that one might be hitting the road soon. Triggers no matter the designation are fecal matter.
Zaydok Allen
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Do you include the LEM in the caca category? Just curious. I rather like the LEM on one of my carry guns, but I agree that the traditional DA/SA trigger pull is terrible compared to all 1911 triggers, and most DA/SA of other makers.
Hmmmm. Who was that I'm thinking of? It'll come to me.
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Mowgli Terry
Member
I guess I'm just lucky. My HK's have been exceptionally nice guns. Like any firearm it takes time to become proficient. I took my USP compact to the Geezer match today firing sixty rounds. I did not have the least bit of trouble with the gun. The gun had problems with me. Hopefully they are correctable. After shooting stock Glock's and trigger feels good. There was no way, with my hands, that it was possible to ride the safety. My load was the RCBS 201-KT now called SWC. This lead bullet shoots very well in my G21 and the HK. It is standard in my 1911.The powder charge is 4 grs of Bullseye.I just don't see this terrible trigger. Sorry.
Zaydok Allen
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Guess I should have clarified. The SA pull is ok IMO for a combat gun. But just ok. I dunno, maybe I've just shot enough other guns now to feel the HK is lacking. The DA is obnoxiously heavy IMO. Smooth, but too heavy.
Mowgli Terry
Member
If you got reports this far apart on a firearm there are usually factors that are in play that explain the difference. Something is being overlooked. I'd like to compare hand size to seeing the trigger to being heavy. My hands are large with long fingers. I have no complaints about single or double action on this particular HK or the other two that I have owned. If the does gun not fit it does not fit. I just cannot see this heavy trigger pull in either mode. My compact is unmodified.
If you are that unhappy with your HK box it up. Send it to me and I'll give it a good home with other orphans. I'll even send pictures. On holidays we'll hold it to the phone and drop the slide and snap it for you.
If you are that unhappy with your HK box it up. Send it to me and I'll give it a good home with other orphans. I'll even send pictures. On holidays we'll hold it to the phone and drop the slide and snap it for you.
Mowgli Terry
Member
I may be helpful if we specified exactly which model we are talking about. I may be talking about a compact. Somebody else may be speaking of a full size or one of the other variations.
Zaydok Allen
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I wear XL gloves and have long thinner fingers and am on the early side of middle aged with relatively good hand strength. I shoot my HK45 fine in DA or SA. I just think it’s heavier than it needs to be in DA.
I’ve shot a good variety of guns and started out on DA revolvers. Honestly though over the last few years I’ve been investing in guns with pretty nice triggers like Performance Center gun’s, Wilson Combat tuned triggers, nice Sig triggers, and a CZ Shadow 2 which comes with a very decent trigger out of the box. Every one of them put the HK45 trigger to shame. But it’s just a relative comparison. Yours may be better than mine or my experience may just give me a different reference point.
I’m keeping my HKs. Just because there’s one aspect of one of mine I don’t like doesn’t mean I’m going to get rid of it and that doesn’t make it unusable to me. HKs are wonderfully utilitarian guns and really the only plastic guns I have any interest in anymore. They work. That’s what matters to me.
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bannockburn
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bassjam
Many years ago I had a Browning BDA .45 (a.k.a. SIG P220), and while it seems like its a large gun it actually fit my small size hand very nicely. The DA trigger was alright but the SA trigger pull was really quite amazing, along with being intrinsically accurate and very comfortable to shoot.
Many years ago I had a Browning BDA .45 (a.k.a. SIG P220), and while it seems like its a large gun it actually fit my small size hand very nicely. The DA trigger was alright but the SA trigger pull was really quite amazing, along with being intrinsically accurate and very comfortable to shoot.
Mowgli Terry
Member
So I shot a CZ 75B to day. Nice gun. World of difference from the HK. Not hardly. I'd say HK knows something about firearm building and the feel of their guns is not accidental. I really feel that many of these differences are exaggerated for the sake of this discussion. Using custom guns or single action guns as a comparison does not fly. The offer to give unwanted and unloved HK's a home still stands. That's it for me.
sigarms228
Member
There are a whole lot of terrific firearms these days. I bought a CZ SP01 basic Shadow a few years back and it is a terrific range gun though I don't see myself buying any more CZs for various reasons but I also love shooting my HKs at the range including my HK45 and P30L. With most HKs it is easy to improve the DA trigger pull. $10 of springs, easy to change, is all it took for my P30L - a 10LB hammer spring from Wolf and the new lighter factory HK firing pin block spring. My P30L DA trigger pull is a very nice and smooth 8.5 LBs and I can punch out the center of the target at 7 yards using DA without any staging using a quick and smooth trigger press. Probably a couple thousands rounds since I changed the springs and completely reliable. I have read on Pistol Forum where a number of people call this the "HK 90 percent trigger job" or something like that. My HK P30L is my favorite 9MM hammer fired pistol. I don't own any HK USP pistols because my preference is the P30/HK45 type pistol after trying them compared to the USP though the USP is certainly a great pistol.
Since its so different than everything out there its really hard to quantify.. Its smooth and predictable just loooooooooong.
Old Dog
Member
Eh. The USP was my issue duty pistol for a few years. I've no love whatsoever for that brick. Durable as hell, but as ergonomic as trying to point a full-size chainsaw. Egregious DA trigger, and in SA, still crappy. Cheesegrater frontstrap. Yeah, the nightsights were about the best feature, along with the frame-mounted safety-decocker, which Taurus actually did better.
Mowgli Terry
Member
I always thought that the modern tilting barrel was attributed to SIG. The design allowed a close mechanical fit simpler made than in a 1911. The SIG basic layout may be the most widely used system period. Nobody has cursed HK for bringing us the plastic pistol-not Glock.
This is kind of an interesting note. The focus was on HK's safety arrangement. Anything really worthwhile can be gauged by the number of haters.
How come nobody chimed in about CZ equivalent? I thought that CZ put that safety feature on the map. Silly me.
Riomouse911
Member
I had one in .45 that I carried on duty for about a year or so. I bought it when they first came out in 1995.
I found the controls to be well thought out, and it certainly felt better in my hands than the Glock .45 (The Glock looked and felt like a sanded 2x4). The trapezoidal slide profile took a bit of getting used to, I previously carried an issued S&W 5906 and then my Robar-tuned SIG Sauer P226. Both of those were more squared off when looking down the sights.
My gripe with the USP was a really mushy trigger that just plain sucked. I don’t know if they fixed that since the early models, but I found it so crummy and unshootable I ultimately sold the gun/holster to another officer and went back to a SIG Sauer.
Hopefully newer guns addressed this issue, and you find it to your liking.
Good luck with your search, and stay safe.
I found the controls to be well thought out, and it certainly felt better in my hands than the Glock .45 (The Glock looked and felt like a sanded 2x4). The trapezoidal slide profile took a bit of getting used to, I previously carried an issued S&W 5906 and then my Robar-tuned SIG Sauer P226. Both of those were more squared off when looking down the sights.
My gripe with the USP was a really mushy trigger that just plain sucked. I don’t know if they fixed that since the early models, but I found it so crummy and unshootable I ultimately sold the gun/holster to another officer and went back to a SIG Sauer.
Hopefully newer guns addressed this issue, and you find it to your liking.
Good luck with your search, and stay safe.
Mowgli Terry
Member
A nearby community issued USP compacts in 45 ACP to their police. The complaint there was being sandpapered by the grips. So far as I know the department has changed over to Glock's.
dumbhunter
Member
I have an USP9f and two USP45f's. The one usp45 has over 9k rounds with only one failure caused by a ruptured case. The second has 2300 rounds through it no failures. The usp 9 has over 4k rounds with no failures. So, yeah, in my experience they are reliable. I love that I can either decock or carry condition 1. The grip texture feels excessive until you fire it then it glues your hand to the gun. The trigger is better, imho, than the glock, but no where near 1911 excellent. The paddle mag release is love it or hate it, but works fine for me, and really ejects spent mags. The finish is very tough.
Over all great pistols and would be my SHTF/ zombie apocalypse gun.
Over all great pistols and would be my SHTF/ zombie apocalypse gun.
Mowgli Terry
Member
Right, not perfect: One of the most insightful comments on the USP came from a store owner/guru.The guy assessed the gun finding one flaw. His concern was of leaning over the counter dropping the magazine due hitting the paddle magazine release. Look at the gun, the USP, and see how possible that can be. Also, look at the USP to see how easy it would be to ride the safety, Also, on those I have owned it would take a dedicated effort to make the safety drop. .We are talking about a maker of handguns with many models. On my Compact and full size USP. it would be impossible for me to reach to ride the safety. The exception would if one had a thumb like a chimpanzee. There are other modes and models that may. I have not shot them all. YMMV. Let's agree to disagree and leave it at that.
Addendum: For those who have problems with the trigger pull on HK's. Google LEM. Also look for other incidences of unintentional discharges and replies in those topics.
Addendum: For those who have problems with the trigger pull on HK's. Google LEM. Also look for other incidences of unintentional discharges and replies in those topics.
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I have a HK USP Compact 45 with the stainless slide. Bought it new back in the nineties.
Hate the DA/SA trigger, sits in the safe, never gets fired, just collecting dust.
Good reliable gun, goes bang every time you pull the trigger, just don't care for it anymore.
Hate the DA/SA trigger, sits in the safe, never gets fired, just collecting dust.
Good reliable gun, goes bang every time you pull the trigger, just don't care for it anymore.
Mowgli Terry
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