HK USPc 40 to 9mm conversion- what's req'd?

[GyroF-16]

I'm interested in learning what's involved to convert a USPc 40 to 9mm.
I have lots of experience with Beretta 92/96, where a barrel swap is the minimum, and a complete top-end swap is ideal.
If I drop a 40 compact barrel
https://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/USPC...-US-p16704.htm
and a recoil spring assembly
https://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/HK-U...lete-p1158.htm

into an existing -USPc 40 slide, will this work fine?

My only other question mark is the extractor, and it looks like the USP uses the same part for 9 and 40, am I right?

My desired end-state is to, at a minimum, have a reliable "sub caliber" range practice gun for my duty USPc 40.
At best, it would be a completely reliable off-duty carry gun with a little more capacity, and less recoil.
I would be using dedicated 9mm magazines, do course.

If this would work like I imagine, I'd have a fully functional USPc in 9mm for about half the price (including at least 3 mags) of an additional complete firearm.

Any experience, expertise, and advice is welcome.

Gyro

[LSP972]

I suspect a 9mm "upper" would work; maybe. But I'm not going to risk either my 9mm or .40 USPc pistols by trying it out.

I CAN tell you that using the .40 magazines to hold 9mm ammunition works like a champ.

But dropping a 9mm barrel and recoil spring into a .40 slide… dunno, man, why risk a superlative pistol? If you're into that sort of corner-cutting, get a Glock; I understand they do rather well with this sort of thing.

Me; I simply purchased another pistol. YMMV…

.

[HCM]

I'm interested in learning what's involved to convert a USPc 40 to 9mm.
I have lots of experience with Beretta 92/96, where a barrel swap is the minimum, and a complete top-end swap is ideal.
If I drop a 40 compact barrel
https://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/USPC...-US-p16704.htm
and a recoil spring assembly
https://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/HK-U...lete-p1158.htm

into an existing -USPc 40 slide, will this work fine?

My only other question mark is the extractor, and it looks like the USP uses the same part for 9 and 40, am I right?

My desired end-state is to, at a minimum, have a reliable "sub caliber" range practice gun for my duty USPc 40.
At best, it would be a completely reliable off-duty carry gun with a little more capacity, and less recoil.
I would be using dedicated 9mm magazines, do course.

If this would work like I imagine, I'd have a fully functional USPc in 9mm for about half the price (including at least 3 mags) of an additional complete firearm.

Any experience, expertise, and advice is welcome.

Gyro

On some guns 9mm barrels just drop into 40 slides, the Beretta 92/96 for example. On others like Glock and SIG a 40 to 9 conversion barrel because the breech block dimensions of the 40 barrels and corresponding cuts in the .40 slides are larger than the corresponding dimensions on 9mm factory guns.

I suspect HK's fall into the latter category. I've seen two 40 cal P30L's advertised for sale with 9mm conversion barrels but I do not know who made them.

[GyroF-16]

Thanks LPS...
I'm looking around, but a USPc 9mm w/ LEM and night sights (to match my duty and off-duty, personal gun) isn't easy to come by.

I'm thinking that if the 9mm barrel has the same outside diameter as the 40, with the right recoil spring, the 40 slide wouldn't know the difference.

And thanks HCM...
I've seen 40 to 357 SIG conversion barrels, but no other "conversion" barrels. I hadn't thought of the breach block dimensions.

But I'm interested to hear from an armorer or someone with experience in this area to see if there's a breach dimension issue or something else that I'm not thinking of...

Gyro

[HCM]

Thanks LPS...
I'm looking around, but a USPc 9mm w/ LEM (to match my duty and off-duty, personal gun) isn't easy to come by.

I'm thinking that if the 9mm barrel has the same outside diameter as the 40, with the right recoil spring, the 40 slide wouldn't know the difference.

But I'm interested to hear from an armored or someone with experience in this area to see if there's something that I'm not thinking of...

Gyro

The USP, USPC and HK45 series can all be readily converted between DA/SA and LEM.

Converting a DA/SA 9mm USPC to LEM will be much cheaper and easier than converting a 40 to 9mm. HK parts has the kit with the conversion parts for $149 - it would likely be about $100 direct from HK USA.

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/HK-LE...ls-198p316.htm

Stripped 9mm Slide is about $400 - that is without sights, barrel and internals etc.

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/HK-US...-198p17254.htm

For $600 you could get a used USPC 9mm or a new P2000.

[GyroF-16]

I guess I'm looking in the wrong places... I'm only finding USPc on Gunbroker, Bud's etc, mostly new, and $900-$1k.
If I found a $600 used V1, put $100 into night sights, and $100-150 into the LEM conversion, plus shipping and transfer fees, I'm almost at the $1k for a new LE USP LEM with night sights and 3 standard-cap mags.
If there's a better way, I'm open to it. I was just hoping to create a "2-in-one" for $500-ish.

[HCM]

I guess I'm looking in the wrong places... I'm only finding USPc on Gunbroker, Bud's etc, mostly new, and $900-$1k.
If I found a $600 used V1, put $100 into night sights, and $100-150 into the LEM conversion, plus shipping and transfer fees, I'm almost at the $1k for a new LE USP LEM with night sights and 3 standard-cap mags.
If there's a better way, I'm open to it. I was just hoping to create a "2-in-one" for $500-ish.

Are you LE / Mil ? Call HK they have an LE/MIL purchase program. Not Glock Blue Label prices but less than $900 - 1K.

Here is a used one local to me for $649. They will ship to you FFl just like Buds.

http://www.adelbridge.com/product/hk-usp-9mm-compact/

Here is another on HKPRO for $ 680. http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-pistol...iant-1-ns.html

[LtDave]

I guess I'm looking in the wrong places... I'm only finding USPc on Gunbroker, Bud's etc, mostly new, and $900-$1k.
If I found a $600 used V1, put $100 into night sights, and $100-150 into the LEM conversion, plus shipping and transfer fees, I'm almost at the $1k for a new LE USP LEM with night sights and 3 standard-cap mags.
If there's a better way, I'm open to it. I was just hoping to create a "2-in-one" for $500-ish.

I just picked up a USPc 9mm LEM for $595 on Gunbroker. No night sights and 10 rd mags but it shoots good. Appears to have had very few rounds thru it.

[GyroF-16]

HCM- yes, Federal LE and retired mil. I contacted HK today and learned that they evidently no longer offer LE pricing for individual purchases. Thanks for the idea, though.

Lt Dave- wow, sounds like I might need to keep checking Gunbroker. If I could get an LEM gun and just add night sights, I'd get to my desired outcome for well less than the $1k mark.

[LSP972]

HCM- yes, Federal LE and retired mil. I contacted HK today and learned that they evidently no longer offer LE pricing for individual purchases. .

I think they stopped that when they put the brakes on selling the FFDO pistol (USPc .40 with three mags and trits) to qualified commercial pilots.

Mike at Cross Creek Guns will be one of your better sources for a NIB pistol. Last I checked, he can get the LE version of the V1 (DA/SA), which has three mags and night sights, for well under a grand. Getting a NIB LEM pistol is a matter of stumbling across one, at the right place at the right time. Most all LEM-equipped USP/USP Compact/HK45/HK45 Compact pistols that are sold new in the US first arrived as VI (DA/SA) pistols, and have been converted by HK/USA. And they don't do it unless they are filling an order. And if it is an individual order… well, they kind of mimic the post office motto ("We will move no mail before its time") into- "We will build no LEM before its time".

You can find used LEM pistols for sale, most often on HKPro… but they last maybe a day; so you gotta be quick.

I have always bought HKs NIB as V1s, bought a LEM kit, and put it in myself (except for the P-series guns; those come from Oberndorf either as LEMs or DA/SA; they are frame specific). Installing a LEM into a USP/HK45 frame is not rocket science, but it isn't a Glock simpleton either.

.