Went to the USP 45 for CCW carry (after seriously considering the 1911). Anyone else?

[Salamander]

Yep, you get a LOT in the Expert for not much additional cost. I'm actually thinking of picking up a second Expert 45 just because they are so cheap right now.

Another curiosity in the USP series: While most variations have the classic squared-off slide with a lightening cut from the ejection port forward, the Elite is unique in that the entire slide is angled and much narrower at the top than the other variants, and of course it has the smaller front end. Probably a design necessity, with the 6.02-inch barrel it would have added a bit of slide weight over the Expert without that design mod. Frame is the same on all full size 45 variants, although the trigger and decocker are different on the non-standard models they can be swapped as desired.

The Expert and Elite 45's are both long-slide variants, 5.20 and 6.02 inch barrels respectively, with match triggers and adjustable sights. Both are intended more for target and gaming use and not so much for carry.

[TC215]

My old place issued USP .45’s and USP Compact .45’s for 16 or 17 years. I started off with the full-size on patrol, and was issued a Compact when I made detective.

We never really had any problems with them...the biggest issue I remember was magazines coming apart sometimes after they were dropped on the asphalt range. We did get a batch of compacts in once where I discovered a false reset issue— ended up being out of spec trigger bars, which HK promptly replaced.

I didn’t care much for the full-size USP when I was issued one, though they were absolute tanks. I was young then and really wanted to carry a 1911. I did really like the USP Compact, though.

I got my full-size USP out of the safe a couple months ago and shot it for the first time in 7 years or so. I had forgotten how enjoyable they are to shoot. Great guns.

[newyork]

Got to shoot mine today. I was given mine a while back from a friend who shot it quite a bit.

I took it out last Spring and thought it had a lot of recoil from what I remember of any hkin 45. I finally replaced the RSA and decided to try that.

Voila!!! Soft shooter. 100rds today and I really liked it. It’s giant for my tiny hands but I really enjoyed it. Shot it ok. Better than I thought I would anyway.

Issues were occasionally riding the SS and thinking it had a bouncy recoil. Like a pogo. Not harsh. Not enough rounds to tell but I look forward to more.


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[entropy]

Yep. About the worst thing HK did was replace the hard plastic base plates with the flexible ones. An issue that started with an “every great once in a while when dropped” turned into a “check it every time when you load”. Dumb.

[1slow]

Yep. About the worst thing HK did was replace the hard plastic base plates with the flexible ones. An issue that started with an “every great once in a while when dropped” turned into a “check it every time when you load”. Dumb.

I am not sure I understand ? Do the base plates cause problems ?

[Hunter Rose]

I am not sure I understand ? Do the base plates cause problems ?

Issue was they would occasionally crack when repeatedly dropped onto concrete floors. I've only really heard this mentioned in relation to LEO training programs, and often it involved repeatedly dropping them fully loaded onto concrete. The more rubberized plastic fixed the issue.

I still prefer the flat hard plastic basepads, as they don't increase the height of the pistol and make reloading easier, since the flat bottom is easier to get a consistent grip on the mag.

[entropy]

The issue was/is twofold.

The hard plastic plates did have a “minor” history of cracking if dropped on a hard surface. In over 15 years of continued use, I have not experienced nor witnessed this. The “fix” was to replace the hard plastic with the flexible rubber baseplate. The issue with that was the new style base plates have enough “give” that a drop on a hard surface, or a bump against an object while in a magazine pouch, can cause the locking plate “nipple” to pop out of the baseplate detent hole. When this happens, one of several things is likely to occur:

1. If inserted into the magazine well, the magazine will not fully seat as the slight forward movement of the baseplate out of it’s “detent position” will prevent seating of the magazine.

2. If the magazine baseplate becomes dislodged and the magazine is inserted into a pouch, it is possible that repeated contact of say a seatbelt or car seat edge may move the dislodged plate further until it becomes detached from the magazine body, and the magazine spring ejects itself from the magazine body with all the accompanying drama that ensues.

The drill is to check each baseplate either during or after reloading to assure the baseplate and locking plate are fully mated. As stated, I never have experienced a cracked baseplate. I have experienced, several times, the inability to fully seat a magazine with a new style flexible baseplate. I know of at least one incident of flying springs. Magazines with the flexible plate are “training only” for me and I continue to use the rigid plates for carry.

The 4 magazines I have for the USP .45 all came with rigid plates, so I’m not sure where HK is now at with the current production material.

[1slow]

Thank you for the clarification !

[newyork]

All this usp45 talk about it lasting longer with .45 Super and being double sprung...

I’m not interested in Super but I’d be curious to know what everyone thinks of the hk45 vs the usp in .45acp. Recoil difference etc. durability is no question. Good enough for most. I used to own 2 HK45 years ago and remember liking them but I was much more green at the time.

That and I’d be curious about a usp45c vs hk45c.


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[Hunter Rose]

I’m not interested in Super but I’d be curious to know what everyone thinks of the hk45 vs the usp in .45acp. Recoil difference etc. durability is no question....

That and I’d be curious about a usp45c vs hk45c.


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When comparing pistols and deciding to go back to the USP 45, I was directly comparing mine to the HK45 (and 1911). As you mentioned, accuracy, durability, reliability, etc. are essentially the same. While some say the HK45 is smaller because it has a more rounded/contoured slide, in a kydex holster I noticed no real "width" difference as related to concealment. As it relates to concealment, I actually find the USP 45 smaller because using the flat mag basepads in the USP 45 makes it shorter than the HK45 (while carrying 2 more rds)

As for shooting, the differences to me are the grip designs and the recoil systems. The HK45 has the great feeling ergo grip, but I found it less effective in actually handling recoil. My grip does not "lock in" as well with the HK45 and it tends to want to squirm in my hands. Unless I am gripping really hard and concentrating, the HK45 wants to break my grip with my support hand, necessitating I re-establish my grip during shooting strings.

The grip on the USP 45 is obviously much blockier and while it doesn't FEEL as good as the HK45, it works a hell off a lot better at locking in your grip and managing recoil. WIth the USP 45, I don't have to concentrate on my grip, it just stays locked in and my hands don't separate.

For recoil characteristics/sight tracking, the HK45 front sight lifts straight up and down in recoil due to the more conventional recoil system. It's definitely the easier pistol to track the sights on because it is more predictable, making it the faster shooting pistol close in.

The USP 45 has more erratic sight movement under recoil, due to the dual spring "recoil reduction system." Some describe it as the sights moving all over the place. For me, the sights seem to return to center, but just not straight up and down. So far, the sights seem to lift up, move off to the right, and then return to center diagonally. The path is kind of like a "7". I'm curious to see if this path stays relatively consistent as I shoot the USPs more.

For speed, I'd echo what others like GJM has said in his thread: don't try to outpace the USP. It seems best to fire, let the sights do their thing, and when they settle back to center press the trigger again. If you love Bill Drills or are after Jerry Miculeck .15 splits then the USP is not the pistol for you.

I also think the recoil reduction system does just that, and to me the USP 45 is softer shooting than the HK45. The USP's softer recoil coupled with a grip that locks in better somewhat offsets it's less than traditional sight movement. If I'm dialed in and really concentrating on my grip, I can shoot the HK45 faster close up, but the USP is faster for me at intermediate to long distance where you have to aim. I try to be honest with myself, though, and I'm NOT always dialed in. If I'm less than awesome, my grip gets broken on the HK45 under recoil, and re-adjusting my grip makes it slower than a USP.

My perfect .45 Auto would be the USP 45's frame mated to an HK45 slide/recoil system. Since that doesn't exist the pros of the USP 45 win out for me.