[tsenn]

What are your thoughts on the HK usp .40cal compact. I'm going to try and shoot one this weekend with a Walther P99 and compare. I know they are a little more expensive but a local store has them on sale and it got me thinking about them. Comments? Thanks!

[Skunkabilly]

I like the HK compact. I shot my 45 today and love it but rather have went with the 9 for ease of shooting and ammunition costs.

You aren't losing any mag capacity or anything else except for sight radius with the compact vs the fullsize.

USP is a great platform, but I'm going to wait until the P2000 comes out before I compare and get that or the USP9C. Cock & rock...reehaw!

[Kitt]

This is my everyday carry, great trigger, Trijicon night sights and Corbon's 135 gr. HP. It fits "my" hand great and is super accurate. I just got a factory 357 Sig barrel and its just as good in that caliber also.

[10-Ring]

I have thoroughly enjoyed my USPc 9 and the USPc 45's I've had the opportunity to shoot...heck, I even enjoyed the USPc 40 LEM I test fired a couple weeks ago. My only negative comment is not regarding the gun, but the caliber. I'm not a 40 S&W fan.

[Shoney]

I didn’t have the luxury of shooting the HK USP 40c before I purchased it. I have short thick hands and can’t reach the mag release on most pistols without shifting the pistol a great deal. That is why I chose the USP with index finger mag release. If I’d made my decision whether or not to buy the HK USP 40c on my first impression, I wouldn’t have purchased it.

In fact, I’m an excellent shot with 22 pistols, which I have been shooting since I was a child. Cut my baby teeth on a 32-20 and Colt 45, and I’m a half decent shot with 9mm and 45Auto. However, I couldn’t shoot the 40c worth a hoot, was aggravated that I had bought it blind. Out of stubbornness and necessity I continued to shoot the weapon. A gradual love affair developed and now its hard to leave home without it.

It took me 500 rounds to discover I had a screw loose behind the gun.. By a thousand rounds, I could easily hit 4 of 5 pop cans at 25 yards. Now, slow fire pop cans at 25 are boring, so I practice on 12 gauge shells.

Bottom line: I would have trashed the my best self defense weapon on impressions.

Best, Shoney

[benewton]

Got mine a ways back, but would have selected the .45 had it been available, since, after all, you gotta get the dies, brass, bullet molds, etc...

Having said that, the weapon is stone cold solid, case lead or jacketed.

Like the man said, it fits my hand.

And, I see no point in a loaded, unsafed 1911 at any time, in my holster.

I think, FWIW, it's about the best thing since either females or sliced bread: take your pick!

Still, I'd like to see it in 10mm...

[Cruiser]

If you get one that works, great. I've personally seen more bad ones than good ones. A couple of the problems I've seen are:

-the roll pin in the recoil spring assembly "walking" out under recoil. The roll pin gets tied up in the springs themselves & ties up the gun but good.

-parts that weren't machined or finished properly. Pulling the trigger would cock the hammer back but not allow the sear to release so the hammer would fall and fire the gun.

-front sights that fall out of their dovetails under recoil.

USP's are not made to the same standards as the P7's used to be. Good luck.

[10-Ring]

Funny, I've had my 4 USPs for a couple years now and have shot about 17,000 rounds collectively and the only problems I've had have been related more towards not bringing enough ammo w/ me to shoot. :scrutiny:

[Skunkabilly]

Funny, I've had my 4 USPs for a couple years now and have shot about 17,000 rounds collectively and the only problems I've had have been related more towards not bringing enough ammo w/ me to shoot.

Not to mention that thin wallet and your friends calling you an elitist ;)

[usp_fan]

Just a note, The recoil assembly on the compact series has no roll pin to "walk out". The compacts don't have room for the dual spring assembly of the full sized USP's, so a flat spring and polymer damper are used instead.

That said, I've had my UPS40c since the first year they were available. I came to it by way of a full sized USP which was traded for a glock22, which decided to spontaneously disassemble itself one day at the range. Took the replacement from glock and sold it to get the then new USP compact.

It fits both my hands and my wife's better, it is easier to hit with (for us) and I have had no failures (asided from underpowered reloads--my fault) over the course of about 2500 rounds. It is a great pistol.

--usp_fan

[Shoney]

Cruiser maybe may have had problems with a full size USP, but he has it all wrong abouth the USPc. I have never had a problem with my compact in over 7000 rounds, and after more than 2 years of various forums (including HK Pro Boards) I've never seen anyone post a problem with theirs as he mentions.

Shoney

[mjustice]

I've had a USPc in .40 for over a year now. It's a great gun, shoots well, and is sufficiently top heavy for a .40 with a polymer frame.

It would be my carry gun if I was not so in love with my Sig P229.

MJ

[Onslaught]

I have a USP45f, and I always wanted the USP40c. I found one used at a GREAT price, but I called my good buddy first, who owned NO pistols at all, and he drove to the shop immediately and bought it... I still kinda regret that, but at least I get to shoot it. :D

I have 2 regular shooting buddies. They both own USP40 Compacts. I'm the only one who's got a P99 instead. (CHEAPER!) I can't decide between one range trip and the next which one I like better functionally, but I know I'd prefer the HK on look and feel. I think I'd rather have the LEM Compact, but couldn't find one at a reasonable price. Neither of them have EVER had a single malfunction with their USP's, with hundreds of rounds through both, One probably over 1000. FWIW, my P99 hasn't malfed either, but it's only got 100 rounds through it so far.

The only thing a P99 really has going for it over the USP Compact is that the DA trigger pull is lighter. You certainly can't go "cocked and locked" on the Walther, so you pretty much HAVE to do that first shot DA.

Both are excellent choices. Buy the one that fits you best and rest assured you're protected either way. If price is similar, GET THE HK!!!!

[Strings]

first off, mags can be hard to find. Or they were up here, when we bought my wife's a year or so ago. Also: unlike other "full size/compact" set up (like say Glock), the mags for the full size USP will NOT fit in the compact...

[Cruiser]

I'm not trying to stir anything up here. I've never read or heard a bad thing about USP's. But with the 20 USP's I've had direct experience with, I've never seen too much that was good.

I will say that H&K fell all over themselves to make things right & get the guns fixed. They all seem to function perfectly now (though a front sight still falls out now and then).

As with anything mechanical, you are bound to get a lemon or two from time to time, and these guns are from the same batch (sequential serial #'s). Just thought I'd toss out my experiences for what they're worth so tsenn can make an informed decision.

None of the problems I've seen are un-fixable, and like I said, H&K will take care of anything that does crop up. Just make sure you fire the gun enough before carrying it so that you are SURE it's reliable enough to bet your life on. That goes for any carry gun.

Hope I haven't made too many enemies here.

[10-Ring]

Hope I haven't made too many enemies here.

No enemies here ;) Most of what I share is based entirely on personal experience and some plain ol' conjecture :what: I like reading everyone's experiences.

See ya on the boards

[Shake]

Never had a problem with a USP. Of all the ones I've seen and fired, only one compact .45 shot low at 25 yards. H&K fixed the thing in a matter of days and sent it back no questions asked (even though it was purchased second hand).

I'd whole-heartedly recommend them to anyone.

Shake

[10-Ring]

another nice thing about the USPc 40 is that it's just a drop in barrel away from being able to shoot 357 sig. :cool:

[Kahr carrier]

USP 40 :)

[David S]

eh, P99 is better....... why else would Hk have copied it and called it a p2000? get the Euro Spec P99, you wont be dissatisfied

[Shake]

Yeah, they're exactly the same. . .

Just because the P2000 has the exchangeable backstraps it is a "copy" of the P99?

The P2000 has an ambidextrous slide release, the decocker is in a different location, looks to have the same fire control variant options as the USP (nine), the LEM trigger, etc. Does that make it a "copy"? I guess it does in the loosest sense of the word possible, as they are both handguns.

IIRC Walther was the one who "copied" the mag release of the USP?

I'm assuming your "P99 is better" statement was made tongue in cheek, as you didn't substantiate why it would be better. My only question is, better at what?

:rolleyes:

Shake

[tetchaje1]

My USPc 40 is rock solid.

Never a malfunction, never any problems, extremely accurate.

In fact, I trust it so much that it shares carry-gun status with my trusty SIG 239.

:evil: ...now I just need to get the 357SIG barrel for it... :evil:

[SADshooter]

My current primary is a USPc .40. Recoil is probably my only complaint. I'm a .45 guy, and the flip of .40 on the short slide is something I haven't gotten used to. It is the only pistol I've owned that has never failed at all.

Like tetchaje1, I'm very interested in trying .357SIG out of it.

I'm currently carrying mine in a Don Hume JIT slide. Does anyone have experience with a kydex belt holster they would recommend?

[Shake]

I haven't decided on a "quality" holster yet for my compact .45 I'm open to suggestions), but in the meantime have used a Fobus paddle holster. I have no complaints. It isn't a great concealment holster, but it does the job.

Shake