.40 vs .45, SIG vs USP

[MagKnightX]

So I'm wondering which handgun to get next, and as I have a 9mm, and I don't yet want a 1911, and I don't want a Glock, 10mm, XD, Ruger, or S&W, I have it narrowed to:

SIG P220 .45
SIG P226 .40
HK USP40, full size
HK USP45, full size

Now, I don't want to start a great debate, nor do I want to have the same thing said in every one of these threads said. So: all those guns feel very good to me, ergonomically. The USP series seems like it might be a little better for eventual concealed carry use, since it's somewhat lighter, although I'm thinking that for my future CCW I probably will use my Wundernine Walther P99, as it's small and light.

So the question boils down to: Which is the most precise and accurate out of the box? Should I get the intermediate caliber, or get the larger caliber? What is the approximate retail of each?

Thanks in advance.

 

[PO2Hammer]

Both the USP and the P220 are great choices. I had a USP .45 and wish I still had it.
The P220 has a beautifull grip shape and is a little slimmer. I've never CCW'd, so I'm not sure what is more important, weight or slimness.
Go with a .45, both the SIG and the HK are great.
My HK was a little more accurate in slow fire (for me) but the SIG seemed more instinctive in quick shots.
Both are at the top of the heap.

 

[Jeff]

I have a USP f .45 and love it. Never fired a 220 before.

 

[PBIR]

I would go with either of the .45's - I've shot both and they are equally well suited for defense. I happen to think the H&K shoots a tad better, but that's not to say the Sig doesn't perform great too. As far as ccw readiness...well, both are pretty bulky - I'd be more concerned about printing than weight. Just my $.02

 

[MagKnightX]

I'm 6'3". I weigh about 280. I wear loose clothes. I always, always, always wear a hawaiian shirt over a t-shirt, unless I'm wearing a jacket and tie.

Printing mightn't be too much of a problem, I don't think. I could be mistaken.

 

[PBIR]

Excellent, my slight nod would be to the USP .45 acp then, hard to beat IMO. Even better, if you can find a tac model with the pre-threaded barrel.

 

[SpikeEVO]

I have both a P220 .45 and a USP .45

the USP is BIG in capital letters, the SIG feel is big in lowercase

Reasons I like my USP .45 better than my P220:

1) ambidextrous'ness - the slide release is easy to get to with your trigger finger holding the gun left handed. The mag release is of course ambi anyway, and I also added the HK ambi-safety to my USPs so all work completley from either hand. The SIG's slide release is not nearly as easy to get to with your off hand as the USP's, although the safety is fairly easy to work with your LH trigger finger..

2) magazine capacity - 10/12 rounds is better than 7/8 rounds

3) overall feel - USPs feel "right"! and they also feel light even though they are bigger than the P220. The slide release and safety also feel "right" for folks raised on 1911s, where the SIG's controls are odd to say the least in comparison.

4) utter reliaiblity - I have owned my original P220 for about 15 years now. I have fired it thousands and thousands of times, and it HAS jammed a few times during that period, rare but memorable. I have had jams in other SIGs I own too... I have owned my HK USP since they first came out, I guess about 10 years ago, I have fired it at least as much as the SIG, and never had a jam! None of my USPs has ever jammmed!


If you haven't held the USP-Compact .45, then I recommend you check it out. I think it's a better comparison to the P220 in many ways, having similar magazine capacities and grip sizes. The USP-Compact .45 is my favorite pistol that I own. I liked it so much I bought an identical second one.

 

[Berg01]

First Choice is (IMHO) Best Choice - SIG P220 .45

 

[rick_reno]

I have both the H&K and the SIG 220. For me the ergonomics of the H&K are much better. Also, my H&K has never failed to feed/fire and eject everything I've fed it - I can't say the same for the SIG.

 

[Werewolf]

Your choice should be based on how you are primarily going to use the weapon.

At the macro level I'd go with Sig, they just feel better to me than an H&K which are rather on the large side and the SIG has a metal frame as opposed to the polymer frame on the H&K's. H&K's are fine weapons but IMO overpriced for what you get (Sigs are too but not nearly as much as an H&K).

At the micro level if you're going to go with the .40 I'd say SIG P226 hands down. The .40 is a pretty snappy cartridge and the SIG seems to absorb that snappiness a bit better than the H&K. If you're going to go .45ACP then it's pretty much a toss up with my preference being the SIG P220 because I prefer the slimmer grip to that of the H&K. The H&K is probably a bit inherently more accurate than the Sig but not enough so that the average or even above average shotist would notice so the SIG P220 still gets the nod. I haven't shot the USP 40 nor the P226 enough to judge accuracy on either of those two weapons but what experience I do have with them points to both being pretty accurate (meaning I can get 4" to 5" groups shooting offhand at 25 yards - I suspect both weapons are capable of much greater accuracy if benched).

FWIW my carry weapon is the Sig P220 IWB and weight isn't an issue for me though it might be for some. My first carry piece was a Glock 22 so I've always carried full size pistols IWB. If weight is an issue then for CCW the H&K might be the way to go for either the .40 or .45.

In summary the most significant differences between SIG and H&K in the calibers you mention are grip size and weight. For me weight is barely an issue - grip size is important. IMO the SIG grip on the P220 and P226 is superior to that of the H&K USP 45 and USP 40 - it's pretty subjective I know but the SIG grips just feel more comfortable and natural in my hand than that of the H&K's.

My money would go towards a SIG but you must decide based on all the good info everyone has so generously posted here.

 

[ny32182]

Going back to the original question, I would pick .40 over .45 for a number of reasons as I feel it is a superior round... typically better barrier penetration, more capacity, and equal or greater power with hot loads.

I would also go with the sig, as I perfer the ergonomics and its metal frame.

My carry gun is a P226 .40, IWB at 8 oclock (I'm a lefty). Come sept. there will be 12rd mags available. It has NEVER malfunctioned from day one. I love it.

 

[pogo2]

All good guns

The 4 guns you mention are all good choices. I have two of them (Sig P226 and USP 45F), and they are both excellent. You asked about price - I bought both of mine slightly used a couple of years ago, and the Sig was $600 (electroless nickel with night sights), while the USP was $575 (stainless slide).
I have a holster for each one, although I haven't carried them much because they are both pretty big compared to some other guns I have. I would say that the P226 and the USP 45F are about the same overall size, although the USP is lighter weight because of the polymer frame. The USP actually seems a little thinner in the grip area than the P226, probably because any gun with screw-on grip panels will tend to be thicker in the grip than a polymer gun, where the grip panels are integral parts of the frame. So the USP 45F seems to conceal slightly better than the P226 because of this.
Neither one has failed to fire or jammed at any time. I would trust either one for defensive use. Which one you like comes down to personal preference rather than a clear edge of one over the other.

 

[Black Snowman]

My vote is the HK USP .45 full size because of everything already mentioned and the fact that you can run .45 Super in it with no modifications and it doesn't even void the warranty.

 

[IndridCold]

I own a USP compact .40, and a Sig 226R. Honestly you cant go wrong with either make or caliber. It all depends on what you're using it for. If you need a duty weapon or need a weapon for the nightstand, then I'd say go with the USP .45, or the 226. If you simply need a CCW weapon then I'd say go with either a .USP 45 compact. Also, dont look past the 229 .40, damn good gun and over half an inch shorter than the 226. Basically it comes down to what suits you best. I always thought HKs were the end all be all, until I shot a Sig.

 

[Tango Sierra]

I have a USP9 and my son carries a USP45 as a duty weapon. I also have a Sig P220. I would prefer the P220 for CCW and the USP45 for open carry or range only handgun.

The double stack grip of the USP is thinner than the single stack P220 by both feel and actual measurements but the USP grip is blockier and longer and the slide is wider.. I find the USP gives me a better two handed grip than the Sig. The often stated worse double action trigger action of the USP has never problem for me when shooting. I only notice the smoother P220 trigger when dry firing.

The USP has never jammed for me and the Sig jams about three times out of hundred rounds. Most Sig owners say they have never experienced a jam so mine must be an anomaly.

Both are fine handguns. Tough choice to make. Figure you will own both someday, so which ever you buy first, you can't go wrong.

 

[357SIG]

There are parts of the SIG that are not corrosion resistant, such as the trigger, hammer, and barrel hood. That alone might influence your decision. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing SIGs, I have a 220ST and a 229, but I feel that the HK is more rugged. Both SIG and HK are probably equal in accuracy.

 

[Deuce]

My Sig P226 9mm is my favorite pistol. I'm so glad it's 9mm 'cause, for the same money, I can shot it more. Part of the reason it's my favorite is 'cause I'm so accurate with it (likely due to the immaculate trigger). It's been that way ever since I bought it.

I've long been thinking of picking up a Sig P226 .40 for nightstand duty (bumping the HK USP .40 to the safe). But, I'm not rich and I've got other priorities.

I've wanted to buy a P220 ... until I held it ... not the same feel. Maybe it's just my computer-geek hands, but my HK feels more like a brick whereas my P226 feels more like an extension of my arm. YMMV

Either way, you can't go wrong with what you've got narrowed down. Only other thing I'd say is ... .40sw factory FMJ ammo is typically much cheaper than comparable .45acp.

 

[45R]

I own both the 226 in 9mm and a 220ST in .45ACP. I've shot HK USP 40's and .45ACPs. They are both great guns. The USP45 has the 220 beat on capacity. So if your gonna hold more rounds in a polymer gun weight shouldn't be too much of an issue.


The Sig 220 does have the HK USPs beat in the trigger department.

I like the Sig in .45ACP