Are HK pistols worth the money?

[NinjaFeint]

Gosh...

It's annoying to see these poll results so far, because I am certain that 99% of the people who voted NO either can't afford one, or simply don't believe in spending over $500 for ANY pistol.

Just haters IMO.

H&K pistols are most-definitely worth the money. Some may want me to "prove it," but I can say with absolute confidence that they make the most rock-solid, reliable pistols on the market today. Their quality control standards are so far beyond what other companies can achieve these days. I bet they have fewer lemons leave the factory than any other handgun manufacturer out there.

They are truly engineering marvels if you ask me. I have put thousands of rounds through mine without a single hiccup. They will shoot perfectly straight out of the box without any cleaning/lubing. I can't say the same for a brand new Glock 19 that was unreliable for me. Or my brothers Glock 26, or my XD45 that experienced FTF issues for the first 50 rounds or so before it broke in.

How can $800 be too much money for what is probably the best combat pistol being produced today? Is the extra $300 over what a Glock, XD, M&P, etc costs really significant if you plan to shoot the pistol that you plan on defending your life with? $300 will buy you 1000 rounds of .40s&w. If you actually shoot your pistol, 1000 rounds goes by very quickly. If you don't practice with your bargain-priced pistol, what good will it do you in a life or death situation?

I guess I'm just getting tired of the "What can an H&K do that my M&P can't?" type of questions, when there are people out there who feel that a $3000 1911 is worth it. Give me a break people!

If you haven't owned a USP, P2000, P30, HK45/c, etc. you really shouldn't have a say in whether or not H&Ks are over-priced. After literally owning at least one of every other brand's polymer pistol being produced today (including Glock, XD, M&P, Kahr, Walther, and most recently a Sig SP2022), I can say that H&Ks are definitely worth every penny.

And before all the Glock kool-aid drinkers show up to defend their weapon of choice, let's not forget who introduced the first polymer pistol. (This was in no way a bash on other guns, but in the end you usuall find out that you get what you pay for!)

1. I can afford one. I will probably spend over $500 dollars on a pistol this year, it won't be an HK.

2. You are obviously offended because people don't think your favorite pistol is worth the money.

3. How many rounds do I need to shoot through a USP to decide it's not worth the money? I have shot about 300 total through a friends and don't think it's worth the money.

 

[HorseSoldier]

It's annoying to see these poll results so far, because I am certain that 99% of the people who voted NO either can't afford one, or simply don't believe in spending over $500 for ANY pistol.

Along the way, I've owned a USP9, USP45c and P2000SK, plus having the .mil let me play with these:



(And these)



(And these too . . .)



Of the bunch, the P7 is the only stand out, in my opinion (though the MP5 would also get a mention in the era before rifle caliber carbines replaced made them pretty obsolete).

HK stuff is good, but they don't deliver better reliability or QC than Glock, in my personal experience (and I'm by no means a Glock guy), when it comes to handguns. They do offer more lockwork options than the Glock one-setup-fits-all approach, which can be a strong selling point for some, but also have a higher bore line -- trade offs rather than better/worse.

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

^^^my poll clearly indicates that it pertains to HK pistols only.

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

i still can't believe HK didn't check the ad and see that the ad agency loaded the mag backwards. that's freaking hilarious.

 

[SCBradley]

^^^my poll clearly indicates that it pertains to HK pistols only.

And he was speaking to HK pistol quality, with a brief parenthetical sidebar about the MP5.

 

[blue german]

Are HKs worth the money?

I own two HKs....a VP-70z - THE ORIGINAL POLYMER PISTOL and a P9S ...... and have owned a third (the rare precursor to the P9S - the P9). Both of these pistols were bought for the cost - or less - of a Browning HP when they were bought. No, I've never had a failure to feed or function in any HK. I don't carry either of them though I did carry the VP-70Z for half-a-year many years back 'cause a supervisor did not think I could do it! Boy but he was proved wrong!!!

Nowadays I carry an extremely early Kel-Tec 9mm (from before there was more than one pistol offered - made before they were called P-11). It does the job and is so very easy to conceal.

 

[joe_security]

I fired a rented USP .40cal. compact. I loved it. I think its worth the $ if you feel its the best for you. Based on that, I voted yes. I enjoyed it more than my own G22.

 

[zhyla]

I really don't understand why these polls/threads keep popping up. If you don't like HK guns don't buy them.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

Certainly worth it to me. My USP tactical is the most accurate .45 I have ever shot and cost a lot less than a high end 1911.

 

[FranklyTodd]

My guess - 95% of those that have owned an HK said yes, 95% of those that haven't said no...

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

^^^my guess-you're wrong. many people have either owned them, or fired them, and still don't believe this polymer pistol is worth a grand.

 

[SCBradley]

^^^my guess-you're wrong. many people have either owned them, or fired them, and still don't believe this polymer pistol is worth a grand.

Why do you care what other people deem appropriate to spend money on?

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

^^^when did i deem anything appropriate or inappropriate?

i simply started this poll out of curiosity, and voiced my opinion on the matter like everyone else in this thread.

i'm glad if you think it's worth it and you like your HK

 

[SCBradley]

I don't own an HK and don't have any plans to. I didn't vote for just those reasons.

Value is subjective, to a point.

 

[badbadtz560]

I always figured the price wasn't in manufacturing the guns themselves but more in the engineering behind them.

there was the usp line, then the p2000 line, then there's the hk45, hk45c, and p30... the thing is that the last three aren't like the previous: they're not all the same gun just changed for caliber.. and how many years has it been? If they keep pumpin out new stuff and still manufacture the old stuff, that can't be cheap.

Then there's all the trigger and safety options.. It's like a custom built gun from the factory in some ways

I'm still waiting for glock to offer another grip option.. It's not the angle that hurts my hand.. it's the huge hump that makes for a bad grip in my hand.. and no I don't wanna shave it down like everyone else... disappointing that the 4th gen got nothing but a different roughness to them

 

[atblis]

Grip is different on the 4th gen. I think they reduced the hump a little because it points a little lower for me (the default grip). Guide rod is different. Looks potentially better. Mag release is also different. Grip texture is different.

So yeah, I guess the only thing they changed is the grip texture.

 

[EdLaver]

I voted yes, I like my USP .40. I actually didn't spend cash on it, I traded with a friend that wanted something of mine that I had no use for. With that being said, the accuracy, function, ergonomics, aesthetics, to me, would warrant buying one if that was the original option. The gun truly has moved up to the elite pistols ring in my collection.

 

[Boats]

Gosh...

It's annoying to see these poll results so far, because I am certain that 99% of the people who voted NO either can't afford one, or simply don't believe in spending over $500 for ANY pistol.

Just haters IMO.

Was that 99% a scientific wild ass guess? There are former owners in this thread, myself counted among them.

H&K pistols are most-definitely worth the money. Some may want me to "prove it," but I can say with absolute confidence that they make the most rock-solid, reliable pistols on the market today. Their quality control standards are so far beyond what other companies can achieve these days. I bet they have fewer lemons leave the factory than any other handgun manufacturer out there.

This is a load of unadulterated manure. Value is subjective, performance is objective. The P7 was removed really early in the XM9 trials for repeated failures. Let's discount the former flagship pistol then and move on to "today." Oddly enough today for H&K is like yesterday for the P7. Engineering claims, laboratory test results, no actual military adoption beyond the borders of Germany, well except for the world famous Irish Defence Forces. H&K has been beaten out in many T&Es before the bid, that is to say based upon performance.

They are truly engineering marvels if you ask me. I have put thousands of rounds through mine without a single hiccup. They will shoot perfectly straight out of the box without any cleaning/lubing. I can't say the same for a brand new Glock 19 that was unreliable for me. Or my brothers Glock 26, or my XD45 that experienced FTF issues for the first 50 rounds or so before it broke in.

Many service pistols have fired "thousands of rounds without a hiccup." Most of them come with better warranty service, after market support, and cost hundreds of dollars less up front too, especially since most of the H&K pistol line up runs just south of $900.00 rather than just north of $800.00 these days.

How can $800 be too much money for what is probably the best combat pistol being produced today?

It is not the best combat pistol produced today by any measure.

Is the extra $300 over what a Glock, XD, M&P, etc costs really significant if you plan to shoot the pistol that you plan on defending your life with?

This is a common refrain of H&K buyers. I have entrusted my life to a Colt Detective Special revolver I acquired for $300. Guess what? It has never failed to fire and never jammed, something I could not claim about my former USP 45c.

$300 will buy you 1000 rounds of .40s&w. If you actually shoot your pistol, 1000 rounds goes by very quickly. If you don't practice with your bargain-priced pistol, what good will it do you in a life or death situation?

I don't get what you were saying here. Someone who saves $300 up front could be, by definition a permanent 1000 rounds of practice ahead of an HK shooter if he spent the money on ammo. Hell, a guy could be really ahead of the H&K owner buy buying a CZ-75B and putting the difference into a Kadet upper for a ton of trigger time using .22lr. There are way more methods out there to skin the cat than the H und K way.

I guess I'm just getting tired of the "What can an H&K do that my M&P can't?" type of questions, when there are people out there who feel that a $3000 1911 is worth it. Give me a break people!

Why should anyone give you a break? You still haven't answered as to what a standard HK pistol can objectively do that a S&W M&P cannot.

As to the $3000.00 1911A1, you have gone into apples and oranges territory. There is objective value in having a hand fitted firearm made by a master gunsmith using only forged and machined small parts that sets it apart from the run of the mill.

That qualitative comparison cannot really account for the difference in price between a HK and its usual Western European competitors. SIG has the same problem to a lesser degree.

If you haven't owned a USP, P2000, P30, HK45/c, etc. you really shouldn't have a say in whether or not H&Ks are over-priced. After literally owning at least one of every other brand's polymer pistol being produced today (including Glock, XD, M&P, Kahr, Walther, and most recently a Sig SP2022), I can say that H&Ks are definitely worth every penny.

And I have owned a USP and found it wanting against a basic Colt Combat Commander which ironically cost me less brand new. Since owning that HK I have also come to regard the Beretta PX-4, the M&P, and the XD to be just as good poly guns, but for a lot less scratch. If Glocks weren't so misshapen in the grip I'd have them right there too.

And before all the Glock kool-aid drinkers show up to defend their weapon of choice, let's not forget who introduced the first polymer pistol. (This was in no way a bash on other guns, but in the end you usuall find out that you get what you pay for!)

If you ever even dry fired a VP-70, you'd know two things. First, why it was a dismal market failure. Two, that there is a rich HK tradition of making sucktastic trigger pulls a "standard feature."

I am almost convinced that HK engineers are not shooters. So, I do not think one gets what one pays for if one thinks they are paying a premium for increased objective performance.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

I don't mind paying a premium for HK type quality. I have owned enough junk in my life to appreciate superb quality I don't mind paying extra for it.

Also, HK's are just plain cool

 

[Guillermo]

HK's are very well designed and constructed

They are a premium firearm at a premium price.

My guess is that the votes for "not worth it" come from folks that do not see the reason for paying more when you can buy a very good gun, just as accurate and dependable, for less.

While I understand why one makes that decision I have never felt good after "saving money" on a tool or a gun. Spend the extra and get what you want and you will rarely regret it.

 

[His]

My brother has an HK and I really Like it. However, I haven't bought one because I don't want a firearm I can't take completely apart and put back together in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

^ Disassembling an HK USP takes less than 10 seconds for a newbie, and less than 3 if you do it with any regularity.

1. Remove slide stop
2. Remove slide, captured spring, and bbl.
3. Done.

 

[BushyGuy]

i rather buy a SIG then a HK they are better pistols for their money, but i am a Ruger Fan so i rather buy Ruger pistols.

 

[Full Metal Jacket]

^ Disassembling an HK USP takes less than 10 seconds for a newbie, and less than 3 if you do it with any regularity.

1. Remove slide stop
2. Remove slide, captured spring, and bbl.
3. Done.

he's referring to disassembly, not takedown.

 

[StarDust1]

Gosh...

It's annoying to see these poll results so far, because I am certain that 99% of the people who voted NO either can't afford one, or simply don't believe in spending over $500 for ANY pistol.

Just haters IMO.

H&K pistols are most-definitely worth the money. Some may want me to "prove it," but I can say with absolute confidence that they make the most rock-solid, reliable pistols on the market today. Their quality control standards are so far beyond what other companies can achieve these days. I bet they have fewer lemons leave the factory than any other handgun manufacturer out there.

They are truly engineering marvels if you ask me. I have put thousands of rounds through mine without a single hiccup. They will shoot perfectly straight out of the box without any cleaning/lubing. I can't say the same for a brand new Glock 19 that was unreliable for me. Or my brothers Glock 26, or my XD45 that experienced FTF issues for the first 50 rounds or so before it broke in.

How can $800 be too much money for what is probably the best combat pistol being produced today? Is the extra $300 over what a Glock, XD, M&P, etc costs really significant if you plan to shoot the pistol that you plan on defending your life with? $300 will buy you 1000 rounds of .40s&w. If you actually shoot your pistol, 1000 rounds goes by very quickly. If you don't practice with your bargain-priced pistol, what good will it do you in a life or death situation?

I guess I'm just getting tired of the "What can an H&K do that my M&P can't?" type of questions, when there are people out there who feel that a $3000 1911 is worth it. Give me a break people!

If you haven't owned a USP, P2000, P30, HK45/c, etc. you really shouldn't have a say in whether or not H&Ks are over-priced. After literally owning at least one of every other brand's polymer pistol being produced today (including Glock, XD, M&P, Kahr, Walther, and most recently a Sig SP2022), I can say that H&Ks are definitely worth every penny.

And before all the Glock kool-aid drinkers show up to defend their weapon of choice, let's not forget who introduced the first polymer pistol. (This was in no way a bash on other guns, but in the end you usuall find out that you get what you pay for!)

You either didn't read my account, or purposely chose to ignore it...