Breaking in a new Usp

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judaspriest

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I am buying a brand new USP and since it's a mighty expensive purchase, I would naturally like to make the most of the gun.

Are there any particular recommendations on what is actually useful to do during the breakin period (or not to do) with this new gun initially (as opposed to various urban legends). How long should this breaking-in generally last?

Is there any procedure that people can recommend? Specific ammo to use / not to use? (I know that polygonal rifling precludes any lead ever not just initially.) Anything specific to USP break-in process as well as semi-autos in general?

Thanks and regards,

JP
 
Breakin? What's a breakin period? :p

It's a USP--just shoot it. Any ammo should be fine. I've never had any ammo that my USPc wouldn't eat just fine, though some are dirtier than others.

As with any new gun, of course, you need to first fieldstrip it, clean it, and then lube it, but then it should be good to go.

Just out if curiosity, is it a full-size or compact, and what caliber?

And congratulations, both on the purchase and on your exceedingly good taste in firearms! ;)
 
Thanks Seminole,

It's a full-size .40SW

Was hoping to shoot it the same day at the range, but I guess better take my time to lube at home first
 
I have the exact same gun. Like the other poster said clean, lube, and shoot. I did not "break-in" mine and it's been great for two years.
 
Is this first-time lubing going to be any different from the regular one? Should I make it especially generous or minimal as the usual one?

I have Rem Oil - it seems to disappear from the metal unless I use a lot of it. Do I need grease as well on the rails and barrel's outer surface?

Thanks,

JP
 
The USP should come ready to shoot - mine did - with no break-in.
I like to use a combo of oil & lube after cleaning....
1- After cleaning the barrel, a light coat of oil inside & out.
2- Lube along the rails then rack the slide a bunch & wipe off the excess.
3- a drop of oil or two anywhere there are moving parts....
4- A light coat of lube anywhere parts rub together....
5- This is all after a WD40 bath, scrubbing everything down, & blasting it out with the compressor.

Use only copper jacketed ammo - no exposed lead with your USP.
For practice I use Remington Ball ammo - the big yellow pack of 250. For Self-D I use Golden Saber.

You're ganna love your new gun, and should need no break-in period at all. The only thing that will "break-in" is the trigger may get smoother as you continue to shoot. Other than that you're set.
You have one of the finest weapons made IMO

You'll find good info at the HK forum
http://hkpro.com/forum/index.php
 
There is no need to break-in nor break-in period with USP. Do what it says on the manual for lubrication, go to the range, and let 'er rip!
 
Do what the instruction manual recommends.

After a thorough wipe down,and making yourself familiar with the parts, lube it properly and go light it up.

I will differ from one post on this thread:

Do Not Leave Oil Inside The Barrel. Oil will not compress and could damage the weapon if fired in this condition. Before shooting, the barrel should be stone dry. For storage I would agree to the oil, but not for any firearm that must be fired
 
Gentlemen, thank you all very much for your input.

Mr. Chipperman, can you please clarify what you mean? The gun I am getting will be brand-new - do you mean some of them might have already been damaged by other customers' handling who didn't end up buying? Or are you referring to the future usage by yours truly (and buddies)? If it's the latter, I do not even plan on using the built-in lock and will most likely buy the visualock instead.

Also, one more question - what sort of lube is referred to here? I was not aware of anything other than grease and oil for gun lubrication until now (and lube for bullets/cases when reloading), however the "L" in CLP might give me what I need - is Breakfree CLP a valid choice (I have it already) or this Shooters Choice one? Can you please suggest a manufacturer - I'll buy right away

Thanks again,

JP
 
I use Valvoline SynPower Grease for my firearms. It is fully synthetic and rated to -40F. $10 for 14 oz. The canister should last for years.

I prefer grease as it does not run everywhere and stays where it should.

If it's good for CV joints, then it should stand up to a pistol.

You are about to get a LOT of answers and preferences on Gun oil/lube.
 
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As mentioned, there is no real need to break in a USP. Simple field strip, clean & lube, reassemble & shoot is all you really need to do!
Congrats on your new HK! :cool:
 
Mr. Chipperman, can you please clarify what you mean? The gun I am getting will be brand-new - do you mean some of them might have already been damaged by other customers' handling who didn't end up buying?
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Clarification-- If anyone (gun store employee, potential customer, etc) racks the slide while the lock is engaged, it will bend the hammer strut.

The gun will still function, but the mags will no longer drop free. The simplest way to test this is to try and drop a mag. If it drops right out into your hand, then you are fine. If it gets stuck in the magwell, then the hammer strut is bent and should be replaced.
 
Just shoot it.
It'll eat anything, but I avoid running steel cased stuff like Wolf through my USP, and definitely avoid running unjacketed lead bullets through that type of bore. Other than that, just shoot the daylights out of it. I like lighter lubes for the USP, H&K's are great about being run dry, and they advise that they tend to run better with light lubrication rather than being heavily lubed. Although, they will run fine that way too. They are a great gun, and although the trigger is different at first, it is consistent, and you will quickly get accustomed to it if you shoot it regularly. Have fun with your new H&K.

Jason
 
It should come new from the factory already greased and ready to go.

And remember, oil is for cleaning and grease is for lubrication. Don't think you'll be doing your gun a favor by wiping off all the factory applied grease and replacing it with a thin coat of oil that will rub off the wear points after only a few cycles of the action.

In short, buy it, shoot it, enjoy it. THEN take it home and clean/oil/re-grease to your heart's content.
 
uhhh...just go shoot it...or wipe it down and shoot it...sounds like you have been shooting mostly 1911's, these are combat pistols, its a whole different animal.
 
It should come new from the factory already greased and ready to go.
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Maybe. When I got my USP new, it looked like it was good to go, but I always clean and re-lube before shooting a brand new gun. I've seen fine burrs and stuff come out of guns on that first cleaning, and sometimes the factory lube is not the greatest.

And remember, oil is for cleaning and grease is for lubrication.
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I don't know about that, there are some guns that run better with oils than greases. The H&K's that are in production right now are examples. I use grease on the rails sometimes, but IMO oil tends to work better on the internals (and is alot easier to apply), if it's a quality oil. It traps less crap, too.

Jason
 
I strongly disagree with those who say there is no need to 'break-in' a firearm. If the firearm is to be used for defensive purposes, you bet there is a 'break-in' to be performed by the shooter. First of all, take it down and clean it as per instructions. Then reassemble it. At a safe place, check it to see everything seems to be operational. Then go to the range with 500 rounds of ammunition for it. Once you shoot that much ammo through it, you should know whether of not your firearm will function reliably, and that is the 'break-in' that you should do for each and every firearm you intend to use as a self defense weapon. Trusting your life to an untested self defense firearm would be shortsighted and extremely foolish.

By the way the number of rounds at 500 comes from an old school way of thinking among shooters/firearms instructors (at least those who taught defensive shooting when short cuts were not taken in the shooting world). That many rounds will give you one heck of an idea as to how the pistol will function. I recommend shooting them through it without a cleaning in between if the gun will go that long without cleaning. I also recommend you do it all in one day; or at least as soon as possible over more than one day. If the gun starts to jam, it may need a cleaning, and it is good to know how many rounds you can expect to fire before fouling becomes a problem. If a part is weak or faulty, it will likely be feretted out during the course of shooting of 500 rounds. Why shoot 50 today, clean it, carry it, shoot 50 tomorrow, clean it carry it, shoot 50 next week, clean it, carry it, shoot 1 on the street in a bad situation and then have it fail due to a weak part that took 151 round to break. Yes, shoot 500 rounds through it as soon as possible. Sure a part can go at any time, or fouling can hamper function at any time, but being able to go that many rounds without a failure is a good hallmark number to assure proper fit, finish, and function.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
I strongly disagree with those who say there is no need to 'break-in' a firearm. If the firearm is to be used for defensive purposes, you bet there is a 'break-in' to be performed by the shooter.
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We're talking HK here. You might have confused it with a different gun.
 
I am not confused, I am talking staking your life on a firearm's reliability. Until that reliability is proven for each individual firearm, you would be wise not to bet your life on its reliabilty. If you care to do so, that is your choice. Unless some sort of exigent circumstances wherein I had to grab any gun at hand, I would never trust any firearm I expected to carry for self defense of myself unless I had first put 500 rounds through it. I don't care what brand it would be, HK or any other.

All the best,
Glenn B
 
uhhh...just go shoot it...or wipe it down and shoot it...sounds like you have been shooting mostly 1911's, these are combat pistols, its a whole different animal.
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JLStorm,

What is it about the 1911 that isn't a combat pistol?
 
The OP was asking about trying it out at the range after he buys it, not shoving it in his pants and walking straight out the door into a war zone to defend his life with it. Then again, if you had to do that, a USP would be a good choice.

What you pay for when you buy an HK is the build quality that guarantees you won't have to take a brand new gun, strip it, polish it, debur it, and lube it before it will function the way it should from the factory.

While flawlessly shooting 500 rounds might make you confident in a gun's reliability for defense, the USP's engineering standards mean it will shoot those flawless 500 rounds straight out of the box.
 
What is it about the 1911 that isn't a combat pistol?
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I think he meant that current market 1911 style handguns aren't all necessarily built to equal standards of quality and quite a few manufacturers end up selling people guns that truly require a "break-in" period where the parts simply won't work well together until several hundred rounds have pounded them into shape. :(
 
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