Every LE agency (that I know of) that used HK USP switched to Glocks or something else. I attended my instructor school in Tucson and spoke with their armorer/gunsmith about the HK's and why they switched to Glocks. They used USP 40's for a couple of years and then got rid of them. It was a mutual decision. The armorers/gunsmith hated them and the officers hated them even more (see the paragraph on mags).
I like HK's and owned three USP's at the time and thought they would make a great duty weapon, so I was very curious why they got rid of them.
First was fit. The gun was too big for many of their officers, especially the ones with small hands. This didn't make sense to me because Glock 22's don't fit any better. However, part of it was the total size of the pistol. The HK is poorly designed in its overall use of space and is bigger than it needs to be.
Second was parts and service. There is none. I went to the last HK MP5 armorer school last year and listened to a group of LE armorers trash on the HK rep for three days. No parts. No service. The rep admitted it was true. HK is on the outs with their US market right now and is having HUGE import problems due to ATF regs. Plus, if you find the parts they are VERY expensive compared to other pistols.
Glock is the exact opposite on parts and service. Spend $150 and go to an armorer school, which is only one day. The USP school, if you can find one, is two days and $500. Glock holds their schools in every state (just about) every year. Once you are an armorer you can buy more than 1/2 the parts in the gun for $1 each. Check
www.glocktraining.com for their class schedule. The price includes a catered lunch.
Failures. The triggers and hammers on the HK's are prone to failure. Not sure why. But it is especially a problem when parts are difficult to get and expensive. Sending your gun in for warranty work is not really an option when it is your duty gun. Unless you want to buy two of them....
Magazines. This was ultimately why Tucson went away from the HK USP. The mags did not hold up and their instructor told me they were replacing them every year. At $50 each it didn't take long before they decided to do something else. Glock mags are $17 for LEO's direct from Glock. Easy math.
The biggest complaint from the officers was also with the magazines. For some reason the mags are prone to unintentional release while sitting in the patrol car. There are a limited number of duty holsters available for the HK and they allow the seatbelt lock to release the mag while sitting. It was apparantly bad enough that the officers had to get in the habit of checking their car seat before exiting. Nothing worse than drawing your gun on a call, feeling the balance off, realizing your gun does not have a mag it in and that you have a single shot pistol in your hand. If this happens with any regularity you CAN NOT depend on that weapon. If you can not depend on it, carry something else.
I voted Glock. Why? Tried and true. Is it perfect? No. But find me another gun that is currently being used by more police, civilian, and military with the consistency that Glock has. My agency has been using them for 20 years and recently looked at XD's and M&P's. They both appeared to be as durable and reliable, but neither offer the service that Glock does, or the extended track record. For LEO's sending the gun in for service and getting it back in 10 days (S&W has excellent turn around) or 3 weeks (Springfield is still good) is not an option. It is a duty weapon and needs to be fixed immediately.
There is no other company that offers the durability, affordability, service, parts availability, and accessories that Glock does. Plus, look at the other officers and what they carry. How many have HK's? Look at agencies where their officers/deputies have their choice of guns and see how many carry HK's. Of the hundreds of LEO's I know, not a single one carries an HK on or off duty. I am included in that. I like my USP, but it is a safe queen.
The county here allows their officers to choose their duty weapon (we are issued ours). You will primarily see 2 gun. Glocks and 1911's. I know of one Deputy that still has a Sig 220. None of them carry HK's.
Hk is a good gun, and I like them, but they have not proven to be a reliable, durable, dependable, duty weapon. Even the MP5's are going away. They have a limited but important role. However, no parts, expensive mags, no service... That makes for a bad combo. Some agencies are selling their MP5's to any agency that will take them for a couple hundred dollars. (I would love to take a Class 3 MP5 for a couple hundred
I am in charge of maintenance and purchasing for my agency and have some experience in this area. Feel free to PM me if you would like more information.