HK usp question

[megatronrules]

I have read about the firing pin breakage issue with usp's the other day and it seems my gun was made around the time this problem was happening. My gun is a usp compact in 40S&W made in 1996 according to it's KG date code. Were the compacts effected as well? My question is this gun was going to used for concealed carry should I change out the firing pin before using it for this? If so will hk send me a new one and can I install it myself? Am I being paranoid about this thing,should I even worry about it? thanks for any input guys.

 

[OrvilleYertleson]

I have a USP Compact in .40 and my understanding is that the firing pin typically breaks due to excessive dry firing without anything in the chamber. I bought some snap caps, and many thousands of rounds later I still haven't had any problems.

Though I am curious to hear if it is a real issue.

 

[PO2Hammer]

IIRC, the bad pins were in full size 9mm and .40 USPs from about 2000 to 2002. Yours should be fine.
I use snap caps in most everything, but especially USPs.

 

[Bergeron]

I snapped a firing pin in two on my KF date-coded USP9F after about 40-50k dry fires.

If you were concerned about it, you could order a new firing pin and have it put in, but unless you are a real dry-fire monkey like me, I wouldn't sweat it real hard.

BTW, I got my gun fixed and turned around in about 1.5-2 weeks without it costing me anything.

 

[larryw]

My guess is the firing pin in your 10 year old USP is fine, but you can call HK if you have any concerns. If they won't send one to you N/C, Fountain Firearms in TX and Cal's Sporting Armory in CO usually stock parts.

As for changing the pin, not as easy as a 1911, but no sweat. I posted instructions on detail-stripping your USP's slide on THR; a quick search should get you going (make sure to clean the grunge out behind the extractor while you're at it).

 

[10-Ring]

I wouldn't really sweat it unless something happens. I've got ALOT of dry fires w/ & w/o snap caps in all my USPs w/o a problem...great guns!

 

[megatronrules]

10-ring alot of dry friing can break the firing pin on any gun isn't this correct? FWIW I don't dry fire any of my guns ever for this reason someone else here said that the bad firing pins were only in full size usp guns made between 2000-2002 anyway to confirm this?

 

[pablo45]

I have had my .40 usp for about two years and have not had a problem yet. I also bought it used. This is the first i have heard about this matter. If it does happen what should i do? Or should i go out and buy another one or maybe even two? I am waiting for my p2000 and i have been wanting the .45 and the 9mm.

 

[Bergeron]

First I'd check the date code. I think it was only one batch of firing pins, so it's not like every USP out there is gonna have a problem. Mine was a KF date code, and that's the date code that I have found that people who break them, break them with.

I really wouldn't sweat it. The only way I think you'll see a problem is if you have KF AND you dry fire with an empty chamber a LOT.

But if it still nags at you, buy two new firing pins (so you know they're both good), have your smith teach you to put them in, use one for dry fire and one for live fire, and you will never have a problem again.

 

[LexusNexus]

The FP is hit by hammer, locked by the slide, so no matter what gun, as long as you dry fire, you're incuding stress to a thin metal piece, and sooner or later it'll break. Snap caps will help reduce it like shooting with real cartridge, but even if you dont' dry fire, the actual firing will still break the FP after you use it many times. That's just nature of metal.

 

[megatronrules]

Bergeron my gun is usp compeact in .40S&W with a KG date code does this mean I'am ok? Another poster replied that the guns having issues were the full size usps made from 2000 to 2002,mine was made in 1996. Was this only a problem in full size usps made in the above mentioned years or in the compact models also? thanks

 

[Bergeron]

megatronrules, I wish I had a definite answer for you. First off, the internal lockwork on a compact should be the same as the full size, so that shouldn't be an issue.

As you said, yours is a KG/1996 pistol. My USP9F that I killed the firing pin on was a KH/1997 pistol. That's close enough to warrant attention.

PO2Hammer's post post was the first that I've heard about 2000-2002 model year guns having problems. If there is a problem with the firing pin, it is that it was made in a batch with insufficent heat treating, not an inherent flaw in the gun's design.

It is mainly an issue of how you treat your pistol. If you rarely dry-fire, no sweat. If you dry-fire a lot (Qualification: when I broke my firing pin, the gun had been through 30-40K dry fires in ~ 2 years) I would be concerned. I would again recommend that you get two new firing pins, use one for dry fire and the other for live fire. The USP is a pretty simple design, and I've seen pictoral walk-throughs of how to strip the guns.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=4037&page=3

Also, after I sent it back, it was fixed and turned around in 2 weeks, no cost to me.

I would encourage you to go over to hkpro.com and do a search on firing pins. I'll also include below my story about me and my USP firing pin issue.

 

[megatronrules]

Bgereon so basically any gun can and will break a firing pin if its dry fired excessivly? its for this reason my guns dont get dry fired any of them i've never been a big fan of dry firing my guns.

 

[Bergeron]

I would not go that far. A Glock, for example, has to be dry-fired before it can be field stripped.

What it comes down to is that dry-firing with an empty chamber is different than live fire, and if you have a gun like a USP with a date code that may indicate that it has a weaker than standard firing pin, then you may want to take certain precautions before you dry-fire.