I am looking at buying a handgun and just got my carry permit last week but I can’t decide what I want to do. I have done tons of research for months and feel that H&K’s USP .45 or .40 is the way to go. I have talked to several cops about it in the last few weeks and they really like their Glocks, so now I’m having thoughts
Has anyone owned/fired both and which do you like better?
Here is what I’m looking at…
http://www.hecklerkoch-usa.com/usp_general.html
A lot of people complain about overall comfort with the glock series of pistols.
I shot off a mag in a Glock 17 in .45acp and in a HK USP in .45acp
The USP is a little bigger in some of the demensions but It has some key features that the glock does not.
It HAS A SAFETY
You can rack the slide, push the safety all the way down and decock it for single and double action firing.
Its a bit more balanced, with glocks the grip and frame is polymer making it light, but it puts all the weight up top, giving the gun a higher kick.
The USP is more balanced overall and is more controllable in firing off rounds in rapid succession.
The USP Compact is also a very nice comfortable smaller version of it.
I would also look into the the 1911’s Some of the best .45 firing guns ever made.
Kimber makes a great weapon.
Personaly I would grab the USP, get some rubber hogue grips on it and Iridium sites and be all set.
well I love pistols and how a few here and there. You mentioned a carry permit are you looking to carry this around 24/7. If so the full sized USP or any full size pistol wouldn’t be my first choice.
Things to consider:
If you are interested in going to a range or other legal place to shoot I have a small arsenal. Including a .40cal Glock 23
if your looking for a composite style pistol…ive heard great things about the Springfield XD.
I “own” a .40 glock 23, put 100’s of rounds through it. I have also fired many rounds out of a .40 H&K USP.
I have to say, you just cant beat the lightness of the glock. It makes you much more accurate. Don’t need a lot of muscle to keep it on the bull. I didn’t look up the specs on weights, but the HK definatly feels much heavier.
The HK does have advantages tho… 1. Looks way cooler! 2. is dbl action, and has a half-cock drop button, so your greezy thumb doesnt make you look like a fool. (I put one into the ground at a range with a .38, boy did I feel silly…always keep it pointed down range.)
There is a torture test that these guys put a glock through somewhere on the web, I don’t have time to find it now, but its pretty amazing. they put 1000’s of rounds through it, pack it in a bucket of sand…mud…pack the gun with sand, dont clean it and fire more and more rounds…thing doesnt stop. Then put another gun through the same test and it fucks up non stop…keeps jammin. I believe the other gun was a 92F, but I’ll look it up later.
oh, and for cleaning! I have never cleaned an HK, but the glock is a breeeeze. You can field strip it, lay it out in pieces, and then put it all back together in under 45 seconds.
As far as shooting goes…I always did better with the glock, could be due to my experiance with it, but I have to say I like the way the glock sits in ur hand.
I’d like to own both, but if ur buying just one. My vote is on the Glock.
[quote=“The_Russian,post:2,topic:38444"”]
A lot of people complain about overall comfort with the glock series of pistols.
I shot off a mag in a Glock 17 in .45acp and in a HK USP in .45acp
The USP is a little bigger in some of the demensions but It has some key features that the glock does not.
It HAS A SAFETY
You can rack the slide, push the safety all the way down and decock it for single and double action firing.
Its a bit more balanced, with glocks the grip and frame is polymer making it light, but it puts all the weight up top, giving the gun a higher kick.
The USP is more balanced overall and is more controllable in firing off rounds in rapid succession.
The USP Compact is also a very nice comfortable smaller version of it.
I would also look into the the 1911’s Some of the best .45 firing guns ever made.
Kimber makes a great weapon.
Personaly I would grab the USP, get some rubber hogue grips on it and Iridium sites and be all set.
[/quote]
The USP can have a safety. There are also trigger variants with no safety. You also make is sound like a safety is so great. Fact is a safely handled handgun shouldn’t need a safety at all
The USP grip & frame is ALSO plastic/polymer and I would say are more top heavy than the comparable Glock pistol
Here are my recommendations for a daily carry piece:
the usp .40 is my top choice so far…
i don’t plan on carrying it everyday 24/7 because of the size, I am going to get a smaller gun that can be the carry piece. This will be a target piece mostly
Turbo, you should not make fun of the people in wellsville, they are called “woodchucks” not hillbillies.
“Personaly I would grab the USP, get some rubber hogue grips on it and Iridium sites and be all set.” - The Russian
Any accessories you think are necesary/important besides the grips and sites?
Target piece = 1911. Hands down. Too many aftermarket parts to do crazy things to it, depending on the sort of competition you want to get into.
[quote=“The_Russian,post:2,topic:38444"”]
It HAS A SAFETY
[/quote]
Glocks do have a safety, they have 3 in fact…Just because there’s no switch/button doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a safety.
^ yes they do but they are all internal, and if you pull the trigger they all disengage.
Sureshot is also dead on 1911’s = god, for target pistols.
Only other accessories you could get is a laser site or a surefire light, but theres no reason for it.
H&K .40