I want a USP 45C, and a MK23, but then again I want all the HK’s!
I’ll show my two USP guns again just because I like them so much.

Not to de-rail - more of a sidetrack, but my itch for "something-45" has again surged - decided the 1911 vs all other will be fought another day as I WILL get a 1911 someday and endlessly OCD over which one.

So since I need immediate gratification and am in "other" mode my focus is to the HK45 vs USP questions - this will be my 1st 45. I both want AND need it.

So what say the collective?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sgalczyn,

Well I just picked the USP. At a cursory glance.

The USP has a better trigger
The USP “feels” smaller. It actually feels like a fairly small .45
The USP grip texture is much more aggressive.

The HK45C has better sights
The HK45C has slightly better controls and is more ambi in nature
The HK45C feels like a bigger gun
The HK45C is more “melted/rounded”

Only time will tell but I am really digging the USPc .45.

I purchased a HK45 this past summer as it is a pistol I always wanted and the price was too good to pass on. It is amazingly accurate to say the least! I switched to the Lite LEM trigger and am quite happy with it. I have very little trigger time on the USP 45 so I cannot provide a good comparison of the two pistols but I will say that each has their advantages and disadvantages compared to each other. I think the HK45 has better ergonomics and you can change the backstrap to adjust to your hand size if that is an issue for you. The USP has a longer and much more established track record and the recoil system is capable of handling .45 Super, from what I have read on Pistol Forum. I don’t think you can go wrong with either one, honestly. The correct answer is to buy both! I absolutely love my HK45 and can see a USP in my future as well.

Love my USP45T !! Congrats!

Congrats! What I love about the USP and USP Compact is that they are so customizable. I bought my .45 Compact in 03. It was a standard variant 1 without night sights. Since then and over years I made changes to suit my taste. I added a factory threaded barrel, match trigger and spurred Match hammer components, Novak nights sights, extended mag release, GGG rail adapter, ambi fire controls, Hogue grip sleeve and a couple of other details I forget at the moment....lol

Unfortunately it will be a week or so before I have the time and various ammo rounded up to live fire. I will run some gold dot which is my preferred .45 SD ammo and some Golden Saber and whatever range fodder I have around when I can.

I have been running a fair bit of dry fire and laser drills with it and assuming reliable shooting and no weirdness crops up under live fire I think this is going to make another great jack of all trades gun. It definitely “handles” smaller then the HK45c and I really like the aggressive checkering front and rear. Mag compatibility is big for me and I like that it shares mags with my 45c. All in all I am pretty jazzed to get it on the range.


Take care and shoot safe,
Chris

So I finally got to the range for some actual noise therapy with this USPc .45. I am happy to report nothing but all good in the hood.

My first 3-4 shots were "comparatively" all over the place at 10 yards and I was a little worried but then I gelled and it all came together and I was dumping them right where I wanted and fairly fast as well. I typically like to savior my shooting so I don't generally run through my ammo super fast but something about this gun just wanted to run fast, it just settled right back on target and I found myself just slinging rounds, dropping mags, running reloads etc. It ended up being one of the best range trips I have had in some time.

I ran 50 rounds of 230 grain Winchester (Brown box/training ammo), 50 rounds of 185 grain Golden Saber BJHP ammo and 25 rounds of 230 grain Gold Dot and had absolutely no issues with accuracy or reliability with any of them and the ejection pattern was just perfect. I ran 10 round mags and 8 rounders with flat base plates.

My biggest concern was that the slide release lever was going to be too large and I was going to actuate it causing a false lock back with the way my grip sat but absolutely no issues what so ever. The gun felt great, handled great, shot great, and looks great. I love this thing.

I will say on the record that I am of the opinion that the P2000 IS the better USP compact in 9mm and .40. After shooting the HK45C and the USP compact .45 back to back I believe the USP is the better .45 compact.

Now that isn't to say I dislike my 45c, far from it and there are things I prefer but overall I feel like the UPSc is better in .45 than the 45c. The things I do prefer on the 45c are as follows.

-Ambi controls
-Smaller slide lock/release levers but still large enough to be used easily
-The stock night sights are nicer then the stock nights on the USP, easier to one hand rack etc.

The USP compact has....
Better grip/grip texture (even fits me better strangely as I have girly hands)
Better safety/decocker lever
Smaller footprint/handles smaller
Comes back on target faster for ME. (They have the same recoil system for all intents and purposes)
Better trigger

All in all I am kind of tickled and a little surprised. I should have bought one of these back in the mid 90s like I wanted. Of course that would have required disposable income......but details.

Anyway take care, shoot safe,
Chris