If you like my work, please consider supporting me on Patreon: / thegunpenguin Let's take a look at how the HK45C is holding up after 3000 rounds! #HK #HK45 #HK45C
one thing about this gun that I see almost no one mention; It IS a USP on the inside, same fire-control components and internals, just updated externals.
@@WalterRitchey The 45C is very similar to the USP45C on the inside and the same goes for the full-size 45. They both take design cues from the direction that the USP went when HK developed the USP Compact and P2000 lines, most importantly, the single flat recoil spring with solid buffer instead of the round recoil spring with round buffer spring setup. The slides and frames, while recontoured for higher grip and easier holstering, are mostly the same and certainly similar in weight. The full-size HK45 of course is slimmed enough to require stack-and-a-half magazines, though this brings its width in line with a 1911 sporting regular wooden grips. Its frame also shares the overall shaping of the modern HK pistols that the P30 started. Edit: And of course, the HK45 Compact Tactical is the Mark 24 pistol.
@Reker.A I would agree. Compared to the HK45CT you get the better recoil system, trigger, and higher capacity. But the HK45CT is small and costs less. Trade offs are everywhere👍
This gun with flush 8 round baseplates and Light LEM is the best concealed .45 out there! I also have a OEM Threaded CT barrel and elephant foot mags if I ever feel the want to swap for a tactical role.
I just picked up an LEM conversion for my V1.I also love the flat flush mags. Have 4 of them. I want to get a threaded barrel for fun times with a can. But I'm getting my slide milled for an RMR at the moment. Suppressed fun comes later.
always dig your bizarre style and unpredictable perspective. none of your content is boring! just like you, the HK45c doesn't fit my hand correctly and I also hate the safety lever compared to the newer designs. however it's still a great pistol. To me the perfect HK would be an HK45 that uses 12 round USP mags and has the P30 rear decocker.
So in classic "YMMV" terms, I have zero issues with the safety on my HK45C tactical. Even shooting 300-500 rounds at a time. The grip isn't my favorite, but I haven't felt the need to put any additional grip tape on it. Gripping it tightly is key but of course this matters in shooting any pistol well. Conversely, I owned a P30S and P30LS and sold both to replace with non-safety versions since after only 250-300 rounds with either it would start to wear a hole in my thumb. I enjoy the channel!
Thank you for the kind words! This further confirms that HKs seem to be less adaptable to various hand sizes. You either have the hands that fit a certain model, or you don't, and that's unfortunate. For instance, even my beloved full-size HK45 just feels a little weird, while the P30 doesn't. Granted, I don't have the one with the safety. Still, it's an odd HK quirk. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! Such information is very valuable.
I have a lot of questions pertinent to the subject matter of this video: 1) Was that a palmetto tree? 2) What kind of tree has the pink flowers? 3) Would you say the leaves block a lot of sunlight? 4) Have you had any issues with tree limbs hitting the power lines? 5) Do you have a problem with squirrels due to the amount of tree branches on the property? 6) Do you do your own tree maintenance or do you use a tree service? 7) Related to question 4, if a tree branch was to damage a power line, would the electric company fix it for free or would they “charge” you (haha… pun noted!) Anyway, lovely video on the trees of South Carolina. Keep the “green” content coming!
As an HK fanboy and wanting to use this review to further my love of this pistol I use as my nightstand gun I was wary of this review reading the comments but no they’re right you’re actually hilarious 😂 surprisingly liked and subbed. Good review man keep up the good work 👍 you were honest and fair
Great review, with some very good insights to the issues you have with the gun. I haven’t ever heard someone talk about the decocker causing blisters. But that’s a real good thing for any perspective buyer to consider. Great and refreshing content!
With the LEM trigger and grip tape, i have "fixxed" the things that needed changing It's basically a G19 sized, 8+1 HK45. Fantastic product Thank you Penguin for taking the time to make reviews.
The lever on the c destroyed my hand and I began to hate it as well, but since I only used it as a decock anyway I just moved it to the other side of the gun and it’s back to my favorite! Hell…..this channel was the reason I bought one 5 years ago 😂😂
Good review. I bought the non-tactical 45c to go with the full size 45. I got the variant 7 lem. For me, the lem took a lot of getting used to. Yes the 45 and the p30 have a long reset. I’d like it a little shorter, but for me it’s still better than the lem. I didn’t get the tactical because I already had a threaded barrel for the 45 and didn’t want the raised sights or pay the extra money. I also figured how many suppressed 45s do you need? I’m still an hk fan boy. The only one I’ve resisted has been the Vp9. When you have 4 hammer fired, do you need a striker fired one? Not me, so far anyway.
I threw on some Talon grips and changed to the v4 lever, decock only on the right side of the frame. As a right-handed shooter it gets the lever away from my firing hand thumb for much more comfy grip and I decock with my index finger. Folks sell 3D printed keys for the TLR7A or TLR7 Sub lights, or you can file a key it comes with to make it work. My three issues solved and it’s one sweet package.
Excellent review! I haven't experienced that issue you have with the decocker, but everything else, 100% on. Thanks to the shape of the trigger guard, the rail is unusable by most anything but micro compact sized lights - I use a TLR-4. The grip is way too slick, a shame there's no backstrap with the USP-style plastic spikes (which are not bad at all once you lose enough skin in them), but after getting a talon grips texture it's far more shootable.
My thumb tends to sit just directly below the safety so I haven't had the problem you're talking about. Sorry to hear that though. I can see how that would be frustrating.
If your thumb is sitting below the safety, I bet it's a pleasure to use! Other than a few strange design decisions, this gun is exceptional. Thanks for watching!
I do agree about the placement of the control lever. It isn't as comfortable to use as the safety on a 1911. The possibility of decocking the hammer makes riding the safety ill advised. I've no other issues with the gun. I like the grip texture. I've carried it IWB and it didn't eat me. I've carried the P2000 daily for at least 2 years. I shoot a box or two of ammo most weeks. The grip feels perfect to me.
Bro...this video got ya a sub. Love the lore humor, and the leprechaun HKers 🤣🤣🤣. Considering picking one of these up, amongst a few others. In the running, HK45CT, HK45T, FNX45, FN545, Glock41MOS. I already own a Glock 30, so the Glock would add me more magazines, it's also the cheapest. It would be the most...logical choice...but..yeah. I much prefer the feeling in the hand of the HKs to the FNX. However, that new 545 is pretty excellent. In this realm however, FN has the higher prices, by some bit. Anywho enjoyed the video!
I have this in the v7 and sent it off to grayguns for some work. Hands down my most favorite 45 that I own right now (that isn’t a Wilson or Iver). You won’t regret this purchase.
For my tastes, this gun is fun, but mostly meh. Next to some of the .45 HK models, this design feels a bit undercooked. But, I appreciate you sharing your perspective -- it's a good balance to the video. Thanks!
I feel like this is one most people will just wish they’d gone full size after owning for a while. Light LEM is a great way to go either way if you second guess decocker only.
I can understand that the "Tactical" version might be a little more of a head-scratcher. But the regular 45C with a flush baseplate is no larger than a CZ P-07 or a Sig P229 (and lighter than the Sig). It's not a bad concealed carry option at all. The DA trigger is certainly heavy and long (even compared to other DA options I own), and I wish someone made an aftermarket hammer spring to lighten it up by a few pounds. But overall, it's. a damn solid and accurate gun, and I see no reason it wouldn't last a long, long time - long after the average Glock is on its 2nd or 3rd barrel.
@thegunpenguin Super inexpensive fix for grip is Talon grips or you can send it to Boresight Solutions for a more expensive option and have it professionally stippled. Now with regards to the safety decocker send it in to HK and have them switch it to the other side or even better have them convert it to light LEM. It really gives it a better trigger and removes the lever completely. Hope this helps improve your relationship with the gun. 😉 Rick Haha just heard you say you’re not interested in LEM and I get it so just have the lever switched to other side I’m pretty confident they can do that for lefties.
I just purchased the full size HK45 and it should arrive to my shop today. I was looking at a used HK45c German stamped, for $600. What do you think? The seller claims a cop carried it off duty and only put less than 100 rounds through it, yet the date stamp shows ‘07. I was a police office myself, and we had to qualify twice a year with our off duty weapons, so I’m not sure if his round count is accurate. Still, I kind of think I’ll buy it. I’d like a German one and it’s hard to find them these days.
The round count sounds very suspicious to me, but these are very sturdy guns. Even if the prior owner put 5000 rounds through it, the gun still has plenty of life left.
Glad you updated review of 45c; been on the fence on it(would only buy without the “elephant foot” 10 round). love HK45 as a true combat handgun and easy to conceal in winter. Summer carry, HKp30SK. Then my recent acquisition of HKp30L for “cool factor” “babayaga!” (Took 6 months to get one from Deutschland). I know you don’t like the external safety decocker on HK45 and 45 c and agree the decocker be better suited as on the HKp30 series.
The full-size model is amazing, but I see why you'd be on the fence about this one. The grip just isn't good, and it makes the safety so much worse. It's really tough moving from the P30 to the 45c.
I like Death Cab and Lynyrd Skynryd, don’t like CZs and XDs, don’t drive a BMW but a Subaru, and do like HKs very much. So that whole segment was just hilarious to me.
I truly hope you buy the full-size model; it's notably easier to shoot well, in my experience. But, if you can test both to see which suits you, that would probably be best.
thegunpenguin I own both and agree with your comment. The compact is also not that much smaller. Of at least equal significance is which variant you get.
@@Magdumper Both have relatively little recoil for a .45. I've shot a ton of +p loads out of both guns. But, the full size gun is softer, and courtesy of the grip texture, far easier on your hands over the course of a long range session. When I first bought these two guns, a lot of this wasn't immediately apparent, and I've reversed my opinion with the passage of time. If you're only going to put 100-150 rounds through the gun in a session, it might matter less which one you buy. But the larger gun is a bit easier to shoot well, and more comfortable in the long haul.
I just replaced the bottom mag with it flush. It’s a V7 too so no snag. While it may cause you problems firing it it for a long period of time. I use it for conceal carry. So at the end of the day self-defense scenarios only the last few seconds. If one day the shit hits the fan then I’ll use gloves 🤷🏻♂️. Also you can fit a Viridian laser light on it. 👍🏼
Happy to help! You can't go wrong with either of those. The FN is much larger and heavier, but it's almost more comfortable to fire. It's harder to choose between the full-size HK45 and the FN, and that might be a better comparison anyway. In that case, I'd probably go with the HK.
Beautiful intro dude, I love the SE in the summer. Also I only want this gun for its tacticool points. Reminds me of all the cool video games I played back in the day lol not that it should be a deciding factor on what gun to buy but who cares this thing just oozes cool. You hit the nail on the head with HK and CZ fans 🤣. I appreciate all quality guns though. Thanks for another awesome video!
I personally enjoy my 45c. Even though I too DESPISE THE SHIT out of the grip (why HK... just... why). I wish the 45c got the same grip as the full size / P30 / VP. But I solved that with a Pachmayr grip. It's not as comfortable, but damn close. Never have to wear gloves, never a battle after long range times. Still comfortable as a conceal. There's a lot more light options now too btw. You can either key custom keys made while some lights (Like the TLR7-Sub) come with a key specifically for this rail. Still not as nice, but not as bad as before. No comment on the thumb issue, I think that's going to come down to each person. Issue for you, not for me. But likely others will encounter it. 8+1 (or 10+1 with the elephant's foot) doesn't bother me. I know some folks only feel safe with an entire armory of ammo on their person. I don't feel the need to be Rambo. On the off days I feel 8+1 isn't enough. I'll carry a spare on me. Which is rare. If I did, I'd be carrying a 9mm instead. I just like how 45 shoots more and if you train like you're supposed to. Capacity should never be an issue like many whine to the heavens about (If I don't got 60rds, I'm worthless crap). It's a damn fine pistol in my book. Not perfect. But a really nice 45 that conceals well (especially with the flat plate mags) and shoots beautifully and remains reliable. It's also quite aesthetically pleasing (apart from that godawful grip). Loved the review though. Got quite a few laughs out of me.
I've reached the same conclusion with my HK45C. Orginally going to carry it, but only find the tactical varaiant with suppressor sights at the time. Trying to find a light for the rail was the final thing for me to give up on it. Going to replace it with a HK45 full size or USP 45. I'll use my P30 for carry.
It's basically a time capsule of modern handgun development, much like the Mark 23 and the USP. There really wasn't much standardization of handgun lights and a throwback to Delta's raging eggplant for the 1911. To this day, nobody knows why H&K refuses to develop a 1913 rail for the USP line. There would have been no need for literally anything else beyond the update to the P30 grip. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever see another 45 from HK. In the mean time, I'll continue to strip naked, cover myself in Vaseline, and squirm on the kitchen floor pretending I'm a slug.
That's an excellent and concise way to explain it! And I agree -- the USP had everything a shooter needs. I'd also want the P30's decocker and no safety because that lever batters my hand, but I could live with it as is. HK's design philosophy is baffling. They've originated so many great ideas, yet inexplicably ignored others. I'd argue that they're the most frustrating gun company.
I really appreciate your opinion on the safety as im a lefty thinking and was thinking about making it lefty friendly but i think i will just use it as a decocker
If that works for you, let me know -- I still haven't swapped mine to the other side, but that might be the solution. It's not like you have to decock in the middle of a defensive situation anyway, so it shouldn't really matter which side it's on. Thanks for watching!
@@thegunpenguin so far it seems to work great, I haven't had any issues with sore spots from the safety as a lefty. I do wish they had put the p30 grip on this thing as the shape is difficult to shoot as fast as I like and the lack of an under cut in the trigger guard can rub a blister. I do carry mine occasionally and with the standard barrel, sights and 8 round mag its as easy to conceal as a glock 19 IMO. I still prefer a 1911 for the ergos and faster shooting experience
I doubt any more resources will be spent on the pistol, unfortunately. I also wish it were not flat sided. It needs to be stippled (front corners and mainspring housing, minimum). I'd also recommend the LEM trigger. You can leave the external safety or remove it. Doesn't matter. Cool pistol. Perhaps, the stock should have been 1/2 inch longer as I could shoot it without the "horse hoof" magazine (LOL!). Great review.
Thanks! And you're right, HK isn't actually going to make any changes to the 45 after all these years, but I do have hope an entirely new .45 down the line. Keep your fingers crossed!
I bought this pistol a few months ago...and I can't stand it. It looks cool. It is very ergonomic for my small hands. But unfortunately there are two issues with the actual design that I see. First, for some reason this pistol just does not group tight. It is not an "accurate" gun and is very sensitive to ammo choice. And second and most important, this gun is built to accept a suppressor, but when using one it gets more blowback of gas and particles than ANY other pistol I have when suppressed. Honestly this thing is outright dangerous to shoot without top level eye-pro...and ordinary eyeglasses don't count. You need to completely protect your eye with no gaps. I know, you should always use eye pro, but sometimes you can't..say if using this as a nightstand gun with a suppressor on. You need to be able to shoot safely bare and this gun cannot do that (The FNX-45T can by the way). I think the issue is apparent when he takes the gun apart....there is a huge v-shaped cutout on the bottom of the slide that allows way too much crap to blowback to your face. If you have one of these do this experiment...unload the gun, cock the hammer, shine a light down the barrel from the front while looking at the hammer area from the rear....you can see the large open space this cutout leaves. This is the source of the blowback and it is a stupid design. This gun is not safe for civilian use for anything but a range toy with top their eye-pro...in my opinion....too much eye risk. The safest pistol I have to shoot "bare"? A suppressed Glock 19...very little blowback.
Excellent review, my friend. I wouldn't be able to get past the safety/decocker. Have you had any trigger time with the FNH FNX-45 Tactical? I like it other than it also has the safety. Why is it that all these "tactical" .45s feel the need to include a safety but 9s are often available with decocker only? Also, thought you should know that near the end of the video, there was an ad interruption with a more than 2 minute plug for "The Epoch Times." It seemed to be InfoWars Lite...
@@thegunpenguin when I watch your videos, all I can think about is how much of the Alt-Right mindset comes through. You should do a video with Alex Jones about his favorite gun and why it is a Springfield XD-M 45.
No offense but I carry the 45c often even with the 10 rd mag and a red dot and it doesn’t print…with the proper holster. The grip feels good and sturdy in my large hands thought the full size is more comfortable but not by much. In my opinion the 45c is the perfect size, I run the v3 decocker only which is the best version if you ask me. Although the full-size is slightly better in every way I don’t at all feel inadequate with the compact and I actually prefer the way it looks because the full-size is a big ass gun.
Great review, i will say my opinion on the decocker/safety is vastly opposite of what yours is but i do have medium to smaller hands, the grip is interesting but as my daily duty gun and carry id say its better then most. Maybe it is your grip? maybe its just how things are, chances are it was designed for use with gloves (reason everything is so bulky and big from the trigger guard to the levers) but keep carrying on and keep giving the updates!
I think this is a case of, that's just kind of how it is. I don't have large hands, but they are big enough that this grip causes a problem. I've also attempted to replace the backstraps, and while that helped with some problems, it enhanced others. At the end of the day, given the popularity of the P30's grip, most people would've been happier to see them go that route. And hey, there's still time! Maybe we'll get an updated HK45C one day, though I won't hold my breath. Thanks for the kind words, and for taking the time to share your thoughts!
thegunpenguin id agree, I did see a video on how Larry vickers even modded his grip by David Bowie so even the designer has a issue with it. But maybe go that route? If that’s how far you’re willing to take it to. It wouldn’t be unlike H&K to update or change something’s if they’ve got enough complains but it’s been out for a few years so maybe that time has passed also. But anytime!
Maybe they'll get around to changing it. But, I have so many guns to test, I'm not really going to pay to have one modified. When I find a big problem, I just move on to another gun when testing is complete. In this case, I use the full-size HK45. But, I very much appreciate the suggestion, and if I was committed to this gun, I'd definitely send it to Bowie; his stippling is excellent!
I dont seem to mind the things that bother you so much. But then i dont ride the safety on a 1911 or decock my weapon all that much. Im not real tactical. The grip i like if it’s slippery i guess you could put tape on it. Different strokes for different folks.
I have one of these GP. H&K's are for pretentious ass holes like myself LOL! I don't know why I spent a $1000 on a plastic pistol but I did.... hey wait it's an H&K so thats why! I saw the O-Light Jack-Shit but it's a tad too big for my taste I'm waiting for the O-Light Jack-Shit Mini to come out. Great Video as usual!
Thank you for the kind words, and for the record, I'm the asshole who has 3 HKs, and at various times, I've had many more than that. The JackShit Mini is just the thing for EDC!
The grip was made that way because Larry Vickers hated the trigger well and the Bat Man grip . Yes Bat Man grip !! Because Spider Man carries a USP CT45 : )
@@alcodie1558 I'd like to see it. There's so much lore surrounding this gun, and so few real sources. All we have is secondhand info, and facts passed down through internet forums. If you can find it, I'll include that info when I do a 6000-round update.
I loved your Streamlight review. As someone who exclusively uses Surefire, it was nice to see an alternative tactical light to help me clear my way from the couch to the fridge at night. There could be tangos hiding in the laundry room.
@@SapperGentleman I went to send you an email and realized that I misplaced your address. Would you mind sending it to me once more? thegunpenguin@gmail.com
