Local gun store had some of these in as police trade ins, was able to grab one for $500. Pretty low round count but a good bit of holster wear. Like you had said, it’s an easy gun to learn. I can’t really describe why but it does feel easy to shoot well with fairly quickly.
This usp looks immaculate yet considering it was a duty gun and you've had it so long. A true testament to HK quality. What a beautiful example of fine German excellence. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this!
I can certainly relate. I own an HK45C that I would also rank as my best handgun. My second choice is my HK VP9SK. This is a big admission for me because I’ve been a 1911 person ever since Vietnam. But, if I could only have one for the rest of my days it would be the HK45C…hands down favorite.
I have a USP CT 45 that came with the LEM . When you rack the slide to chamber a round you don't de cock the hammer . That way you have the same trigger pull . And when you holster it you put your thumb on the hammer for just in case the trigger gets caught up and pulled accidentally . That was how I was taught to use the LEM . Personally I believe the USP family of pistols are the best that not only HK offers but the best pistols ever made to date .
I have a variant 3 decocker that’s older than I am (1995 I was born in 1998 I am actually as old as your gun) old police trade in, in 40 and it’s been a reliable work horse since I got it
I too would take no other to a gunfight. I have four compact USP's, three in variant one, obviously all the major calibers, not .357 Sig. The fourth is my carry gun, .45ACP in the LEM variant. Gotten to be the "glove" gun, just fits me. Great review, and wholeheartedly agree with you.
The USP Compact in 9mm sits on my bedside nightstand. I've carried it in the winter but even the compact is heavy and harder to conceal than other options I have. Mine has the da/sa trigger. Never tried a LEM trigger. But I do agree that it is the gun I trust the most.
The DA/SA allows me to carry appendix with confidence I won't blow the Little General's head off, can't trust a striker-fire with that task in a stress situation.....and don't get me started with people that can't double action a pistol. Cool review thanks! HK USP's ROCK!!
This is my current EDC I absolutely love this weapon and trust it with my life, previously it was a full size Glock 17. And your right with a proper holster it wasn’t too hard to conceal easily
Awesome gun! Love your HK reviews! For me my 1 and only gun I’d take would be the HK USP compact 9mm. P2000 is good too with LEM trigger. But the name Jack Bauer comes from my love of USP compact 9mm, and it being best show in the world.
I always liked HK pistols; such as the USP's, P30's, P2000's because of their high quality. Other high quality ones that I like are: the FN FNP's or FN FNX's. And the Cz series of pistols.
I prefer the double to single, especially with a coil and a half cut from the hammer spring. It's even better with the tactical barrel on it. If you haven't already tried it, try Cor-Bon 135gr. rounds. That is truly the magic combination with the USP .40. You'll see what I mean. They're a little hotter than most, but the USP has no problems handling that. Best performance you can get from a production round.
Honestly if I had to start my gun collection over again my pistols would mostly be USPs. I currently have 3(45 Elite, 45 Standard and 40 Stainless Standard) and planning to get a 9 either Standard, Tactical, Expert or try to find a Sport or Elite.
Same for me. I have the same gun in compact. Have some others I consider equal. When a gun like my Sig P220 has not jammed in 25 years, I pretty much trust it.
I shot one of these and it was really snappy. I don’t know if they were just hot loads but I was really disappointed. It was almost overwhelming at some points when shooting rapidly it was hard to get back on target perfectly. I really wanted to love it. This gun was in one of my favorite games growing up as a kid and I always wanted to shoot a usp but I wasn’t very impressed with it. I mean it is nice. I just didn’t like the hard snap I was expecting more recoil management from a larger pistol. Usually they are a bit front heavy or have a spring in them to negate that recoil. I didn’t feel that with this gun. I’m sure it has something for recoil but like I said it could’ve been just hot loads or something my step dad just handed it over and said “dump it”
Excellent choice. Thoughts on the P30L? Try the Pro-S OWB by 2A Holsters for the USP40. Great option and conceals very very well. Prefer with the Hogue finger groove grips myself.
I like the slip-on finger grove grip sleeve. With that said in a practical shooting scenario it is not a solution for accurate shooting. If you do not believe me draw and fire from a holster in a practical shooting stance. Your hand will miss the groves for your fingers every time. Target pistols are the only firearms that gain any advantage from the finger grooves.
I just received on of these (compact 40 LEM, no “safety” and no decocker). I’m puzzled by the design. So it’s basically DA/SA - without the ability to ever set it to DA - and not really single action either. My favorite remains the Walther P99 (SA/DA with decocker) and I’m scratching my head what HK was thinking when they came up with this.
The LEM is a light double action, equivalent to the SIG DAK trigger. It combines the safety and simplicity of DAO with a lighter trigger pull than the normal double action. It's popular with police departments because it's hard to screw up with, although in theory experienced shooters can get better results from a DA/SA pistol.
For a duty carry, DA/SA would not be my choice bc you would need a lot of training in order to be proficient esp. in a high-stress situation. LEM is much better for patrol bc every shot is the same 8lb., (in this case trigger pull). Much easier to train to be confident in your abilities where every shot taken is the same trigger pull. BTW: The NYPD Glock 'NY Trigger' is 13lb. pull! It was designed to be close to a DA revolver. Edit: Have a USP 45 & waiting on the kit to convert to LEM.
I Purchased A HK USP Fullsize In 40cal. Put Some Rounds Through It. Can't Say I'm A Super Duper Fan Of The Fullsize. I Own A Couple Of Compacts One 45 And A 9mil. And A P2000 In 9mil. I Love Those Firearms. I've Thought About Selling My Only HK Fullsize. The Only Reason I've Thought About Keeping It Is Cuz We Can't Get Them Here In Cali Anymore. They Fell Off The Roster. And I Wouldn't Be Able To Get Another. At Least Not At A Reasonable Price. Paid $1200 At The Time. Sure Someone Would Double The Price On Me.
I just bought one 3 days ago, shot it this morning, and fired 100 rounds in about 15 minutes, not one hiccup, failure to feed, light primer strike, etc. I decided to go with the HK USP 40 over the Glock 23 on a whim, not unhappy I did, but there is no substitute for reliability, Glocks are very reliable, but there seems to be a point of diminishing returns as you get up to the .40sw or 10mm, in my personal experience and Glocks just have an awful feel in your hand. And the HK was designed specifically for the .40 sw from the ground up, the same people that brought you the HK416, MP5,
The USP and the Glock are compatible in terms of reliability, but the USP blows Glock out of the water in terms of durability. A USP is going to hold up better under heavy use. This guy's USP looks new even though he used it as a duty gun in the 90's. It's a work horse that will last you a lifetime.
@@Catgat37 Niiiice, I hope you grab it, the USP 40 was made around the 40 cal round, along with the Sig P229, not many people know that, hell I just found out 3 years ago.
How does the 40 compact stack up against the full sized? The LEM trigger is "pre cocked". My p2000 9mm came with lem and i put that trigger into my usp 40c.
I have shot full size USP in 9mm and 40 many times at my range but I keep going back the compact versions. Just a better balance for me. I believe p2000 in lem is the best handgun HK is offering to the civilian market. Arguably USPc may be more durable than p2000 if fed with hot rounds but otherwise it is the same gun with better ergonomics.
The DA only trigger sucks-SA.DA is only way to go The gun needs the safety lever That lack of hammer sucks......easy to put a hammer on from the larger model. Now just add the 45 version..I had all 3 calibers...45 worked best.
I have a few USP pistols, and I LOVE them....but I also have several P30s and to be honest...after I started shooting my P30s....I don't even shoot my USPs anymore. I did go back and forth when I first started buying P30s....but after spending some time behind them, I haven't touched my USPs in a few years. I still have them and will never sell them, but I feel the P30s are so much more refined, and even a little better. I love HK. Now, the VP series...I think are TOTAL CRAP. I can't believe HK is even willing to put their name on those turds. I think the FN 509 is the way to guy in a striker fired platform. The VP is not even close to a 'real' HK in my opinion. If you think so, handle a P30 and a VP side by side....just the grip texture and panel fit is night and day. They feel like a cheap toy...kinda like a Glock or Hi-Point. I own a Glock, but it is HIGHLY refined and heavily modified....and STILL can't hold a candle to a bone stock P30 or 509.
Yeah there’s a clear quality difference between the P30s and the VP9. It really drives me nuts that HK markets the absolute hell out of the VP9 🤮 all of their hammer guns are so much better!
I carried a USP .45 on duty in L.A. for abut 9 years in patrol. I went back to my Beretta 92FS. I hated the fact that the gun was like a boat anchor with a high center of gravity. I hated the 1911 style decocker/safety. Any little pressure on that decock lever up or down and it rendered the gun inoperable when pulling the trigger. The pressure came from one’s thumb naturally resting on the decock lever, just like one does on a 1911. Second, the Hk magazines when dropped, would crack up along the back side where the witness holes are and along the welded seam. I didn’t think their magazines were all that well constructed. Third, trying to get a replacement captive guide rod for the gun has been very difficult. So I decided to go back the Beretta. Eventually, I went to the Gen5 Glock 17. I love the Glock over the USP amd wished I had gone with the 17 decades ago.
Don't trust that thing before you shoot aluminum cased ammo through it. Had a stainless USP that I had to "slingshot" every round like an airsoft gun. A completely trustworthy gun EATS all ammo. Test your gun on aluminum case. If she chokes, get the 9mm USP. Those never failed me.
@@animalsoul444 I rather get the p30 or hk vp9 if I wanted to get a 9mm. This gun was literally built for .40. Barely any recoil when shooting .40 out of it.
I have a USP 9mm, and a compact, but with skyrocketing prices I'am afraid if I have to use it in a self defense situation I'am out an over $1,000.00 fire arm which I cant replace.
As someone who has used a USP40 to fend off a shots fired home invasion, losing your firearm to an evidence locker isn't a big deal if that's the worst thing that happens to you. It was a "good shoot" (quite an oxymoron) so I got my gun back promptly.
That is a tough one. When I bought my vp9 I thought the same thing so I went and bought a used xd9 for 300 bucks. Came with 4 mags and all the original stuff. Damn good gun and now I dont have to worry about losing my higher end guns.
Are you really more concerned about possibly losing a pistol than not having the best weapon possible to save you or your loved one's lives? Budget shouldn't be an issue, especially not at $1k. It's not exactly a $5k custom 1911.
