German paratrooper here. The P8 (a variant of the USP 9mm) is used by the German military since HK built it. Most of the pistols we use are from the very first production. They got treated like shit, dropped hundreds of times and shot over 100.000 rounds (150gr!). And they still work absolutely fine. Crazy engineering.
Amazing weapon!. My first ever purchased handgun was a USP compact some 20 odd years ago. Not a single issue or malfunction after many thousands of rounds. I have a Paratrooper son with the 173rd....maybe he'll get to jump with y'all one day.
@@thatchsmash Yes, it is. Would love to own one, but I live in Europe… Congrats to your son! I already jumped with a few of the 173rd during the exercise „market garden“.
@@Nordheide sucks with the gun laws over there.....but you have a beautiful country and people. Was in Munich area Germany a decade ago for several months and when I came back home I immediately felt like I just came back to a dirty third world dump where no one could drive. And absolutely none of the "beer" here has tasted right to me ever since 🍺
@@thatchsmash Haha yh I think I can agree with that. It’s good that you guys can own and carry guns, cause you really need them. I’m kind of glad that not everyone is allowed to own guns over here, cause we also have a lot of people that would do stupid shit if they had access to guns. Then everyone would need them here, too. But I understand you guys want to keep your rights and I support that. And tbh, if good US citizens would drop all of their guns, the bad ones will keep them and then the good ones are fucked.
James is an absolute stellar human being and a walking wiki of HK knowledge. He helped me quite a bit when I was searching for my first MP5. A legit gentleman and scholar and outstanding Marine.
@@rocko7928 James Williamson. Friend of mine who probably knows more about HK than HK does at this point. Very professional. This is his RU-vid channel ru-vid.com/show-UCDy7rfk9VQhT2249lgbEBhw
the HK USP plataform is such a gem pistol man make fell capable and tactical but the caliber is the big issue, I know 45 lovers gonna hate this but the P8 variation in 9mm still my choice in a real life danger situation
I bought the HK USP 45 Tactical. Took the weapon through SWAT school, and fired almost 1000 rounds in a day. Never cleaned it that day, and never had a problem. Still accurate though the end of the day. Cleaning it that night sucked, but it NEVER malfunctioned. Carried for many years until we were issued 1991s. Still have it.
Little known design fact about the USP 45. During a speed reload with the slide locked, if you slam a loaded mag in at the natural angle the slide will release forward without hitting the slide release. It takes a little practice, but when you master it, you have the fastest reloading gun.
Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of shooting the USP, hopefully I will someday. However, I can say that most pistols will slam load. At least the ones I have owned and shot will.
USPc was my first gun. After years of adding in all other “popular” guns I realized I really like the USP the most. Sold all my guns and bought more USP’s.
Its like getting your first girlfriend and then breaking up and going through many relationships until your on the verge of jumping off a bridge and then realizing that your first girlfriend was one and u marry her.
Can we all take a moment to appreciate the effort and quality Mike and his team put into these videos? Thanks Mike and team for producing this great content!
The firing pin on my USP9 broke around 70,000 rounds. Never had a problem since. It's beyond me why H&K has never bothered updating the gun with a 1913 rail. It's the only thing that hasn't stood the test of time with that gun.
Traded up my 1911 for a USP 45 as a duty weapon in the late 1990's and I've never looked back. Literally thousands and thousands of rounds with zero issues.
@@icupopavictorsierra3138 at this point, it's better to go with a better 45 acp platform entirely; one that has a rail, more capacity, more aftermarket parts & services, etc....
I switched to a P226 after 10 years of carrying a USP 9MM, simply because I like the grip feel better. Still, I have great love and respect for the USP which never malfunctioned once in about 6k rounds. Staggering reliability.
I have a ‘95 USP45 and it’s been through hell and back, most reliable and still dead accurate, wouldn’t trade it for the world and will always remain in my collection
I also have a ‘95 45, made the same year I was born. You physically cannot tell the difference between it and the one I purchased brand new in 2019, except for the “pat pend” on the grip lol
@@LIONTAMER3D you haven’t owned one and put it through the ringer. No finish is indestructible. This one has held up greatly but the barrel finish on the first year models is trash tbh. Still it does it’s part and doesn’t rust except the barrel hood where it’s bare metal.
I started out with the HK USP 40 as a duty weapon in Dallas County. I fired thousands of rounds thru ion the range. I loved the smoothe power and accuracy of the USP 40. I transitioned to the HK USP 45 later on. I love the power and accuracy of the weapon. I never have had a jam on either weapon. The reliability is outstanding, and worth every Penny when your life is on the line. The USP 45 has more recoil and requires more recovery time, but I was able to adapt after practice. The tactical team here all use H&K weapons for the reliability.
I got mine also because of metal gear and many other games/movies. It’s 100% worth it. I opted for the 45 to take full advantage of the recoil system and for it being a big gun
I'm sporting a USP 45 Tac with an Octane 45K on it and it is serious accurate and stupid quiet. Hands down favorite of all my handguns, and there are a bunch...
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but do Greek police have them in all of Greece, islands included? Or do they only have them on mainland Greece?
As a proud USP owner, this video made me incredibly happy especially reading all the comments of fellow USP owners. In my area its 1911, Glock or bust, definitely feel like a black sheep.
@@azdesertmedic1904 I bought a SafariLand OWB off of Amazon for like $40. It's great. But the IWB holsters are so hard to find, especially the AIWB. I have an Alien Gear that's meant for 4 o'clock or small of back, but it just doesn't work for appendix.
Important piece to remember: the USP in 9mm was also designed for the german Military! Thx adopted it as the P8! Was trained on it, during my time in the german navy. The P8 hast the Same dinensions Like the USP 45, this means it ist just massively overbuilt! (Which helps with reliability)
I carry a USP Compact in 9mm. It is the most accurate weapon I own. When I first got out to the range to test it two years ago, it had been a long time since I trained, but I was driving nails. Absolutely incredible firearm. I don't even care if it's "obsolete" by today's standards. And I agree - the USP is a beautiful weapon.
I purchased mine in1995 when the USP 45 was first available. I still have it to this day. I bought the UTL light for it as well as a match trigger group from HK. I also added the tactical HK threaded barrel when I mated it with an Advanced Armament suppressor. It sounded like dropping a bowling ball on the ground. I have gone through a number of firearms through the years but I would never give up my USP 45. When the gun was new, I took it to the range and the first 3 rounds went through the same hole. Accuracy is always superb. Awesome pistol!
I own lots of guns but my USP .40 is the one I’d bet my life on to run perfectly every time. And yes I’ve owned Glocks, Sigs, and just about every other major manufacturers pistols.
Same for my dad (well, first pistol), but the compact .40. I grew up in high school shooting a usp compact so it holds a special place for me. I’m in my 30s now and hope I’m the kid that gets it in the will someday.
errrrrr i hate to tell you this kid but i said that back in 1998. I wish you to edit you comment with the correct atribution. Thanks. Also Boom. HEADSHOT!
The USP’s are some of the best pistols on the market. Definitely a well thought out and designed duty firearm. The update done to the HK45 series is also very well thought out. Definitely need an HK45 to add to the collection.
I chose the HK 45 over USP. I couldn’t pass it up because of the price and both guns I purchased had some cool significance by having sequential serial numbers..Thanks for the video Mike!
I’m always baffled when people say “USPs are way too big and heavy” when they’re lighter than a Sig 226 or a Beretta 92 and are almost the exact same size. I have average sized hands and the full sized USP feels great. I absolutely love the combination of safety/decocker and the ability to convert to different safety configurations, but the lack of a 1913 rail is disappointing and the trigger guard doesn’t need to be the size of Connecticut.
The 45 is a bit beefier than the usp9 and takes some getting used to but it’s very smooth shooting and yeah, you’re spot on about the size and weight. The FNX is a close 2nd but the trigger on the USP is so much nicer, especially the match version in the expert.
Years ago I passed up a USP .45 for a German P226 in 357SIG + a .40 barrel. I kinda wish i had got the USP but a proper max pressure 357SIG round is no joke. I still get regrets times like these.
USP trigger is easily improved with HK nickel sear for around $10. Can be made even batter with the match trigger kit. +2 and +3 extensions are available as well.
@@joseramirez9599 doesn’t change the actual way the trigger works, just some nicer surfaces and slightly different springs. It’s also an HK factory kit, so I’m confident they tested it extensively
Picked up a USP .45 5 years ago after wanting one since I was 10 and got to shoot one at a range. I will never get rid of it, it's such a solid pistol and so aesthetically pleasing. What an icon.
@@killdizzle if I recall correctly the “refinements” were simplifications to the design, which doesn’t change my belief. However I’m not a huge HK nerd so I’m probably wrong on that
It’s my duty weapon and was my SWAT weapon for the last 17years. It’s never failed to feed, eject and has never double fed👍🏼 I also have the VP9sk which feels like a mini USP 45👍🏼 Great hand cannon‼️
USP 45 was the first gun I bought. This was due mainly to the fact that I was a big Resident Evil 4 fan, and the protagonists main pistol borrowed from alot of designs, but mostly the USP 45. That gun handled th .45 ACP recoil very well. I still have yet to shoot another pistol chambered in .45 that shoots as good as my USP did. That being said, it being my 1st gun, I knew nothing of ergonomics, and my trigger finger would drag on the trigger guard of the USP. After 2-300 rounds on a range day, this would leave the side of my index finger pretty raw. Great pistol, really cool looking, just not the best fit for my hands
@Random Pickle It was my 1st expierence with the RE games. Ive gone back and played the originals and difficulty factor is way higher on the old games, but I honestly get frustrated with the camera angles on the older games
I've had my USP with original Insight UTL tac light since 1996. I've upgraded mine with threaded match barrel, match trigger, Leupold Delta point on custom mount, custom extra tall front sight, and AAC TiRant suppressor. Love it. Most accurate pistol I own. Only problem is...try finding someone to make a holster that fits it.
Very first handgun that I bought at 21 years old. Still my favorite handgun I own 25 years later. I would love it if HK made a USP 2 with a standard rail and optics cut out.
HK should really update this pistol with larger mag release paddles and a 1913 rail system (I know you can buy the G&G rail adapter but it makes the light hangs a little lower than where it should be)
Love the video. Incredibly detailed discussion on the development and nuanced features of the pistol. I’ve owned HK polymer pistols the Mk23, and USPs for nearly 20 years and learned alot. Also appreciate the advice on winter exercise! Very important that we stay trained up and ready! God speed sir!
My 2nd pistol I had purchased was a USP 45 Tactical. Still shooting it to this day. It's a work horse! Still shoots amazing after putting sooooo many rounds thru it.
Carried an HK USP45 for my last 11 years in uniform, and the Compact version while in plain clothes. Great weapons. Every time I shoot one I remember why I fell in love with it in the first place. My department just recently went to the Sig 320 after carrying the HK for 20 plus years, most of them originally bought in 1999 and 2000. We still had spare parts I bought in 1999 that were never needed.
I was taught to slam loaded mags into my USP40 during reloads and that automatically drops the slide into battery. It works and removes one step from the process.
Our berettas used to do that. And when the slide didn’t go forward, you’d see guys slapping the bottom of the pistol instead of hitting the slide release.
Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of shooting the USP, hopefully I will someday. However, I can say that most pistols will slam load. At least the ones I have owned and shot will.
My first handgun was a glock 35 and I had well over 1000 rounds on it before I got the usp45 as my 2nd handgun. It was awkward at first because I was so used to the glock, but after getting a bunch of practice on it, I much prefer the trigger and ergonomics of the usp. To this day It's still my favorite handgun. I also love how you can swap out some simple parts to change the safety/decocker and left handed/right handed characteristics. Way ahead of it's time.
My first self-bought firearm was a HK USP 45 about 30 years ago for about $600, and it is still my favorite pistol of all time to shoot. It's just amazingly simple technology that just works and works. Could never ccw it though! For home, it's awesome. Mushy trigger is def the weak point, especially for such an accurate firearm.
The agency I worked for issued these with the stainless steel slide, and years later when they changed to Glocks, I bought mine. It is sitting just ahead of my right hand as I type. It NEVER let me down in any way. I consider myself lucky to have it. Plus I have one of the awful 20 rnd mags that a certain company made for them. Took a LOT of fitting, but it works in mine now!
I like using the non-lethal version with tranquilizing rounds. Pretty good silencer on it for taking out lights and ctv cameras to avoid detection even from genetically modified soldiers with enhanced hearing. Former FOX unit here.
Absolutely love this gun. The Mark23 is epic, and has so much history to talk about, but at a $2,000+ price tag and very limited numbers produced each year, they are a bit out of reach so to speak. At less than half the price of the Mark 23, USP45 is absolutely a good alternative.
The one you've got there appears to be a standard USP 45 outfitted with the threaded barrel. The USP 45 tactical will have "USP tactical" engraved on the slide and will come with a MUCH better trigger and the suppressor height sights from the factory
I had the HK USP 45 C, the compact version of the pistol you reviewed. I regret having sold it. It was an awesome concealed carry piece. Lots of firepower in a small, easily controlled package.
very cool, that was a cool gun and I think they are pretty desirable/rare now. The .45 USPC was a little bigger than the 9 and .40. There was also the USP 45 CT (compact tactical) that had threaded barrel and suppressor height sights. I had the opportunity to get one of those years ago and wish I had. Kind of a predecessor to the HK45 compact & tactical variants but better grip and blockier.
Modifying my USP .45 into a MK23 lookalike has been very, very fun. I love this gun with everything in me, and as an adult, I *will* live my Metal Gear Solid 1/2 dreams.
@@teutonicknight9041 it runs flawlessly. It is my favorite of all my HK's. The price dropped since I purchased mine and I'm not mad. If I could only keep one it would be it.
Bought a usp 45c for my first carry weapon and it’s without question, the best choice I’ve ever made. It’s light, and accurate and overall just an amazing firearm
As an owner of usp9,40sw,45, tac 9,expert 9, and mk23 i find them all to be a blast to own and shoot. The dont have the best triggers,what they do have is the ability to eat just about anything. To the man below me whos usp 45 is having problems with shorter oal rounds. The cure for that is to insert the little blue pill after powder but before seating the bullet.
My USP .40 did not like aluminum ammo much after a couple rounds the chamber would get hot and the casings would fail to eject. Only with aluminum ammo besides that it would run flawless with any ammo I’ve put through.
@@CoyotePower5.0 interesting, i have well over 50k through my usp 40 and have never had a problem with the aluminum or steel cased ammo. My kriss vector in 40sw will rip the rim from the case if i use aluminum.
One video that I would love to see would be a video where you see the effects of different calibers at different distances against the ballistic thorsos (ex. 6.5 creedmor at 200m, 500m and 1000m) Although the USP 45 has been a review I've always wanted to see, thanks Mike!
I got my USP 45 Tactical couple of years ago. It’s an awesome piece. I liked it so much that I went and got its older brother MK 23 as well. Both are quite similar in design. However, USP is a lot more practical than Mark 23.
I first bought my USP 45 20 years ago, now I just bought the USP 45 Tactical, I’m in love. I’m looking to milled it for a RMR and add a suppressor to the system for my dream sidearm.
Someone makes an RMR plate to replace the rear sight. I’ve got one. Pro tip- if it’s going in the dovetail with too much difficulty, stop and file it down a smidge. I thought mine would eventually get easier as I hammered it in, but it didn’t. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get it out now.
The first handgun I ever purchased was an HK USP 45 compact. I still miss that gun. I always wanted a full sized USP 45. Went with the compact because it was my every day carry and the full size was just a huge pistol to conceal. That being said, my USP Compact was a very robust, reliable, and durable pistol. The USP will forever be my all-time favorite polymer semiauto. Beautiful, tough, and ahead of its time. I will have one someday. Great video as always. Thanks, Garand Thumb!
I chose the Mk 23 over the USP45. I wanted something that could take and not fail me to hell and back, also if it's good enough for Solid Snake, it's good enough for me. It has its own aesthetic and massive 90s vibes, love it!
I know they're comically oversized, I know they aren't the most practical sidearm, I know there are debatably better options available, but damn ever since I played MGS I have wanted one so badly.
@@Pattamatt1998 they aren't THAT big if you hold them in your hands. It's like a M1911 Commander. Side by side you'd think what a hunk but when wielding one you forget it's size really. It feels like a sophisticated USP lol
I’m happy you had an enjoyable and positive review. That’s a USP Tactical btw with its threaded and O ringed barrel. I got my plain 45 in ‘98 and loved it but longed for a better trigger. It was at the time the only pistol with a factory light attachment point and light made for it which showed its worth in a dark house 360 shoot at the Firearms Academy of Seattle. With its ultra reliable magazine I never had a hangup in nearly 30,000 rounds of reloads. At the time pre 9/11 there were 2 small outfits that made magazine extensions for it bumping capacity to 17 +1. In 2001 I upgraded to an Expert 45 with an O ring barrel and match trigger. Bruce Gray, formerly of Team HK tweaked my trigger to 2 lbs and modded a 40 jet funnel to really smooth reloads. All in all this is one of my favorite 45s and shooters. While I haven’t shot this in about 5 years I’m wanting to bring it back into competition. I agree it’s a sexy Rexy to have while that barrel while having 100,000+ rounds once hit steel out to 100 yards 8 out of 10x standing 2 handed. So glad others enjoy this blaster as much as I do- it’s a keeper.
I love HK Hammer, fired pistols, and the reason I love them all is because they offer some of the best trigger options for a modern hammer-fired pistol. In particular, I love the LEM configuration. I have two USPs in 45, the tactical and the compact. The 45 compact with the LEM trigger is my favorite handgun.
My HK45 is my favorite out of my 4 hammer fired HK handguns. It was built to be an improvement over the USP and I believe HK hit a home run with it, they improved the ergonomics, handling characteristics and accuracy at 25 yards in my hands. The reliability is the same because internally there’s not much of a difference at all, they use nearly all the same high quality parts. The HK45 is built in Columbus GA and my USP is built in Germany, there’s no difference in fit/finish, quality is the same impeccable HK perfection between both guns and the barrels on the US HK45 are still made in Germany along with many other internal parts. They’re both equally amazing .45 ACP handguns (the best polymer framed .45s ever produced) and both can run for many tens of thousands of rounds no matter the conditions or ammo quality without stopping and still retain perfect combat accuracy. I wouldn’t hesitate to grab either to go to war with and I trust my lives to both, I just prefer my HK45 because it fits me better and I shoot it better.
If you're disappointed at Flannel Daddy for not doing MGS quotes with any HK product, go and hit that subscribe button! Like, comment, share, all that good stuff!
MGS was literally my childhood, I loved it so much I literally convinced my teacher to let me play MGS3 in front of my entire school on projector for ‘educational purposes’
USP .45 is the smoothest shooting gun I've fired. I own a Shadow 2 Orange as well along with a mid-tier 1911, PPQ and several others from various makes. My Ranger student concurs about this. Have shot so many different firearms over the years and am still impressed by how this thing runs even after 25 years of ownership. Truly the most durable and reliable autoloader ever built. Precision machine. I've given it to Glock guys (another of my students runs exclusively Glock 9s) with +P 230gr HSTs and seen them shoot tighter groups string after string than with their own Gs having never shot the USP before. Add a match trigger to it and it improves it that much more. An all-time firearm. Built around the .40 but it has that mojo in .45.
I've owned 2 USP 45s, one full size with the LEM trigger, one compact. I found that I enjoyed looking at them more than shooting them, especially the compact. Really cool weapons but just not as pleasant to shoot as I wish they were.
I am, and always will be, a disciple of John Moses. I am, and always will be, a devote' of the 1911. My current EDC pistol is a product improved 1911. AKA HK USP 45.
I've owned six USPs over the years. Bought my first in 99 and it was my 2nd firearm purchase. Up until the moment it was stolen(possibly pawned by my X-wife...) I had put a legitimate 23,000 rounds through it. I did change out the main re oil spring because the recoil felt different not because of any stopages. I'm down to two USPs in my battery right now but I'm not complaining....heaven help the dirtbag that stole my 1st.
USP was always my unicorn, here in MA was hard to come by. Managed to get a 9mm some time ago. Carried it for years at work, and still carry it CCW. Love the gun, sick to see you do a USP review
Serious question: I know the north-eastern states have insane gun laws, but why are they hard to get? Couldn't a gun store/FFL order one & have it shipped in? I like to cross country drive a lot but I don't even consider going to the northeast states (RI, NJ, NY, MA, etc) because of their insane gun laws.
@@cekamsr some guns are just simply illegal to sell in MA, and it may need to be made before 1998. Idk what the deal is with the usp. 45 but I know that the Archon Type B, is just simply not allowed.
@@cekamsr Mass had a compliance list, when I bought mine only preban USP 9 was possible. They are in the list now, and it simply comes down to supply at this point.
Just FYI, streamlight makes lights (TLR-3 and TLR-4) with the correct proprietary rail attachments for the USP and the USPc. They’re a lot more secure than the adapters with a regular light on them Also, HK parts has stendos that hold 24+1 rounds. They’re massive, and ridiculously expensive, but they do exist
I just bought a USP9T to go along with my USP45T and they had some of these mags in stock, I was about to buy one because why not but the price tag was $140 😬
It’s fun seeing how much more energetic he is in these videos in the past year. If you look at the ones from 3+ years ago he was almost dry in his speech.
@@Saanonymous80 that’s unfortunate, because essentially everyone that can afford to is going to a 9, probably for the increased capacity and better ballistics
Caliber debates are always cute. Though I do agree 9mm has come a long way and is a viable caliber today. But most of those who tend to comment simply follow the FBI flavor of the decade. I do enjoy 9mm for other uses, but given I'm not really desiring to give up my USP, I'd rather hang on to it due to familiarity and quality. Perhaps someday the switch will occur.
Much prefer my HK 45 tactical over the HK USP 45 both are amazing 45cal handgun but that Hk 45 tactical just feels like heaven in my hands with the spider-man grip it sleeps next to me on my night stand next to the my daniel defense 300 blackout its perfect combination for home defense
My favorite 45acp handgun in my collection. For 45s, I own a couple 1911 gov, a 1911 officer, HK 45CT, FN FNP45, and a HK USP45. The USP45 eats everything I feed it. Accuracy is fantastic. Handling and recoil management is stellar. I have nothing bad to say about it.
