I own both a USP and a 1911 and I believe a pistol is just a means to fight your way to a bigger gun.

just my .02

Martin - It's a fair question and worth an answer. I like the .45 because I've been using one for the last 30+ years. I carried my personal .45 through two tours in El Sal and I've fired untold thousands (God alone knows) of rounds through it. Yes, I need to send it for a tune-up, but it still functions just fine. As a "lefty" I appreciate the 10,000 gunsmiths eager to customize my pistol "for a reasonable price." I also like the wide variety of accessories - especially left-handed holsters (not always readily available for less "venerable" handguns). I've also found that most modern pistols have controls (safety, decocker, mag release, etc.) optimized for right handed users. IIRC the TS's favorite HK is one of them. Sigs are another. Those same 10,000 gunsmiths and 100 years of product development address the lefty issue to my personal satisfaction. Depending on carry options this may or may not be an issue for you. The true "ambidextrous" pistols, e.g. the Glock, just don't meet my idea of esthetics/ergonomics. It comes down to personal preferences. Bottom line - as long as it launches manly bullets reliably, who cares? Pistols are only good for shooting your way to a real gun anyway (or those social occasions when a real gun isn't an option). My .02 - Peregrino

Thank you, that answered my question perfectly.

If someone more adds their opinion, thanks goes out in advance.

Martin

Scotty, have you looked on Gunbroker and Gunsamerica? You should be able to find that which you seek for about $650. ;)

BTW, Team Sergeant, having lost my favorite 1911 in my divorce (yeah, yeah, I know) I find myself needing another handgun. I'd like to give the USP-C .45 another chance, but wonder if there's anything that can be done to give it more of the trigger pull I'm used to (4 lbs. crisp break). Is that something that can be solved with a new Wolff hammer spring, or would it require a smith? The trigger was the main thing I didn't love about the weapon previously.

HK offers Match trigger Packs, but Finding one, Paying for one, and Finding an HK armorer to install it can be a pain in the ass. Also, I am not sure if they work in the compact guns. Worth looking into I suppose, if that's what you are interested in.

I saw those on the HK site, but it looks like they are only available for the full-size models.

So tell me young man how many rounds you have through an HK?
Or a 1911?
Team Sergeant

HK - Enough to know that the weapon does not fit me very well.

1911 - several thousand

I'm just trying to let Jatx know what I have seen, nothing more.

Undoubtedly far fewer than you, but that's not sufficient reason to reject his opinion. (In my lingo, it goes to weight, not admissibility.) :)

I take it you've Looked for an HK trigger pack, had a hard time Finding an armorer to place it in the weapon, and had a tough time of Paying for this service also?

You've "seen" this or experienced it yourself?

Please enlighten me.

I don't normally put down weapons or weapon systems until I've actually experienced a problem myself.

FWIW. I have several HK USP pistols. I have been trying to find a dealer for HK products to order a match trigger pack for my USP .45. I have had the trigger on order at two different gun stores for over 2 months. I have also had ZERO luck contacting HK to order one directly. Poor phone service the three times I have called.

I am not dying for it, as I have been shooting USP stock triggers long enough to be acquainted with it and not find it that unpleasent.

My only complaint with the pistol is I have a short thumb and find myself repositioning my hand to release the slide. It's a personal problem.

TS, any suggestions on a place to obtain this trigger?

[QUOTE=Scotty]After about 200 rds or so, the weapon starts gumming up and jamming. I've been shooting the Winchester battle packs.....What do you guys shoot for target/what do you do to the weapon to keep it from gumming badly?
.....Custom built Strayer-Voigt frame, Caspian slide. Completely built from the ground up by master gunsmith Tommy Abernathy.

Scotty:

The guys have some excellent advice and I will comment on your questions FWIW.

One of the guys said to keep it lubed and it really didn't matter what you use for lube. I agree totally but will add this for you. Don't mix the types of lube you are using. I have been using LSA-T on my .45 and it works quite well. This last week I decided to lube with LSA-T on some of the parts and good old CLP on others. It was hot out and I shot a-lot that day. The LSA-T tried to mix with the CLP and it resulted in a gummy substance that also got mixed with carbon. The .45 got sluggish but continued to function. A quick wipe down of the barrel and slide followed by straight CLP did the trick.

I think that the Winchester cheapo ammo that you are using isn't as hot as it should be. Liability issues are at play with commercially purchased ammo and the companies will always use the low end of loads to avoid law suits. The loads are perfectly safe of course but are one size fits all and I have found the Winchester 230 grain loads to be very mild although they function every .45 I have seen them fired through. Could be that these loads are a bit light for your custom pistol and once you get some carbon mixed with the lube -- that is enough to make it sluggish.

I think some of the fellows remember the final days of the issued .45 ACP -- early 1990s. IMI .45 ball. 230 grain round nose. Very hot loads. Much more felt recoil than the issued WCC .45 ACP we used to get. So hot in fact that I stopped shooting them.

You may want to ask this gunsmith what loads should be shot from this particular pistol before hand loading for it. He would probably know what is best and I would go with his advice before screwing around with something else.

'Target' loads is kind of a generic term. Real 'Target' loads normally use a 185 grain bullet and very light loads of powder -- requiring a much lighter recoil spring than what you probably have. I don't think you really want to deal with true 'target' loads as 185 grain .45 bullets can be very picky about the feed ramp.

Instead, let me advise you to hand load with some 200 grain truncated cone or cast bullets to moderate loads. I feed my .45 a constant diet of 200 grain bullets. My loads are a bit hotter than what bullseye guys will use but that ensures function. I have found the 200 grain bullets to be superior in accuracy than the 230 round nose anyway and if you are worried about 'knock down' power -- I wouldn't due to bullet design and the increased speed you get with the 200 grain bullets.

Guys generally use five grains of Tite Group or WW 231 with a 200 grain bullet to good effect. There are other powders -- Bullseye, AA-5, AA-7, Unique, and some shotgun powders but I think that most guys tend to stick with Tite Group and WW 231. Plus or minus a few tenths of a grain to suit their own tastes but that is the general load for this bullet weight. Works with standard recoil springs and the accuracy is superior to a 230.

One final comment -- there is no excuse for any firearm not to function with the ammo that the manufacturer claims should be used. I have very strong views about firearms that someone says needs to be 'broken in' by firing ammo before it will function consistently and perfectly. To me, there is no excuse for a firearm made by a custom guy or even out of the box to fail to function flawlessly for the full amount of ammo expected to be shot in any shooting session. 200 rounds in a session for a pistol without wiping it down or adding lube is pushing it in my view so keep that in mind as you go down your path.

Gene

[QUOTE=Gene Econ]I could not agree with this statement more.....

I have (in the days of old, before I kicked my 1911 addiction) taken a 1911 to a Master Smith only to have it stop working 500 rounds later. After a few thousand dollars in "custom" work, and purchasing more 1911's, I came to the conclusion the 1911 will always require "work" and re-work.

There are too many great "out of the box" weapons on todays market that can shoot as accurately as any 1911, function much more reliably than a 1911, have a mulitude of options and cost a tenth of what a custom 1911 costs. (I will not discuss the training involved to employ a 1911 with confidence and competence!)

Now if we could just get some of those gun makers to make different size frames in th same models.....

Sorry Prester John, I own a half dozen HK's, I've never taken one to the smith, I've never replaced a part on any of them, I continue to shoot bullet holes through bullet holes with the same stock triggers and barrels with each and everyone of them.
(I also do NOT work for or consult for HK :D )

My point, they work just fine, out of the box.

I don't think anyone is badmouthing the H&K as a handgun, I think the real complaints are with the U.S. arm of the company itself and its business practices.

Some like the SIG, some the H&K, some the Glock, some 1911s.

If it works for you and does what you need it to, use it and be happy.

I personally think that if Scotty's pistol is doing what he says, it needs to be returned to the smith and let him sort it out with his ammo.

TR