Well long story short, I went to a shop today looking for something to use as a new CCW…I love my PX4-subcompact but its just a bit “chunky” for IWB…wanted to see/handle a Walther PPS and see what other options there are for something a bit “skinnier”.
Anyway, there in the used case was a gorgeous H&K USP Tactical in .45! I never gave H&Ks another look, but for some reason this thing just called out to me. It wouldnt be for CCW obviously, the thing is huge…but Im thinking of picking that up this week. Wanted to do a little research before I “pulled the trigger”
Any advice/tips/concerns/horror stories? I was reading a little online just now and saw a few posts of people asking how to tell if its a “real” Tactical? Are tactical clones common?
It should have tactical engraved in the slide, adjustable sights, and a threaded barrel with o-ring. Pretty sure they have some trigger work too. The guys on HKPro could probably help.
You’re lucky to have found one. They are pretty hard to find. I tried to order one through my LGS and they couldn’t even backorder one. I’ve got my eye on the USP Combat Comp in 9mm lately though.
Most likely you’re seeing threads of someone asking about if the HK45C-T they saw was real, since the HK45C-T does not look any different from the standard HK45C outside of the threaded barrel; in fact, I’ve heard that the barrel may have different serial numbers from the frame for the HK45C-T, which was supposedly from the fact that H&K had some overruns from what was being sent to NSWC. Thus, there was no appreciable way to figure out if an HK45C-T was a “factory original” or just made from someone buying an HK45C and substituting in a factory threaded barrel, outside of contacting H&K with the serials.
As KCBRUIN said:
The USP-T in .45 also has a factory match trigger with an adjustable trigger stop.
Off topic, but what kind of grip tape is that and where did you find it? I’m trying to find a pre-cut one that will have a small cutout for the “USP” logo/text on the grip.
I’ve had mine for 13 years now. It is mostly a collector gun, but it does get shot a few times each year. Never had any issues with it and as you mention, the SA trigger is about as nice as you can get. Accuracy is as good as any .45 I have shot and it my be the most accurate pistol I own. I do have a couple gripes with it however.
First, the gun itself is massive! The grip is on the large side for me and I usually do fine with large grips.
Second, the difference between the heavy DA pull and the super nice/light SA pull is a bit too much for my liking. While this could be overcome with practice or treating the gun as a SA only gun, it is a much larger difference than any other DA/SA gun I know of.
Third, the sights are really more for target use than combat/action pistol use. If I were to shoot the gun a lot more, I would want to replace them with something better.
They are neat guns, and if you can get yourself a suppressor, may really be worth your while. But if you are looking for a shooter, I think the HK45 completely outclasses it for the same amount of money.
I had one that I sold. Shot like a brick, follow up shots and hammer pairs were a nightmare, had numerous FTF, trigger absolutely blew chunks. Sights were great for range accuracy, but weren’t very practical. Add to this, $80 magazines?
I think you can do better for the money. If I absolutely had to go HK I’d think about the HK45 over the USP but honestly my experiences with HK haven’t endeared me to the brand.
Thanks, more good info. The gun did look huge, I didnt even handle it today…was planning to head back tomorrow. The store gets super crowded on weekends, but a Monday afternoon itll be empty.
The huge size may be the only reason I stay away, but Ill see how it feels tomorrow. I’ll see if they have an HK45 tomorrow and compare it with that. Are they the same huge size as the USP? Or a bit smaller?
They did have a USP Expert and a regular USP as well…would it be worth looking at either of those over the Tactical? The Expert was I think about $75 cheaper, then regular USP was about $150 cheaper. They were both in .45 as well.
Check it out and see how it feels. I dont have big hands and dont have an issue. All my HK’s are LEM, so DA is a non factor. The expert and standard USP are all the same frame so all the USP .45’s will feel the same. Try the match trigger for yourself and see what you think. And mags are about $50 not $80
The USP Expert and the standard USP are going to give you the same issues with size and ergonomics that the Tactical does. If they have one, look for a USP 45 Compact. They are a lot better in the size and ergonomics department and are priced the same as the standard USP.
The HK45 full size is a little trimmer than the USP45 but the grip and ergonomics are much better.
I have a USP Tactical. It’s a VERY nice handgun. Yes it is a very large pistol, but not much larger than a standard USP 45. But much nicer in my opinion, the trigger is awesome and it feels very smooth while shooting. I hardly touch it now a days since all (99%+) my 45 ammo goes through my HK45 for practice.
But if you got the cash and it fits you, it’s a great pistol, you won’t be disappointed.
I owned one for about four years. It was a pretty good pistol, albeit a very large one. Gun always ran fine, and was fun to shoot. But, it’s still a large pistol. Too big for CCW, obviously.
I then standardized on Glock 9mm’s for most uses, and soon began to question the need to even own it.
Screw it, go big or go home I figure! Went and picked it up today. Shot a quick 24 rounds through it as soon as I got home and holy cow, I am in love already!
It is big, but it fits my hands better than it looks like it would. It doesnt feel overly large when Im holding it at all. I think the fact that its a lot lighter than it looks like it should be helps.
Everything is smooth as silk. Even the magazine clicks in without any effort. All my Berettas, even the brand new ones, always take a good smack to get seated…this thing clicks in effortlessly.
My first few shots were waaay low, but the second mag was dead on. Im not a huge huge fan of the sights, so I may look into swapping them out eventually…but theyll do for now. I think I’m going to have a long happy life with this pistol and my poor Berettas will probably see much less trigger time because of it!
Any recommendation on where I can find good quality mags for it? Definitely need to pick up a few more.
I’m trying to find a pre-cut one that will have a small cutout for the “USP” logo/text on the grip.