I already have an extra x300 in the safe. So I can get the USP with a light or the M&P with the light AND laser grips for about the same price.
I would have (4) 10 rd mags and (1) 14 rd mag for the M&P. I already have (15) 12 rd mags for my USP.
I carry a USPf 45 on duty and a USPc 45 off duty. At night, I slide the x300 onto my USPc for bedside duty. I would like to get another gun dedicated for HD. Should I go with another USPf 45 or try the M&P45? Does having the laser grips on a HD gun outweigh having the familiarity with the USP? The M&Ps seem to be the cat’s meow right now and it’s always nice to branch out. What do the pros think??
Even though I prefer the M&P far more than the USP, I’d say go with what you’re familiar with. In a SHTF situation in your home, you don’t want to be thinking about which gun you’re carrying and how to change the mags. Plus, in a pinch, your duty mags would work in your HD gun, right? Streamline the system…
Since you appear to be willing to change pistols I would say go for an HK 45 over another USP. Better ergo’s than the older HK’s. I also really like the M&P .45’s. Great ergo’s better than the HK45 for muzzle flip and far better customer service than HK. Very accurate too.
I vote M&P45 (The Mid size, with 10 round cap mags). A great balance between full and compact. If you haven’t shot one, you should try it. One of the better shooting .45’s for me. The recoil management is outstanding. The trigger and cosmetic twiks can be done buy several smiths out there. The HK45 is a great weapon as well, but you can own 2 M&P’s for the price of one HK and there CS sucks. The M&P is very affordable and you can’t beat S&W’s excellent customer service.
I agree with the above post…Try a HK45, Better ergo’s and very accurate from what I’ve read. As far as HK’s customer service goes, Well, I have had some very recent dealings with them. I bought a new HK P-2000 (9mm) with a LEM trigger, I noticed after getting it home that the LEM trigger wasn’t working properly, It wasn’t always engaging and leaving me with the heavy stock D.A. pull. I called Hk,(got someone on the first try) and explained what was going on, They issued me a R.A.# and told me to send it to them and they’d fix it and send it back…They did, total time down and back 13 days, it showed up yesterday.(S.A took 30 days to repair a 1911 I have) The problem was a bent flat spring, and I guess when they had my pistol, looking it over, they also found a out of spec firing pin spring,(I never noticed anything wrong with the F.P. spring) they replaced that too… Test fired it, Of course parts, labor shipping back to me all on their dime, I was impressed, considering the horror stories I’ve read… My pistol was fixed promply, they answered my questions on the phone, What more do you want??I’m happy.
Highly ergonomic, the FNP-45’s magazine release, decocking/manual safety levers and slide stop levers are all fully ambidextrous. The FNP-45 features an external hammer, 4.5" hammer-forged stainless steel barrel, stainless steel slide, full-length guide rod, C-More Systems™ fixed three-dot combat sights and a checkered polymer frame with interchangeable backstraps and an integrated accessory rail. Every FNP-45 comes standard with three magazines, a locking device and a lockable fitted hard case. FNP-45 USG high-capacity models come standard with one 15-round and two 14-round magazines.
No Glocks! I know they are great guns and are dead tits reliable, but I can’t stand the ergos (and cant them shoot well, but that’s my issue not the gun:o). But I think the way it feels to me has a lot to do with it.
I’ve felt/shot the HK45s and they are dead sexy. But an HK45 will run me over $1K with tax and all. If I was buying my duty gun (and if we were allowed HK45s), no problem. But not for something that will live on my night stand.
M&P definitely, especially for the cost it’s as good a gun as the USP. For the record, I’ve owned both and sold both. I love the Glock (in 9mm) but I wouldn’t get it in .45.
Cost aside I believe it to be a much more shootable handgun. The USP .45 shoots like a brick and is noticeably bigger. USP Muzzle-flip is much more significant though felt recoil is less than the M&P. That said, the USP is built like a tank, but imo it’s overengineered…like most things in Germany.
The reason I got rid of the M&P had nothing to do with any flaws in the gun, but rather because I am simplifying my collection: Glock in 9mm and 1911 in .45.
What have you heard against the Glock 21? I’ve got a Glock 21SF and its by far one of my favorite Glocks. I prefer the feel of the larger Glock 20SF/21SF grips to the Glock 17/22 grip. I don’t care for the hump on the 21 and 20, but the SF models are perfect for me. I’ve shot about 300 rounds so far through my Glock 21SF with zero problems. I mean that’s not an amazing round count or anything but so far the pistol seems good to go.
I love Glocks, and while the 21/21SF is a fine weapon in terms of reliability, it’s not necessarily appropriate for every sized hand. I tried the SF after the standard 21 thinking it would improve, but it did not.
Does having the laser grips on a HD gun outweigh having the familiarity with the USP?
In my opinion, no. I’m certainly a HUGE fan of the laser for use in low light, but if I was given a choice between a weapon I wasn’t familiar with that had a laser and a weapon that I was very familiar with that had only night sights, I’d pick the devil I knew. I know how well I can perform with night sights and a flashlight and while there’s certainly room for improvement, I can still get the job done.
The M&Ps seem to be the cat’s meow right now and it’s always nice to branch out. What do the pros think??
Here’s my 2 cents:
What can you afford? If your budget is so tight that you’re making this purchase with little breathing room then sticking to the weapon you know best would be the best way to go.
If, however, you have some breathing room and have more than just the basic goal of saving your bacon with this pistol in mind (such as T&E of a new design you’ve heard a lot about) then go ahead and buy the M&P.
If you’re issued a USP45, can you not use that as your night stand gun?
If you bought the M&P45, can you use it as your duty gun?
If you are locked in to the USP45 as a duty weapon, my recommendation is to use and carry guns as similar in operation as possible. While I’d choose the M&P45 over a USP45 in a heartbeat, I wouldn’t want to be stuck training with both and needing to wrap my brain around which gun I had in my hand when something scary wakes me up at 0130 …
Between the HK45 and the M&P45, I think you have a much tougher choice that is going to come down to features (trigger options primarily). Again, since you’re already using a hammer-fired HK, the HK45 makes more sense.
I wasn’t. I hadn’t seen that thread before, nor have I ever heard anything negative about the Glock 21. The main complaint I’ve always heard was that the grip was too large for some people’s taste. While I respect and value the opinions of Larry Vickers and other professionals in the industry, I don’t hang on their every word. That test in that one thread was with one Glock 21 from the sound of it. Hardly a reliable sampling. The results are interesting to say the least and somewhat shocking. While its good to know that the pistol in question may not be the best in a sandy enviroment, at least I now know that there is some concern with the Glock 21 in that regard. Good food for thought. Though I won’t be trudging through the sands of Iraq anytime soon with one and probably never will. So far mine has been flawless and while it may not be perfect (no gun is IMO) I think that it suits my purposes well. Many people had similar feelings in the thread you linked. Most of us, even the LEOs among us won’t ever put any sidearm through that type of abuse.
