I'll break the review up into a few sections with comments. Forgive my
sloppy style!
Happy shooting!
The Feel---
It feels a lot like a Glock - all the weight is in the slide, with the frame
being plastic. The grip is textured, as is the front of the trigger guard.
The trigger guard is oversized, and takes up half the length of the barrel - the
USP is easy to shoot with gloves.
There is no play or "wobble" anywhere except a bit in the barrel when it is unlocked. (which is no surprise) The controls are placed well - the control
lever is easy to operate, and the mag release can be easily activated with the index finger, middle finger, or thumb if you have large hands. The hammer is
very easy to cock with the thumb of the firing hand. My only gripe is that the
slide release could be a little farther back; I have to stretch a bit,
and I don't have small hands. The USP is bigger than the average 9mm.
(Oh, yes - it comes with 2 15-round magazines.)
Operation---
There were 5-6 extraction failures during the first 150 rounds. During the
second 150, there was one extraction failure. There have been no failures since.
(The brass was not successfully removed all the way from the chamber -
it never got even partially ejected, but it was partially extracted.)
I noticed that after a few hundred rounds, the springs were much softer,
so I attribute the failures to "breaking in."
The magazines are practically thrown out by the mag release. I've never had
one stick. (One gripe is that the mag well could have beveled edges to make
insertion easier.)
The recoil feels a lot like a Glock, which is not surprising considering
that they have similar weight distributions. However, the USP's recoil
is a little lighter due to the nifty buffer system HK put in. It's
most noticeable when firing with 1 hand - the USP behaves wonderfully,
better than any other 9mm I've used.
Accuracy---
I'm still not totally used to it, but so far I'd say that it's at least
as accurate as a Sig 226, and noteably more accurate than a Glock 17.
(These are the 2 9mms I have the most experience with.)
The USP's trigger isn't as "crisp" as the Glock's, and the double-action
isn't quite as smooth as the Sig 226, but it is still very pleasant, especially
in double-action mode. The 3-dot sights work like you'd expect and come
zeroed to 25m.
Construction---
Solid as a rock. It disassembles easily and is easy to clean, as advertised.
I have yet to soak it in salt water, or jump on it, or fire it while in a
blizzard, but as soon as I have the chance to do so I'll post about its
durability.
General---
I'm pretty damn happy with it. It's got the lightness of a Glock with the
accuracy of a Sig, if not better. I haven't used it much yet - just over
500 rounds through it, and some of those by my friends - but so far it's
a solid performer that works as well as advertised. I had worked my
decision out to a USP or a Sig 9mm, and so far I have no regrets.
Oh, I have the variant with single & double action, and a control lever
with safe/fire/decock positions. Many variants are available, in right
and left-handed versions.
Matt S.
usul@mcl.ucsb.edu