Posted: 12/8/2004 8:24:03 PM EDT
| looking to get a hk usp cant decide .40 or .45 |
| I thought the whole idea behind the .40 was to duplicate the ballistics and performance of the .45 while allowing for a greater mag capacity. I know that one of the gurus(possibly Ayoob) has made this statement in one of their many articles. Someone correct me if I'm wrong as I don't have much personal experience with the .40. |
| Assuming that you have shot both calibers, I would go with the one that you feel most comfortable with and are more consistently accurate with. If you haven't shot both, especially in the compact frame, then I would strongly suggest you try them before spending your hard earned money on one or the other. I have a USPc in .357 SIG and I have a .40 barrel for it. The gun handles pretty nicely, especially for a "compact" pistol, and it is probably one of the more accurate guns I have. The recoil from the .40 is going to be a lot snappier than the .45, but I think it is manageable for most shooters. I wouldn't get too caught up on the caliber size, or ballistic tables, or any of that. Find one that you shoot well with controls that you feel comfortable with in a stressful situation. My personal recommendation is the .40 if for no other reason than you can basically get two guns in one by purchasing a $150.00 .357 SIG barrel for it. |
+1 |
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.45 acp all the way i remember reading a pistol caliber test, the .40 sw was the only cartrige to fail to go through a car winshield and hood to strike the target (tested: .357 sig, 9mm+p, .45, and 45acp); .45 acp has more energy the only other ccw/ overall hand gun calibers i would choose are 9mm and .357 sig (9mm for ammo capacity; .357 sig is best overall imo, but ammo is scarse and expensive) |
I own the .40 HK USP. Either caliber would be fine for defense. If I were to buy a HK it wouldn't be the USP. Too blocky and bulky for me. Maybe look into the 2000 HK or something diffrent. I am a 170# 5'-10" person , so if ya are bigger ya might be able to conceal a USP easier. I have a Taurus PT140 right now that is much smaller than the USP comp. and easier to comceal. Also it feels about the same in my hand. Bottom line get what fits best for grip and use. Since the .40 is so underpowered , it must be why the majority of LE use it. 
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| I'm sure it's becuase i'm not very experienced yet but a few months back I shot a USP. 40 and a SW99 .40, then today I shot a Sig P220 .45 and a Glock 21 .45. I can't say I noticed a big difference in kick. The Glock was ported so it barely kicked at all, it was an odd pistol to fire. As for penetration I can't comment becuase I have no idea. |
Get whichever caliber suits you the best, meaning shoot a USP in .40 and .45 if you can, and decide which you can control better and feel more comfortable with. If you use Speer Gold Dots or Remington Golden Sabres for either one, lethality won't be a problem, and in fact, you may feel sorry for the poor SOB who gets hit with either caliber. The caliber size is meaningless. Both rounds do equally well depending upon the load type. .40 is cheaper by the way, so I would go with .40. themao 
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ive had my USP .45 for about 2 weeks now and take it everywhere i go. i stick it in the front of my pants and is getting more comfortable as time goes on. all i do is pull a shirt over it and my g/f tells me she cant tell. sometimes when i take it out she didnt know i had it on. its not small by any means but it is small enough to conceal in my opinion. as for caliber...i chose the .45 over the .40 because it is bigger...and i hear that the .40 snaps back and didnt wanna deal with that. over all im very satisfied with my choice and cant see myself buying any other handgun besides HK for myself from now on. no matter the price, if i want it bad enough ill save up for it. |
Dude, get a holster! They're relatively inexpensive, especialy compared to the price you paid for the USP. I'm sorry, but I find it hard to take anyone seriously if they don't even want to invest in something to properly carry their firearm in. www.miltsparks.com Another +1 for .45, had a .40 but sold it after I bought 2 .45's! ( and then bought another one after that..........) 
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I'm very pleased with the P2000 in .40. The slimmer grips I use help with the "snappy" recoil quite well. The pistol is very well rounded so that it carries very well with no sharp edges or anything to catch on clothing. It was made to carry concealed. I would absolutely love to get a .357 sig barrel for the P2000 but I did not know they were available....Are they??? If it has to be in .45, and you are strapped for cash, that new Ruger P345 is pretty darned good for the money. I bet it will be their best seller in the coming years. |
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I would say the .40, but I'm a .40 fan. One thing to remember with this decision. You stated that you wanted to get a compact pistol. The .45 was designed around a 5" barrel. You will be giving up velocity when going with the shorter barrel. Velocity is key for a hollowpoint to open properly. The newer ammo choices help with this problem, but it is still something to consider. |
| You didn't seem to be considering a 9mm, but that's what I did. I've got a full size .45 USP and a compact 9mm USP as CCW. If I knew I was going into a gun fight and had to choose one or the other, I'd damn sure take the .45, but for concealed carry the 9mm is smaller, holds 13 rounds, lighter, and the recoil is going to be easier to manage than the .40. Plus the 9mm is cheaper to practice with than either the .45 or .40. |