Posted: 4/3/2007 2:20:50 PM EDT
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I'm hoping to pick up a USPf 9mm in the next few days. I was looking at some at the gun show this past weekend, but most of them were early to mid 90's date codes. I was just curious what changes have been made to the design over the years. They added the polygonal rifling in '92 or '94 correct? What other design changes have been made? Is their any good reason to want a newer one over an older one, even if they were both unfired? I figured at the price point these guns are in, what's a few extra bucks to go NIB, but I was still wondering about the finer points. I haven't seen any good outlines online. Thanks. |
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Here are the major changes. IMO there is no reason to too pass on an earlier USP in favor of a newer one. USP Changes There have been lots of changes. For one the KD 9mm slides are much heavier than the later slides. In essence the KD 9mm slide is a .40 slide with a 9mm breech face. In the KE models they decreased the slide weight so that the pistol would function better with weak ammo. Some time later they removed even more weight. The other changes were to the trigger transfer bar; they cut it down to improve cold weather function. They also changed the internals in the hammer group and the hammer. The mag ejection button has also been made smaller. They also started bluing the tops of barrel. Here are some of the dates USP 1993 Original USP9 and .40 1994 Reduced the slide weight by 1.1 oz. Reason: improve reliability with training rounds and make gun easier to carry. 1994-95 Change to a polygonal barrel Reason: Glock 1994-95 Change trigger transfer bar Reason: Improve reliability in cold weather and dirty environments 1994-95 Change recoil guide rod to a "captured spring version" Reason: Glock 1995 Change trigger mechanism. Reason: Improve drop protection, reduce manufacturing costs, eliminate hammer over travel 1995-96 Add rubber spur to hammer Reason: Required to pass some institution's drop test. ?? on date-change size of magazine release to current smaller button. Reason: to prevent inadvertent mag releases? 1995-96 Change angle on slide lock Reason: customers don't want slide to close automatically when a mag is inserted 2000 Add locking feature to hammer strut support: Reason: attempt to pacify safety Nazis 2001 Converted captive recoil spring retainer from c-clip to Machined end on Compacts. Reason? C-clip prone to breakage on the Compacts. |
| Yah, I think that is kind of funny. HK was first to come out with a polymer framed pistol, the VP70 then Glock ran with the concept and popularized it so that most think Glock was the first to bring out the polymer framed pistol. Then HK seemingly played catch-up to Glock on their (HK'S) own product. However, IMO they should not have followed Glock on the polygonal barrel and should have stuck with the conventionally rifled barrel, but funny, I don't recall HK ever asking my opinion! |
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It's really intersting that so many changes took place around 1995/1996. Assuming this is well known knowledge, are the 1994 guns generally less sought after as compared to the 1995/96 models? As a side not, I bough a fullsized 1996 9mm from a person who claimed it was an early prototype with none of the mods and that he though it wouldn't be "worthwihile" to hold on to like a post 2000 model. I'm sure glad I stole it for $500. |