Considering purchasing a HK USP or Sig 226...

Greetings,

I've been considering getting a new pistol of late.

I've shot a Glock 19 9mm for about 6 years now and love the pistol. I like Glocks, they are easy to clean (when they even need it) and I have no problems hitting the tgaret everytime with mine.

However you only live once, and variety is the spice of life ^_^

I'm guessing that folks here have had experience with one or both of the above pistols. I am aware that shooting really does come down to personal preference, but I would appreciate any opinions people here would like to share.

I've read up and I've seen reviews promoting both as very good...but the place I get my rounds doesn't let you try a weapon before purchasing it other than handling it unloaded in their show room...

Thanks in advance.

j

[jbour13]

What purpose are you planning for either? Self defense, leisure, etc....

Both are reliable and have user friendly functions. H&K is what I'd go with, but that is for personal reasons. I've fired both pistols and own USP's and the wife has a SIG 229 .40

Accuracy is up to you, they are both accurate out of the box. H&K's are notoriously accurate without modifications. Sigs are step down from what I've experinced. I've shot the 226 and like it but I'm not a fan of 9mm. 40 and 45 are my calibers.

Again what are you looking for?

A little bit of leaisure, a little bit of home defense and well...mostly just interest in shooting

I shoot 9mm with the Glock 19. I've never actually shot anything else in a hand gun. That's one of the reasons I was thinking about a new pistol.

How is maintenance on the USP vs the Sig? aka How easy is it to clean ^_^

j

[jatx]

Well, there are a couple of prominent USP fans on this site ( ), but I will tell you that the weapon is a snap to field strip and clean. Easier than a 1911, IMHO. I'll leave it to my betters to comment on functioning and reliability.

[shadowflyer]

I own a H&K USP .40 Compact and I love it. I have put nearly 12,000 rounds through it and I have only had 1 failure to feed malfunction.( I think that was due to some sub-standard range ammo I was shooting that day, hasnt happened since) It is easy to clean and field strip and shoots flat, straight and hot.


HTH,
JJ

[jbour13]

They are easier than 1911's to field strip (slide, recoil spring, barrel, frame, and slide stop [on the H&K]). They are still a little difficult to detail strip but are still easier than a 1911.

1911's have been around for ages and you can find about every resource about every subject. Sig and H&K have there perks but come with a price.

I have a USP 40 Compact, USP 45, and a USP Tactical in 45. I love them and wouldn't trade them for anything. The wife likes her Sig because the frame size is manageable for her hand size (small hand, skinny fingered), and it is a 40 cal so it has enough stopping power without the hard pounding of a 45. I have big mitts and am comfortable with my compact.

Reliability with the USP's is outstanding. A few thounsand rounds through all of mine and I have not had one hiccup or complaint. Functionality is user friendly. Both are DA/SA pistols with a decocking mechanism. This is an excellent safety option for anyone.

With the 226, what model and caliber of USP are you comparing it against?

[Trip_Wire (RIP)]

As others have said here both are great pistols. I to have a preference for SW .40 and .45 over 9MM pistols, although I do have a Sig 226 in 9MM and a H&K USP in .45 with the light attachment too.

The Sig I carried on duty in the Sheriff's department for awhile (At the time we were restricted to 9MM.) I found it to be a very reliable pistol, easy to maintain and one of the most accurate pistols that I carried. (A real ray gun!) It is also small enough to carry concealed easier then some other full size pistols; however. its still a full sized pistol. Sig also sells the 226 in S&W .40 caliber with a light rail and a couple of different types of actions. In 9MM, my favorite pistol is the H&K PSP, which is no longer made; however, it is still sold used by some shops. (Its a squeeze cocker.) Its fairly expensive if you can find one.

I love my H&K USP .45 , for many reasons; however, it is very bulky and large for easy concelment. It is also easy to maintain and is very accurate and reliable too. I like the variations of the actions offered on this pistol. Mine has them all. I can carry with saftey off and round in the chamber on double action, (My normal carry.) or I can carry it on single action with a round in chamber with saftey on. One can go from single action back to double action with a flick of the saftey. (Handy after the fight or firing is over.) One can also cock the hammer manually and go from double action to single action and place it on safe. Mine spends a lot of time bedside with light attached for home defense.

My recommendation based on your choice of 9MM, is to get the Sig in 9MM with double action and the light rail. Buy four full sized magazines, you'll get two with the pistol and also buy with the Sig night sights or have them installed.

I could defintiely see myself trying out a .40 or .45

What I meant by my previous post is that my only experience was with 9 mm

It seems like the USP is getting a lot of thumbs up here.

My birthday is right around the corner. Perhaps it's time for me to get a new gift for myself

j

[Razor]

Here's a thought--you can get either the SIG 226 (full-sized) chambered in .40, or a SIG 229 (more concealable) in .40. Later on, you can always buy an aftermarket 9mm barrel and mags for either pistol should you desire to shoot 9mm. The one downside to the SIG is that standard variations don't have an external safety lever, so carrying with a round in the chamber and the hammer back with safety on isn't an option.

[Sacamuelas]

Originally Posted by eva05

It seems like the USP is getting a lot of thumbs up here.

Don't read to much into this... it's just that we haven't finished mopping up the body parts and mess on the floor for the last guy who argued with the Team Sergeant over HK's.

My next pistol will be a HK. If it were between .40 and 9mm, I would go with a .40 . I think Air.177 likes 9mm so ask him.

[jatx]

Originally Posted by Sacamuelas

Don't read to much into this... it's just that we haven't finished mopping up the body parts and mess on the floor for the last guy who argued with the Team Sergeant over HK's.

Hey, what's with the advance warning, "some of us" had to learn the hard way!

[Prester John]

I own an HK USP .40, USP Tactical .45, and P2000SK 9mm.

I love each of them, and everyone who picks them up loves them as much as I do. Hell, most of them are better shots with them than I am.

I have 12,000 through the .40 with only 2 malfunctions. I have had several malfunctions with the USP tactical, but I think it is due to an aftermarket barrel, and with some chamber and ramp polishing the issues seem to have gone away. The P2000Sk is a new toy, and I have MAYBE 60 rounds through it. So far so good. It shoots straight.

I think you would be hard pressed to regret the purchase of any HK product.

[frostfire]

Originally Posted by eva05

I've read up and I've seen reviews promoting both as very good...but the place I get my rounds doesn't let you try a weapon before purchasing it other than handling it unloaded in their show room...

What about going to a gun range and rent both of them.
Of course depending on how well the range maintain their guns, you might get a skewed feedback.
Just my amateur discovery from the range, .40 USP compact easily places rounds after rounds in a 3" circle at 5 & 7 yards, and 6" circle at 10 & 15 yards. Not sure if it's the round or the pistol.

As far as comparison, could anyone (with zillion rounds on their resume) please give a comparison of P-226R tactical and USP tactical?
I know it's 9mm vs .45 too, but say for their accuracy & handling (esp. follow through and recovery) at 7 and 25 yards?
Thank you in advance.

Originally Posted by Sacamuelas

Don't read to much into this... it's just that we haven't finished mopping up the body parts and mess on the floor for the last guy who argued with the Team Sergeant over HK's.

I believe those arguments were primarily HK USP vs. Glock and HK USP vs. 1911, so how about Sig vs. USP?
Unfortunately I have no credentials to put any argument on Sig side. Anyone ?

OK, so I think I'm gonna hit the store this weekend and get the USP .40 or .45

I want to try a new caliber and the reviews have been over whelmingly glowing for USP both here and in other forums I've been asking in.

Thanks everyone for your input.

j

[jatx]

Be sure to try both before you buy, they have very different recoil signatures in the compact size, and you may have a strong preference for one over the other. The .45 was most comfortable for me, YMMV.