Isn't the basic USP the German Army pistol? I presume that it had to pass some strenuous trials.
It's a trifle blocky in my hand, not as good a fit as a Beretta 92FS or CZ-75B. But quite a bit better than a Glo---oops, I almost said the G-word!
And I hate paying that much for a pistol with a plastic frame and a front sight that looks like it was fitted by some clerk at WalMart on a bad day. Hold a USP up to the light, and you'll see what I mean. There's enough daylght under the sight that the Blue Angels or the Thunderbirds can fly under it in formation!
But if I was wealthy, I'd buy one in a flash. They seem good guns, although I've heard that H-K's customer service truly sucks, unless you're a govt. official. But Beretta is also reportedly very bad in service and general customer support.
Anyone got a sharp pic of the basic USP? They are one of the better looking modern autos...
As for the 9mm, it's often underrated. The only man I know who has actually shot some people with a pistol used a 9mm with GI ball ammo every time. He says that if the bullet was well placed, the target never failed to drop. One enemy was about to use a Dragonov sniper rifle on him, so he's glad that his M-9 did the job. BTW, he never saw an M-9 fail to work, provided that genuine Beretta or Mec-Gar magazines were used and the gun was properly maintained. Considering that he did three tours in sandy Iraq, that's a good endorsement.
The late Dave Arnold also respected the 9mm, saying that it dropped terrorists in what was then Rhodesia quite well. He told me that he carried a P-38, mainly because it and 9mm ammo were easily available. He was a great fan of Colt revolvers and the 1911 .45, but admitted that he had few reports of 9mm failures. Dave was a top official in the anti-terror force and would have access to that data. He was also a world class IPSC shooter.
Back to the USP, I do like the Colt-style safety and the dual-side mag release. And the gun is better looking than many today.
T-Star
