HK USP vs. SIG P220

[Earthpig]

It's a bit hard to get used to the transition between the long, relatively heavy first DA trigger pull and the subsequent short, light SA pulls, but it works well.

That may be true for 'plinking,' but in a real, life-threatening situation, with a +9 pucker factor, that long, hard DA trigger pull doesn't feel long or hard.

When I first got into LE, I carried a 6" Model 19 Smith. My buddies used to tease me, saying it would take me ten minutes to draw that hog-leg from my holster. When my pucker hole slammed shut in a hairy situation, that hog-leg became a snub-nose....it came out just fine.

I'm sure the SA/DA thing is a personal preference and as long as the operator can make his shots count when he needs to, more power to him.

RLTW
EP

[MrWesson22]

Being a 22yo civilian, all I have experience with is plinking. Actually, my favorite plinker is my 6" Smith 686+ so I can relate to your Model 19. Of course, mine's a bit bigger and heavier, but it just shoots so well. There's something fun about autos, but I still just love that .357. I can imagine when you're 'in the shit', your weapon's action type is the last thing on your mind and the least of your concerns. So long as it goes bang when you pull the trigger.

[Rgr_MindRiot]

Correct about the training point Mr. W22. My personal preference is that all of my handguns that i use for personal defense are of the same trigger type. All of the shooting is with the same system so that i don't forget to take the safety off under high stress conditions because i forgot what gun i was carrying that day. If you carry a double action only weapon be it revolver or semi-auto you wont have to worry, same for single action because you have conditioned yourself through training to react the same way all the time.

TAP TAP

[MrWesson22]

At the moment, I only have a couple smith revolvers. I'm picking up a P229 .40 as soon as funds allow. After that, who knows. I'd like a nice 1911, but as you pointed out, it's a different system. I'd have to retrain myself. I have a fair amount of experience with double action pistols and a lot of experience (well, for my age/occupation) with DA revolvers already.

[Mark Turkali]

I don't think anyone who's shot both the weapons would take a USP over a Sig. USPs are big as hell, have horrible trigger pull, and aren't easy to operate. Other than that they're just plain hard to shoot. In Germany there aren't as many recreational shooters as in America. Here, we tend to perfect designs for ease of use. In Germany, they fucking refuse to make weapons made for human interface. They're good reliable weapons, but it's very hard to manipulate their weapons' safeties, mag releases, etc. Sig's feel pretty good an are accurate as hell, but I'd take a 1911 over anything out there.

[Fuchs]

As a P8-User in the German Forces I have to say that it is a reliable weapon which is sufficient for the "normal military use" in terms of a self-defence weapon. (For those few who won't know: The P8 is a 9mm USP with a modified safety and decocking lever) What @Mark Turkali said is true according to the possibility of manipulating the pistol's features, the P8's trigger isn't very good, kind of sloppy, I'd say.

For combat shooting the German Forces have ordered the P8 Combat, which has been issued to KSK, combat divers, LRRP and the Special Platoons in the Airborne Brigades. It lacks the manual safety lever. Haven't ever shot that one, but I guess it will have the same Trigger problem as the USP/P8. The hard trigger pull is the product of the very hard security specifications like drop tests. Those tests might be exaggerated over here, and is one of the reasons why e.g. American pistols don't have a chance to become a police or military psitol in Germany. Political considerations will of course also play a role.

Still, I find the P8 as easy to operate as other similar pistols, like the Beratta 92F/M9 or SW pistols or whatever. I am not a "recreational" shooter, though...

I am not a fan of the Sig pistols, while the simple Glock 17 is my favorite, in terms of overall operating and shooting. Because of its safety actions, not secure enough for German (regular) police and (regular) military use. (Baut used by GSG9, for instance.)

[Horned Toad]

Thanks a lot. I'll look into that for sure. I loved the M1911, except that the one I had when I was in was falling apart. Had a Glock later, and it was alright, but never liked it as much as the M1911. Thanks again.

whats wrong with getting another 1911, 93 years of service cant be wrong

[Parabellum]

I personally don't like any H&K handguns. Too big and shitty trigger pull. I own a SIG PRO P2340 chambered in .357 SIG. It is a good pistol but kicks like a bull. Needless to say I am not very good with it. I also own a Glock 30 .45 ACP. That is my favorite pistol. It is small, compact and has a nice trigger pull. I also favor the 1911.

[FireFinder]

I'm primarily a Glock jockey. I've been shooting USPSA for a couple of years now, and mostly shoot Production with a Glock 34. I'm in the process of adding a STI-framed 2011 (their polymer grip/wide body 1911-style SA auto) competition gun to the mix. It will somewhat resemble this:

http://www.stiguns.com/guns/Edge/images/EdgeRb.jpg

I don't have any experience with the SIG or HK pistols. I know one guy that shoots a USP, and another that shoots a SIG in .45 ACP at our club on a regular basis, but most are either Glocks or 1911s (single-stack or widebody).

[Phulano]

"I don't think anyone who's shot both the weapons would take a USP over a Sig."

Thats the dumbest comment i've seen on here all month. How the fuck would you know? I've fired thousands of rounds through both, and yet my carry piece is an HK USP .40 Compact. I can shoot it well, it carries great, I have no problems with the trigger, and find it to be the perfect size.

[BadMuther]

Glock.

I honestly have no need for any other pistol then a glock.

[CloakAndDagger]

I haven't fired the Sig yet, but I was able to compare my buddy's USP with my own .45 S&W 99. The USP seemed to be a fairly nice weapon, lightweight, and not too bad of recoil, but I still like my S&W more. The S&W is a bit heavier than the USP, so it doesn't jump as far off-target from the recoil, and it has a 9 rd mag instead of 8 (for max legal civilian ammo capacity...9+1 in the hole).

One big difference is that the S&W is a straight decocker with no manual safety lever...when cocked, the first round is fired with a double short pull (first pull to disengage safety), when decocked, the first round is fired with a single long pull, all subsequent rounds are fired with a short pull.

I haven't gotten to the range enough to compare accuracy of the two, but my S&W does fine within 35 yards. If you see a S&W 99, you might think it's a Walther P99 at first...well, it is, Walter makes the frames for both: Walther markets a 9mm & 10mm, while S&W markets the .40 & .45.

[Denny]

The Springfield is suppose to be coming out in the 45GAP Glock Auto Pistol. This is nothing more than a 45ACP in a shorter case. velocity loss is minimum. If you are looking at 45 ACP then check out the Glock 21 with 13 round magazines. Now that the ban is gone you can increase you firepower. The 21 is not for people with small hands