HK USP 45 FULL-SIZE
PRICE AS REVIEWED: $799
OPTIONS: NIGHT SITES

My review of the HK USP 45 full size is below.

Now I'm not one of those guys with dozens of handguns, and takes a new gun to the range to document the shot grouping with a ruler, nor am I one of those guys that measure each round of ammo with a caliper. In fact I cannot outshoot the majority of pistols I own. I do however, own several .45ACP calibers and have put tens of thousands of .45 ACP rounds down range (at considerable expense these days I might add).

From an ergonomic standpoint, the HK USP 45 Full-Size is very similar to both the USP full size. The frame itself is on the larger side, which may take some getting used to for those of us with smaller hands. The unique ambidextrous magazine release is easily within reach as is the safety / decocker, but for those with smaller hands being able to quickly operate the slide release takes some getting used to. The one feature that I really like about the HK USPs is that the pistol can be reloaded with the safety on leaving the weapon in single action / safety on configuration or decocked with the safety either on or off.

The magazine capacity is 10 rounds with the ability for free-staters to purchase 12 round magazines. For my first 1000 rounds I did have some difficulty loading the magazines as they had difficulty catching but this problem soon went away. Feeding problems were non-existent with a variety of ammo I tested, unlike my USP 9 which had some issues with a certain type of 9mm ammo.

As far as shooting, the HK USP shot extremely well as one would expect. Out of the box I was able to hit rapid-fire groups of 4-5 inches at 30 feet. With carefully placed shots I could reduce grouping down to within 2 inches. The recoil was surprisingly light for a polymer framed weapon – lighter than my full size 45 caliber Glocks and much lighter than my 40 caliber compact Glock. There was not much of a variation between ammo consumption, I tried 4 different types of ammo all without feed or jamming issues, and all shots landed consistently.

Aside from the minor difficulty in loading the magazines (which resolved itself after a few hundred rounds) there were no other mechanical issues or jams. Overall I found the HK USP 45 full-size to be accurate, reliable, and easy to shoot. The lighter polymer frame combined with the ambidextrous magazine release the versatile safety, and of course the tritium night-sites make this firearm, in my opinion, a bargain at $800.