The HK USP. It came out in 1993, and when I first saw it in 1994, I bought it on the spot. It was a .40 caliber. Big, mean looking, but it shot very good. The gun became very popular, even making the cover of “Rainbow Six”. I loved it. HK loved it too, as it really brought them into the US Handgun Market. Since 1993, there have been many variations, and evolutions. But what made the USP so good, and why is it still a good option today?
HK went all the way with the USP. They used features that American Shooters like… Frame mounted safety that has Up for Safe and Down to Fire, just like a 1911. A 1911 grip angle is also there. Wide, easy to use control levers. If this gun was a car, it would be a full sized Mercedes… big, comfortable, powerful, easy to drive and with a lot of options. Some variants also have a down to decock feature, or a Decock Only, depending on what the shooter wants or is used to. These options made a big difference. Also, the full size slide and oversized trigger guard that make operation with Gloved hands much easier. Aggressive but not uncomfortable texturing on the grip frame… the USP has it all. And it does it all in a package that is well balanced, accurate and great shooting. Outside of Military and Law Enforcement items – the USP was HK’s first real Home Run in the US. And it still is.
Glock’s dominance in the LEO market is epic. Over 68% of the market is staggering. But that’s actually not that surprising to me.
What is, well, not so surprising, but disappointing… is the complete falling of SIG and Beretta. 22.6% and 8.5% respectively. As bad as that is… is the results of the question “What would you like to carry?” Those numbers being only 21.3% and 4.6%.
No longer the Choice of Professionals.
This very clearly tells us that the time of metal framed guns fired with hammers is going the way of the Flint Lock. This saddens me. I prefer the metal-hammer guns over poly-striker guns. The feel, the weight, the superior single action pull… and that I can pull more accuracy out of a hammer fired gun.
As unpopular as Cream of Wheat.
What saddens me the most about this though – is that it tells me that Law Enforcement is no longer a Profession of Shootists. Like the FBI, Municipal Law Enforcement isn’t a Gun Culture anymore. They no longer want fine guns of refinement and craftsmanship… they only want Shooting Appliances. They want guns – and this is the secret to Glock’s success – that are simplified down to the lowest common denominator. Yes, I’ll say it.
Glock is the Common Core of handguns.
Most LE Agencies are not hiring shooters anymore. They want guys with education in Psychology and Human Development… They want Councilors. We saw this trend starting 20 years ago. I think this is why we see so many questionable police shootings… so many cops shooting dogs. I think a lot of these COP 2.0 guys may be power tripping… because the guys that come from the Gun Culture don’t get worked up or feel the need to power trip and flex their authority so much as these C2.0 guys and gals.
Huh… Oddly enough, all my LEO friends are from the Classic Old School variety. Good Cops that use Common Sense before using Ego. Damn good Cops. Many of them carry Glocks, because of Policy, not by choice. Some choose the Glocks… and that’s fine. They can’t shoot that well anyways. (j/k)
The Sidearms used by the most astute of shooting professionals remain hammer fired, metal framed guns. The US Navy SEALs, I must point out – having the freedom of using anything they want, use SIG 226’s. I don’t know any single group that personifies a Gun Culture more than the SEALS. They take Pistol Craft more seriously than any other group… with US Air Marshals being a close second. And they want that SIG. They want a stable shooting platform with as much accuracy as you can have in a Semi-Auto handgun.
In the Consumer Market – sales of SIG’s and Beretta’s are down. Regardless of quality, and regardless of special offers and marketing efforts, you just can’t sell them like you used to. The first choice is Glock… followed by the S&W M&P and the Springfield XDM series guns.
I’m not counting 1911’s – that is a market unique to it’s own, and I’ll talk about that in more detail at another time.
For me – I will remain a fan of the SIG’s and the Beretta’s. I prefer the triggers. I prefer the safeties. Now, if you are going to go Glock – get a new trigger system from Lone Wolf. Get some new sights from Lone Wolf. And you can make the most out of that Glock, if that’s what you prefer or have to live with. And I do appreciate the Glock for what it is… and do like them with LWD triggers. But given my druthers, I’ll take my Beretta over any Glock.
Oddly enough, the guns I want the most are all metal framed, hammer guns of the Revolving variety. With only a couple automatics. A SIG M11A1 is one the autos. The other are Browning/FN Hi-Powers and a SIG P210. But my beard is grey and I don’t like the music these kids listen to these days. Oh… and get off my lawn.
I like this gun. It felt very good in my hands, shot very accurately… Much closer to point of aim, point of impact for me… just ran “Good“.
Good isn’t really the right word… Freaking Awesome is about right. It felt freaking awesome. I know the Storm isn’t a SIG or a 1911… But it’s a wonderful shooting gun. 10 rounds in the mag isn’t all that impressive, but the mag is smooth and easy to load and feels like its a higher quality piece than most other mags.
I don’t mind the Beretta Safety. I even like it. I don’t mind the DA/SA trigger. I even like it. I don’t mind the funky action – I really like it. I’m weird that way. But when you have a .45 that shoots like it’s launching Nerfs instead of 230 grain slugs… that’s something. When you have a gun that puts the first 5 rounds into the same bloody hole, right where you wanted it to go – That’s awesome. I know this group doesn’t look like its really all that much better than the Glock 30s’s group. But the gun felt like I had much more control, and that I was placing my shots better…. It felt like that. I knew where the bullet was going to go before I looked at the target. I could call the shots with it. Normally I can only really do that with a 220 or 1911… but I could with the Storm.
Now, the Storm is not up there like a SIG P220 is, or a nice 1911 is… But it’s right up there, real close. I like this gun. A lot.
The trigger pull could use some work. It’s not all that smooth on the example I fired. Which was a Range Rental Gun, that I think I was the first guy to try it out.
This gun has been on my mind lately. Packing a full sized 1911 and a full sized 92FS poses difficulty when entering areas where you really don’t want your concealed gun to be made.
It’s a good looking gun. Short, small, and I can reload with a full sized mag.
At some undisclosed point in the past, at some undisclosed location, I was carrying concealed in a place that had it surfaced that I was packing concealed… would have been bad. Not technically illegal, but it would not have been a happy situation.
While I knew my gun was lawfully concealed, I felt distracted and self conscience because this was a less tolerant place.
Unlike past Ruger center-fire autos, the SR series is well sculpted and suitable for concealed carry.
Normally I operate and a Total ZFG situation when it comes to this sort of thing. I just don’t care what others think… But when others could take actions that, while wrong, would… how should I say… hinder my calm. I’ve not decided, but am thinking about getting something that is a bit more concealable. I don’t want to go IWB, but I’d consider it.
The only double stacked gun I can remember that is narrow like the SR series, is the Browning BDM.
So I’m thinking a gun that’s shorter and as reasonably narrow and still be comfortable. Now, I’m not wanting to go Single Stack… Because while I am not all that concerned with a high capacity, I like even more the idea of my reload giving me a boost… because if I Go Loud, I probably need a lot more ammo. Especially if I’m using something as anemic as 9mm. Which I consider Fine, but I’d like Finer. I love my Beretta and shoot it quite well… and carry it often… but it has a lot of rounds. Going down to a single digit round count for concealed carry – I’d rather have my reload give me as much as it can.
The Ruger SR9C gives me all of the above wants.
Of course, a Ruger SP101 would serve just as well.
*sigh*
I am conflicted. Maybe we can chalk this up to New Gun Itch. (The GP100 is still happening – eventually)
First off… What is a Heavy Caliber Gun? A .45-70? .50 BMG? 40mm Bofors? If I hear “heavy caliber” I’m thinking of Artillery or something Anti-Tank. So I was thinking “3D Print some Artillery? I’m in!” And then I clicked the link.
I am sorely disappointed. 5.56mm and .223 are a .22 Caliber… that is not by any means a “heavy caliber”. Maybe if your targets are Chipmunks. Maybe.
I should have known though… The source is CBS out of San Fran… Every Caliber is a Heavy Caliber.
No one tell them that you can get an AR type rifle in .308. They would shit themselves until they died.
Quick – someone tell them that you can get an AR type rifle in .308!
This is my Springfield Armory GI 1911. I’ve had this gun for some years now, kept it and enjoyed it as stock, refusing to modify it or change it in any way. Well, two things happened to while I was in Jacksonville, NC. The GI style wood grips cracked on me, and before I really “Discovered” Fireclean, it suffered form a corrosion attack on the slide. So I had to scrub the corrosion off it, and change the grips.
Well, once I had gone and done all that keeping it “stock” just isn’t the same anymore.
The gun shoots remarkable well for an old warhorse. I love the fact that even with the old nubbin sights, it’s still an accurate shooter. I fired 100 rounds of standard Winchester White Box 230 grains, and 50 rounds of Hornady JHP’s without a single failure. The gun got hot. So hot that it was really difficult to rack the slide… but it kept shooting as long as the mag had ammo in it. It showed no signs of slowing down either. That was probably due to the Slipstream lubrication, and a good old GI style 1911 working together in harmony.
Here’s the one problem I had though. Hammer Bite. Not bad enough to be painful, but it was irritating and distracting. So to solve that problem, I went ahead and ordered some parts from Brownells. A new Commander style Hammer, sear to match that, and a Commander style drop in beavertail safety. Wilson Combat parts of course. They should be here in 4 to 5 days. Can’t wait. Once those parts are in, my GI will no longer be a GI. This saddens me a bit.
