USP Compact safety problem

[H&K Gamecock]

I am having a problem with my safety on my uspc 45. It is a variant 1. Some times when I rack the slide back or release the slide from the slide catch and go to decock the pistol I can not return the control lever to the safe position. It looks as if it sits between the fire and safe position or in the fire position. When I try to push it back to safe I get a lot of resistance from the lever, and I don't want to push to much and risk breaking it. Has anyone else had this same problem or heard about anyone with this. I'd really like to find out why this is happening so that I can resolve this issue. Again it only happens on occasion. Thank you.

[Andre]

Sounds like your piece needs a good cleaning. Detail strip it to the last bit, clean and oil/grease. This will also allow you to inspect all parts for wear/damage, but if it only happens occasionally, its probably just some gunk in the internals.

[kbrhk]

do not detail strip your firearm!!!!! as this may void your warranty. i have had this issue on two of my HK's. more than likely, the detent plate is mishapen or a little rough-edged. dis-assemble the gun as if you were doing a normal cleaning. you should have 5 pieces in front of you, six if you include the mag. now, on your frame, look at the safety, and look above that where it should say 2+1 or something like that. that piece your looking at with those numbers on it is your detent plate. now look in the center of that piece, where the black peg or dot runs inside as you work the safety. on the interior part of the detent where it looks like one or two consecutive little hills, that's where you have an issue. go from fire to safe, the first "hill" that your "peg" tries to "climb" is where you have a rough spot or it's completely mis-shaped. i had this issue first on my uspc 40cal, and then on my uspf 45. call hk customer service and tell them the issue and they should send you a free detent plate so you can have installed. or, if you do not have a qualified armorer, send it back to them and have hk change out the detent plate. this should cost you nothing because it is a quality control issue. i have made hk customer sevice aware of the situation and they said they would pass it up to whoever is in charge of QC..... before you send it back, make sure you clean and lube the gun real well, to make sure it just wasn't getting stuck because you hadn't cleaned properly. i personally put about two drops of oil on the detent plate and work it in to get the oil between the frame and the detent plate. once you rule out improper cleaning, then you'll know it's the detent plate. good luck!!!!

[Andre]

[QUOTE=kbrhk;592781]do not detail strip your firearm!!!!!QUOTE]

Its quite a simple machine, these pistols of ours. I've detail stripped my plenty of times, no issues whatsoever. Installed LEM kit myself, back to V1 myself, detail stripped every 3000 rounds or so...no problem! Should you per chance (slim chance) lose or break something, just order another and install.

Download an armourers manual and Bob's your uncle. But if warranty is an issue...dont get your finger nails dirty.

[Hector45]

Does it say anywhere in the manual that detail stripping will void the warrenty? I have never looked. I detail strip my USP 45F and clean every single part after every time out to the range. I think I got it down to a minute fully dissassembled, like Andre said, very simple machine.

[trinydex]

i installed my ambi control lever on my usp .40 and i have a couple issues.

firstly it's the ambi is not the same "profile" as my usp v1 lever. the v1 lever sticks out more making it easier to manipulate.

secondly after i installed the ambi control lever it seems as though the safety is hard to engage (sweep up)

if you depress the spring that keep the detent plate up onto the retaining "pin" the safety operates smoothly, so i'm inclined to guess that the spring is putting too much tension on the safety detente plate.

can someone direct me on what to do? it's really annoying have to use two hands to engage the safety and sometimes the disengage is not smooth or easy, you can imagine that's unnerving to carry condition one.


do i really just ask for a new detente plate?

[Big Bore]

I agree. There is no reason to DS a pistol unless it is really gunked up which likely it is not. The simple solution is usually the best and that would be to check out, polish, and oil the detent plate, and yes, DSing the pistol will void the warranty. That is, you DS it and break anything and you are going to pay for the repair. Do it right and not break anything and down the road something breaks, HK won't care unless their inspections shows you screwed something up by DSing it.

Most people put more wear on the pin holes and small parts by DSing the pistol needlessly than if they had left it dirty for a few thousand rounds. Intentions run good by doing constant DSing of the pistol but the fact remains, you should not do a DS unless there is a compelling reason to do so and just normal shooting and cleaning is not a compelling reason.
Just like .22 rifles, more fine guns are ruined by over cleaning and improper cleaning than my under cleaning.

[trinydex]

I agree. There is no reason to DS a pistol unless it is really gunked up which likely it is not. The simple solution is usually the best and that would be to check out, polish, and oil the detent plate, and yes, DSing the pistol will void the warranty. That is, you DS it and break anything and you are going to pay for the repair. Do it right and not break anything and down the road something breaks, HK won't care unless their inspections shows you screwed something up by DSing it.

Most people put more wear on the pin holes and small parts by DSing the pistol needlessly than if they had left it dirty for a few thousand rounds. Intentions run good by doing constant DSing of the pistol but the fact remains, you should not do a DS unless there is a compelling reason to do so and just normal shooting and cleaning is not a compelling reason.
Just like .22 rifles, more fine guns are ruined by over cleaning and improper cleaning than my under cleaning.

what to use when polishing?

[Hector45]

I can understand DSing the slide too much would wear the pin holes being that you have to mallet them out. I strip the slide (firing pin, extractor) every 3,000 rounds or so. But i find it hard to believe DSing the frame would put wear on the internals, pins, ect. These parts come out very easily and smoothly if done right.