USP Tactical .45 as duty weapon

[cpt.jcorey]

Hi guys, new to the forums here. I have a USP Tactical .45 that I was given as a gift brand new in 2001. I absolutely love it and it is authorized as a primary duty weapon with the police dept I am interviewing for. My questions are:

1) Anyone have any recommendations against using it for this purpose? Is there a better HK for this purpose, i.e. HK45, etc?

2) Why do I need the LEM if I can safely carry it cocked and locked according to the manual?

3) What would be a good holster that would allow for the pistol and a light?


A friend of mine is trying to talk me out of using the HK and going with a Glock 23...

[TriggerHappy]

The only reason give against the tact would be the size but since you are going to carry OWB then there should be no problem. It is an EXCELLENT weapon with a match trigger and there is no need for LEM if you go cocked and locked.

[Sobriquet]

I'll leave it to the law enforcement professionals on the board to give advice, but my first thought would be to ask whether you're already a Glock user. If you're used to the trigger pull of the HK cocked and locked, I probably wouldn't want to switch to a Glock trigger.

The other thing is that the felt recoil is probably softer on your tactical in 45 than on the Glock in .40 S&W. The .40 cartridge seems to have more of a violent crack than the shove of a .45 - especially with the size and recoil reduction system on the HK.

Good luck with your job interview.

[robert14]

I carried a HK USP 45f as my duty weapon for several years with the USP 45c as my off duty pistol. I only stopped carrying it when I got my HK45. The only issue you may have is finding a duty holster for the longer barrel. It would protrude from the bottom of the Safariland 6280, so I would keep the thread protector on it to keep from messing the threads up. The 6280 has a version that will fit it with a light. I never carried mine locked & cocked. I have carried the Glock 22 and it's felt recoil is definitely harsher. The only thing I hate about carrying my HK is that it kills me every time I scratch or nick it. If you carry it on duty, it will get scratched & nicked. Not so big a deal if your $450 Glock gets beat up, but your $1100 Tatical??? The plus side is that I have had Glocks malfunction, my HKs have NEVER malfunctioned. Very important if your life may depend on it.

[cpt.jcorey]

Thank you guys for the excellent feedback. I am not a Glock user, only fired a few of them and I can say they are very nice but you are absolutely right about the recoil on that .40 its just to harsh. I thought it was just me! The wear and tear issue is a definite consideration too. Robert, you say you never carried cocked and locked? Did you have the LEM work done, or just deal with a DA first shot? I'm very curious about that because I would rather not modify it from what it is right now. Thanks again.

[Landric]

Does the department authorize cocked and locked carry? If not, you might want to consider either going DA first shot or LEM. Personally, I really like the LEM, but it is a love or hate kind of thing.

Duty guns get beaten up, and most of it is not from shooting. Getting in and out of cars, scuffles, etc. all take their toll. You might consider getting a plain jane USP 45 for duty, it would handle the same for the most part and wouldn't be as tragic when it gets beat up or ends up in an evidence room somewhere if you have to use it.

You are very lucky to be in a position to choose your own duty weapon, most of us get stuck with a department issue (in my case a Beretta 96FS). I only get to carry HKs off-duty.

[bnsutton]

I carried the USP45 Tac on duty for many, many years and thousands and thousands of rounds. It is an excellent duty weapon and it never let me down. It still is my sidearm that I use for Tactical operations. I always had a UTL on it in a Safariland holster. I can't remember the number but that weapon/light combo is on thier fit list on line.
It's sad. I've got two duty rigs totally set up and all I have to do is add a radio. They are for my HK45 and USP 40 Tac. I guess I need a third rig for the 45 Tac just in case she needs to come out of semi retirement.
Good luck with your Tac. She will get some beauty marks from duty use but remember, that it just adds charactor.

[Sobriquet]

You could always pick up an HK45 for about $820 from CDNN. It's not "cheap," but it'd be easier to replace than the USP Tactical should you need to. It also has the Picatinny rails, so you could use a light without needing an adapter.

I'm not a cop, so this might not be a consideration for you, but if you ever had to use your duty weapon and went before a jury on a use of force issue, I'd also be comforted by the fact that the HK45 doesn't look as mean or "military" as the USP Tactical.

[Volodymyr]

1) Anyone have any recommendations against using it for this purpose? Is there a better HK for this purpose, i.e. HK45, etc?


A friend of mine is trying to talk me out of using the HK and going with a Glock 23...

1- Mark 23 if you want to throw down the bones ;)

Your friend is crazy. I can't wait to get my Glock-loving dad to the range this summer, he dry fired my USP and you could see a small twinkle in his eye already. :D He is ignorant though, just repeats what his department armorers tell him, probably the same bull as my range guys ("let me just tell you this, the Glock is a MUCH better made weapon than the USP" yea okay buddy I'm looking for a gun, not a fancy paperweight).

[rhmcl]

If you love the gun and have had it for seven years, it's no longer has that "brand new" feeling that you have to be carefull with it all the time. In my opinion you should carry it. Good luck with your interview.

[robert14]

Thank you guys for the excellent feedback. I am not a Glock user, only fired a few of them and I can say they are very nice but you are absolutely right about the recoil on that .40 its just to harsh. I thought it was just me! The wear and tear issue is a definite consideration too. Robert, you say you never carried cocked and locked? Did you have the LEM work done, or just deal with a DA first shot? I'm very curious about that because I would rather not modify it from what it is right now. Thanks again.
Mine is V1, (not LEM, but DA / SA). I just deal with the longer first shot trigger pull. I thought that it would be an issue, but due to the smoothness of the trigger (even thought it is long & heavy) accuracy has never been an issue. If you are not in the habit of sweeping the safety off as you draw your weapon as 1911 users do, then you may find yourself drawing under stress and trying to pull the triggger on a weapon with the safety engaged, not a good feeling !!!
Regardless of departmental training to keep your finger off the trigger until you are on target and have decided to fire, dash cams and other video taken during real life stressful situations show that officers commonly put their fingers on the trigger as soon as they pull their weapons. Not good with a light SA pull. Not condoning this action, just stating that it does happen under stress and can cause ADs. These two reasons are why I do not carry locked & cocked.

Yes, wear and tear is an issue, but my HK has NEVER failed me and I cannot say the same for the Glock. Having a pistol in my holster that I know will work every time is worth the scratches and nicks it gets as opposed to carrying a cheaper pistol I do not trust to go bang every time I pull the trigger.

[amstaffHK]

V1 will rock your socks off!

[Lone_Ranger]

You're going to have trouble finding a duty holster that allows cocked & locked carry. But, and LEM isn't necessary. A litttle practice, and the V1 SA/DA is easily dealt with.


BTW - I carry a regular HK USP 45 for duty. Unless you're a "double-oh" a regular USP is going to be just as good as the tac for duty carry.

[notenoughtime3]

I've carried my tac CCW for quite a while.

Wear was an issue at first, but it is a damn shame not to use such a fine pistol.

Now it is nicely worn from kydex holsters and the wear issue no longer bothers me.

ETA; Blade-tech makes a decent holster that allows for cocked and locked.

I can't comment on it's use for anything other than range use.

[taseal]

kinda jumping in this thead, and i should probably search and figure this out but...

DA = double action
SA = single action
LEM = LE mod (what is it exactly? u change the trigger so it works like a glock with the safety on it?)
cocked and locked = the gun is cocked, and in 'safety' position... why wouldn't a dept allow this??? the safety is on??? and why would some holsters not work with this?

[N6ATF]

Depending on the levels of retention you choose with let's say, Safariland holsters, the retention device, be it a strap or hood or whatever, can snag up on the hammer. I've looked at the Safariland catalog and they are ADAMANT about which holster you buy for cocked & locked.

Add the need for a tac light to the C&L spec (either spelled out by the manufacturer, or discovered when it's too late), and your choices narrow.

[orfeo]

Hi guys, new to the forums here. I have a USP Tactical .45 that I was given as a gift brand new in 2001. I absolutely love it and it is authorized as a primary duty weapon with the police dept I am interviewing for. My questions are:

1) Anyone have any recommendations against using it for this purpose? Is there a better HK for this purpose, i.e. HK45, etc?

2) Why do I need the LEM if I can safely carry it cocked and locked according to the manual?

3) What would be a good holster that would allow for the pistol and a light?


A friend of mine is trying to talk me out of using the HK and going with a Glock 23...

Everyone on here is going to tell you to use your HK. But. . . if it is in mint condition, and if that matters to you, then I would save it. If you are not ever going to be concerned with it getting worn-looking, then YES, it will make an excellent duty gun.

My main concern has to do with your questions regarding C and L carry. C and L is a pefectly fine way to go. The military has been doing it for maybe almost a hundred years already. It is a matter of training. If you are trained to carry cocked and locked, and you practice, practice, practice drawing and firing C and L from your duty holster, its great. You get to shoot single-action. But in the LEO world, many officers are not really gun people. Double-action-only can be safer for people with little or poor training.

Try some IDPA or other action-oriented shooting sports to get used to either cocked and locked under pressure or DAO under pressure, so you can choose which way you want to go.

[tquieng]

Look into bianchi shadow holster of the HK usp 45 tactical it is great.
Fit is excellent and comfortable. It makes the big gun disappear in concealed situation.