Description
The HK USP (Universal Self-loading Pistol) is the first HK pistol designed especially for American shooters. Features favored by US law enforcement and military users provided the design criteria for the USP and its controls are uniquely American, influenced by such famous designs as the Government Model 1911 pistol.
The control lever, a combination safety and decocking lever, is frame mounted and quickly accessible, unlike the slide mounted safeties common on many semi-automatic pistols.
Using a modified Browning-type action with a special patented recoil reduction system, the USP is built to take the punishment of powerful +P and +P+ loads. The recoil reduction system reduces recoil effects on pistol components and also lowers the recoil forces felt by the shooter.
The USP recoil reduction system is insensitive to ammunition types and requires no special adjustment or maintenance. It functions effectively in all USP models. Using this same recoil reduction system, an HK MK 23 .45 ACP Special Operations Pistol fired more than 30,000 +P cartridges and 6,000 proof loads without damage to any major components. During function testing of the USP, sample pistols routinely fire more than 20,000 rounds without a component failure.
All USPs use a fiber-reinforced polymer frame stiffened by stainless steel inserts at areas subject to stress and friction. HK pioneered the use of polymer materials in production handguns more than twenty-five years ago with the development of the VP70Z and P9S pistols. Molded into the polymer frame of USPs, universal mounting grooves allow a variety of accessories like the HK Universal Tactical Light to be quickly installed or removed. The Universal Tactical Light is a compact, high intensity light developed exclusively for HK.
By using a modular approach to the internal components, the control lever function of the USP can be switched from the left to the right side of the pistol for left-handed shooters. The USP can also be converted from one type of trigger firing mode to another. This includes combination double-action and single-action (DA/SA) modes and double action only (DA-Only) modes.
The USP is available in nine trigger/firing mode configurations and three calibers .45 ACP, .40 S&W, and 9mm. Two finishes are currently available; stainless steel and HK’s proprietary Hostile Environment dark blued finish. Both protect the major metal components of the USP from corrosion, including exposure to salt water.
All HK USP pistols are covered by a lifetime warranty from the original retail purchaser.
