# H & K USP Compact .40



## m3coupe4me (Aug 18, 2008)

So I just shot this gun at the range today using about 100 slow and controlled rounds. The gun felt good in my hands, and looked really nice, but I just couldn't group my shots as well as I did with the Glock 17 last week. Maybe the trigger pull was too heavy for me? It just didn't feel right as I was pulling the trigger. I also felt like I needed to aim the barrel higher than I needed to. Very frustrating. The kick wasn't too bad, maybe a little more "rough" than the 9mm. I could draw the sight back down on the target fairly well after firing, but again, I just wasn't as accurate with it as I would like to have been.

Anyway, you can see from the groupings that I didn't do so well with this gun.

Opinions?


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

I noticed that too with my USP9c versus my P-01. I thought it was the opposite until I took them both to the range at the same time and I found that I had better placement with my P-01, the USP9c just had less recoil. I'm sure it's me and my USP9c is fairly new to me so I'm still working with it, plus your comparing a 9mm to a .40. Regardless of your groupings, your accuracy looks pretty good within the 9.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

Just keep practicing. You might just have to get used to the 40 cal more than anything...? You might be flinching before the shot. Try putting the Glock away and shooting the USPc for a while to get better acclimated with it.

I have a USPc 40, and here is a target from my last time out with it. This was at 21', unsupported (ignore the shot on the right, it was a test shot to require myself with the trigger) and a full mag (12 rounds). It did take me a while to get used to the gun, but once I did she is very rewarding.


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

The HK is a little harder to shoot than some other guns, because it sits in the hands a little higher than most (bore axis) but it is possible to hit tight and fast. The first thing I'd ask, is how fast are you shooting? The reason I ask is, when I get a new gun, I shoot close (7 yards) and slow, until I hit where I want it to hit, then I back up the target 25 yards and shoot slow again until I hit where I want it to hit, then repeat at 50 yards.

Only then do I move the target back in and start to speed up the pace. The deciding factor is accuracy each time. I've said this before but here you go...

7 yards - shoot until you are great
25 yards - shoot until you are good
50 yards - shoot to humble yourself and then shoot some more.

Here's a fun little vid, it's a full size USP and I'd love to own a Compact, perhaps that'll be the next pistol I buy. Either way, practice, practice, practice. Do some dry fire drills to get the trigger down, get yourself a racketball and squeeze it while you watch TV, it helps, really it does.


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

This is what I use, a Gripmaster, I've been using one for years, it has helped me with my two favorites, guitar and guns.


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Whooaaahhh... *wipes brow* I thought you were gonna say something else.

Those are good too, but racketballs or tennis balls I think are a little better as you can get more angles out of them. It really helps with controlling the pistol, as I'm sure you are aware. Never learned to play the guitar, you can't spin a guitar in your fingers like a drum stick hehehe.


Zhur


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## unpecador (May 9, 2008)

Nah I'm a natural at that. :mrgreen:

That's not a pic of mine, pulled that off the web but is exactly the same except mine is cleaner and the words are partially worn.


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## m3coupe4me (Aug 18, 2008)

Spartan said:


> Just keep practicing. You might just have to get used to the 40 cal more than anything...? You might be flinching before the shot. Try putting the Glock away and shooting the USPc for a while to get better acclimated with it.
> 
> I have a USPc 40, and here is a target from my last time out with it. This was at 21', unsupported (ignore the shot on the right, it was a test shot to require myself with the trigger) and a full mag (12 rounds). It did take me a while to get used to the gun, but once I did she is very rewarding.


Hey, nice shooting. Yeah, I was definitely flinching. I had a hard time finding the point where the gun would actually fire. Then "BAM!". I was just loading five rounds at a time into the mag so I could delay my range time a little. I will go back to the .40 eventually. I don't actually own a handgun yet, just trying out the different models and calibers that work for me. A .380 is next! Looking forward to trying that out.


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## m3coupe4me (Aug 18, 2008)

zhurdan said:


> The HK is a little harder to shoot than some other guns, because it sits in the hands a little higher than most (bore axis) but it is possible to hit tight and fast. The first thing I'd ask, is how fast are you shooting? The reason I ask is, when I get a new gun, I shoot close (7 yards) and slow, until I hit where I want it to hit, then I back up the target 25 yards and shoot slow again until I hit where I want it to hit, then repeat at 50 yards.
> 
> Only then do I move the target back in and start to speed up the pace. The deciding factor is accuracy each time. I've said this before but here you go...
> 
> ...


Hey, thanks for the tips with distance and the racket ball. I think I'm going to adopt that technique when I'm trying out different guns.

I was shooting pretty slow. Just taking my time to get to know the gun and how it felt, shot, recoiled, etc. I did speed it up a smidge when I saw I wasn't hitting the target well, but nothing excited or hurried. Maybe just two rounds within a second of each other once I felt the sights were at least on the target.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

When I got my 9mm USPc - it shot low for me - in fact, I swore the sights were off. I finally sandbagged the pistol and saw that the sights were fine.

I didn't have that problem with a fullsize USP I used to have. But, the USPc tends to have a tendency to go downward when the trigger is pulled. I just kept at it, and it took about 800 rounds before I got over that issue. Now, I have about 3k in the gun.


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## Spartan (Jan 1, 2007)

Yea, I was the same way with my USPc... more than any other gun. A lot of my shots were going low and left. I too, thought it was the gun. After a great deal of practice, I realized what I really already knew... it was me. I think I was also flinching before the shot. Even the littlest bit will cause a couple inchs at 21'.

Now, I am used to it and she shoots like a breeze.


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## m3coupe4me (Aug 18, 2008)

Spartan said:


> Yea, I was the same way with my USPc... more than any other gun. A lot of my shots were going low and left. I too, thought it was the gun. After a great deal of practice, I realized what I really already knew... it was me. I think I was also flinching before the shot. Even the littlest bit will cause a couple inchs at 21'.
> 
> Now, I am used to it and she shoots like a breeze.


Yeah, maybe I was just being a big old puss*. Honestly, the kick was big compared to the Glock 17 I shot. So combine that with inexperience and my inability to find the point where the trigger pull would fire the gun and I'd say I wasn't ready to fire the .40. I'll go back to the USPc .40 again, but not until I try a few other calibers. Like I said, great looking gun and felt pretty good in my hand, but it looks like it takes some practice time to really get the best results with a gun like that.


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