USP Expert... worth the $$?

[hawk45]

I would like to get a 5+" gun in 45ACP. I like the looks of the HK SOCOM but it is just so freaking big. I've seen the Expert which seems to be a combination of the SOCOM and the USP.. Prices are running around $1200. Never held or shot one but have shot the USP .45 and did like it. Do you think the Expert is worth the price or are there better options out there for the price?

[Redleg06]

I've had my Expert for a few years, and it is a great pistol. When I'm doing my job, I've shot 2" groups at 25 yards, and it cycles everything. For a factory pistol the trigger is great, very crisp and minimal overtravel. If I'm being honest the drawbacks are sometimes it seems a little bulky it is by no means a small pistol and the grips are a little square. My double stack 1911's fit the hand a little nicer. The other drawback is that the checkering is so aggressive that after a good range session it feels like you've been holding a cheesegrater, but there is no way the pistol is going to slip in your hand. This is the most accurate .45 I have ever seen including 1911 pistols that cost a lot more, but like any double action pistol it cannot match the single action trigger pull.

I would like to get a 5+" gun in 45ACP. I like the looks of the HK SOCOM but it is just so freaking big. I've seen the Expert which seems to be a combination of the SOCOM and the USP.. Prices are running around $1200. Never held or shot one but have shot the USP .45 and did like it. Do you think the Expert is worth the price or are there better options out there for the price?

[racine]

It is so darn accurate how could you not love this pistol. A writer once wrote that it had taken over the mantle that the Sig 210 dominated for so long. I have shot mine for 7 years with out much of a hiccup besides my own reloading faults. I had this guru Bruce Gray turn mine into a Limited pistol. He'll put fiber optics on front, add a jet funnel for 45acp, shorten the trigger pre travel/reset/overtravel that it is just sweet. Still won't compare to a 1911 trigger but very close. I got mag extensions from a machinist named docrak that allows me +5 for 17+ 1(maybe hard to find now). I have to scramble to keep up with those other tupperware types carrying 20+ 1 but it's fun. In short I love this HK much better than my original HK USP45. The only limitations are in the bore axis and sometimes unpredictable muzzle flip(double recoil spring) which can but takes practice to get used to.

[sjg1966]

The other drawback is that the checkering is so aggressive that after a good range session it feels like you've been holding a cheesegrater, but there is no way the pistol is going to slip in your hand.

I have a USP Tacital, and like mentioned is great on accuracy and trigger out of the box. My only real issue is quoted above.

You can't go wrong with HK as far as I am concerned...

Buy it!

Steve

[wes777]

Bruce gray Over at grayguns does a trigger job on usp pistols that would astonish you. Also will convert to single action only. Look him up, check out his prices, borrow a crane to lift your jaw off of the ground, and then try to realize that it is worth it.

He can also tune SV mags to run in usp. You will have one sick limited gun.

Best group I've ever shot was with an hk 45 tactical. Was at the range testing some 1911 loads and thought the gun was shooting well at 2 inches @ 25 yards. For fun I thought I'd run five through the tactical. Result was a nickel sized clover leaf. Don't think it will ever get better than that.

Edited August 26, 2012 by wes777

[SquibRound]

I have an Expert in .40 with a Bruce Gray trigger job. i echo the comment about picking your jaw off the ground but it was worth it. The gun with or without the trigger work is excellent and dependable. It certainly shoots better than I will ever be able. I would have no hesitation in buying one.

[Xander]

They are boringly accurate... I would definitely get one if I have the money

[iconoclast]

I am interested in hearing more opinions about the trigger (tension/force, pre-travel/take-up, port-travel, etc...) from experienced users.

I have only sampled (dry-fired) a standard USP and was very disappointed with the high force required in DA mode. The SA mode was relatively heavy as well.

Thanks.

Bruce gray Over at grayguns does a trigger job on usp pistols that would astonish you. Also will convert to single action only. Look him up, check out his prices, borrow a crane to lift your jaw off of the ground, and then try to realize that it is worth it.

He can also tune SV mags to run in usp. You will have one sick limited gun.

Best group I've ever shot was with an hk 45 tactical. Was at the range testing some 1911 loads and thought the gun was shooting well at 2 inches @ 25 yards. For fun I thought I'd run five through the tactical. Result was a nickel sized clover leaf. Don't think it will ever get better than that.

[Xander]

I am interested in hearing more opinions about the trigger (tension/force, pre-travel/take-up, port-travel, etc...) from experienced users.

I have only sampled (dry-fired) a standard USP and was very disappointed with the high force required in DA mode. The SA mode was relatively heavy as well.

Thanks.

Well, I had an Expert both in .40 and .45 before and all I can say about them MATCH triggers are they are amazingly good!The DA is manageable, unlike the standard USP, and with lots of dryfire you'll be suprise how good it is. The SA is so sweet, the pre travel and over travel although they are booth adjustable, but I prefer the factory stock set up, is favorable on ,y liking, short, smooth, light and crisp. They are worth every pesos

[mattwaage]

Simple Answer? No.

But I had a USP 45 and thought it was a joke.

Alot better options out there for 1200 bucks...

[vdub5818]

Love my expert 45, along with a 10# wolf hammer spring it is fantastic. Sub 8# DA and 3.5# SA with a reset just about as short as my ppq. Not to mention it makes 45's feel like a 380.