HK USP misfires

[jihad]

I have an HK USP that misfires about 3 or 4 times out of a hundred. I don't know what could be wrong with it. I was hoping some of you guys could give some opinions of what it could be and if I should send it in to have it fixed. I do shoot reloaded ammo and have heard the story about the cops who had the .45's blow up while shooting but I'm not sure that's the case. Any help would be appreciated. Jihad

[bd]

Hi jihad,

I have also experienced misfires with the HK USP using reloaded ammo. Turns out, it was a problem with the ammo. You might try running a few hundred rounds of factory ammo through your USP. All of the HK's I have dealt with were picky about reloaded ammo and experienced some troubles (misfeeds/stovepipes/etc). The trouble with reloaded ammo is there is no quality control (unless you do it yourself) and problems can arise. Use good ammo and you will avoid most problems. If it's not your ammo, find your closest HK armorer. :-)

I've never heard about the .45 blow ups on the officers. Where did this occur?

Tkae care and be safe.

BD

[JY]

Hi jihad;

been trying to post this since the the site went down. bd is correct with reloads if the ammo isn't finished per SAMMI specs they will not function correctly all the time. What happens usually is they are oversize resulting in the round not seating fully in the chamber. When this happens the fall of the firing pin actually seats the round resulting in the inertia being used to seat the round and not enough is left to fire the primer. Dependant on how much force is needed to seat the cart. a second or third try on double action should fire the offending round. This problem can also be caused by primers not seated properly, either through a dirty primer pocket or improper seating depth, again resulting in the inertia of the firing pin being used to seat the primer instead of firing it. By looking at the primer of rounds that fail to fire you can usually see that the firing pin indentation is "lighter" than the ones that fired.

Another problem with reloads is oil contamination, this is either case lube or another source of oil has infiltrated the primer itself rendering it inert. These problems are common in reloads which is why NEVER use them for self defense always use factory.

I have used both the MK 23 MOD 0 and the Tactical .45 since they came out and have had no problems with either. And have never had nor seen any that have "blown up" These weapons have had a steady diet of +P+ CT loads in the several of thousands rounds without problems. I'd be interested too in documented cases of USP blow ups.

Take care and good shooting...Jim

[jihad]

Ahh..good to be back. Been shooting my HK USP alot since the site went down with no problems with factory and reloads. So maybe I just had some bad ammo? I have noticed something else though. When shooting fast strings I sometimes catch the magazine release and my mag drops out on me, but I believe this can be corrected by my grip. Sorry guys I can't find that documentation on those USP blowups. Shouldn't have posted it anyway. Didn't checked in to it like I should have. Sorry. Nice to talk to you guys again. Jihad

[bd]

Hi jihad,

Yes, I've seen people drop the mags on their USP while on the line. Even on a qualification course (but the shooter just slammed another mag home and kept on). You're correct in that it's most likely your grip. The shooter I was with was a lefty shooting right-handed. Since the grip was not natural, the recoil of the gun was causing their thumb to bump the magazine release. The recoil was causing them to buck over to the left just a bit, rather than handling the recoil straight back. After adjusting for this, no more problems.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Take care and be safe.

BD

[Silent Fart]

Why don't you guys save the heart-ache and by a sig sauer! I have a sig and a Glock and I would take the sig over anything! It is very accurate and has never malfunctioned on me before. It costs the same if not less than an H&K also.

[bd]

Silent-1

Like you, I do rely on the Sig Sauer P226. They are superb weapons. Mine's been through the wringer without ever having a malfunction. Full length slide rail ensures weapon accuracy and functionality. Another plus is you can issue both P226 and the P228 (for those with smaller hands) without having to provide seperate training. As for cost...I'm not sure about that cheaper comment. Civvie versions are selling for about $700 new, LE is a few hundred cheaper.

Don't get me wrong, I like the HK USP also. But as long as its quality (Sig/HK/Beretta/etc) it's whatever the shooter is comfortable with.

Take care and be safe.

BD

[jihad]

Silent-1,

I do plan on getting a Sig for my next purchase. Most likely a P-226 in 40 S&W. Jihad. Only so much money

[Silent Fart]

jihad,

Good choice. Let us know if your happy with it.