GS>One would assume you like the  H&K USP.
GS>Well I got one and love it, too.
It takes a little getting used to, but if you're adaptable, it'll turn 
out to be a great match.
GS>So besides from homemade rockets, what do you like in a carry cartridge 
or
GS>the .40 S&W in the USP.  ie Hydrashock 155/165/180, etc.
I use the USP more for general shooting- tests, projects, sport. than 
defense.  My logic is I don't want to entrust my safety to a pistol I've 
been experimenting with.  Mind you if I had to do so, it'd be the USP.
I've used 155gr Silvertips in the S&W almost exclusively, mostly at this 
point because I've qualified them in the gun so much.  If I had to start 
over, I'd feel comfortable using 155gr or 180gr hydrashoks, which is the 
only 180gr round i'd use for defense in the .40S&W, Speer's Gold Dot 
Hollowpoint seems to do well, and of course the Cor-Bon 135gr, though I 
might not want to keep that in the USP for reasons to be mentioned below.
Obviously, I'd really prefer using my own loads if there wasn't the 
possibility of confusing matters following an inquiry after a shooting.
Specifically, I'd choose the Hornady XTP 155gr JHP with a large helping 
of Hercules Blue Dot, enough to run the bullet to a mimimum of 1250fps.
Where I see this gun really shining though, is in the niche I had set for 
a glock model 20- 15+1 capacity 10mm.  While relying on anything less 
than a .44mag for backcountry backup in bear country is risky, the 10mm 
would be my choice because of capacity.  If you can still get 13 rounds 
mags for the USP, this is an excellent use for them.  I'd load 200gr 
XTP's followed by 190gr Sierra FPJ's (full profile jacketed) which would 
have little or no expansion and better penetration.  Both of these can 
safely be loaded to over 500 ft/lbs in the USP.  If you're not in bear 
country, Hornady's 180gr XTP loaded hot makes a very good all around 
round for the trail.  While a good 6" .357 might be more apt to the task, 
the USP40 or 45 certainly can keep up with one.
GS>What's your experience with reliability and performance ?
Excellent on all counts.  It'll cycle ammo one you reach about 100,000 on
the ipsc power factor scale (175,000 makes major, 90,000 is about the
recoil of a .380), but if you hold the gun real lightly, you _can_ make
it shortcycle with a near empty magazine due to the light frame mass.
Once you start getting up into the heavier loads, you'll notice that
while the recoil does go up, it does not seem nearly as violent as
similar rounds in other pistols.  I guess that's the recoil reduction
system working.
As for accuracy, it's simple- the pistol is more accurate than I am.
I once ran a test to see when it would stop functioning correctly without
cleaning, and I got about 800-900 rounds through it before I ended the
test.  Actually, the gun got soaked, which cleaned off a fair amount of
the crud that had built up in it.
One thing I have noticed, though the gun doesn't seem to have minded in
any way, is that the Cor-Bon 135gr JHP +p ammo occasionally yeilds a
cratered primer in the USP40.  I've never had this happen in the S&W or
the Astra; I measured the bores and the USP does have the tightest
barrel, .001" smaller than the S&W and .003" smaller than the Astra.  I'd
expect the HK to be closer to the ideal dimensions, as a bigger barrel
diameter yeilds less accuracy but more safety due to less compression of
the bullet in the forcing cone.
HK as a company has pretty good service provided you buy the gun from a
direct distributer, they really don't want to help you out with
modifications though.  I was going to work on modifying a 9mm usp barrel
to accept the .357sig chambering, but they hemmed and hawwed about
selling me a 9mm barrel for so long I've given up on it.  Bar-Sto will
have them available in a couple of months anyway.  That'll break the
1500fps barrier with standard bullets!  :-)
GS> þ Concealed Weapon: one your wife doesn't know you bought, yet
Been there :-)  Told my wife I would not buy any new guns this year.  So
I'm just buying used ones.  :-)
þ SLMR 2.0 þ The road to enlightment is long, so bring a book.  
* LAKOTA v1.5
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