Heckler & Koch USP Elite 9x19

[TMan]

Well, it finally arrived- a new toy, and toy is probably the right word when you consider all the plastic that this gun has.

I won't bore you with all the statistics because they are available on the H&K website at: www.hk-usa.com/pages/civilian/handguns/uspelite.html

What isn't mentioned there is the trigger pull, which right out of the box was at 3.75lbs. So, today we went to the range. Now for a 6" barrel, this gun is rather light at 2.03 pounds. Now most people would say that there isn't any recoil with a 9mm, but compared to other 9mm's that I've shot, I did notice more muzzle flip than I expected.

Accuracy was superb. My favorite range officer was there and he put 10 rounds right in the bullseye. I'm not that good, but managed to keep 90 rounds in the black. The sights, even though they are black, are quite visible, but I really don't know why. Perhaps it is the shape or lack of angle on the front sight. Even on the Shoot-N-C targets, I had no trouble focusing on the front sight. All humdred rounds we put through the gun were flawless.

The gun came with a little hex wrench for adjusting trigger travel, and the funny little screwdriver thing for keeping in your pocket for adjusting the sights. I didn't need to remove it from my pocket - the sights were dead-on right from the factory.

The case is the nicest one I've ever gotten with a pistol. (Unlike the carboard box my Sig P210 came in). It also has a lock of sorts that uses a spanner type of key. There is also a black spanner key that is used to insert into the handle to prevent the gun from being used.

Also in the box were 5 extra O-rings. These are made out of hi-temp rubber (reminds me of the space shuttle) and serve as a bushing between the barrel and frame.
The other thing a little different is the use of a dual recoil spring that is supposed to reduce the recoil.

Although the trigger pull measured 3.75 lbs, it is had to believe that is that heavy i.e. it feels a lot less. I took numerous measurements, but that was what it averaged out. I also didn't have to adjust the little "screw" in the trigger - it was perfect out of the box.

Okay, now for the bad news: this is not a fun gun to shoot. About every 3rd to 4th shot I was hit in the face with the hot brass. Being hit on the top of the head doesn't bother me too much, but these came back and hit me below the glasses on occasion, in the glasses, and on the forehead. I really don't understand it either. The USP that I rented prior to ordering this one didn't hit me at all in the 50 rounds I put through it. Perhaps it is a matter of it not being broken in yet. My range officer mentioned that it got him too. I have a Stihl faceshield and earmuffs that I may take to the range the next time. It is made of a plastic mesh and works great for cutting shrubs over your head.. I think it will work well for stopping the brass too. I'm just concerned about the sound deading. Perhaps if I use it in conjunction with ear plugs.

I'm also a little unhappy that there isn't a part number for the 9mm o-rings in their manual either.

At this point I would not make this a recommended buy. I wish I'd bought the Sig P226 Sport instead of this, and I could have gotten it for $110 less.

If I later change my mind, I'll update this post. I'll also take some pictures if the sun ever shines in Texas again.

[papercutter]

As I recall ,that is the same gun the rangers or seals used . In my book it is the top of the pile in accurate pistols. They make a 45 expert with a longer barrel and a large price tag.

You will grow into this handgun, as it eliminates the "is it the gun " or me,,,,, It will be all you, saving you hundreds on ammo & accessories , Trying to improve the group.

As far as the hot brass hitting you, Its a mix of ammo power / load, spring tension, how the extractor is cut or fitted, I would change ammo or wear a hat & long sleeve shirt.

The big boys can hit beer cans at 70 yds with that pistol, 90 % of the time

[TMan]

Papercutter, wearing a hat wouldn't help because it was coming straight back into my face. I hadn't thought about the ammo. It confused me that I didn't have this problem with the USP that I rented. I hadn't considered the ammo. After my trials with .22LR before switching to CCI's Mini Mags you would think I would know better. ;D

Considering price, the Elite was a few dollars more than the USP Expert. It's barrel is 6" vs. 5.2" on the Expert. I'm not sure, but I think that the Elite is a newer model than the Expert.

I don't care how accurate a gun is if in the back of my mind I'm wondering if it is going to hurt me when I pull the trigger. After I bought "Uncle Mike's Gloves" I found that my accuracy improved drastically with the Sig P210. Fear of pain promotes flinching.

I've met some agents from a branch of the federal government. Some carry the H&K, which having seen how well they shot, made me interested in it. Others carry a model of the Sig.

Thanks for the ammo hint.

[papercutter]

TMan

Perhaps it will break in a bit ,and not throw brass back at you, try some moly grease on slide rails and other contact areas , just use a thin coat.

You could try soft reloads to work through your flinch , rent a revolver and load 1 - 3 rds and spin the cylinder between shots , shoot ( spray ) 400 rds in a high recoil pistol 44 mag , short barreled 357 ,after that everything will feel light.

Once you get to the point of watching the front sight and target, anything going on in your hand is unimportant, you should still be thinking about the target after the shot.

Training snipers would shoot 500-700 rds a day, to make them oblivious to recoil.

[TMan]

Update: After 300 rounds the brass is still flying all over the place. I let my range officer shoot it today and I stood back and watched. Sometimes it would come straight back, other times to the right, and a few times even to the left. However, no failures, and is this thing ever accurate. For 100 rounds using a 5: target at 7 yards everything was in the 9 and 10 rings with only one exception. I had an unintentional discharge that hit low in the 7 ring after a piece of brass went over the top of my glasses and landed on my eyelid. Glad it was a 9mm rather than a .22 or I would have been really burned.

If I had brought the target home and looked at it sometime later, I would have guessed that I had used the Sig P210. This thing is really accurate, and there isn't any hammer bite. I just wish I wasn't its target. ;D

[papercutter]

I would buy a spare extractor, have it ground slightly different.

The pin or stop that kicks out the brass maybe removable or increase the slide stop thickness , with a bumper -- shim -- to limit the slide travel.

Some match 1911s drop cases 4 ft to the side of the shooter in a nice pile.

[TMan]

Well I am a dismal failure (where have I heard that before - oh yeah some democrat that is no longer around). I tried grinding off a little of the ejector to try to get the brass to go to the right. I think I made it worse - it consistently hit me in the face - mostly in the glasses. Also it tucked one down inside my shirt (glad it wasn't a .22LR)

So, I was discussing it with the guy at the gun counter and he suggested I let the gunsmith take a look at it. He ground a lot off the ejector (hey, not his gun), but IT WORKED!!!! We shot a magazine and all the brass went to the right. He am the man!!!

I mentioned the fact that I had shot the regular H&K USP and never had this problem. His theory is with the longer slide of the elite there is more friction and therefore the problem.

Incidentally, I was shooting very well with the H&K in spite of having to dodge brass. It is a nice gun. (but I don't think it is worth the money) I will be shooting it much more in the future (the gunsmith wants to know how long the o-rings last).