I didn’t get the Sig… I picked up what I consider to be the Holy Grail of pistols for defense, survival and repelling zombie hoards … the Heckler and Koch, USP .45ACP Full Size (applause)
Look, I don’t want to get into the whole debate about what is the best end of the world gun, or do a top-ten list or open a poll or any of that! This is my opinion, it happens to be the correct opinion and it is one I suggest you all adopt as your own!
The HK USP is arguably the toughest pistol on the planet. I know a guy who “allegedly” has over 500,000 rounds through his. His hasn’t cleaned it in a year and just to prove how tough it is, it took really (I mean really) hot load that another buddy wouldn’t even dare put in his XD slapped it in the USP and let it rip. The report was unlike any other .45 I had heard and sparks came flying out but it fired and he was able to put a round ON TARGET!
Ok, they are like $950 out the door and that is a lot. Maybe you can get a better deal where you are but they are close to it. There are lot of other “less expensive” pistols out there. Everyone is on the XD wagon which is similar to the Glock wagon from 10 years ago. You gotta love successful marketing combined with a decent pistol! So why the USP? Here is why:
- It is hands down the toughest pistol out there. In a survival situation, your gun is your life. You want your firearm as tough as possible. We have all seen the torture tests and I want a gun that will survive conditions that will kill me first.
- It can fire ANY round! When ammo gets tight in a post-shtf scenario you will not be able to be picky with your ammo choices. There is a good chance you are going to be buying reloads from some guy out of his trunk. You may not have a clue what this guy is loading, but you will still need to trust that your gun can fire it reliably and accurately.
- The .45ACP round is quite impressive. The stopping power is second to none and the ammo is readily available. It is a common caliber and therefore there is more of a chance it will be readily available after the collapse.
- It fits my hand PERFECTLY. Get out and shoot the gun you are thinking about BEFORE you purchase. The reason I didn’t get the SIG is it didn’t fit well in my hand. The handle was too small and uncomfortable when firing. This is where a premier gun store WITH a range is key. If you are local to the Bay Area of CA, get over to Bullseye Indoor Range and Firearms Store. They are hands down the best gun shop EVER!
Ok, now the negative. It has that proprietary rail only HK makes. There is an adapter but it is $40. Not the end of the world but still lame. Insight makes a light and laser/light combo designed for the USP rail but if you buy that then you cannot switch it to other guns with standard rails.
All in all I feel much better having my new hand cannon in the house. I also picked up a locking holster from Blackhawk. The Serpa system is great. For about $100, you get the fitted locked holster, a belt attachment, a paddle attachment and a tactical thing rig. All very tough plastic!
Keep buying guns! The way I figure it we are in a downward spiral into some sort of disaster. Check out the latest from Iran here.
-SP
Filed under: SHTF, suburban survival | Tagged: Guns, USP .45
I went with the Sig P220. The H&K is not on the mass firearms list so it’s not even an option for me. I was going to buy the Glock 21, but the Sig fitted my hand easier, and mags are easier to get.
Good choice going with the .45 ACP. After firing both the .40 and the .45ACP there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to put down a mutant biker zombie in 1 shot, not 2 (.40) and not 10 (9×19mm).
All kinds of people will say either “it’s not the caliber but where you put it” or “ballistics gel tests show that the .40 is just as good as the .45acp” I say hogwash! A .40 needs 13% expansion to equal an unfired .45ACP round. I like having a head start when mutant ninja zombies are running around.
Now practice, practice, practice!
I got a USP compact in 45ACP about 9 or 10 years ago and I absolutely love it. I have been through many handguns in my time but nothing fit me like the USPC’s. It eats everything I load it with while my buddies kimber is very picky and has several FTF’s every range session. He finally got him a HK. Here are a couple of sites for the HK’s http://www.streetpro.com/usp/index.html
http://www.hk-usp.com/home.aspx
Good shooting and welcome to the club!
. . . woah
This is timely as I am seeking a new HDW myself. Come SHTF this toughness is key when spare parts and repair may be problematic.
More and more I am becoming a wheel gunner but there is little to argue with about an HK pistol in .45acp. it is just a great gun in a great caliber.
Very nice. Before I moved to Nevada, I took a few classes at that range when I was very new to handguns. Great place and nice indoor range.
Good choice on the weapon. I ended up with a glock 21 and a sig p220 myself.. but only because I got a deal from a local gun shop I was helping out at during the time.
Enjoy
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I’ve been prepping for awhile now… In terms of sidearms, I got the Sig P226R chambered in .40s&w, with Trijicon Nitesites, and Streamlight TLR2 tac light / laser dot combo.
For my BUG (back up gun) I have a Steyr S40 .40s&w sub compact.
Being a girl, the .45acp is a bit big for me, but the .40s&w fits oh so right~ And still quite potent.