[CrippledPidgeon]

So I'm getting planning on getting into the USP scene, looking at a full sized 9mm because while I love my 1911, buying ammo on a student's budget is, well, tough.

I'm planning on going out to the range and renting to test drive a bit, but the range near my house only has full sized USPs in .40 and .45, and compacts in 9mm and .45.

Which would probably be the closest to shooting a full sized USP 9mm? I'm tempted to rent the full .40 first because other than the recoil, it's identical. I assume the 9mm compact would perform fairly similarly to the full, except its grip is different.

Does the .40 behave similar to the 9mm except just "more?" (never shot .40 before) Does the compact behave significantly differently from the full of the same caliber?

BTW, I'm intending for it to mainly be something I can take out to the range with me on weekends and kill paper so I'm not looking for concealability (besides, very very illegal on and near school grounds ), and living in CA means that mag capacity is a meaningless number.

 

[Landpimp]

I find the 40 to be "snappy" it bugs/hurts my old beat up elbow after 50rds(I can shoot a few 100 but I regret it) or so.......while I can shoot 9mm and 45 all day long.

not the help you were really looking for though

 

[jimmybuffett]

Have you thought about any other pistols besides the USP? For 9mm I also like the Beretta/Taurus 92 series (I like the Taurus more because of the safety), they are great full-size pistols, super reliable and cheaper than the USP by $150-200.

And if you really want to shoot cheap you can't beat a .22.

Don't get me wrong, I love my HK's to death but if I'm just screwing around, I'd much rather be shooting my Browning BuckMark. I got this one at Bass Pro Shops in Garland TX for $289:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=006B&cat_id=051&type_id=407

And the ammo can be had for as cheap as 1.2-1.5 cents per shot. I think my last box of 500 rounds cost $6.99 at Academy.

 

[230GrainRemedy]

You can't compare the recoil of a 9mm to a 40 or 45. It's so much lighter that you would be shocked, this is one easy shooting caliber that you can use to master your accuracy skills. The 40 to me is as mentioned, snappy and jerks in your hand due in part to the velocity and bullet weight. Of the two, I have always found the 45 to have a softer recoil, that I compare to the roll of an ocean wave. It doesn't snap, it just rolls and is quite soft. The bullet is heavy and moving fairly slow at around 800 feet per second. The 9mm compact will probably shoot close to a 40 full size because of the shorter length tube.

Hk's recoil management systems of springs and guide rods tend to absorb and reduce recoil when compared to say a Glock or SIG in the same caliber. Going to a range, finding a friend, or even another PRO member near you who can let you shoot theirs will be the best best to truly get to know the recoil. Do a search on indoor ranges in an engine like Google and you might find another one closer to you than you think. Good Luck.

 

[50ae]

Sounds like a good time to learn how to reload to me.

 

[CrippledPidgeon]

Have you thought about any other pistols besides the USP? For 9mm I also like the Beretta/Taurus 92 series (I like the Taurus more because of the safety), they are great full-size pistols, super reliable and cheaper than the USP by $150-200.

Well basically, I'd pretty much had my heart set on buying a USP. Loved the design ever since I picked up an airsoft version of the USP .45. With my current wages, I can afford the USP, and I feel that if I were to try to find some sort of "cheaper alternative," I'd still want the USP... Not terribly good reasoning, but it gave me a goal to work for over summer. It's just that when school starts, work hours reduce, and thus the amount of ammo that I can afford goes down

And if you really want to shoot cheap you can't beat a .22.

Don't get me wrong, I love my HK's to death but if I'm just screwing around, I'd much rather be shooting my Browning BuckMark. I got this one at Bass Pro Shops in Garland TX for $289:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/detail.asp?value=006B&cat_id=051&type_id=407

Actually, I bought a Buckmark Camper 2 months ago ($270 new ) and it's definitely gotten a good workout. I've put around 1300 rounds through it since I picked it up, and just keep working to narrow my 7yd grouping (currently about 2.5" with most shots in 1"... My prescription's off, so it's hard to shoot accurately beyond that at the moment). It's nice cuz the grip seems to be extremely similar to the 1911's (a bit more oval) so I've been alternating every couple mags to work out the flinch I developed when shooting the 1911.

You can't compare the recoil of a 9mm to a 40 or 45. It's so much lighter that you would be shocked, this is one easy shooting caliber that you can use to master your accuracy skills. The 40 to me is as mentioned, snappy and jerks in your hand due in part to the velocity and bullet weight. Of the two, I have always found the 45 to have a softer recoil, that I compare to the roll of an ocean wave. It doesn't snap, it just rolls and is quite soft.

Hmm... Well I rented the .40 USP yesterday mainly to make sure that the grip felt good, and absolutely loved it. Definitely more substantial than the HiPower that I also rented, and while my .45 flinch carried over at the time, the USP was very manageable despite my inexperience.

The 9mm compact will probably shoot close to a 40 full size because of the shorter length tube.

That's what it seemed like to me at least... but not being an experienced shooter, I'm really not sure.

Hk's recoil management systems of springs and guide rods tend to absorb and reduce recoil when compared to say a Glock or SIG in the same caliber. Going to a range, finding a friend, or even another PRO member near you who can let you shoot theirs will be the best best to truly get to know the recoil. Do a search on indoor ranges in an engine like Google and you might find another one closer to you than you think. Good Luck.

Thanks a lot for the advice! Unfortunately, the nearest range to the university doesn't rent, and the ones that do are in areas that I'd be kinda wary visiting without guns. However, I feel that if I felt fairly comfortable shooting the range's dirty .40, I'll definitely be fine with the 9mm.