[S5TIIOwner]

I'm sorry, I know a picture is worth a thousands words but my camera is down at the moment. So here is my atempt at a thousand words.

The finish on my AH USPT 45 looks "splotchy". It is gray in some areas and black in others. Didnt notice it until I took a flashlight to it after noticing a really dark spot on the slide. Now just looking at it in even half way decent lighting conditions I can see it. It doesnt look like it was caused by any particular pattern. I had been using an Outers Gun oil and a Mossy Oak silcone cloth. I had recently come to suspect that the oils may be penetrating the finish? I'm now using Rem Oil and some sort of other commercially available cleaning rag that smells like kerosene.

Anyone else have this problem? It has spent the majority of it's 4 monthes in my possesion in the stupid foam lined box it came in.

Typing "finish" in the search bar, wow, should have thought of a better word.

Thanks for your time,

 

[Germanic]

Don't worry, it's NOT your cleaning regimen. I recently purchased a brand new HK45 which has a similar finish as you describe. It looked that way right out of the box. I realize HKs are intended to be tools made for hard use, but I find it a little disheartening to see uneven finishes on pistols in their price range.

The issue at hand I think relates to the process they use for the "HE" finish. It's a penetrating finish that impregnates the steel in the slide. For some reason it's just not as uniform as some other manufacturer's process. Surprisingly enough, Beretta finishes are pretty darn nice. Unfortunately, it appears to be pretty common with HK products that they look a bit splotchy on occasion.

 

[ironchef]

I would contact HK right away about this. I know some people on HKPro were having problems with this and HK repaired the finishes under warranty I believe. I think these were on Experts or Elites. Do a quick search and check or call HK Customer service, ask for Jeff or Travis. Let them know and I'm sure they will set you straight. An uneven finish is NOT normal for HK.

 

[Bentonville]

+1 what ironchef said. A few years ago I had a splotch on a new .45 compact. HK replaced the gun after examining it and determining that it was a defect.

 

[mdavis]

This same thing happened about six months ago when HK released new batches of Experts and Elites. The finish on those guns was uneven, rough, and even splotchy as you describe. As far as I know, everyone who had an issue with their Expert or Elite from that batch got the issue resolved by HK.

 

[S5TIIOwner]

Well, since i'm probably going to have to send it to HK anyway I guess i should probably mention the "tool" marks on the locking block. The frame also has manufacturing marks where the molds come together.

I'm taking a flashlight and a magnifying glass next time I go to buy a new firearm.

 

[hkshooterusp]

We had a brand new Tac come out of the bag with a similar problem a few years ago. HK refinished it for no charge.

 

[S5TIIOwner]

Just called HK, they are closed until Tuesday for inventory.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

Yes, try and contact HK.

I know a few members had problems with recent runs of USP 45 experts, and HK was (although a little slow) very helpful in getting the problems resolved.

As for the "manufactoring marks" on the frame, do you mean the seam that runs down the centre of the frame? If so, that is just a side-effect of injection molding. Theres no way to use a 1-piece mould, so they have to have the small seams. If there is something else (like cracking, chipping or scratching) then i would say its another definate reason to go back to HK.

I have not seen any "tooling" marks left on a USP either, except with some, on the underside of the top of the slide, although not very noticable. The locking blocks should all be smooth and uniform though!




It sounds like you have one that got past CQ, It sucks to buy a new gun and have to send it back right away... If it makes you feel any better, its most likely only cosmetic, and should not affect the guns function at all.

I hope you get the gun resolved quickly!

 

[orfeo]

Chances are, your finish is fine

. . . It is gray in some areas and black in others. . . . It has spent the majority of it's 4 monthes in my possesion in the stupid foam lined box it came in. . .

Chances are that your finish is fine. . .

There was a problem a few months back with Experts and Elites, but it didn't take the new owners of the pistols 4 months to notice (the finish was very obviously defective as soon as they cleaned off the packing grease). . . and there were no reports on here of any other models similarly affected at that time. If it took 4 months for you to notice, I don't think it is very likely to be the same issue.

What is MUCH more likely, is that you are noticing where "the stupid foam lined box it came in" is sucking the oils off the slide, making it appear grey and splotchy. All HE-finished USPs do this when kept in contact with the foam in the "foam lined case". I keep mine in a cotton sock which has been sprayed liberally with the stuff I use to clean and lube my gun, and then I put it in "the stupid foam lined box" with the sock on it. . .

What I do is take a regular cotton athletic sock (mine happens to be black, but they usually come white), and I cut off and throw away the foot where it meets the ribbing. Then I turn the sock inside out and sew the foot end of the ribbing closed (where I cut it), and spray it down liberally with Prolix (which what I happen to use to clean and lube my guns) before I turn it right-side-out again. The sock then protects the slide from having the lube drawn off of it by the foam in the box. The sock also protects the slide from scrapes and scratches whenever the gun is not in either the holster or the "stupid foam lined box" (like when its under my bed or in a drawer).

 

[S5TIIOwner]

Thanks for all the replies. I'll have photos up shortly, the discoloration is very hard to photograph but very easy to see, blah.

The seam lines well i'm just being picky as to how they are towards the muzzle. The are sharp enough to catch my lint free rag and arent very even. Oh well.

As for the machine marks, well pictures shortly.

The finish, the pistol has only been to the range 3 times. So it have spent most of its life in the foam box. I can not for the life of me make the finish look uniform at all. I have tried oiling the parts that look gray to no avail.

What i need to do is buy a holster and get some wear on the pistol so that i'll stop worrying about how it looks.

 

[S5TIIOwner]

You can see the "tooling" marks very well. The discoloration is almost non existant in the photo.

 

[S5TIIOwner]

You can see the finish issue slighty better in this one, but even in macro mode my camera can't really pick it out.

 

[F22_RaptoR]

From what i can tell, the slide's finish appears to be okay. If it appears a bit uneven in places, it may just be dried out.

Rub a bit of oil onto the slide and wipe it off, the HE finish likes absorbing a bit of oil, and will probably look perfect once its lubed up a bit!




As for the locking block, that just looks nasty... I dont know if it would affect the gun or not, but that does look kind of rough... Your best bet is to email HK customer service, and see if they'll take a look at it. Heres their contact info:

Heckler & Koch Inc
7661 Commerce Ln
Trussville, AL 35173
800-821-3021
205-655-7078 fax
[email protected]


Good luck!