[Cobra_Shuttle]

I have a USP .45 fullsize for about 5 years. Put a good 4 to 5 thousand rounds through it with only one stovepipe until the last few times I've shot it. In about three hundred rounds of two different types of ammo, cheap federal and remington, I have had a failure to feed three times. The case ejects, but the next bullet gets jammed up at the top of the chamber. Kind of with the bottom in the mag and the tip up at the top of the chamber inside. It happened twice with the federal ammo in a row when someone else was shooting with it, and then once later with the remington. The gun is meticulously cleaned after each 100 rounds. Is this a magazine problem or an ammo problem? I do not know if it happened all in the same magazine. Even with snap caps it's very hard to replicate the same jam and I am almost thinking that one round is getting hung up on the one under it somehow. Honestly the ammo I was using looks uneven and like ****, but it was only $18 for 50 at wally world.

 

[azimuth]

When was the last time you disassembled the mag and cleaned it?

 

[Apollo11]

First thing I would do would be to take the gun apart, get the barrel in your hand. Drop the rounds into the chamber one at a time. See if you can get them all to chamber. After that, I would look at the magazines and see if you can isolate it to one mag (could be a dirty mag or a weak spring). Lastly, I would look at the extractor and see if you have a lot of carbon built up or any damage. There is a member here that goes by orfeo, he has experience with the extractors having issues. May want to look him up if he does not chime in.

 

[Cobra_Shuttle]

First thing I would do would be to take the gun apart, get the barrel in your hand. Drop the rounds into the chamber one at a time. See if you can get them all to chamber. After that, I would look at the magazines and see if you can isolate it to one mag (could be a dirty mag or a weak spring). Lastly, I would look at the extractor and see if you have a lot of carbon built up or any damage. There is a member here that goes by orfeo, he has experience with the extractors having issues. May want to look him up if he does not chime in.

Do you mean with the rounds I was having problems with? I have no more of those, but my snap caps and federal +P go in just fine. I always clean the magazines, and recently cleaned the extractor. Taking apart one just now I noticed that the spring wasn't completely flush on the bottom plate. Maybe that was the problem? I'm thinking about just getting a few new springs. The top of the mag on the spring has some good wear on it, I don't know if thats normal. I know it was halfway through the mag where the rounds were not feeding.

What kind of damage would be on the extractor? I don't understand how it would be an extractor problem if the spent casing is being grabbed and ejected.

 

[azimuth]

Probably should replace the mag springs...

 

[III The Chad III]

If you replace the mag springs, buy the factory ones and not Wolff. For some reason, the factory USP 45 mag springs are stronger than the Wolff ones are.

 

[ptechjpjr]

If you replace the mag springs, buy the factory ones and not Wolff. For some reason, the factory USP 45 mag springs are stronger than the Wolff ones are.

Yes, buy factory HK mag springs. In the last few years or so HK upgraded the fullsize USP 45 mag spring and it is much stronger than Wolff +10% mag spring.

I was the guy who first posted about this and was told I didn't know what I was talking about. Thankfully a few very senior members here bought some factory HK springs and "verified" what I had said. Glad to see that my info is sticking around and helping people on this forum.

 

[robert14]

With that round count, you might look at the recoil spring assy as well...

 

[jwinkeler]

My votes for recoil spring


Look Sharp, Act Sharp, Be Sharp.

 

[gtmtnbiker98]

At 4 to 5 thousand rounds, the recoil spring isn't even "broke in." The issue you are describing is most likely caused by either: the ammunition, the shooter, or the magazine. Before you go replacing anything, check to see if the magazines will lock the slide back when empty. This is an easy test, check that it isn't loaded, load the weapon with an EMTPY magazine and retract the slide. If the slide locks back, that is a good sign. Visibly check the extractor for any damage. If there isn't any noticeable wear on the extractor, clean and lubricate the weapon per the owner's manual. Try different ammunition. If the problem persists, either purchase a new magazine or replace the magazine spring and try again. If the problem still remains, contact HK for an RMA and send the pistol back for inspection.

 

[amstaffHK]

First thing I would do would be to take the gun apart, get the barrel in your hand. Drop the rounds into the chamber one at a time. See if you can get them all to chamber. After that, I would look at the magazines and see if you can isolate it to one mag (could be a dirty mag or a weak spring). Lastly, I would look at the extractor and see if you have a lot of carbon built up or any damage. There is a member here that goes by orfeo, he has experience with the extractors having issues. May want to look him up if he does not chime in.

+1 to that.. Also on a side note make sure you are slamming your rounds to the back of the magazine by using your palm, you should hear a slight slap/click as the rounds are forced to the rear of the mag. I think this could also be an issue of a follower gone bad, if you have other magazines try to trouble shoot with those and if you don't I would suggest buying a new magazine to make sure.

 

[orfeo]

Yes, buy factory HK mag springs. In the last few years or so HK upgraded the fullsize USP 45 mag spring and it is much stronger than Wolff +10% mag spring.

I was the guy who first posted about this and was told I didn't know what I was talking about. Thankfully a few very senior members here bought some factory HK springs and "verified" what I had said. Glad to see that my info is sticking around and helping people on this forum.

This is accurate ^

 

[orfeo]

At 4 to 5 thousand rounds, the recoil spring isn't even "broke in.". .

This is accurate ^

The issue is not a worn recoil spring

 

[Cobra_Shuttle]

The slide always locks back with both my mags. Always.

I've checked the extractor, taken it out and cleaned it for the first time probably 500 rounds ago. Had build up and now it's all cleared out and lubed. The whole gun is clean and lubed properly.

I thought it could possibly be me limp wristing it, but i've done the two finger method method while firing it and it went through two mags no problem. I did notice when it failed to feed on me i wasn't holding it stiff like I normally do. Maybe like the other shooter who got it to jam twice I was holding it in such a way that caused it to not feed probably? Maybe compounded by rough ammo or a weak spring? The ammo was really uneven in on the FMJ and the casing, leading me to believe the ammo sometimes would get hung up on the round below it.

Regardless I am going to purchase two new factory springs and see how that goes. I'll report back when I get some more rounds down it, probably in less than a month.

 

[DBLAction454]

I did notice when it failed to feed on me i wasn't holding it stiff like I normally do. Maybe like the other shooter who got it to jam twice I was holding it in such a way that caused it to not feed

I'm really thinking it was this. Knowing you have thousands of rounds through your weapon does not mean a slight modification in grip could cause a slight limpwristing affect. I had a Glock 19 with zero failures of any kind and around the 3rd magazine my friend was shooting (relatively new shooter especially to polymer pistols)and guess what..... STOVEPIPE. He of course loved this because he was ready to bash the hell out of Glock and all things polymer but I knew it was from him. You should've seen how low his grip was lol

Well I sold the G19...but only because I really don't enjoy 9mm that much. The only 9mm I love to shoot is a Beretta 92FS (probably because thats the gun I learned to shoot with thanks to my old man)

I'm die hard .45 guy and my USP45 has 1100rds without fail. Please keep us updated. Its rare to see HK's (especially USPs) have failures like this that isnt caused by operator or ammo issues...

Goodluck!

P.S. Stay away from WWB ammo. Last time I bought 200 rounds from wally world, the lengths of each round were different. the brass had more discolorations than a rainbow and after 100rds the inside of my USP looked like I dunked it in tar... I won't buy WWB anymore. Just my experience. PMC Bronze is good quality stuff. Clean brass and not any dirtier than other range ammo. Price is pretty reasonable online

 

[navyman8903]

Mag springs first.

Then check your ammo.

If that isn't it. Send it to HK, because they will find the issue and fix it. Quickly.

Recoil assembly in the USP 45 is as good as it gets. I know people that still haven't worn theirs out after high 5 digit figures. So.....unless there is a spring out of spec, it isn't shot out. Not for a long time.

 

[DBLAction454]

Recoil assembly in the USP 45 is as good as it gets. I know people that still haven't worn theirs out after high 5 digit figures. So.....unless there is a spring out of spec, it isn't shot out. Not for a long time.

+1.

 

[Elijah]

The malfunction described by the OP sounds like a typical bolt over base(3 point) jam and is almost always a mag spring issue...been there. Does the rim of the round get caught up by the extractor or is it just still low in the mag and breach face? Something like this but nose higher...

 

[orfeo]

By any chance, does your failure look like this?

 

[Cobra_Shuttle]

By any chance, does your failure look like this?

Yes that is exactly what is happening.