The week had been going exceedingly crappy, so I figured a trip to the gun shop might lift my spirits a bit. For quite some time, I’d been really craving a Heckler & Koch pistol. Over the years, I’d had a few and had stupidly traded them off for the next gun that I just had to have.
I had never been inside this particular shop. My trusty sidekick, Jason, had suggested that we check the shop out, and who was I to argue? Perusing a new gun shop is never a bad thing. So in we went, just like Batman and Robin.
To say the shop was well-stocked was an understatement. When I walked up to a display case and the realization hit me that it was filled with not only the latest H&K pistols but also many of the classics, the heavens parted and the angels began singing. Golden light from heaven descended upon the case, and I somehow refrained from falling to my knees.
Decisions, Decisions
I handled several different HK pistols, looking for just the right one. The P30SK was very attractive, but it was also very thick for such a small pistol. The VP9 was nice, but larger than what I wanted, and the slide wasn’t as sexy as some of the others. If they’d had a VP9 SK, I’d have been tempted, though. The P2000 SK was neat, but the grip was slightly shorter than I liked.
And then I found it. The HK USP Compact 9mm. Years ago, I owned one in .40 caliber when they first came out. Here was one in my favorite caliber, 9mm. The price tag was very salty, though: $1149.00 (minus the 5% sale they were running that day). It was quite a bit more than many of the other pistols in that case. However, it did come with three magazines and it also has tritium night sights. Those extras took a little of the sting out of the price. In the end, I traded a rifle that never saw much range time to bring the price down to a level where I didn’t need a defibrillator to get my heart started again. I merely had to sign my soul over in typical HK fashion. But I knew if I didn’t get exactly the pistol I wanted, I’d regret it.
What made me decide to get the HK USP Compact, specifically? A few factors:
- The slide. It’s just damn sexy. Leave it to the Germans to completely and obsessively over-engineer tools. All the machine work that went into that slide makes it a gorgeous work of art. I sometimes sit and stare at the slide, it’s so beautiful.
- The grip is so comfortable. I’ll go into the grip more later on.
- The overall feel. The pistol just feels right in the hand!
- The fact that the pistol has been out for a couple of decades and is proven and heavily tested. HK’s reputation means a lot to me. I mean…come on, it’s H&K! The awesomeness factor is off the charts!
HK USP Compact Specifications
The HK USP Compact is recoil operated.
The length is 6.81 inches. That’s not as large as I remembered (I’d owned a USP Compact years ago), considering the length of a Glock 19 is 7.36 inches. The overall height of the Compact is five inches. Again, that’s not exactly huge. It is, however, a bit thick at 1.38 inches (the Glock 19 is 1.34 inches, so it’s not much thinner).
The barrel length is 3.58 inches and is cold hammer-forged with polygonal rifling, which ensures long barrel life and gives a good gas seal behind the bullet for increased velocity.
The weight of the Compact is 27.2 ounces. Comparatively, the Glock 19 weighs 23.63 ounces. I’m using these comparisons because the Glock 19 is the standard by which so many other pistols are compared, and lots of people are familiar with it.
The slide is one substantial piece of machined steel. It is treated with a corrosion-resistant Hostile Environment finish. This finish is a hard, nitro-gas carburized black oxide coating that resists corrosion even from salt water. I can testify from experience that it’s one of the best finishes in the industry.
Grip
The USP Compact’s grip is somewhat plain, in that there are no finger grooves or other fancy features. At the same time, it is very comfortable and offers a perfect purchase for running the gun.
I’ll point out an observation for the moment here, which seems to be a current trend: Look at some of the formerly sub-compact pistols on the market today. The Sig P365 and Springfield Hellcat come to mind. Now they’ve introduced larger versions (the Macro and Pro, respectively). Look at the grips on those pistols — they’re plain and now that I think about it, they somewhat resemble the HK USP Compact grip in shape. Even Glock has ditched the finger grooves that they used to have.
Apparently, the industry is coming full circle as far as handles are concerned. Not to mention, the formerly smaller pistols from Sig and Springfield are now gaining weight and size. Evidently, some of the customer base is migrating away from having the smallest possible platform and moving toward larger pistols again.
The USP Compact’s grip has checkering molded into the polymer on the front and back, which really helps solidify the shooter’s grip. Both side panels have stippling, which is also hugely helpful. Between the two, the grip is extremely solid. It is also not a small grip, so that surface area helps mitigate the recoil (not that there is much recoil on this pistol).
The grip fits my medium hand extremely well, so the comfort factor is high, despite the plainness of the grip. Cutouts toward the bottom of the grip on both sides assist in pulling out the magazine, should it become stuck in the magazine well, such as in the case of a double feed.
One small complaint that I’ll voice is that I wish HK would have included an undercut at the rear of the trigger guard, which would allow a higher grip. It’s not a huge deal, but it would have been nice.
Trigger
The trigger is curved and comfortable to use. Single action trigger pull is listed at 4.5 pounds, while double action pull is 11.5 pounds, per the factory. These pulls seem about right, in my experience.
The double-action pull is long, but it is surprisingly smooth for a polymer trigger. The single-action pull has a good bit of take-up, but when it breaks, it’s satisfyingly clean. Honestly, the trigger really contributes to this pistol’s accuracy in my opinion.
I’ll also note that the distance from the rear of the grip to the trigger is not long at all, and this helps in getting a solid trigger pull, even in double action. That factor contributes a lot to accuracy and being able to run the pistol with authority.
HK USP Compact Magazines
Magazines for the USP Compact are made from metal and have viewing holes on the back so the user can see how many rounds are in the magazines. Interchangeable floor plates with either a flat floorplate or an extended floorplate are available. All of my magazines have the extended floorplate, which I prefer. These mags are solidly built.
Full-sized USP magazines are made from polymer and will fit the USP Compact as well, giving it a 15-round capacity. As well, magazines for the P2000 and P2000 SK will also fit the USP Compact.
Capacity
These days, 13 rounds are not considered a high capacity for a somewhat large handgun. It’s not bad, but it’s not great, either. When I place my recently purchased Springfield Armory Hellcat over the top of the USP Compact, I have to chuckle because while it’s so much smaller, the Hellcat also carries 13 rounds!
We have to give the USP Compact a break here. It was introduced in 1996, and technology just wasn’t as far along as it is today. You either love it or you don’t. And let’s face it, the USP Compact is an H&K, so it doesn’t care — it just goes through its life being an H&K without caring whether or not you approve. You can act like that when you’re awesome.
Magazine Release
This is one of those love-it-or-hate-it controls. I happen to love it. The slide release consists of a paddle with two tabs on either side of the trigger guard. It is truly ambidextrous and can be operated easily with either hand. At first, it takes a little getting used to. But in short order, I found myself manipulating it with my strong side trigger finger, or else both my trigger finger and thumb at the same time.
It works quickly, easily, and effectively! The magazines come flying out of the mag well and the release is just…well, I can’t say enough good things about it! It is far and away superior to a standard, button-style magazine release. In fact, I wish all gun manufacturers would go to the paddle-style release.
HK USP Compact Variants
There are 10 different variants of modes of operation for this series of pistols. It can get confusing, so I will simply say that mine is a Variant 1, which means it has a bobbed hammer and is basically a double action (first round)/single action pistol, just like most DA/SA pistols on the market. But wait, there’s more! It also has a safety lever, so if the user wants to carry it “cocked and locked” like a 1911, that can be done. The hammer will be cocked and the safety, which operates just like a 1911 safety lever, is applied.
Finally, the safety can also function as a decocker. So when a round is racked into the chamber, the hammer can be decocked and the user can carry the pistol in double action mode (the safety can even be applied if the user wishes).
Presently, I carry it hammer down in the DA/SA mode. It’s safe and works well.
Slide Release
This is another of the controls on the HK USP Compact that I’m going to go into a sermon about. The slide release is huge — about the size of a small kayak. And I freakin’ love it!!!!
In my not-humble opinion, this is the very best slide release of any line of pistols in the entire world! Why? Because I can actually reach the damn thing, and it exerts enough pressure to actually…wait for it….release the slide! In this day of tiny slide releases that you almost need a magnifying glass to find, this slide release is so very refreshing and useful.
Bore Axis
The Compact’s bore axis is definitely on the high side, far higher than the Glock (forgive me for continuously using the Glock as an example, but it’s the yardstick of the industry).
All is not lost, however. Remember I talked about that massive slide on the USP Compact? It soaks up recoil like nobody’s business. Add to that the very efficient recoil spring used in the pistol, and it equates to a very soft-shooting pistol.
Sights
My pistol came with metal, three-dot sights. Each dot has a tritium insert. They do their job well and are very durable. At night, they glow brightly and function as advertised. The sights are fixed and not adjustable except for windage.
At the Range
As mentioned, the pistol shoots softly. The substantial frame, bulky slide, and great recoil assembly all combine to efficiently tame recoil. You can shoot this pistol quickly and accurately, and the sights return to target an instant after it’s fired.
The recoil is not sharp, either; rather, it’s more of a somewhat gentle, slow push. The slide recoils straight back, keeping muzzle rise to a minimum. It’s almost as though the slide is saying, “I have to recoil to operate, but I’m going to do it as minimally as possible and not disturb things.” I have to say, it’s quite satisfying.
I imagine this is partially due to me shooting a lot of 9mm micro-pistols lately and experiencing their snappier recoil. Picking up a soft-recoiling pistol like the USP Compact is such a dramatic difference.
The accuracy is amazing. The first five rounds I fired from the pistol went into a group that measured 2¼ inches across. And that was with cheap range ammo. Suffice it to say, this pistol can shoot!
I had no stoppages or issues whatsoever, and that’s been my experience with every H&K that I’ve ever owned. Regardless of the ammo that they’re fed, they work with boring regularity. And for the price paid, they really should! Considering that this line of pistols was created for the military and law enforcement, it comes as no surprise that they are reliable and practically bomb-proof.
Carrying/Concealability
I’ve been carrying the HK USP Compact in an Inside the Waistband holster in the Appendix position and it conceals surprisingly well. In fact, I was shocked the first time that I just covered it with my T-shirt and it disappeared. It’s not overly heavy, either. Overall, it carried very well and I was quite satisfied.
No, it’s not as small as my Hellcat, but it sure isn’t impossible to conceal.
Is the HK USP Compact Still Relevant?
In some ways, the HK USP Compact is slightly out of date — we call that “Classic.” For its size, the capacity of 13 rounds is a little low by today’s standards.
I already spoke about the grip. And the trend these days, even for ultra-modern pistols, seems to be swinging back in the direction of the USP-style grips — somewhat plain, and a little larger. Users are figuring out that tiny grips aren’t always very comfortable on the occasions that we actually find ourselves firing the pistol. A couple of years ago, people would have sharply criticized the grip as being “overly large” but now I bet that wouldn’t happen so much.
The accessory rail is proprietary, but then this was the first rail system that I’m aware of for any handguns. Being the first, I think H&K deserves a break on that. The ones coming after the USP changed the design, which isn’t the USP’s fault. And there are adapters out there in the event you really want to put a light, laser, grenade launcher, or what have you, on this pistol.
Is this pistol still relevant? I believe so, yes. As long as the user understands its advantages and disadvantages. It’s still one hell of a shooter, even after all these years.
If I were tasked with going into an area with the job of rooting out bad guys, I’d be quite pleased to carry this pistol. Its sight radius and accuracy make it an effective pistol.
The fact that the HK USP Compact is incredibly easy and simple to field strip is another massive plus.
Where does this pistol fall in the grand scheme?
In this day and age of micro-compact pistols, the HK USP Compact comes nowhere close to competing.
On the other hand, it’s closer to a full-sized service pistol, though it doesn’t quite carry as many rounds as most of those more modern pistols (think the Glock 19, 19X, and 17, for example). That said, 13+1 rounds onboard are nothing to sneeze at. Sure, a couple more rounds would be welcomed, and if we pop a full-sized USP magazine into the mag well, we can have 15+1 rounds or even more. So no, it’s not the end of the world.
It certainly can be carried discreetly, because I’ve been doing just that. Is it as comfortable to carry as my Springfield Hellcat? No, it’s definitely larger and heavier. However, it can certainly be done. When cooler weather hits and heavier clothing comes out the USP Compact will conceal even more easily.
While the USP Compact is slightly dated, in that its capacity is not as high as most other similarly sized pistols these days, it’s still a good carry pistol. If I were in uniform, I’d absolutely be fine carrying it. I’m also fine carrying it concealed.
Given all these factors, it sort of falls into that nether region of being a concealed carry, nearly-duty-sized pistol that many people won’t bother with because it’s not the latest, greatest design. But for those who love classics, it’s extremely attractive.
Is the USP Compact a practical carry gun?
As long as you’re okay with the price, I’d say yes. It’s compact enough to conceal, though it’s on the larger boundaries of what I’d want to carry.
The accuracy is off the charts, so there are no worries there. Reliability is approaching the ridiculous, so users can relax in that department.
H&K is still making these pistols for a reason: there is a demand. And it’s reassuring that they’re still being made because parts and services are still available. It will be interesting to see how far into the future H&K continues to make the USP series of pistols.
Unfortunately, it is a little difficult to find holsters for this pistol. DeSantis came through for me with a couple of holsters, which we will cover in future articles.
I bought this pistol simply because I like it a lot. And I plan on carrying it sometimes. I have smaller, lighter pistols that I will carry more often because they’re just more convenient. But they don’t have the style and panache that the USP Compact does.
