Michael Mann likes USPs....

[IXNAYXJ]

For any movie and/or gun nuts:

I just noticed that director Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral, the new Miami Vice movie) has a soft spot for H&K USPs. In Heat, Neil (Pacino; the "bad guy" character) carries a USP in the first part of the movie. He does, however, trade it for a SIG P220 later. BTW, if you have not seen this movie, do so now!

In Collateral, Tom Cruise's character, (also the bad guy) Vincent, carries a USP. Also very realistic weapons-wise.

I just watched the trailer for the new Miami Vice movie, and for a split second, Jamie Foxx can be seen wielding a USP.

Anyway, just a random observation that's a little more relevent to me; I just bought a USP a couple months ago. Very impressed overall with the gun, very accurate and the build quality is beyond reproach. I've put about 700 rounds through it now, and I'm starting to get a pretty good feel for it. The grip is a little too big for my hands; it's a 12 round capacity, double stack magazine, so the grip a wider than the 1911s I'm used to. I'm adapting, though.

This is what happens when you get a new gun and a new digital camera at the same time :D:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/ixnayxj/USP/DSC00155.jpg

Kinda cool that you can actually see the hollow-point, although not a view I ever want to see through my own eyes!:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/ixnayxj/USP/DSC00150.jpg

-----Matt-----

[Skullver]

I have the usp .45 and love it also, much better feeling than the glock I traded in for it.

[IXNAYXJ]

I have the usp .45 and love it also, much better feeling than the glock I traded in for it.x2 about the Glock. Never could get those to feel right. Really loving the USP. Only downside is how damn big it is (for a carry piece); the thing's the size of a 1911.

-----Matt-----

[Weasel]

In Miami Heat I thought they were carrying Sigs? I've always like the HK USP (prefer the compacts) but my Sig shoots better. next pistol will be a .357sig USPc though.

[IXNAYXJ]

In Miami Heat...Vice? They're making a new movie update of the TV show. There were no USPs in the '80s, anyway.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/miamivice/

-----Matt-----

[Weasel]

sure, which every drug/tv series movie they are making. :D

[IXNAYXJ]

sure, which every drug/tv series movie they are making. :DI'm pretty sure Miami Heat is a basketball team...not a tv show. ;)

-----Matt-----

[Rev Den]

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j160/ixnayxj/USP/DSC00150.jpg

Get your damn finger outside of the guard!

Rev

[IXNAYXJ]

Get your damn finger outside of the guard!

RevI knew somone would say that. :D It's actually around the front of it; I was holding it kinda weird to get that angle. I actually almost didn't post that pic because the last thing I would want to do is condone improper firearms handling. Optical illusion, I promise.

-----Matt-----

[karstic]

.40 here

[97XJ_Sport]

you'll poke your eye out with that thing.

[CanMan]

Nice gun Matt. We'll have to go shooting sometime, before it snows again.

Ever shoot one of these suckers?

http://www.error-coins.com/misc/handgun.jpg

[5-90]

For any movie and/or gun nuts:

I just noticed that director Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral, the new Miami Vice movie) has a soft spot for H&K USPs. In Heat, Neil (Pacino; the "bad guy" character) carries a USP in the first part of the movie. He does, however, trade it for a SIG P220 later. BTW, if you have not seen this movie, do so now!

In Collateral, Tom Cruise's character, (also the bad guy) Vincent, carries a USP. Also very realistic weapons-wise.

I just watched the trailer for the new Miami Vice movie, and for a split second, Jamie Foxx can be seen wielding a USP.

Anyway, just a random observation that's a little more relevent to me; I just bought a USP a couple months ago. Very impressed overall with the gun, very accurate and the build quality is beyond reproach. I've put about 700 rounds through it now, and I'm starting to get a pretty good feel for it. The grip is a little too big for my hands; it's a 12 round capacity, double stack magazine, so the grip a wider than the 1911s I'm used to. I'm adapting, though.

This is what happens when you get a new gun and a new digital camera at the same time :D:

Kinda cool that you can actually see the hollow-point, although not a view I ever want to see through my own eyes!:

-----Matt-----


H&K makes the only polymer-framed pistols that actually feel comfortable to me - specificlly, the VP70 and the Mk23. OK, add in the USP as well - but the Mk23 us just a subset of the USP .45 anyhow.

I'm not sure what they did, but they put a little more mass in your hand than the rest seem to, and that gives a little more balance.

They also make one of the very few 9m/m pistols that feel good to me - the P7M9 (the other one is the Browning Hi-Power.)

I'll still take an M1911/M1991 over pretty much anything else, but the H&K's aren't bad second choices...

5-90

[IcedXJ]

Ever shoot one of these suckers?

http://www.error-coins.com/misc/handgun.jpg

Now I have no weapons as of yet, used to have a shotgun and a .45 Magnum, but that was a joint ownership with the pops...

anyway, that is actuall pretty damn cool

[ECKSJAY]

They also make one of the very few 9m/m pistols that feel good to me - the P7M9 (the other one is the Browning Hi-Power.)

I'm sure you mean P7M8. ;) I really dig the 13s myself. Hell, a P7M10 would be cool, too! :D

If you like the Hi-Power, have you tried a CZ-75? I'm a freakin' die-hard fan of the Hi-Power, but fell in love with a CZ P-01 (compact 75 variant) at the range a couple months ago. I'm in the market for a small 9mm and this little thing is the tits. Everything about it handled well to me and the ergonomics couldn't get any better. :)

[5-90]

I'm sure you mean P7M8. ;) I really dig the 13s myself. Hell, a P7M10 would be cool, too! :D

If you like the Hi-Power, have you tried a CZ-75? I'm a freakin' die-hard fan of the Hi-Power, but fell in love with a CZ P-01 (compact 75 variant) at the range a couple months ago. I'm in the market for a small 9mm and this little thing is the tits. Everything about it handled well to me and the ergonomics couldn't get any better. :)

Yer probably right - I'm still getting a lot of my memory back, and I honestly don't care much for the 9m/m anyhow... Gimme a .45ACP anyday (although the .450 Detonics and .45 WinMag can also be fun...)

I've handled the CZ-series years ago in training (we learned to pick up anything and use it, and that did come in handy...) and I remember not being put off by it - I just prefer Browning designs. I'm funny that way, I suppose.

If you want a compact carrier, see about finding the (no longer made) Colt Defender - it's very nearly a Commander copy in .40S&W - which I find to be a nice compromise between the full-power .45ACP and the overpenetration of the 9m/m. I'd consider the .40S&W "useful" (and the 10m/m "overkill," IMO.)

Still, gimme a good Commander any day - I do like steel frames and large, heavy, slow bullets. Just because I want to shoot someone in front of me, doesn't mean I want to hit someone behind him...

5-90

[CRASH]

Back in the day, Glocks were all the rage, then Desert Eagles, now HK must be the "cool guy" gun.

Oh well, I wonder if the actors wielding these things even know how to shoot, or what they are carrying? Seems doubtful.

[IntrepidXJ]

shot a USP 9mm a few times. i liked it. thinking about getting one

[Clint]

I'm sure you mean P7M8. ;) I really dig the 13s myself. Hell, a P7M10 would be cool, too! :D

If you like the Hi-Power, have you tried a CZ-75? I'm a freakin' die-hard fan of the Hi-Power, but fell in love with a CZ P-01 (compact 75 variant) at the range a couple months ago. I'm in the market for a small 9mm and this little thing is the tits. Everything about it handled well to me and the ergonomics couldn't get any better. :)


I have a P7M8 9mm. It's the only 9mm I like. It was the service weapon of my Grandpas during the late 80's for the Utah Highway Patrol. It's a sweet shooter. I just wish I'd gotten the 13 instead of my cousin. :rattle:

I also love my Springfield 1911, and my next purchase is the XD in .40 S&W.

[ECKSJAY]

Oh well, I wonder if the actors wielding these things even know how to shoot, or what they are carrying? Seems doubtful.

Tom Cruise did, I remember seeing that before collateral came out. :) (For that matter, watching Heat again the other night gave me a strong sense that the guys had trained...what tipped me off was seeing Val Kilmer duck behind a car to reload)

Here's a blurb:

To that end, both Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx underwent very individual training regimens to identify more fully with their individual characters. Cruise trained extensively with Michael “Mick” Gould, a former member of the British Special Air Service and a respected authority in the areas of martial arts and weapons training. In recent years, Gould has turned his expertise into a career as a consultant and instructor for clients ranging from military Special Forces and law enforcement to feature films. He had first been recruited to work in motion pictures by Michael Mann on the movie “Heat,” and Mann called on him again to give Cruise, one of the industry’s most affable stars, the makings of a consummate killer.


For the scenes involving gun play, Cruise practiced on a police firing range with live ammunition, which gave him a familiarity with the feeling of firing a real gun that is impossible to get from firing blanks. Using live ammunition also gave the actor a respect for the weapon, even when it was later loaded with blanks. “I’ve fired weapons in pictures before, but I’d never had that kind of training with a gun,” Cruise states. “Mick is a great instructor. He helped me to find my own style and also trained me beautifully so I was very safe when using a weapon. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake because even though you’re firing blanks, they are full-flash blanks and could hurt somebody. But it also added a dimension to the character that I really enjoyed exploring. It was like building the character from the ground up, so when it came time to do those scenes, I felt very confident. I didn’t have to think about it; this is just who Vincent is…this is what he does.”

[Weasel]

Back in the day, Glocks were all the rage, then Desert Eagles, now HK must be the "cool guy" gun.

Oh well, I wonder if the actors wielding these things even know how to shoot, or what they are carrying? Seems doubtful.

Seems that way, it has a certain mystic that attract people, like the glock and desert eagle did before. Tomb rider was another movie that gave HK tons of use.

And I'm sure if the Miami Heat packed guns it would be an HK too. ;)

[JustDSM]

H&K Fan here..

I'm very pleased with every aspect of my USP .40

[IXNAYXJ]

H&K makes the only polymer-framed pistols that actually feel comfortable to me - specificlly, the VP70 and the Mk23. OK, add in the USP as well - but the Mk23 us just a subset of the USP .45 anyhow.Agree totally. I just can't make Glocks feel right in my hand. The mk 23 is what I really wanted, but $2500 for a pistol is a tad much. ;)
They also make one of the very few 9m/m pistols that feel good to me - the P7M9 (the other one is the Browning Hi-Power.)I also have a Browning Hi-Power, I think from about the mid '60s. For the age it's in pretty decent shape, actually. Just fun to have something different.

I'll still take an M1911/M1991 over pretty much anything else, but the H&K's aren't bad second choices...1911s are very near and dear to my heart, and probably still my favorite pistol. I have my Grandfather's 1911 from when he was on the Army Pistol team just after WWII...one of my most prized posessions.

-----Matt-----

[CRASH]

I think I'm a Glock snob, no other auto feels right in my hand! G23, yo.

[formatt]

In Heat, Neil (Pacino; the "bad guy" character) carries a USP in the first part of the movie. He does, however, trade it for a SIG P220 later. BTW, if you have not seen this movie, do so now!
Neil was played by DeNiro. Pacino (Vincent Hanna) was the cop.

Sorry, I'm a HUGE Michael Mann fan. :)

__________________
matthew - 96 xj
formatt fabrications
www.formattfab.com (http://www.formattfab.com/)

[5-90]

I think I'm a Glock snob, no other auto feels right in my hand! G23, yo.

Closest thing to a Glock I "like" is the G36 - single-stack compact .45.

Problem is, I've got fairly short and stubby fingers, so I just can't get a comfortable grip on double-wides. I can shoot them - and shoot them well - but the comfort isn't there.

A 1911/1991, however, feels like it's growing out of my hand, and aims like pointing my finger. Browning knew what the Hell he was about - but I seem to recall him being second-generation gunsmith and third-generation machinist...

5-90

[IXNAYXJ]

Neil was played by DeNiro. Pacino (Vincent Hanna) was the cop.

Sorry, I'm a HUGE Michael Mann fan. :)

D'oh! :doh:

Absolutely right. My bad...all the worse since I've seen that movie about 348 times.... So, are you looking forward to Friday? ;)

-----Matt-----

[Dvipercop]

...The grip is a little too big for my hands; it's a 12 round capacity, double stack magazine, so the grip a wider than the 1911s I'm used to. I'm adapting, though.

It's those small, girly hands... :D

Honestly though, I'm a die-hard Glock fan. The gun I'm getting the day after I turn 21 is going to be a Glock 19. I'd go with the larger caliber, except I can get free 9mm ammo. Sooo, can't argue with that. ;) I'll have to give the USP a shot (literally) sometime, as I've heard nothing but good about them. And I love double stack mags. :D

[IXNAYXJ]

It's those small, girly hands... :DYup! :D

-----Matt-----

[formatt]

So, are you looking forward to Friday?
damn right! Already bought my tickets online. :)

__________________
matthew - 96 xj
formatt fabrications
www.formattfab.com (http://www.formattfab.com/)

[IXNAYXJ]

damn right! Already bought my tickets online. :)So the next question is how many times have you watched the preview online? ;)

-----Matt-----

[Rev Den]

Reality check.

If its in a movie there is a better than average chance that the manufacture PAID to get the item in there.

BTW - I find the 1911/1991 to narrow for my meaty claws. I really love my Ruger P90DC, tack driving accuracy and super reliable right outta the box.

Rev

[Weasel]

A 1911/1991, however, feels like it's growing out of my hand, and aims like pointing my finger.

It's funny how different peoples hands are. I have small hands I hate the 1911's. Shot a friends kimber and a couple of clips was enough. I can't get enough of my Sig though.

I do like the USP and am pretty accurate with it but I shoot my Sig better. My buddy who has the HK and shoots deadly accurate with it is even more accurate with my Sig then his own gun. Then his HK broke and he went in the service. I don't think he's had time to get it fixed yet but it seems it was going to be a PIA since there were no HK authorized service shops in the area.

[IXNAYXJ]

It's funny how different peoples hands are. I have small hands I hate the 1911's. Shot a friends kimber and a couple of clips was enough. I can't get enough of my Sig though.

I do like the USP and am pretty accurate with it but I shoot my Sig better. My buddy who has the HK and shoots deadly accurate with it is even more accurate with my Sig then his own gun. Then his HK broke and he went in the service. I don't think he's had time to get it fixed yet but it seems it was going to be a PIA since there were no HK authorized service shops in the area.I've got to admit, my buddy's P220 is a very nice piece. Feels great in my (also small-ish) hands...better than the USP, to be honest. However, I prefer the way the HK shoots. His is a 9mm, so it's hard to make a direct comparison. I would totally consider owning a SIG, though.

-----Matt-----

[Weasel]

I've got to admit, my buddy's P220 is a very nice piece. Feels great in my (also small-ish) hands...better than the USP, to be honest. However, I prefer the way the HK shoots. His is a 9mm, so it's hard to make a direct comparison. I would totally consider owning a SIG, though.

-----Matt-----

try a 228/229, they are a double stack though and the 220 is a single right?

I like the USP balance and how they handle but the triggers suck in comparison. I like the mag drop being on both sides but don't like their take down lever. Sig's is faster and easier to use imo.

[IXNAYXJ]

try a 228/229, they are a double stack though and the 220 is a single right?

I like the USP balance and how they handle but the triggers suck in comparison. I like the mag drop being on both sides but don't like their take down lever. Sig's is faster and easier to use imo.The 220 9mm has like a 17 rd. capacity, so it's double stack. Fits my hand perfectly, like I said.

I actually love the controls on the USP. Totally intuitive to me, but that's probably due to all the 1911 experience I have. The trigger could be a little more progressive, but it's really pretty good. The Tactical version has an adjustable trigger (and some other stuff), but it's a little more money. I was actually planning on getting that, but I'm glad I got the regular one in the end. Plenty of gun for me.

-----Matt-----

[CRASH]

Closest thing to a Glock I "like" is the G36 - single-stack compact .45.

Problem is, I've got fairly short and stubby fingers, so I just can't get a comfortable grip on double-wides. I can shoot them - and shoot them well - but the comfort isn't there.

A 1911/1991, however, feels like it's growing out of my hand, and aims like pointing my finger. Browning knew what the Hell he was about - but I seem to recall him being second-generation gunsmith and third-generation machinist...

5-90

Uh, dude, take your calipers to a double-stack glock 40, the grip is smaller than 1911. I'm betting the DS 45's are too.

[ECKSJAY]

Uh, dude, take your calipers to a double-stack glock 40, the grip is smaller than 1911. I'm betting the DS 45's are too.

Yet the Mk23 is a bigger doublestack .45. His 'logic' is confusing me.

[Weasel]

The 220 9mm has like a 17 rd. capacity, so it's double stack. Fits my hand perfectly, like I said.

I actually love the controls on the USP. Totally intuitive to me, but that's probably due to all the 1911 experience I have. The trigger could be a little more progressive, but it's really pretty good. The Tactical version has an adjustable trigger (and some other stuff), but it's a little more money. I was actually planning on getting that, but I'm glad I got the regular one in the end. Plenty of gun for me.

-----Matt-----

220 is .45 only. Is a 226 what your thinking of? It's their fullsize pistol.

[IXNAYXJ]

220 is .45 only. Is a 226 what your thinking of? It's their fullsize pistol.Yeah, that's what I meant. P226 9mm full size. Same basic idea, though.

-----Matt-----

[ECKSJAY]

Yeah, that's what I meant. P226 9mm full size. Same basic idea, though.

-----Matt-----

I really liked the 226. First Sig I shot though was a police SGT friend's 220 that she'd carried since they came out. :) Second .45 I had shot, too. First was a real live, genuine 1911 that was especially picky on reload ammo. :D They just absolutely refused to feed regularly.

[5-90]

Yet the Mk23 is a bigger doublestack .45. His 'logic' is confusing me.

Preferences are not always logical. I found it odd that I liked handling the Mk23 myself - since my hads are fairly stubby (and I just HATE the M9/Beretta 92...)

Glock may also be narrower than the 1911/1991, but you can get thinner grip panels for the 1911/1991, and the thing just fits nicely in my hands. Probably has something to do with being the first sidearm I shot (age six or so,) and that's something just ain't gonna change, since it's history.

Another thing I prefer about the 1911/1991 - availability of parts, and ease of tuning. You can take a GM that's already fairly reliable out of the box (an old Colt or Springfield - we're not talking about Kimber, Les Baer, Ed Brown, or SVI "race" guns here!) and make the thing dead reliable with pretty much anything, and a tackdriver, with minimal work and few parts - but finding parts for the GM is not a problem anyhow. You can, like a Harley, build one entirely out of aftermarket parts, and I can't think of too many other pistols that will allow that. I do like it when parts, accessories, and know-how to make something better are available, and it seems like so many of the "modern" polymer-framed guns are just catching up.

Still, personal preferences are more often based upon emotion and "feel" than on logic - so they're not going to make sense very often. Just imagine how many people think that we - as XJ enthusiasts - are odd, simply because we tend to prefer a vehicle that is out of production, (probably) not destined to be a "classic," and lacks most direct aftermarket engine or drivetrain support - like you'll find with Camaro/Corvette/Mustang/Thunderbird and most other "classic musclecars." I must be really odd - I've got five XJ's right now! Certainly not logical, in the minds of others.

Maybe the 1911 is a touch fatter than the G17/G19 (my first experience with a Glock - I had a 19 for a while, and traded it in on a stainless M1991A1...) but the damn thing settles down and balances in my hand far better, I've got more faith in the ammo, and it's far easier to fix the 1911/1991 in the rare event that something goes wrong (which I damn near had to use full wadcutter ammo to "make" happen. I also had to experiment to find a "malfunction" load for training purposes, and that took a little while...)

5-90

[CRASH]

I believe that dollar for dollar, modern SIG's, HK's and Glocks are a far better value than 1911 variants.

Procedure for shooting a Glock:

1: Remove from packaging.
2: Load magazine with ammo.
3: Shoot.

Procedure for shooting a 1911 variant:

1. Remove from package.
2. Change barrel, trigger, grip safety, mag release, slide spring, ejector and hammer.
3. Add recoil buffer and decent sights.
4. Load and shoot.

Now, you can skip steps 2 and 3 if you spend more than $1k, but the more modern pistols can be obtained for far less, and need nothing.

IMHO, YMMV, etc....

[Weasel]

in additon to crash list I don't find the 1911 to be any easier to take down. Unless the Kimber 1911's are different by buddies was a PIA to remove the slide. My sig is stupid simple, pull slide back, flip down take down lever, push slide foward.