OK, which is the better gun in your opinion; the HK USP 45 or a tuned 1911?  Please base this opinion on:

Shooting qualities
Accuracy
Reliability
Price
Human engineering
etc.

Thanks

Depends on which 1911 you buy. If you get a really good custom 1911 like a Les Baer, then I would go with one of those. They are slimmer and easier to conceal, and excellent magazines abound for them.

In the price range of a USP .45, however, you won't find the same quality of 1911 as a good Baer. So I would stick with the HK.

If concealment is an issue, the USP compact conceals very well.

Lee you're about to start a pissing match!
Its very hard to say which is a better gun, its easier to find out which is a better gun for you.

I have two 1911's and three USPs. I agree with J_W.

Out of the box I would go with the USP, it is one of the most accurate guns on the market. They will feed anything (except wolf)
My Kimber dosent like 8 round mags, just 7 rounders.

If you spend the money for a custom 1911 it should feed everything also. A stock 1911 can be picky on the ammo it likes.

I have small hands the full size USP is a little big for my hands, the compact USP & the 1911 fit perfectly.

I need to twist the 1911 to hit the mag release, on the USP I can use the middle finger of my shooting hand to drop the mag, and I dont have to twist the gun to get to it.

Have you handled either one? See which fits you better.

I love my 1911s and my USPs.
For the money, I would also go with the USP.
I carry a USP45 compact almost all the time.

Dear Mr Dredd:

I own two 1911s and an HK USP 9 was my first pistol.  I think the 1911 fits me better and its shooting qualities are some of the best, you get that satisfying "whomp" "whomp" thanks to that steel frame.  I felt that the USPs are very size inefficient-compare a Glock 17 to a USP 9 and you see how "fat" and "clunky" the USP series are.  Note that the pre-ban max capacity of the USP 40 and Glock 23 are at an equal 13 rounds but the USP 40 is at least 20-30% bigger.  For some reason the USP 45 sounds appealing and the size efficiency starts to even out.  I was just looking for some feedback, for the price though a stock USP would probably beat any of the off the shelf 1911's though.  Thank goodness for a free market!

One's been around since the dawn of time and saved more lives than Carter's got liver pills, the other's just a new boat anchor.

Mike

Blonde or brunette?

Both nice guns. Both very good designs, but different makers execute the 1911 better than others. A good 1911 is a very good gun, indeed...but all 1911's are not always good.

H&K is bigger, bulkier, and holds more ammo, is more reliable in stock trim and costs less than a top drawer 1911.

The 1911 fits more hands well, can be set up to do almost anything you want a handgun to do, and a really good one, with good mags, is more than reliable enough to bet your life on.

Get Both!

I agree with everyone else's statements of buy both if you can.

I myself prefer my customized Series 70 Colt over my Glock21 & the Glock21 over the USP.

I traded the USP off some time ago. It was just too big in my hands and I have decent size hands. Also I couldn't get used to the trigger or the sights.

The USP works great for most people but it just wasn't set up right for me.

I would recommend you shoot both before you buy and go with what works.

Also you may want to try test firing a Glock 21, a Sig 220 Sport, & a Para LDA14.

That Sig Sport makes me want to wet myself it's so nice. I just can't afford one yet.  

Quoted: One's been around since the dawn of time and saved more lives than Carter's got liver pills, the other's just a new boat anchor. Mike

Mr. Wilson,  the USP was introduced in 93 actually.  I wouldn't say dawn of time.

I prefer the USP except for the mag release.

Quoted: Mr. Wilson,  the USP was introduced in 93 actually.  I wouldn't say dawn of time.

Good shot!