I have never had a HK. I am thinking of scratching the itch. The newer pistols these days just don't really do it for me. I don't like forward slide serrations and removable grip panels are not important to me.

The USP and USPc 9mm are on my radar. Just a couple of questions...

How bad is the DA trigger pull on these compared to any other typical DA/SA pistols such as a Beretta 92 or Sig?
Is there any reason to spring for a newer model HK over the USP if removable grip panels are not a priority?
Do these usually come with night sights? Every one I have seen had night sights on it.
Does the USPc feel much bigger than the G19? From the pictures it looks to be a bit wider, but similar in other dimensions. Does it have a chunky feel?

I have 2 examples of the USP and I really like both.  A regular USP 45 and a USP expert 9mm.  Both have match triggers and are nice.  I also have an HK45 that I like but the USPs outclass their newer siblings in some ways IMO.  The trigger is easier to improve vs the P-series.  It is also easier to find holsters, Night sights etc.  Mags are also easier to find on the used market at a discount.   

I prefer my USPCs to the newer HKs, but I have basically all of them, and carry the newer ones more often. 

The USP C definitely has a better trigger. I find that the DA pull on the Compact is similar to the rest of them. The SA pull on the Compact is much shorter than the rest. Not to say I don't like the newer ones though, the slightly longer SA pull is very easy to use still. 

Besides the grip panels, the newer ones also are a bit more rounded. Can help a little with carry, but its not a huge difference. 

"LE" models come with night sights and an extra mag. Definitely worth the upgrade if you can find one. I usually can't find a LE one, so I just get the Meprolight sights off Amazon and put them on myself. 

I personally think the USP C feels smaller than a G19. The only place its really wider is where the control levers are. The USP C does have a chunkier feel versus the newer ones, but I kindof like that, feels like you're holding a tank 

I usually en up carrying a P2000SK, P30SK, or P2000 though instead of the USP Compact, for a few reasons - the SKs are just a little smaller, the slides are a little more rounded, which does seem to make a difference to me when carrying all day, and they're easier to find than the USP C if you need to replace one. The last USP C I purchased middle of last year, I had looked for about 8 months before I finally found one. 

I had a USP 9mm full size pistol and it was an amazing shooter. It was a police trade in I got at a great price and like an idiot,I eventually sold it. It had one of the best trigger pulls in da than almost any other gun I have owned,except my 92fs with a "D" spring. I like the older looking pistols more as well and they are quite rugged. The only issue might be if you are looking to use it as a ccw pistol as it is very large. For me, the compact version is a little different,(obviously many changes in size), when it came to shooting it. It didn't have the same feel as the larger one as the full size USP seemed more balanced but you can't go wrong with either. The compact is a little bigger than the Glock 19 overall but not by much. It did print more under a regular t-shirt than my 19.

I carry my usp 9c regularly while my g19 stays in the safe. I love the g19 and will never sell it but the hk is really nice!

I still want to find a USP9C.  I've had a 40C but it just reinforced my dislike of that round. The fact that the 9Cs sell at quite a premium used speaks to how in demand they still are.

In my experience over the years, the classic SIG Sauer P-series triggers in DA are head and shoulders above those of the HK offerings. I also find them to be cleaner/more refined in SA mode as well. The DA/SA offerings from HK tend to have a long, needlessly heavy DA pull with a SA pull that has a good amount of take-up and feels spongy up until the let-off.

In the DA/SA format, I think SIG wins when it comes to the trigger pull characteristics. I place a high importance on that aspect, and since neither brand is known to produce jam-o-matics, I'll opt for the SIGs, especially if I can get one made before 2004.

It's not that I didn't give them a chance. I've bought and sold a decent number of DA/SA HK pistols to come to this conclusion. It's always come down to "SIG does this better, or Glock does that better." When it comes to HK pistols, I have whittled it down to the P7 series; they truly are peerless. To date, I feel that everything else they offer is upstaged by another manufacturer's offering. Maybe a G19 sized VP9 that holds 15 rounds could change my mind, or a single stack that is as easy to shoot and conceal as the P239. Until then, I'll keep shooting the P7s and skip past the new ones.

Thanks for the input guys. After a bit of googling, it seems that the HK's shoot low. Do the USP pistols shoot like sight picture 3 below?

I like the USP's trigger a lot better than the P-series pistols, whose trigger has a really mushy break. Not a fan. That being said, the P-series are a lot more ergonomic and less clunky than the USP.

Shoot both and get whatever you shoot better.

I'm not biased.

I have several USP's and several P30's. I prefer to carry the P30's. I prefer the grip of the P30 and it feels smaller when carrying. The USP has a better trigger but the P30 isn't an "issue" to me.

I am highly biased and would always choose the USP over the newer line up. My USP9 LEM w/ jet funnel is perfect!

USP/USPC are perfect, especially for us lefties.

Mag and slide release are done with my trigger finger.

My first centerfire handgun was a USP9F with the SS slide. I kept it for six years until I sold it to help finance an engagement ring for my ex-wife.

Since then, I've focused on 1911s and am now experimenting with a Roland Special Glock, but I've had some trigger time with the P30, as well as with the competing designs, including the Sig.

If I was staying with a DA, I would go USP, if I was going LEM, I would go P30. I greatly admire the control lever on the USP, and I think it has the most ergonomic de-cocking mechanism to yet hit a pistol. I'd absolutely send the gun off to GrayGuns for a trigger job, as the DA pull on the USP is a challenge worth addressing.

I carried the USP on-safe and de-cocked, which was awesome. If I wasn't doing the Roland Special thing with a G19, I would be doing it with a USPc.

Cheers!

I discovered old school USP compact recently. Am liking them and the P2000