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Page Handguns » H&K
Posted: 7/15/2017 3:56:08 PM EDT
I have been considering getting a USP 45. A google search seems to indicate that the USP pistols have issues with weak magazine springs. Most of the post I see about the weak springs are dated several years ago.

Did HK fix the problem with the springs in the newer magazines or is it still an issue?

This would be a home defense pistol so it would sit around with loaded magazines for long periods of time. I don't want to spend that kind of money on a pistol if I am going to be dealing with magazine springs on a regular basis.
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 5:35:36 PM EDT
[#1]
Interested to know as well. I ditched my USP45f for this very same reason. Mine was a bedside gun and after a handful of years, the mags started causing FTFs. I got tired of buying mag springs and wondering when I needed to replace them next. 
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 5:52:45 PM EDT
[#2]
Ditched?

I replaced the springs in mine
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 6:03:02 PM EDT
[#3]
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Quoted:
Interested to know as well. I ditched my USP45f for this very same reason. Mine was a bedside gun and after a handful of years, the mags started causing FTFs. I got tired of buying mag springs and wondering when I needed to replace them next. 
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How long ago was this?
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 6:32:14 PM EDT
[#4]
You can get extra power aftermarket springs.  All guns are affected from GLOCKs, SA XDMs, Beretta, etc.  The only gun that I know of that has worked was a 1911 standard 7 round mag that was loaded and forgotten about for 8 years.  Functioned fine.
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 7:42:06 PM EDT
[#5]
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Quoted:
Ditched?

I replaced the springs in mine
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Yeah, I did too, and replaced, and replaced, and replaced.

Other guns don't seem to suffer from this particular problem. The USP 45 magazine issues is well known.

DITCHED.
Link Posted: 7/15/2017 7:43:32 PM EDT
[#6]
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Quoted:


How long ago was this?
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I bought mine in 2005. Screwed around with this issue until 2011 and washed my hands of it.
Link Posted: 7/16/2017 6:53:28 PM EDT
[#7]
I guess I'm lucky. I have a USP .45 Tactical from 05 and I had a USPC .45 from 06 (had to sell it a couple years ago). Thousands of rounds through the USPT unsuppressed and suppressed without issues.
Link Posted: 7/16/2017 7:49:04 PM EDT
[#8]
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Quoted:
Yeah, I did too, and replaced, and replaced, and replaced.

Other guns don't seem to suffer from this particular problem. The USP 45 magazine issues is well known.

DITCHED.
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What brand springs did you replace them with? Are you saying the factory springs are weak?
I'm curious because if Wolff springs were used and you say its the USP 45 issue there is no reason that a Wolff spring would go bad in one mag tube vs. some other brand tube.
Link Posted: 7/16/2017 10:12:04 PM EDT
[#9]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:


What brand springs did you replace them with? Are you saying the factory springs are weak?
I'm curious because if Wolff springs were used and you say its the USP 45 issue there is no reason that a Wolff spring would go bad in one mag tube vs. some other brand tube.
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They were HK springs, and they didn't last very long under a full load, so sure, I'd say they were weak. They still crapped out prematurely, like Madonna said, time after time.

The OP's question remains: has any progress been made on this front? The last thing I saw there was an HKPro member trying to pin the feeding issues on faulty extractors. Whatever the cause, it isn't what we'd expect from HK. 

A Google search will turn up many discussions of this problem with several folks across different forums. Trust me, this isn't something I'm pulling out of my ass.
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 10:49:09 AM EDT
[#10]
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Quoted:
The last thing I saw there was an HKPro member trying to pin the feeding issues on faulty extractors. Whatever the cause, it isn't what we'd expect from HK. 
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I was certainly not expecting to see HK have these issues, especially considering the price tag. I am looking for a reliable pistol to replace my G41 with BTF issues. I was thinking the USP 45 would be perfect. If the issue is not resolved, I would rather keep my Glock that throws brass to my forehead over an HK that does not feed reliably.
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 11:41:14 AM EDT
[#11]
I don't have a lot of time to search threads for this issue but I spent about an hour reading through some.
Most of the threads start out blaming ftf on mag springs, they end with some other issue being the cause.
One turned out the guy was using aftermarket mags.
Another turned out to be neither extractor or mag, but overtravel screw on the trigger was not right.
A third the guy was using underpowered crap ammo.
A fourth thread was excessive carbon built up in extractor slot.
None I've seen so far were fixed with new mag springs nor were mag springs the issue in the first place.
Also interesting to note the guys on Hkpro claim factory Hk mag springs are stronger than Wolff +10%.

So if you claim your problem was caused by bad mag springs but new ones didn't fix the issue it was most likely something else.
But I totally agree a USP is way too expensive to experience something like this and not be completely pissed off.
On the other hand it's a mechanical device like any other brand.

For the record I've never had an issues with my USP45, Hk45C or USPc.40
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 5:14:07 PM EDT
[#12]
Every HK I own has aftermarket Wolff mag springs. Never had an issue in 11 years.
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 6:56:45 PM EDT
[#13]
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Quoted:
Every HK I own has aftermarket Wolff mag springs. Never had an issue in 11 years.
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Do you keep them loaded for long periods of time? Do you replace the springs at regular intervals or do the Wolff springs last for many years?
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 9:09:55 PM EDT
[#14]
Keeping the magazines fully loaded doesn't hurt the springs, they won't take a set. The constant use of the magazine ie: loading and unloading cycling the spring will eventually cause them to weaken but it happens over many uses over a long period of time. Just like any other spring in the gun over time and through constant repetition they will need to be replaced. They are a wear item and part of the general maintenance schedule.
Link Posted: 7/17/2017 9:36:33 PM EDT
[#15]
I carried and competed with a USP 45 for years. Had 12+ mags that I ran thousands of rounds through. I don't think I ever needed to replace a spring. Sounds like BS to me. My duty mags I kept loaded and shot once a year. Carried it for close to 5 years on duty and they worked without fail.
Link Posted: 7/18/2017 12:26:19 AM EDT
[#16]
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Quoted:
Do you keep them loaded for long periods of time? Do you replace the springs at regular intervals or do the Wolff springs last for many years?
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Every HK I own has aftermarket Wolff mag springs. Never had an issue in 11 years.
Do you keep them loaded for long periods of time? Do you replace the springs at regular intervals or do the Wolff springs last for many years?
I started using the Wolff springs after a range session with my brothers USP45 that he hadnt touched for several years while he was overseas. It would malfunction on the last round of the mag repeatedly. Spring was weak and physically deformed. Read about the issue online, swapped to Wolff springs in that gun and every other HK in the safe, and never had a problem since. I build the cost of the aftermarket springs into the upfront cost of each one I buy.

HK unfortunately is known for weak mag springs. Henderson Defense references this in his high-round-count range report threads, numerous foreign military groups have had issue with weak HK steel AR mags and mp5 mags. Never understood this, but it is what it is.
Link Posted: 7/18/2017 3:53:51 PM EDT
[#17]
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Quoted:
Keeping the magazines fully loaded doesn't hurt the springs, they won't take a set.
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I know that is the generally accepted answer when it comes to magazine springs. My personal experience does not show this to be true however.
Link Posted: 7/18/2017 9:07:48 PM EDT
[#18]
Any claims about "I read online" or "I competed with it" or "I've had mine for years and never had a problem" are completely meaningless to the discussion here. If your mag springs are not subject to constant compression, the data points are not particularly useful.

Load up your mags and let them sit for a long time; depend on them every night, right at your bedside. You can even rotate mags every few months; I know I did. Take them out from time to time, as they have sat, and run them. You just may be surprised, and you too might see the weak link here. In my case, I found out I could not trust my USP45f. 

All springs take a set. To think otherwise is to completely misunderstand the "compression time versus cycle count" debate. It's whether or not the actual set point is one that can go on to deliver continuous reliability that is under examination. 

Personally, I also choose brass to the face over worrying about mag spring tension. It's not a matter of taste, soul, swagger, bank roll or any other BS. It's about the gun/mag/ammo combo working when you need it to with as little required maintenance and babying as possible. There are HKs that can do this, but in my experience, the USP45f isn't one of them.
Link Posted: 7/18/2017 9:36:03 PM EDT
[#19]
I bought my USP 45 in 1999...  I have over 12,000 rounds through it with 6 mags.  I am only now just starting to not have the slide not lock open on the last round with one or two of the mags.  No other issues with the gun.
Link Posted: 7/19/2017 10:40:59 AM EDT
[#20]
My usp45 is about 15 years old.  3 of my 4 mags are the same age (they have the Le only warning stamped on them). The 4th is maybe 4 years old (when I switched from a 2 mag carrier for work to a 3 pack). For my gun's entire life, it and all mags have been fully loaded. During the day, it is on my hip or in the safe, at night, it's on the headboard. About once a month, each mag goes through maybe 3-4 full cycles (loaded to capacity, shot to empty). The only problem I have ever had was when I banged the mag in my weapon against a concrete wall, the side rail of the base plate split off and the magazine emptied itself. All parts involved are factory original, and I've had no issues beyond that one.
Link Posted: 7/19/2017 4:38:18 PM EDT
[#21]
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Quoted:
I bought my USP 45 in 1999...  I have over 12,000 rounds through it with 6 mags.  I am only now just starting to not have the slide not lock open on the last round with one or two of the mags.  No other issues with the gun.
View Quote
I too have guns that I purchased around the same time and have similar round counts. Some have been carry guns, some have been range/paper punching guns that get loaded up, shot, then stored empty. They have proven to be reliable too, but that's not quite what the OP was asking. 

Those guns have not had their mags loaded to capacity 24/7 since buying them, such as a nightstand gun would. When we subject them to the full, constant load of 12 rounds for several months at a time, the USP 45f mags have proven to have issues with many users, and it isn't just me.
Link Posted: 7/20/2017 12:41:01 AM EDT
[#22]
My buddy just bought one, a USP 45 fullsize. His 10 round mags were not working well and started to not back slide when mag was empty. Got some Wolff for his California mags and it fixed it. He kept the factory mags loaded and they were dead after a few months.
Link Posted: 7/20/2017 11:27:44 PM EDT
[#23]
I have a USP45F from back in 1996.

I also have a newer USP45F from back in 2004

And a USP45C from back in 2012.

I've got a least 10 magazines for each pistol and none of them have ever had issues.

Link Posted: 7/21/2017 1:27:17 PM EDT
[#24]
Link Posted: 7/27/2017 9:59:10 PM EDT
[#25]
I decided to get the USP 45. I ordered Wolff mag springs and installed them before I even took it out to the range.

How often would you change out Wolff mag springs assuming the mags are kept fully loaded all the time?
Link Posted: 7/28/2017 12:10:53 PM EDT
[#26]
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Quoted:
I decided to get the USP 45. I ordered Wolff mag springs and installed them before I even took it out to the range.

How often would you change out Wolff mag springs assuming the mags are kept fully loaded all the time?
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Every couple of years wouldn't hurt. Assuming you don't have 15+ mags its not a huge expense.

My USP45 isn't my primary handgun so I have 4 mags for it. Its like $30 for the needed springs.
Link Posted: 7/30/2017 2:32:32 PM EDT
[#27]
I came here to post this as a question. All 4 of my mags SOMETIMES fail to lock the slide open on my USP45 Tactical. Is this a spring issue?
Link Posted: 7/30/2017 9:34:24 PM EDT
[#28]
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Quoted:
I decided to get the USP 45. I ordered Wolff mag springs and installed them before I even took it out to the range.

How often would you change out Wolff mag springs assuming the mags are kept fully loaded all the time?
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Once a year.  I'm sure they will last a lot longer.
Link Posted: 8/12/2017 7:01:32 PM EDT
[#29]
I have 8 mags for my 95 USP45F
3-12rd
5-10rd
they are loaded after cleaning and placed back in the safe until the next time I shoot it,could be a week or several months.
I've never had a magazine related failure
Link Posted: 8/15/2017 7:28:28 PM EDT
[#30]
Have two .45 USP compacts & one Tactical. Never had a single mag spring issue out of any of them. Not one.  
Link Posted: 9/6/2017 3:24:35 PM EDT
[#31]
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Quoted:
I guess I'm lucky. I have a USP .45 Tactical from 05 and I had a USPC .45 from 06 (had to sell it a couple years ago). Thousands of rounds through the USPT unsuppressed and suppressed without issues.
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The reported claims only apply to the full size 12rd magazines.  I've owned at least five USP 45 full size guns over the past 21 years and none had any issues of any kind.  In fact, having just sold my last USP 45 recently I'm already regretting the decision.
Link Posted: 9/15/2017 10:37:21 AM EDT
[#32]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Any claims about "I read online" or "I competed with it" or "I've had mine for years and never had a problem" are completely meaningless to the discussion here. If your mag springs are not subject to constant compression, the data points are not particularly useful.

Load up your mags and let them sit for a long time; depend on them every night, right at your bedside. You can even rotate mags every few months; I know I did. Take them out from time to time, as they have sat, and run them. You just may be surprised, and you too might see the weak link here. In my case, I found out I could not trust my USP45f. 

All springs take a set. To think otherwise is to completely misunderstand the "compression time versus cycle count" debate. It's whether or not the actual set point is one that can go on to deliver continuous reliability that is under examination. 

Personally, I also choose brass to the face over worrying about mag spring tension. It's not a matter of taste, soul, swagger, bank roll or any other BS. It's about the gun/mag/ammo combo working when you need it to with as little required maintenance and babying as possible. There are HKs that can do this, but in my experience, the USP45f isn't one of them.
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So your single data point is useful, but not anyone else's if they aren't claiming to have the same problem nor are the level of elite operator you are.  Got it.
Link Posted: 9/15/2017 11:56:33 AM EDT
[#33]
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Quoted:


So your single data point is useful, but not anyone else's if they aren't claiming to have the same problem nor are the level of elite operator you are.  Got it.  
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Read the thread, conduct your searches of this problem on the indicated forum, brush up on this forum's CoC, then reply.
Link Posted: 9/15/2017 9:09:18 PM EDT
[#34]
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Quoted:

Read the thread, conduct your searches of this problem on the indicated forum, brush up on this forum's CoC, then reply.
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Ah, pardon my good sir, I apologize that you got offended at my rebuttal in regards to your post.  I should have considered your feelings and that you might get upset that someone mocked the insinuations you made in regards to how everyone else except you doesn't count unless they dutifully agree.  

Perhaps one should not make disparaging comments regarding others then immediately turn about and do the exact same thing oneself has leveled accusations against whilst also suggesting that oneself is some sort of expert upon the matter coupled with prodigious and rarely attained proficiency with small arms.  Doing so could give another cause to reveal one's absurdity ad nauseam thus leading to wounded pride and exclamatory remarks in regards to the august body's rules preceding the current thread upon which your honor was besmirched.  

It is my hope that my manner of speech has been sufficient to soothe the ego, and smooth feathers so that your stomach not upset your humors and spoil your disposition.  By all means carry on with your pontificating in regards to your learned expertise in regards to all things "pew pew" so that others may be enlightened forthwith!  

P.S. it is my heart's desire that you find future posts to be acceptable to your discerning tastes, and that I do not give you cause to serve me another tongue lashing by referring to aforementioned rules that I so naughtily violated.
Link Posted: 9/16/2017 12:35:57 PM EDT
[#35]
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Quoted:
Ah, pardon my good sir, I apologize that you got offended at my rebuttal in regards to your post.  I should have considered your feelings and that you might get upset that someone mocked the insinuations you made in regards to how everyone else except you doesn't count unless they dutifully agree.  

Perhaps one should not make disparaging comments regarding others then immediately turn about and do the exact same thing oneself has leveled accusations against whilst also suggesting that oneself is some sort of expert upon the matter coupled with prodigious and rarely attained proficiency with small arms.  Doing so could give another cause to reveal one's absurdity ad nauseam thus leading to wounded pride and exclamatory remarks in regards to the august body's rules preceding the current thread upon which your honor was besmirched.  

It is my hope that my manner of speech has been sufficient to soothe the ego, and smooth feathers so that your stomach not upset your humors and spoil your disposition.  By all means carry on with your pontificating in regards to your learned expertise in regards to all things "pew pew" so that others may be enlightened forthwith!  

P.S. it is my heart's desire that you find future posts to be acceptable to your discerning tastes, and that I do not give you cause to serve me another tongue lashing by referring to aforementioned rules that I so naughtily violated.
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Your weak attempt at poetic justice has brought absolutely nothing to the conversation at hand. You have offered up ZERO data points, refused to research the issue to get a grasp on its commonality, then resorted to personal attacks as if it would somehow lend creedence to your butthurt status.

I guess it's true; you 'teeners never learn.
Link Posted: 9/17/2017 4:37:06 PM EDT
[#36]
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Quoted:
Your weak attempt at poetic justice has brought absolutely nothing to the conversation at hand. You have offered up ZERO data points, refused to research the issue to get a grasp on its commonality, then resorted to personal attacks as if it would somehow lend creedence to your butthurt status.

I guess it's true; you 'teeners never learn.
View Quote
 

Maybe you should read the CoC for this forum as well.  Name calling... tsk, tsk.  Someone needs a hug  :)
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