What's with the Teutonic Cultishness?

[The B]

I happily went back to the 1911. The only other C&L pistols out there that do it right are the Browning High Power and the CZ-75 and its non-decocking variants.

i actually went back to my 1911 after i sold the HK as well.. and missed the HK. i did NOT carry cocked and locked with the HK, and didn't miss finding my safety had flipped off at some point throughout the day.

i don't remember the DA trigger pull being a problem for me.. i don't remember anything, actually- so i was obviously neither bothered nor impressed. but, as we know, most 1911 shooters hate ANY DA trigger, so i can't give that complaint too much merit

all of your complaints are personal preference or training issues.. not necessary negatives to the platform. moving away from the 1911 requires a training revamp no matter what weapon you move to- so if you're not willing to make changes in your training, you should definitely not make changes to your weapon selection. i basically started at square one when i finally made the switch from hammer-fired .45s to striker-fired 9mm.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Sigs aren't really German any more. Most of them are made in Exeter, NH.

In a world of $500 "commodity" guns, I didn't mind kicking in a couple hundred extra to get something a little nicer (imo) in a Sig. Lately, ever since Mr. Kimber took over, I'm less enthused. Their models have proliferated with useless doo-dads and add-ons (gee, just like Kimber under this guy's lead, what a genius!), and QC has gone to **** so they can ship enough guns to pay the glamor-boy CEO's salary (ditto).

But yes, I'd rather have a Sig than most other DA/SA/decocker semis. They really are (were) made pretty well.

I really, really want to like H&Ks. I think the USP Elite is a great looking weapon, I like the safety system, and I'll bet it's accurate as all get-out. Problem is, it feels like handling a 2x4. Not only is the grip big, which I can deal with, but it's a hard rectangle, with sharp corners. I suppose if I were wearing my SEAL-approved H&K branded nitrile shooting gloves (only $142/pr at participating dealers) it would be comfortable, but I was actually thinking of something I could use all day at the range. Aside from the grip the stories of the customer (dis)service have also kept me away.

I look at it this way: There are cheap guns. There are $500 guns, which is about the entry level to "quality" these days (Glocks, M&Ps, XDs, etc). There are $750 guns, which add a few features. Almost anything above "commodity grade" these days is nudging into the $1000 category. $1200 doesn't buy what it used to. Heck, prepare to spend $2000 or so on a Freedom Arms only to find they want $100 extra to give you a 3lb trigger. You basically pick your pain threshold, hold your nose, and make your choice. With luck you'll like what you buy and won't have to return it immediately for service, yes, even if you spent $1500 on it. Yes, this inhales, but apparently that's the state of gun consumerism today.

-- Sam

 

[Boats]

i actually went back to my 1911 after i sold the HK as well.. and missed the HK. i did NOT carry cocked and locked with the HK, and didn't miss finding my safety had flipped off at some point throughout the day.

i don't remember the DA trigger pull being a problem for me.. i don't remember anything, actually- so i was obviously neither bothered nor impressed. but, as we know, most 1911 shooters hate ANY DA trigger, so i can't give that complaint too much merit

I have nothing negative to say about the DA trigger pull of the SIG P226 or P220, both of which I used to own, the Beretta 92 or PX4 if a "D" mainspring is installed, or a complaint about the CZ-75's other than it is a tad longish. The USP's is long, gritty, relatively high effort, and the reset is long and sucks. Other than that it's great.

all of your complaints are personal preference or training issues.. not necessary negatives to the platform. moving away from the 1911 requires a training revamp no matter what weapon you move to- so if you're not willing to make changes in your training, you should definitely not make changes to your weapon selection. i basically started at square one when i finally made the switch from hammer-fired .45s to striker-fired 9mm.

I am not inflexible about platforms. I use my wife's M&Ps to familiarize, though I don't care for striker guns generally. I only carry a 1911, my nightstand pistol is a Beretta PX4 in 9mm. I have three DA revolvers by Colt and Ruger which I enjoy shooting. I have tried everything in a duty auto from a Glock to a Walther P99

My primary complaint about H&K is that for the amount of upfront scratch for a plastic framed pistol it shouldn't suck at all in any respect and yet it does. It's not even terribly subjective either. A pull gauge would confirm that the USP's DA pull is too high effort for a defensive arm compared against the competition. The reset required is long, longer than almost any DA/SA pistol I can ever recall firing. HK pimps the LEM because in part their standard trigger set up is rather substandard.

The spare mags were $50.00 a pop during the early 90s and the ones for the latter day HK45 and the P30 are even worse hits on the bank account today. It's a racket alright. SIG has become a racket of a different sort under ex-Kimber CEO Cohen, but both pistol lines are horribly overrated in the first place.