I had a USP 40 so long ago I have forgotten the comparative recoil vs. the G23 I have now. Actually it's a G23C (factory compensated) which tames the muzzle flip. Based on foggy memory, seems that the USP was no worse than the G23 with like for like ammo.
How would you compare the two? My recollection may be totally off...
The USP was great because it was FIRST designed around the .40. For a polymer framed handgun, even with hot 165gr stuff, it was very soft recoiling, shot like a laser, and actually
pointed relatively well for me unlike the newer HKs. Same thing with the Sig P229. Soft, lumpy recoil, easily controlled.
A G22, 23? Sharper, more obnoxious recoil, although the Gen4s are somewhat improved. If someone has good fundamentals not a problem to control those guns, assuming their
hands fit the guns. If their hands don't fit the guns, a .40 Glock is a nightmare which is where some of the whining comes from. I bet the C version guns are a lot calmer overall in terms of
snap, etc.
Let me put it this way, I have a couple Glock 32s. In terms of energy they are not that far off from a .40.... and I find the G32 to be less snappy than a G22/23 is, although I will say this... the
felt recoil, vs time, is actually worse. Like even though the gun is more controllable, you will feel it in your hands after awhile shooting the hotter 357 sig, it will creep up on you. Goddam
that caliber is fun, though!
A simple hack I tried that I would recommend to others who want a G34: The G35 is basically the same thing as the G34 but for .40. It's much less popular and typically cheaper used whether you want the whole gun or simply to source a slide for an existing frame. I had a G34 but ended up selling it to fund other projects and later came across a cheap G35. Pick your poison for conversion barrels (I like Storm Lake or KKM) and now you have a 'bull barrel' G34. The quality barrel and extra heft help with smoother shooting and improved accuracy. Added bonus would be no worries for shooting cast with the standard barrel rifling and you get better case support as well.
(ETA: This is potentially good advice if someone is flinting, though... maybe. ? )
I would only ever buy a G35 if I was getting into USP Limited and wanted a cheap gun or something like that to do it with. Otherwise most people will be far better served by just getting a
G34. I don't run conversion barrels, never have, never will. I f***ing hate that stuff. Perhaps irrationally but I have enough video evidence/PTSD in my brain of "converted" handguns
f***ing up, that it makes me not want to touch that shit. Not now, not ever. Usually those were the people I saw at pin and plate shoots getting their own ass kicked by their "conversion"
gun. Do some people run conversions that work fine? Sure, but they're not likely the majority. And even for most of those people, when you talk to them for more than 5 minutes... they run the 9mm barrel in the gun 95% of the time anyways. So why not just skip all the faggotry and buy the 9 to begin with?
![Laugh [laugh] [laugh]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/012.gif)
And if they can't justify spending the extra $ for the gun in the other caliber, chances are they didn't need it or want it badly enough to begin with.
I'm the type of person rather than convert a gun I will buy another one. In relative terms, things like Glocks are cheap, so there's no point to me in "converting" one, when I can get two wins at once by just buying another one. You win an extra gun and an extra caliber. Maybe convert to run something the factory doesn't sell, like .400 Corbon, .460 Rowland or whatever, yeah, I
get that... but otherwise? Meh.