USP .45 misfeeding

**EvoRich** · June 1st, 2012, 05:23 PM

I've had my USP for over 2 years now. It's always functioned 100% up until recently. I can't say exactly, but I'm guessing I have over 1000-2000 through it total.

A few months ago, I was at the range just shooting some of my handguns. My USP had a misfeed. I shrugged it off and kept shooting. This was with S&B 230gr ammo. The next time out it shoots fine. Then next time at the range (a few days ago) I got a misfeed. Tap rack bang doesn't clear it. The round goes bullet end up into the top edge of the chamber/barrel. When I tap, rack the next round just tries to feed under. The misfed round is never grabbed by the extractor. I was using an aftermarket ProMag magazine. I got these strictly for range use and nothing more. HK wants like $347569378563 for a magazine.

So I go back today and put 100 rounds through my USP. Everything is going fantastic. I'm about 60 rounds through with no issues. Then, misfeed. Same as the first two range visits. This time I was using a factory HK magazine. This was also with PMC ammo.

So the gun will misfeed once out of every 100 rounds it seems. Ammo and magazines don't matter. I"m not limp wristing. Please don't give me that crap. I tried to purposely limp wrist for the heck of it and could not get the misfeed to duplicate. It happens at random.

I'm wondering if this is God's way of saying that I should sell my USP .45 and get an M&P45? Or maybe a new recoil spring is needed? I'm not sure. I have a feeling that if I sent it to HK, they'd put a few rounds through it and tell me there is nothing wrong with it because they can't duplicate the problem.

I absolutely love this thing. It's probably the most accurate (in my hands) handgun that I've shot. The SA trigger pull is awesome (DA trigger is horrid). It's been such a fantastic pistol up until a few weeks ago. I find even a minor malfunction on occasion to be unacceptable with a defensive pistol. Especially when the tap rack bang doesn't clear it up. It's more like, Tap, rack, click, remove mag, rack rack rack, insert mag, rack, and finally.... bang.

This is the handgun that sits in my night stand drawer every night. I don't carry it.

Anything I can try to resolve this, any ideas? Like I said, mags and ammo don't seem to be the issue.

**harold63** · June 1st, 2012, 10:11 PM

Try field stripping it, cleaning it, check for o ring bits clogging something up, and make sure it goes back together, correctly. Not saying this is a problem now, but a field strip and clean up can get one piece of debris that is causing you misery. Also check the ejector edge, extractor hook, and feed ramp for damage.

I've tested my USP .45 dry, wet, dirty, muddy, and it goes. It will not misfeed if you lay it on a table and pull the trigger with nothing else holding it. I've only shot Stan Chen and WWB ammo out of it, so I don't know how the PMC and S&B would work in it. You can also go to HK.com and ask there.

**harold63** · June 1st, 2012, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by EvoRich

HK wants like $347569378563 for a magazine.

No, HK only wants $347569378 for a magazine. I have 5 of the 20 rounders from Pro Mag (they all drop cleanly, but the followers needed a little deburring to go all the way to the top). I think I paid $33 a piece for them. I stop at 18 rounds because if someone gets by me 19 straight up rds of .45 acp HP's then I deserve to have my ass handed to me, plus it kills my fingers to get the last two in.

**EvoRich** · June 1st, 2012, 10:30 PM

This gun lives a VERY clean life. I clean it after every range visit because I do use it for defensive use. I'm not a gun cleaning nazi. I will put my non-defensive guns away dirty. But not this one.

I'll probably take the mags apart and clean them as I have never done that. I'll probably also replace the mag springs.

How can the extractor cause misfeeds? No doubting it, I just don't understand. Failures to extract are obvious...

**harold63** · June 1st, 2012, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by EvoRich

This gun lives a VERY clean life. I clean it after every range visit because I do use it for defensive use. I'm not a gun cleaning nazi. I will put my non-defensive guns away dirty. But not this one.

I'll probably take the mags apart and clean them as I have never done that. I'll probably also replace the mag springs.

How can the extractor cause misfeeds? No doubting it, I just don't understand. Failures to extract are obvious...

According to the boys on HKPro.com, some of the extractor hooks were too big and needed to be filed some. Would not go all the way around the rim, thus not extracting the spent. Another case was the gun sent in and the recoil spring assembly was replaced, which cured that issue. Some are recommending new mag springs. I hope you get it resolved, and post the findings.

**EvoRich** · June 1st, 2012, 11:22 PM

I took the mags apart and cleaned them. And as always with my defensive handguns, I clean the gun itself after every single use no matter how many rounds I put through them.

I came across this and found that it doesn't look right. I tried to compare to some pictures of USP extractors on google and it looks like there is a chunk of the bottom of my extractor missing.

I've found that If I try to slowly chamber a round, the extractor will not catch the rim of the case. I'm not sure if this is happened when firing as well.

**CHEMICAL** · June 1st, 2012, 11:40 PM

On a lighter note...things break, USPs are easy to work on. I have had issues with weak mag springs in an HK in the past. Leaving it loaded in my case caused it to compress. I stretched out the spring and was good to go after that.

**EvoRich** · June 1st, 2012, 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by CHEMICAL

On a lighter note...things break, USPs are easy to work on. I have had issues with weak mag springs in an HK in the past. Leaving it loaded in my case caused it to compress. I stretched out the spring and was good to go after that.

I admittedly have left my HD mag loaded for a very long time. However, on a few of the occasions where this jam occurred it wasn't that specific mag. I'll probably buy mag springs. HK mags around just too expensive. Twice the price of a Glock mag, which is already in my opinion expensive. How is it you can buy super reliable AR mags for $10? But pistol mags are 4 or 5x that?

**CHEMICAL** · June 1st, 2012, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by EvoRich

I admittedly have left my HD mag loaded for a very long time. However, on a few of the occasions where this jam occurred it wasn't that specific mag. I'll probably buy mag springs. HK mags around just too expensive. Two the price of a Glock mag, which is IMO expensive. How is it you can buy super reliable AR mags for $10? But pistol mags are 4 or 5x that?

http://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto%...D26/dID136#167

I was told these are definitely the way to go.

Also, here's a really great 6 part video of how to detail strip a USP:

**EvoRich** · June 2nd, 2012, 12:07 AM

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgu...re-feed-3.html

Seems as if there is a known extractor problem. But a fresh mag will "mask" the problem. As the mag wears, the problem with the extractor is exposed. By reading the OP's issues, and the picture of the jam he's experiencing, this is my problem 100%.

So, mag springs and a new extractor I guess will need to be ordered.

EDIT:
OP said he still had issues after a new extractor and mag springs. He posted a video on page 7 of the thread. Seems like that's exactly whats happening to me. I was able to duplicate this with snap caps with my USP once. After that I can't get it to happen again. When it happens, it feels like a mag problem. It pops the font of the bullet up too much and allows the slide to catch the case just in front of the rim slamming it upwards. Other times, the mag functions properly and brings the bullet up evenly and feeds the round properly.

Video is NOT mine...