Well, I'm going to say right now that I am not a fan of expensive firearms. I think that the cheaper makes can, and do, do the job just as well as the more expensive types. Example, I've allway wanted a SIG 229. Ever since their inception I said to myself that some how some way I would own one of these very fine arms. I read all the reports on how these guns were the most reliable out of the box handguns ever made. Mabey they are. I finally got the chance to purchase one in 357 sig. Cost?, @$495.00 used. This firearm did indeed function perfectly, right out of the box as claimed. Only thing is that most other arms made will do the very same thing. A good example is any of the Ruger firearms. Well to make a long story short, the gun was too expensive to shoot because the calibre was not yet that popular. I also did not like the way the gun felt in my hand. The trigger was way too long for my average size hands to engage properly for the first long double action shot. The following shots I could rip the world apart with, but it was that first shot. No sence in carrying a gun that you are going to miss on the first shot. After all when the chips are down the first shot is the most important.
Well in comes the HK. I am a fan of the single action auto. I like the fact that you can cock the hammer and engage the thumb safty and carry the arm safely in this manner. I have allways passed on the HK because of price and triger reach. The Hks that I have fired in the past were the .45 Mark 23 USPs. The grip frame on these guns are large. They have to be in order to carry the ,45 round. Which by the way is my favorite round. But the 9mm and the .40 sw frame size is much smaller.
I found a used one in new condition at my favorite gunshop. And yes I will give him a plug. " Sauers Tradeing post" in South Williamsport Pa. The address and phone number you can get from the phone book or ask me through e-mail. Any who, I paid $475.00 out the door for this arm and I will tell you that this is one of the best purchases that I have made.
The gun was used in new condition. The jerk that traded it in somehow missplaced the case and manual that comes with the gun new. I managed to download the owners manual and print it out . 60 pages later I had a manual. I went through it befor I even tried the gun out. Which is a must for any new firearm.
Slide to frame fit was excelent. The finish on the slide was impeckable. The frame which is made of pollimer, or " plastic", was made very well. Better than the frame on my Glocks. The pebled surface on the sides of the grips were deep and cleanly done. The checkering on the front strap and back strap were also very crisp and clean.
Now for the action. This gun is double action with a frame mounted safety. This was the deciding factor for me, the frame mounted safty. This gun can safely be carryed cocked and locked. The manual even states that this arm was designed for this type of carry if so desired . I am an average gun nutt. I don't own trigger scales or chronographs. I can tell you that the single action pull on this gun was nice and light. Not as light as the pull on my custumized Colt 1991 A1, but very nice.The double action pull was not as bad as I had expected. It was very smooth. It reminded me of the Ruger Trigger pull, only shorter and a tad lighter.
I took the gun to the range to give it a whirl. By the way, my range is a vally with very steep sides located at my Mother in Law's. And yes I do get along with her quite well. I shot the gun at about 21 feet and 50 feet. I only had 2 diferent types of amo with me. UMC FMJ. 180 grain and Speer Gold Dot 155 grain JHP. As expected the gun functioned flawlessly. As I try out other loads I will imform you if I have any stoppeges at all.
I like the recoil reduction system incorperated on the HK. It is a double recoil spring on a captive guide rod. The slide moves back and compresses the first spring untill it come into contact with a plunger that the second spring is attached to. which then slows the slide down even more. All in all avery well thought out system that works.
At 21 feet I was able to draw from a consealed point and engadge and fire a full mag plus the one up the tube (11) and keep all of the shots within a 4 inch circle. And let me say that I was fireing as fast as I could pull the trigger. The front site seemed to never leave the target. At fifty feet Off hand with a two han weaver hold I was able to get all my shots under 3 inches. Now that was slow deliberate fire. The way in which you would in a sercumstanes that has that kind of distance. All shots fired for grouping was fired first shot single action. Draw from concealment, front site on target, disengadge safty, fire.
The mag relese is ambadextriouse. Man my spelling sucks. All that is required is to push the release down and the mag springs free of it's own accord.
Like I said, I do not like to spend a lot of money on a "NAME". I like the cheeper guns, and for the most part these guns will function as well as the more popular makes. But the HK was too good to pass on. I recomend it highly, if you don't mind spending a bit more moola. I won't be making any more purchaces for a while. I tapped out my gun fund and will have to build it back up again.
