h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

nononono! The world'll come to an end!

It's not a US Police Tactical Pistol, it's a USP. It stands for Universal Selbstlade Pistole, or Universal Selfloading Pistol, in German, where it came from (Heckler and Koch). It's a descendant of the P-10 pistol from the same manufacturor, and has a reputation as having been subjected to horrible horrible testing procedures.

"The HK USP is probably the most thoroughly tested pistol ever produced. The testing process of the USP, already extreme in exceeding strict NATO AC-225 Military Specification Standards, in many ways mirrors the regimen the HK SOCOM pistol was subjected to."

from HK's testing sheet:

Testing Data
Information provided by HK, Incorporated


Tolerance Inspection Trigger Pull, firing pin energy and
protrusion, headspace, caliber,
velocities, etc.

Safety Inspection Controls and safeties

Proof firing (2 Winchester DP40 proof
rounds)

Targeting Zeroing (25 meters, POA/POI)

Ammunition compatibility

More than 85,000 rounds fired thus
far during testing of the USP40

Accuracy (USP40, 10 shots, 25 meters)

Most accurate (3.2 - 3.9 in.)

Reliability/functional test 20,000 round reliability test
Fired in various attitudes, checked
every 1,000 rounds for cracked or
broken parts and for accuracy.
slide manually cycled 1,000 times
after each 10,000 rounds fired.

No normal wear detected in less than
5,100 rounds

USP40 and USP9 perfect record through
first half of the test. Second half
of test ongoing at time of writing
(This document
was printed in August of 1993.)

Barrel obstruction test Live round fired with projectile
positioned at forcing cone and
30mm into muzzle.

No damage to pistol.
Accuracy unaffected.

Drop tests According to SAMMI/ANSI Z299.5/1990 and
German BMI test methods. Primed case in
chamber, 13 dummy rounds loaded, hammer cocked,
safety/decocking lever set to "fire"
All six sixes of weapon, plus 45 degree top
muzzle, onto rubber from height of 4 feet.

Six times onto cocked hammer onto steel/concrete
from height of 3 and 6.7 feet.

No ignition or primer indent permitted. Pistol must
function normally after tests are completed.

Noise level test Measured in dB (A) height of muzzle, 1 meter front
and left of muzzle.

Winchester and Remington 180gr JHP=139 dB

Remington 155gr JHP=143.5 dB

Fouling test 1,000 rounds w/o cleaning or lubrication

Comparable to S&W 4006

Environment test (NATO AC225-D14) Low temp (-46 C, -51 F)

High temp (63 C, 145 F)
Thermal shock (-46 to +63 C)
Mud bath (10 minutes exposure)
Particulate (sand) (10 minute exposure)
Freezing rain (1 hour to -46 C)

"The barrel of the USP is cold-hammer forged from high-grade chromium steel, the same type of steel used in cannon barrels. During testing, a bullet was deliberately lodged in a USP barrel. Another cartridge was then fired into the obstructing bullet. The second bullet cleared the barrel, resulting in a barely noticeable bulge. The pistol was then fired for accuracy and the resulting group measured less than 2.5 inches at 25 meters.

Other less destructive tests reveal much about USP reliability and durability. Function testing a wide selection of ammunition types, one test gun fired more than 10,000 rounds without a single malfunction. That means no stove-pipes, no failures to feed o r eject; no jams! Endurance firings of test samples has passed 20,000 rounds of high performance .40 S&W ammo without any parts failures. Sever temperature tests required the USP to be frozen at -44 degrees F (-42 degrees C) and then fired, frozen again a nd quickly heated to 153 degrees F (67 degrees C), and then fired again. These temperature spectrum tests were continually repeated, and with no adverse effects on the USP.

Demanding NATO Mil-Spec mud and rain tests were conducted, again with the USP passing without difficulty. Water immersion and salt spray also presented no problems to the USP. Outside metal surfaces of the USP are covered with an extremely hard nitro-gas carburized and black oxidized finish.

All internal metal parts, including springs, are coated with a special Dow-Corning process that reduces friction and wear. Both the internal and external finishes have proved to be especially corrosion resistant. For more than two years, German Navy comba t divers have used the same process on weapons parts without any signs of rust.

Safety testing exceeded the ANSI/SAAMI requirements adopted in May 1990. These included dropping a USP with a primed cartridge and decocked hammer on a variety of surfaces without discharging. The USP easily surpassed these commercial requirements, as wel l as German police tests, including repeated drop tests from six feet, hammer first, onto a steel backed concrete slab. Proof round firing resulted in no cracks, deformations, or increase in head space. attempts to fire the USP pistol with an unlocked bre ech proved impossible.

The HK recoil reduction system (patent pending), a mechanical dual spring buffering device, is another feature common to the USP and the HK SOCOM pistol. During the USP testing phase, HK engineers discovered this innovative unit reduces the peak force act ing on the USP grip to less than 300 Newtons (66 pounds). Peak force shock on competing .40 caliber polymer and metal framed pistols climbed to more than 5000 Newtons (1102 pounds).

The primary benefit of low peak shock is a decrease in wear and tear on pistol components. Reduction in peak shock forces also contributes to softer recoil for the shooter, although these "felt recoil" values are much more subjective."

Excerpted from the 1993 Edition of Sentinel Magazine.

Also, only the SA80IW is an assault rifle.

The L98 is a general purpose rifle, the LSW is a support weapon. So the title for the article's wrong.

And reticule's spelt wrong.

Oh, ffs. He's just taken the article as it was before it was recommended, not taking into account the changes as exemplified at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A648083 (and associated forums).

*Recommends that sub-ed visits above article.*

OK, I've changed a few things around, now - hope it's better.

Thankyouuuuuuu!

See? Complaining DOES get you stuff.

Nice to see someone paying attention to us for a change.

I know! .. isn't it!