Heckler And Koch HK USP Tactical, USP Expert Operators Manual

							WARNING:The use of incorrect ammunition in the 
pistol could result in damage to the pistol and /or 
injury to the operator or bystanders.
NOTE: In compliance with NIJ Standard—0112.00,
currently there are no known ammunition types that
meet the general guidelines set forth in this section
that are not compatible with the USP 9mm, USP .40,
or USP .45 pistols. All USP pistols are approved for
use with +P and +P+ ammunition.The use of +P and
+P+ ammunition does accelerate wear and reduce
the service life on the component parts of any pistol,
including the HK USP.
21 
						

							•  Visually viewing chamber through open ejection port
and;
•  Physically inserting finger into chamber through ejec-
tion port to check for the presence of a cartridge or
empty case.
•  Remove any cartridges or empty cases from the
chamber or from within the pistol.
The HK Universal Self-loading Pistol is now 
considered “Clear”.
Filling and Emptying the Magazine 
NOTE: Do not attempt to load more than the
prescribed number of cartridges into the magazine.
Do not alter the shape of the  magazine housing, fol-
lower, or spring.To do so may cause stoppages or the
magazine may not seat properly in the pistol. For
easier loading and to increase magazine service life
use a magazine loader.
22
SECTION 5    INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
CLEARING THE  PISTOL 
The HK USP is not considered “clear” or safe unless:
1. The control lever (if applicable) is on “SAFE” and;
2. The magazine is removed from the pistol and;
3. The slide is locked to the rear and;
4. The chamber is free of brass or ammunition
To Clear the HK USP:
1. Make sure fingers are outside of the trigger guard and
the pistol is pointed in a safe direction at all times!
2. Engage control lever (if applicable) -  press the safety
lever upwards until the “S” aligns with the reference
line located on the frame.
3. Remove magazine - depress the magazine release
lever and remove the magazine from the pistol.
4. Open and lock slide - while keeping the pistol
pointed in a safe direction,lock the slide open by
pulling the slide rearward as you press the slide
release upward. Watch for a cartridge or empty case
to be ejected from the pistol.
5. Inspect chamber - inspect chamber for the presence
of a cartridge or empty case by: 
						

							5. Repeat steps 1-4 until the magazine is full. The
viewing holes in the back of the magazine allow the
operator to confirm the number of cartridges present
within the magazine.
Emptying the Magazine 
Exert pressure with a finger on the base of the cartridge and
push each cartridge forward out of the magazine one at a
time until the magazine is empty.
Loading the Pistol 
WARNING: Forcefully inserting a loaded magazine
into the USP may cause the pistols slide to close,
chambering a cartridge and making the USP ready
to fire. When inserting a magazine, always be 
certain that the pistol is pointed in a safe direction
with your fingers off the trigger and outside the trig-
ger guard. Failure to do so could cause you to uninten-
tionally fire the pistol, resulting in serious injury or
death.
Administrative Loading 
Used to initially load the pistol before it is to be fired.
23
Filling the Magazine (See Figure 23 below)
Figure 23
1. Hold the magazine in the non-firing hand with the
back side of the magazine resting against  the palm.
2. Using the firing hand, hold a cartridge between the
index finger and thumb with the projectile facing the
palm.
3. Press the rim of the cartridge down against the
forward edge of the magazine follower or on the top
cartridge already in the magazine.
4. Slide the cartridge back into the magazine under the
feed lips.  
						

							24
Slide rearward or forward, chamber empty
1.Make sure fingers are outside of the trigger guard
and the pistol is pointed in a safe direction at all
times!
2.On safe- place the control lever in the safe position (if
applicable)
3.Insert magazine- insert the magazine firmly into the
frame. Tug on the magazine to insure that it is fully seated
and engaged.
4.Chamber a cartridge- chamber a cartridge by de-
pressing the slide release or by pulling the slide fully to
the rear and releasing it.Do not ride the slide forward!
5.Decock/On Safe- depress the control lever to decock
the hammer and/or place the control lever on “safe”.
6.Top off- remove the magazine and top it off by inserting
one additional cartridge.
7.Reinsert magazine- replace the magazine firmly into
the frame. Tug on the magazine to insure that it is fully
seated and engaged.Firing the Pistol 
WARNING: 1. Be sure of your target and what’s
behind it! A bullet from a pistol travels as far as a
mile. It can easily penetrate wood or plasterboard
walls or even a car door.
2. Be sure that your hands and all parts of your body
are kept away from the muzzle of your pistol at all
times!
3. Always wear eye and ear protection when firing
the pistol.
Single-action mode (Hammer cocked)
1.Disengage control lever - disengage the control lever
by pressing it downward with the firing thumb so that the
“F” on the lever aligns with the reference line located on
the frame.
2.Aim- aim at the target.
3.Fire- fire the pistol by pressing the trigger straight to the
rear with gradually increasing pressure.
4.Reengage control lever -  reengage control lever in
“safe” position to remain in the single-action mode once
firing is completed. 
						

							CAUTION: Single action mode trigger pull is lighter
& shorter  than double action mode. Keep your fin-
ger off the trigger & outside the trigger guard except
when firing the USP.
Double-action mode (Hammer uncocked)
1.Disengage control lever(if applicable) -  disengage the
control lever by pressing it downward with the firing
thumb so that the “F” on the lever aligns with the refer-
ence line located on the frame.
2.Aim- aim at the target.
3.Fire- fire the pistol by pressing the trigger straight the
rear with gradually increasing pressure.
4.Decock or engage control lever-  fully depress the
control lever (if applicable) to return to the double-action
mode or place the control lever on safe to remain in
single-action mode.
NOTE:Variant 7, the double-action only model of the
USP does not have a control lever.The hammer of this
variant (and variants 5 & 6) will automatically return
to the uncocked position each time the slide returns
to its forward position.
Unloading the Pistol 
To unload the pistol, follow the “Clearing” procedure.
25
CLEARING THE  PISTOL   
The HK USP is not considered “clear” or safe unless:
1. The control lever (if applicable) is on “SAFE”  and;
2. The magazine is removed from the pistol and;
3. The slide is locked to the rear and;
4. The chamber is free of brass or ammunition.
To Clear the HK USP:
1. Make sure fingers are outside of the trigger guard and
the pistol is pointed in a safe direction at all times!
2. Engage control lever (if applicable) -  press the safety
lever upwards until the “S” aligns with the reference
line located on the frame.
3. Remove magazine - depress the magazine release
lever and remove the magazine from the pistol.
4. Open and lock slide - while keeping the pistol
pointed in a safe direction,lock the slide open by
pulling the slide rearward as you press the slide
release upward. Watch for a cartridge or empty case
to be ejected from the pistol.
5. Inspect chamber - inspect chamber for the presence
of a cartridge or empty case by:
•  Visually viewing chamber through open ejection port
and;
•  Physically inserting finger into chamber through 
ejection port to check for a cartridge or empty case. 
						

							WARNING: If a cartridge is assembled without
powder (a fault of the manufacturing process), the
primer alone has enough power to propel the bullet
into the bore. A bullet lodged in the bore may cause
damage to the barrel and/or pistol if another car-
tridge is fired and could cause personal injury or even
death.This event is commonly called a “squib load” or
“pop and no kick” and is characterized by a reduced
report and little or no movement of the slide.An alert
operator could notice the occurrence of this event in
time to avoid firing the next cartridge.
Selection and Use of a Holster 
When selecting a carrying holster for the HK USP, it is
important to consider the following points:
1. The holster must not make contact with or actuate
any of the operating controls. This includes the 
hammer, slide release, magazine release lever, and most
importantly the control lever and the trigger. The 
design of the holster must also not actuate these 
controls when the pistol is carried in, drawn from, or
returned to the holster.
2. The holster should not cause the slide to move 
(unlock) when the pistol is returned to the holster.
3. Accommodations must be provided in the holster for
26
• Remove any cartridges or empty cases from the 
chamber or from within the pistol.
The HK Universal Self-loading Pistol is now 
considered “Clear”.
If the pistol fails to fire, clear and disassemble it and check
for:
1. Obstructions in the chamber, bore or frame. Remove
obstructions.
2. Bad ammunition. Try new ammunition.
3. Unserviceable magazine. Replace magazine.
4. Fouling or lack of lubrication. Clean and lubricate the
pistol in accordance with the instructions contained
within this manual.
5. Evidence of severely worn or broken parts. Contact
your authorized HK dealer or unit armorer.
If your pistol still fails to operate correctly, contact your unit
armorer, authorized HK dealer, or Heckler & Koch’s Repair
Department for guidance. 
						

							27
4. Clean and lubricate the pistol and it’s components at
least every twelve (12) months during storage.
5. Store the pistol and it’s components in a clean, dry,
dust-free environment with regulated temperature
controls.
6. Store the pistol and ammunition separately under lock
and key. any accessories that might be present on the pistol.
4. Choose holster designed specifically for the USP.
Returning the Pistol to the Holster
The HK USP must be made “safe” (or cleared) prior to 
returning it to the holster. The pistol is considered safe to
return it to the holster when:
1. All fingers are off of the trigger and out of the trigger
guard and;
2. The pistol is “clear” or;
3. The hammer is in the decocked (down) position or;
4. The control lever is engaged in the safe position when
the hammer is cocked.
WARNING:The pistol must never be returned to the
holster unless the above procedures have been fol-
lowed or injury or death could occur.
Storage and Transport 
1. Store or transport the pistol and its components
clean and lubricated.
2. Store and transport the pistol without cartridges in
the chamber, magazine, or in the storage container.
3. Store and transport the pistol with the slide forward
and the hammer down (uncocked). 
						

							28
SECTION  6 DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY
CLEARING THE  PISTOL 
The HK USP is not considered “clear” or safe unless:
1. The control lever (if applicable) is on “SAFE” and;
2. The magazine is removed from the pistol and;
3. The slide is locked to the rear and;
4. The chamber is free of brass or ammunition
To Clear the HK USP:
1. Make sure fingers are outside of the trigger guard and
the pistol is pointed in a safe direction at all times!
2. Engage control lever (if applicable) -  press the safety
lever upwards until the “S” aligns with the reference
line located on the frame.
3. Remove magazine - depress the magazine release
lever and remove the magazine from the pistol.
4. Open and lock slide - while keeping the pistol
pointed in a safe direction,lock the slide open by
pulling the slide rearward as you press the slide
release upward. Watch for a cartridge or empty case
to be ejected from the pistol.
5. Inspect chamber - inspect chamber for the presence
of a cartridge or empty case by:•  Visually viewing chamber through open ejection port
and;
•  Physically inserting finger into chamber through 
ejection port to check for the presence of a cartridge
or empty case.
•  Remove any cartridges or empty cases from the
chamber or from within the pistol.
The HK Universal Self-loading Pistol is now 
considered “Clear”.
Disassembly (Field stripping) Pistol 
1. Depress the slide release and allow the slide to move
forward.
2. Using the firing hand, retract and holdthe slide to the
rear so that the axle of the slide release is visible
through the recess in the left side of the slide (See
Figure 29A).
3. With the non-firing hand, completely remove the slide
release from the left side of the frame by pressing on
it from the right side of the frame. 
						

							Figure 29A
CAUTION: Hold the recoil/buffer assembly in place
while removing the slide from the frame. If not, this
assembly could be released under spring tension and
could possibly cause injury to personnel, or become
damaged or lost.
29
4. Remove the slide with barrel and recoil/buffer spring
assembly by sliding it forward off of the frame. (see
Figure 29B below)
Figure 29B
5.Carefully remove the recoil/buffer spring assembly
from the barrel and slide by lifting up on the rear
of the recoil spring guide rod.The entire assembly
can now be lifted out of the slide (see Figure 30)
6. Remove the recoil spring from around the recoil
spring guide rod. On USP models with “captive” recoil
springs, disassembly is not recommended.   
						

							30
7. Lift the rear of the barrel by the locking block and
withdraw it from the slide.
Figure 30
NOTE: Disassembly of the pistol is now complete.
Only HK certified armorers should disassemble the
pistol further.
Pistol Assembly 
1. Position the barrel in the slide so that:
•  The muzzle of the barrel fits in the hole in the front 
of the slide.
•  The locking block portion of the barrel fits within 
the ejection port and the angled locking surfaces of 
the locking block are visible along the bottom of the
slide.
2. Place either end of the recoil spring over the front
end of the recoil spring guide rod.
3. Install the recoil/buffer spring assembly into the slide
so that the front of the recoil spring guide rod engages
in the small hole provided in the front of the slide.
4. Compress the recoil spring slightly and align the op-
posing angled locking surfaces on the rear end of the
recoil spring guide rod with those located on the bot-
tom of the barrel locking block. (See Figure 32A & B)
5. Push the rear of the recoil/buffer spring assembly for-
ward enough so that the recoil spring retainer can be
engaged on the shelf provided on the front of the bar-
rel locking block. (See Figure 32A, B, & C)