HK45C Buyer's Remorse

[Snort]

Buyer's remorse probably isn't the right phrase for it, but it's close. More like "buyer's second-guessing."

I bought an HK45C as my first handgun last week. Love the gun, and I shoot accurately with it. What I do not shoot with it is fast. At all. Takes me forever to line up follow-ups.

The PPQ was my other option to consider, and I unfortunately never got to fire one. I briefly got to play around with a first-gen P99, and while I enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the HK45C. Plus, I let myself get swayed somewhat by "caliber war" threads, plus the knowledge that, hey, all these elite Tier 1 types favor .45s.

Fast forward to today, when I happened to stop by a range I don't normally go to. They'd just this week gotten in PPQs as rental guns. I'd intended to put a few rounds through the HK45C, but couldn't resist the chance to reassure myself I'd made the right call.

Turns out I did the opposite. The PPQ's fit's as good as the 45C, the accuracy's as good...but I'm so much faster with it it's disgusting. It settles right back on target before I can blink. I didn't time it or anything obviously, but I'd say for every two accurate shots from the 45C, I can make four from the PPQ. And, perhaps more importantly, I'm accurate out to longer ranges with it.

The 45C has a lot of advantages over the PPQ. I'm reassured by the external safety for when I start carrying. I like hammer-fired guns, I've discovered. I even like DA/SA and the ability to get a second strike. I'm sure striker-fired pistols with no external safeties are carried every day, but something about it makes me nervous.

But the pure shootability of the PPQ is...well, astonishing. I'm really starting to wonder if I should've saved $400 and who knows how much in eventual ammo costs by going with the PPQ.

[TxFlyFish]

Tracking (recoil management + ergonomics) always trumps mechanical accuracy IMHO. HK to me makes high quality reliable and accurate guns but are below average when it comes to tracking (except the P7 line)

[Mosin44az]

Having second-guessed myself too many times, and having wasted thousands of dollars over the years doing so, my advice:

MAKE SURE you will be unhappy with the HK before getting rid of it. Note all the reasons you want a gun of its type. Add the Walther when you can.

I have dumped a number of guns only to buy the same model later due to SELLER'S remorse. Just take your time.....

[sigarms228]

Wll you know now that you are going to buy the Walther PPQ but you say you also love your HK45C.

Usually people regret selling a pistol they really like.

At this point I would suggest that you just save up for the Walther PPQ.

[Jim243]

You are comparing apples to oranges. One a 45 ACP and the other a 9mm. Incase they didn't tell you there is a difference between the two. Not just in size of the bullet or amount of powder they use, but in recoil and recovery time as well.

But I hate to tell you recovery time will be the same for any 45 ACP and you have one of the best out there.

Jim

[globalsmack]

Work the reset on the HK and you will learn to love it. If you slap it the HK has a very long travel path.

[MikeGunz]

Sounds like you just need practice, don't hate on the gun haha. I sold a USP compact .45 to a buddy and last time we went shooting he brought it and I had instantly regretted selling it.

[Microgunner]

The 9mms are always faster to shoot than the 45s, that's why they're so popular. The 45s require more practice but are well worth the effort and expense.
After all these years I still cannot shoot the 45 as fast as the 9, but I can shoot it fast enough.

[BrittB]

Practice, practice, practice! It takes a little time but now I'm just as good with my Ruger P90 in .45acp as I was with my Glock 17 in 9mm.

[vyse.04]

Yeah, that's a lot of money to spend on something only to turn around and sell it. Obviously if you can't warm up to it after awhile, there is no sense in dropping even more money on ammo. I would practice more though, and then make your decision. In the same size/platform, 9mm will always be easier to shoot but that doesn't always mean they are better. I shoot my Kahr CW45 pretty well at the range, and don't really mind the recoil. Then I shoot my 1911, and with that I don't even notice it at all after shooting the CW45.

If you like the features of your HK though, stick with it. The only thing worse than buying one gun that you don't enjoy shooting at the range, is buying a CC weapon that you don't feel comfortable carrying. I think the PPQ would be a safe choice for carry though.

[motorhead0922]

You may not realize it yet, but it won't be long before you own several more guns. A few years from now, you'll describe one as your "beloved PPQ", and another as "the big dog: my HK45C".

Don't ever get rid of a gun, unless it is just plain defective. And that's what warranties and gunsmiths are for.

[Kyo]

i'll share a few stories with you.
1. I used to own an Sr9. I got rid of it because I already had a carry weapon and its a 45. I got the Sr9 for the girlfriend while we were dating and then we weren't anymore. So I had an extra weapon. This is not your case. This is your first.
2. I took my time in ridding myself of the weapon. I ended up getting a camera lens that was worth much more even used than the gun I traded for it +cash for him. It was a good trade. What I am saying here is you won't get the money you paid for it, so look for something worth your gun in monetary value. My trade was a camera lens. yours can be whatever you want.
3. Speed is not the gun's issue, its your issue. If you can't handle the gun then work out your arms for a few months.
4. does it really matter if you shoot fast? If you are accurate then you can place the shot where you need to be regardless. To me speed is like saying "oh yea, I emptied my mag in less than a second."
5. its a preference. maybe your preference isn't a 45 after all. you just have to ask yourself a serious question. Do you think that your life is in better hands with the HK? or do you think you have a better confidence with another weapon. Because if you think you have better confidence with another weapon go get that other weapon. I carry my 45 cause I am very confident in my ability to use it, not because its a 45, but because I have trained with it for years

[ScotchMan]

I know exactly what you're feeling right now. The right answer is to get a PPQ as well, but that's obviously difficult or impossible. It is true you aren't comparing apples to apples with 9mm vs a 45, 9mms are easier to shoot, .22s are even easier.

I can't quite picture them side by side, but I believe the PPQ would be quite a bit harder to conceal than the HK45c. You may not be considering that now, and might miss it later on when you start carrying. There are other things you will miss once its too late.

My advice is stick with the HK45c unless you can come up with enough good reasons to get rid of it that don't have anything to do with the thought process of "what would I replace it with." If you can reasonably justify selling it only on its own merits, then do it, but I'm betting you can't.

The HK45c and Walther PPQ are both top notch guns. Save up and get the Walther too.

[Adamantium]

I would make the argument that you should keep the gun you have unless it is actively making you want to shoot less or it isn't economically feasible for you to shoot it regularly. Playing around with other stuff is fun, it's not like you are cheating on your wife here :), but how many times have all of us become infatuated with something that didn't last? Also in this day and age where your limit to information is how much time you have to surf the web it is easy to get sucked into the idea that the grass is greener on the other side.

On a pure nuts and bolt level remember that the only real comparison between a 45 and 9mm is the speed and accuracy of the first shot, which is the most important anyway.

Also what do you do with your HK? I've met people who thought they were losing interest in their gun when in reality they were losing interest in standing still shooting the same target and the same distance over and over again. On the one hand not challenging themselves but on the other becoming frustrated they were not getting better. A new gun might add some variety but doing new things will too and a new gun isn't going to new forever.

Hope it helps no matter what you decide.

[HKGuns]

Look at it this way. You've already Identified your next purchase. The PPQ will be around for a while. If you get rid of the HK you WILL regret it......

[TxFlyFish]

One thing is for sure, there will always be better guns out there. As for speed there are definitely differences on recoil management of different platforms. It is a combination of many factors of both the platform and the shooter. Fast matters because your first shot might not hit and you need additional follow ups. Fast matters because firing a gun quickly that does not have good recoil management can break your grip and throw off your aim. I could go on and on ...if you have shot and compared different platforms you will notice that recoil management is key, recoil management takes into consideratiom the WHOLE platform ---all the parts working as one with the shooter. All well sorted platform will have good recoil management

Next time to the range try out M&P45 you will instantly notice the difference

[HKFan9]

Sounds like you need more training/practice.. and to understand what is going on.

I will be the first person to say if a gun doesn't fit your hands right.. to ditch it.. but recovery time an fast follow ups will obviously be much much easier in a full sized 9mm vs a compact .45acp.

You really care comparing apples to oranges. Sounds like you bought a gun for the make and model and not what you NEEDED in it. Which we all have done.

Can a .45 be fired quickly... yes... but it takes time to learn... all comes down to the basics... stance.. trigger control... sight picture... and most importantly patience. Too many people expect to buy a handgun and automatically be a professional with it. A lot more goes into shooting a handgun than movies would lead you to believe.

I am not trying to talk down to you at all... i feel your pain. But I would keep the HK45.. and start saving for the PPQ if you like it. Both do two different jobs.... no reason to limit yourself to one.;)

AND don't let my name fool you into thinking I am just a snob sticking up for HK.... I carry a Walther PPS 9mm when I am not carrying a 1911... oh the irony.:cool:

[Bentonville]

+1 Mosin and everyone else who says to keep the HK45c. I wish I had every gun back that I became dissatisfied with over some stupid mind game I played. The HK is top quality and a prize, even if you pack it away and shoot a PPQ for years to come. This .45 is as accurate as any 9mm I have. Maybe it's just me. You will still own one of the best .45s on the market. I can't wait to go out today and shoot mine. I just had the trigger converted to Light LEM and it's like having a new gun. HK customer service installed my LEM and those guys are amazing. Three days from the morning I sent the pistol to GA until it was back in my hands.

[Pilot]

OK. Start reloading for .45 ACP. Work up some light target loads, and PRACTICE. Gradually raise the amount of powder, and therefore velocity in the rounds you practice with. I've even brought three or four different loads with me to one range session, starting with the lightest and working up to the full power rounds.

The other thing you'll benefit from is the cost to shoot will be a lot less when reloading.

[banditgriot]

If I were you I wouldn't dump the HK. Over 20 years or so I would say there are only two pistols that I don't regret getting rid of and they were both unreliable. I would say what you have discovered is that you really want a PPQ too.

You may want to really examine how much faster you are with PPQ versus the HK, our perceptions are rarely as accurate reality. That said, you mentioned several qualities of the HK you preferred DA/SA, manual safety, which speaks to a well reasoned approach to your purchase. Practice with the gun you own, which is a great pistol by many measures.

[Nanuk]

H&K's are well built, well engineered guns.

I sold my H&K USP 40 and went Glock.:eek:

I shoot the Glock better, and faster with the same ammo. H&K has a higher bore axis, you may find out that is the case with the PPQ. If you really want the PPQ bite the bullet now while the H&K still looks new, dump it and get the gun you want. Life is too short to have a gun that does not make you happy. It may cost you more in the short term, but if you are happy, so what.

[RC20]

I love HKs.

While I am sorry for you, this should be a lesson to all who get into the caliber thing. An HK in 9mm is a sweet gun (I prefer my Sig SP2022 overall, but the grip on the HK is awesome and the de-cock button is sweet)

If you can keep it for the fine gun it is and get the gun you want for the SD/HD and keep the HK for a range gun?

Me, I agonized over the caliber thing a lot (though more in 40 S&W.

I am a rubber meets the road type, and the real world street shooting statistics said that 9mm with self defense ammo was as good as 45 (and all in between). I know its not intuitive, but the real world data does not lie. Its shot placement and as you have found out, getting back on target and another well placed shot is what the data proves to work regardless of caliber (and a bad shot does not regardless of caliber). You need at least two rounds for a stop (and my take is you shoot till they are down, I practice strings of 4 and a pause to assess (do I need to keep shooting or have they or are they going down and there is more threat(s) to deal with.

Gelatin tests and the rest are meaningless for what actually stops someone (they are good in testing what changes a bullet incurs as you adjust its details and that rounds do what they are supposed to for penetration, layers and such).

So, I went with 9mm. If you really like a caliber, buy it.

Just do not buy it and expect it is going to be any better than 9mm with SD ammo, bigger does not make it better.

[deeHKman]

I would say learn to shoot the HK and all other gun's you will be better at. Learning to shoot a TDA gun will improve your trigger control and not use a great trigger as a "crutch". The PPQ has my interest for a fun range gun not for carry AIWB never. My HK's are my carry guns'!!

Plus around here HK's are few. I have never seen a LEM'd HK. But i like mine DA/SA been that way along time. If you could try someone's Light LEM just to see what you think.

I would save for the PPQ there not a high priced gun. Plus on Gunbroker some have layaway's. I use at time's since i'm not in a rush to get any handgun.

Seller's remorse is no fun. I see some Great Post here!! ;)

[ATW525]

I bought an HK45C as my first handgun last week. Love the gun, and I shoot accurately with it. What I do not shoot with it is fast. At all. Takes me forever to line up follow-ups.

You say it's first handgun, and according to another post you made you've shot rentals once or twice a year previously. My advice is to keep the gun and learn how to shoot it (preferably through a professional trainer). You'll probably never be able to shoot the HK45C as fast as a PPQ, but the difference in speed won't be as noticeable once you master proper handgun shooting techniques.

[balance]

In my opinion...

If the reasons you chose the 45c over the PPQ are still legitimate, then keep the 45c. If they are not anymore, and you don't believe they will be later, then sell it.

I've bought and sold many pistols because I found something that worked better and I never really found myself looking back with regret because I remind myself of the reasons I bought and sold those pistols to begin with. You may not have regret at all later on, but the option to buy another 45c should still be there if you do.

On the subject of becoming a better shooter, depending on how much you get for the 45c, I'd imagine you could get a PPQ and a used .22 pistol for it. Cheaper 9mm ammunition as well as even cheaper .22 should get you more practice per dollar, and it is generally recommended that new shooters start with calibers that don't have much recoil, and personally, I would consider a good trigger on a carry pistol that is quick and easy to shoot, an asset, not a crutch.

[Florida Guy]

If after careful consideration you really don't want the HK, just sell it and move on. Many of us have been in the same boat.
You may take a bit of a hit but chalk it up to experience.
You will end up behind on some guns, ahead on others and it usually balances out.

[Muncher]

I just got an HK45c recently with an LEM trigger. I like the gun, but the first time I shot it I was pulling way low. I had to really fight to get the gun on target. I think the gun shoots where it's aimed, but either the trigger was messing me up, or else this is set up with a combat sight picture ie front post ON the target, not under.

I currently have it listed for sale, but I may give it another go if it doesn't move soon enough.

Otherwise I like it. It's a nice gun, and I've been meaning to get one for a while. But, currently, it's one gun too many for my collection. I've been hiding it from my wife. :eek:

[Strafer Gott]

I think you alluded to this in your original post-"the choice of tier one operators". Did you ever think about their physical condition?
Training will improve your shooting across the full spectrum. Increased upper body strength, including hand strength, will help you recover from recoil faster.
An HK USP 45 compact takes a bit of time to master. If it's any consolation, a USP40 compact is tougher to recover. Shooting It makes the .45 seem easier.
It's like I told my coach, everybody shoots a nine better. It's the recoil.

[Revoltella]

If it makes you feel any better, you're hardly the first person not to be happy with the first gun they've bought. Guns are a learning curve, and it may take several to figure out wht's right for you.

And don't buy into that "never sell a gun" hogwash. If you don't like it, your needs change or just your desires, flip it to get what you want. I was looking at pics of some of my guns the other day and laughed that most of them are gone now. Now, if the saying was "never sell a gun without another gun in the deal", I can get behind that.

[henry1960]

Otherwise I like it. It's a nice gun, and I've been meaning to get one for a while. But, currently, it's one gun too many for my collection. I've been hiding it from my wife.

I think there are a lot of wifes out here that do not know there husbands full collection of toys..:p

[chuckles]

PPQs are nice, check into how easy,(read difficult/impossible), it is to buy spare mags/parts for. I have both and the PPQ is a good shooter but I just waited almost 6 months for the opportunity to buy 2 spare 15 round mags. Walther made a nice pistol but they forgot to produce a product support network with it. Nice gun lousy support.
JMHO and YMMVY

[Viper99]

So you got your first gun last week? Is too soon to give up. Keep practicing and you will get better.

[Muncher]

I lucked out. I contacted the guy I bought it from, and he wanted it back. So I basically got to rent it for $25.
win-win

[kcub]

We expect a full report of that ppq with plenty o' pictures to go with it.

[SpareMag]

And now, after you have played with the PPQ for a bit, you will recall fondly the HK you let slip away....

PPQ is a superior pistol, I have the .40 M1 version, the "real" PPQ. Don't be spooked by the PPQ mag availability issue. That will get sorted. And if you are in a situation in which you need more than two mags for the PPQ, you need something other than a PPQ....

[TunnelRat]

And if you are in a situation in which you need more than two mags for the PPQ

That's some pretty terrible logic, or better yet a fanboy excuse of why Walther can't keep the market supplied with enough mags.

I have 6 mags for each pistol. 3 for the range, 3 for home defense. My range mags get beat up pretty bad hence the separation. I also like keeping mags loaded for home so I eliminate the need to remember to reload mags when I get back from the range, I just swap mags.

[blackamos]

A good rule is to never sell any gun that says H&K or Sig Sauer on the side. In both cases you will some day regret the choice.

[Worc]

I would keep the HK for a little while longer and see if it gets any better for you. If it does, keep the gun. If not, get rid of it and move on. Some guns just don't feel right to some people and never will no matter how hard they try. The name one the side of the gun won't change that fact.

The PPQ is a very good model in it's own right. Lots to like about the gun. Getting spare magazines is as hard as you want to make it. I just picked one up last night in one of my LGS. It's in 9mm for a P99 which fits my PPQ M1. I also see them on Gun Broker often enough. Walther needs a little time to get everything sorted out now that they are on their own from S&W. The guys at the Walther forum are pretty good at posting links when they find a supply of mags.

[Kevin_d77]

Bought a 2007 USP40, police trade-in which was flawless. Paid $429 w usable night sights and 3 mags.

Ehhhh its ok. I'm not in love with it. Kinda wish I would have just bought a PPQ instead but this was such a good deal I couldn't pass it up. I have only shot it twice so far so maybe it will grow on me but who knows. Guess its a good piece to have.

Definitely have buyers remorse on my 5.25 XDm9 though. Not nearly as fun to shoot as my steel Baby Eagle so it gets very little range time.

[mwmjones]

I love my HK's but nothing will ever compare to any caliber 1911

[overkill0084]

I bought an HK45C as my first handgun last week. Love the gun, and I shoot accurately with it. What I do not shoot with it is fast. At all. Takes me forever to line up follow-ups.

Learn to shoot it well first. Speed will follow with experience.
I would suggest you seek out bowling pin shoots or steel matches or some sort of competition that goes against the clock. Not only will it improve your skills, it will help you gauge where you fall compared to other shooters. You may not be as slow as you think.

[TunnelRat]

I love my HK's but nothing will ever compare to any caliber 1911

I'll be honest with you, I'd rather have my HK45c than a 1911 :eek:. Blasphemy I know.

[PSP]

I'll be honest with you, I'd rather have my HK45c than a 1911

Right there with you. The 1911 just doesn't stoke my fire anymore. There are lots of really well made guns around.