While I can work with either action, it has been my experience that a system with both functions is not optimum. During the five years I was assigned to narcotics I carried the USP Compact with this safety decock system. I found that my shooting-hand thumb would either put the gun on safe or decock it at inopportune times. I was very grateful for the creation of the Law Enforcement Mode trigger, which offered a smooth and reasonably short first trigger followed by a short-reset, hammer-cocked trigger action. It is my feeling that the safety decock lever was made obsolete by the LEM. If I were to carry the HK .45, I would install an LEM trigger module that would make a simple gun even easier to use

This 25-yard group was shot with the Federal EFMJ load as discussed in the text.

Another thing that I did not like about my issued USP Compact was the dual push-down magazine-release lever. The version that was (and still is) standard on the compact was reduced in size from that found on the original full-size USP. While this did make it more difficult to release inadvertently, it also made it more difficult to push deliberately. Being a person with small hands, I could not release the magazine with either my thumb or index finger without shifting the pistol in my hand, which is not a good thing to do in a fight as digital dexterity will be diminished.

I was able to make the Compact more user-friendly by adding the larger magazine-release button from the full-size USP, but I was never able to solve the problem. This ambidextrous push-down lever has been carried over to the new HK .45, but HK has greatly improved on its execution. The new lever is longer, flatter and nicely curved, following the contours of the grip and triggerguard. While I still cannot use my thumb, I can use my trigger finger, which engages the pocket created by this curvature.

HK .45 Accuracy
Ammo Type	Group Size (ins.)
Winchester 185-gr. SilverTip hollowpoint (nicely rounded group)	2 1/2
Hornady 200-gr. TAP hollowpoint (1 3/4 with a single flier)	2 1/2
Federal 200-gr. +P Expanding FMJ (see below)	3
CCI Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot hollowpoint (1 1/4 with flier)	2
Hornady 230-gr. TAP hollowpoint (rounded group)	3 1/4

Instead of having to push straight down, I can now push back, which will still release the magazine. This is something that cannot be fully described in print; you just need to try it for yourself. What I did discover, however, was that when my trigger finger traveled back to engage the magazine-release lever, my thumb reflexively moved up, engaging the safety lever and creating a dead gun. This could be a real problem--all the more reason why it would be better for me to have an LEM trigger system.

The sights on my test gun were the new generation of Super-Luminova night sights. These sights are not loaded with tritium but with a material that will trap light from any light source. This is not the glow paint that can be purchased at local gun shows but a substance that will hold light anywhere from 30 minutes to eight hours, depending on its mixture. It doesn't take long to charge the sights--just a few seconds--and they are an excellent alternative for those countries where tritium sights are banned, even for law enforcement and the military.

Something I like about Super-Luminova sights is the ability to charge just the front sight, which certainly makes it easier to find it quickly, as Super-Luminova will glow four to five times as bright as tritium for a short time. You do have to keep them charged, which is easily done with a flashlight of any brightness even when it is in the holster. These sights have advantages and limitations, as with anything else. Don't view these like one moron I encountered who said, "I guess if I need my gun in a fight, I have to draw it and then flash my light on it before I can shoot." A true professional will understand both the advantages and disadvantages of any tool.