Like any red-blooded American male, I am transfixed by images of dual-Glock John Woo Airsoft fury. It is in this spirit that I placed an order for a Glock 17L. And, well, since one never knows what will befall one, I decided to chance it and go for an H&K USP as well. Herein I shall compare and contrast the ergonomics, accuracy, and overall desirability of these two weapons.

Ergonomics

  I received the Glock first, and was very impressed with the overall product. The weapon is comfortable to hold and balances well in the hand, and the magazine release is conveniently placed. The magazine fits smoothly and snugly into the pistol. However, the placement of the safety on this pistol is awkward at best, and it is virtually impossible to operate with one hand. Owing to the long barrel length, the 17L is not as amenable to concealment as smaller pistols.

  The USP is a more compact package owing to its shorter length of barrel. I found that the USP is far less comfortable to hold than the 17L. The magazine release is ambidextrous, which is nice, but if one has long fingers, it is fairly easy to accidentally release the magazine. I also found that the magazine fits rather loosely in the weapon and rattles a bit. The noise is unwelcome in stealthy situations, and perhaps a wrap or two of electrical tape will fix the problem. On the other hand, the safety on this weapon is much more sensibly thought out, and it is extremely easy to operate with one hand. The USP lends itself to concealed carry more readily simply because it is shorter than the Glock.

  My personal preference, in terms of ergonomics, is the Glock 17L. It is simply a more comfortable weapon to carry and work with, despite the awkward safety.

On the Firing Range

  Well, one of the big questions is how well do the weapons fare on the range? As I felt that my skill with a pistol might be questioned by some, I had operative RHINO join me on the range to double check my work. We improvised an indoor range whereon we were firing at a fixed target approximately 10 cm by 4 cm from a range of about 5 meters, which we felt would adequately simulate a typical Airsoft engagement.

  The Glock performed superbly. The extra barrel length aided in the acquisition of a clean sight picture, and the action cycled without jamming. Several full magazines were fired, and we concluded that the Glock was very accurate. We were much more disappointed by the USP. The sight picture was adequate, but hardly inspiring. The USP also fired several magazines without jamming. Our test weapon fired low and to the left approximately 5 cm, and the action required a great deal more effort to operate than the Glock. The USP appeared to have a greater muzzle velocity and deliver more kinetic energy on target than the 17L, but we did not have on hand equipment to verify this observation.

  While we did not record our statistics properly, I would estimate that in excess of 80% of rounds fired (in a rapid fire setting) from the Glock impacted the target. Less than 40% of the rounds fired by the H&K made impact. Both RHINO and myself repeated each set of firings with each pistol in case one of us was biasing the results. Similar results were noted by both experimenters.

  I would recommend the 17L to readers based on the results of our tests. It consistently delivered rounds on target with a minimum of effort, and I have adopted it as my Airsoft pistol of choice. However, I am hesitant to dismiss the USP out of hand because the possibility remains that we simply received a defective test model. However, I cannot at this time recommend that the reader purchase a USP. Perhaps INFRARED can comment as to his experiences with another USP.

Psychological Factors

  When comparing these two weapons, there are a few additional issues that should be covered. I call these psychological factors, although others might call them coolness factors. After all, if one is going to spend a lot of the time and money on Airsoft operations, then one would like to look good doing it.

  At this point, my personal biases come into play. I think the Glock is simply a more menacing weapon. It is long and sleek, while the USP looks blocky and clumsy - perhaps due to the upper assembly's being cast from grey, not black, plastic. The extra barrel length of the Glock also works in its favour. But for the sake of fairness, it must be noted that the USP has a tactical flashlight mount and the Glock does not. I have also found that when drawing from concealment, the Glock does not have an external hammer to snag, as the USP does, but the forward sight sometimes gets tangled.

  I was asked about the marriage-ending potential of these weapons. While either could drive a spouse to divorce, especially after numerous close-range shots from defiladed positions, the Glock wins that tip of the hat. It is more likely to inspire "Grosse Point Blank"-esque fantasies wherein husbands engage in running Airsoft battles through convenience stores and high-school reunions, and have to explain it to Federal law enforcement officers after a three-week standoff in the local Safeway. The USP simply inspires blase' James Bond fantasies wherein the cat (Ernst Stavro Blofeld) is dropped down the chimney (industrial smokestack) while the kids' (British) lost Frisbee (secret military death saucer) is retrieved from the roof of the garage (Andes mountains).

The Final Score

Glock 17L - 1

H&K USP - 0