The HK 45 was developed as a modern .45 ACP combat pistol for military use. Photo courtesy of Heckler & Koch

Although few people realize this, the much-talked-about HK 45 was actually born out of an ill-fated HK 1911 program. A number of years ago Ken Hackathorn and I were consultants to Heckler & Koch on developing an enhanced 1911-type pistol. It would have had some excellent features, but several factors ended up dooming the project, not the least of which was the fact that an all-steel 1911 pistol made by HK in Germany would have been very expensive. It very likely would have priced itself right out of the market. In the end it was the 1911 that never was.

So, I discussed at length with Ken over several phone conversations the concept of an enhanced HK service pistol based upon its USP series. Basically, it would simply build on the strengths of the USP design: accuracy, durability and reliability. Essentially, my attitude was: Let's build a gun that helps HK stay in its lane. The things that needed to be addressed were more ergonomic in nature, as the HK USP series is a little long in the tooth in that critical area. Ken and I both were fans of the excellent HK P2000 pistol, and we wanted to use that pistol as a template.

Although replaced as the standard-issue sidearm by the M9, the .45 ACP-tossing 1911 has never completely disappeared from U.S. military service. Photo courtesy of the USMC

The HK USP series has a long-standing reputation of being more than adequately accurate for a service pistol. In particular, the .45 ACP USP has been known for very good out-of-the-box accuracy. At all costs we wanted to carry this legacy for the HK 45 and HK 45 Compact and, if anything, enhance it. One way to do this with no cost in reliability is by utilizing the HK barrel O-ring system developed for the Mark 23 program.

The HK 45 project began with input from the author, left, and Ken Hackathorn, who at the time were acting as consultants for HK.

Consisting of a rubber O-ring near the muzzle, it allows for more consistent lockup of the muzzle within the slide opening and does not adversely affect reliability. I wanted to have this feature across the board on the HK 45 family and not just on special tactical or target models like on the USP series of pistols. The latest version of the HK 45 full-size does sport this feature, so hopefully it will make it to series production.

First off, we felt that the frame dimensions of the HK USP 45 Compact were needed to make the pistol more shooter-friendly. The full-size USP 45 frame is simply too big for many users, myself included. An extended version of the USP 45 Compact magazine was used that holds 10 rounds for the full-size HK 45. The HK 45 compact uses standard USP 45 compact magazines. One thing we wanted to keep was the 1911-style safety/selector lever options of the USP vs. the simplified controls of the P2000. This allows for the end-user to configure the pistol in virtually every firing mode imaginable.

Rather than being a revolutionary design, the HK 45 is actually an evolution of the USP. Photo courtesy of Heckler & Koch

The excellent ambi controls of the P2000 were borrowed as well as the ergonomic backstrap insert concept and sleeker, slimmed-down slide. In addition, we made an effort to get the pistol to sit lower in the hand. This has always been an issue with pistols like the USP and SIG P200 series. It is caused by the modular nature of the trigger mechanism. The bottom line is that to have as many trigger options as the USP has requires a certain amount of space to accommodate the mechanism. The downside is that it forces the boreline to ride higher in the hand when compared to striker-fired pistols such as Glocks or the S&W M&P.

The upside is that the HK 45 will bring more to the table to offer end-users in terms of operating controls. Combine a steel slide riding on top of a polymer frame and you have the recipe for increased muzzle whip. It certainly can be overcome, and the HK 45 is better in this area to a slight degree than the USP, but it is noticeable.

	This is article appears in the G&A Special Interest Magazine, COMBAT ARMS, which is available on newsstands now. For more articles like this, make sure to pick up your copy of COMBAT ARMS today or purchase it online, by clicking HERE.