The USP Compact

When I heard that KSC was going to release this weapon, I was somewhat surprised and excited. (I’m a HK junkie for those of you that don’t know me.) Anyway, KSC is known for their Glock, SIG, STI, & Beretta series of pistols and have only hit the HK market, up to now, with the HK MK23 SOCOM Heavy weight and Hardkick models.

 The Search is on!

I checked all the major Hong Kong airsoft sites for one that had the USP Compact in stock. War Gamers Club, Red Wolf Airsoft, and UN-Company was out of stock. Den Trinity had them in stock as well as extra magazines. I placed my order, via the Internet, and waited. (If you ever order from Den or any of the other Hong Kong retailers, make sure you tell them to use TNT as your shipper; I did not and played the waiting game with the United States Postal Service.) Finally the day arrived and the USP was at my door. The first thing that caught my eye after opening the box was that only the tip end of the barrel was painted blaze orange, and the end of the slide was un-touched. Very Sweet! I removed the orange paint from the barrel and then turned my attention to the trademarks. They were covered with a black-silicone like substance, which came off without much effort. Once finished, the uncovered KSC USP Compact is very detailed and visually impressive. Weight wise, when the weapon is empty, it’s top heavy. But after loading a magazine, the weight shifts more to the back of the pistol, making it easier to wield. The marking on the slide & frame are very detailed, clean and clearly defined, not poorly cut or fuzzy looking.  

While un-loading the box, I checked the magazine that came with the Compact. It is very well crafted, down to the last detail, The back of the magazine has the recessed holes for a shell count and the bottom floor plate can be changed from a plain flat plate to an extended plate with just the push of a pin. I read the operations manual and checked to make sure all the right parts/accessories with there. The only thing left to do was grab the can of gas and a bag of BB’s and hit the backyard shooting range. 

 Loading the Compact magazines is easy. The weapon comes with a three part-loading tool. (Loading adapter that fits the magazine, brass tube to hold bb’s, and a push rod.) 21 rounds down the loading tube and with a push, you’re ready to go.  HC 134 gas is loaded into the magazine in the usual manner. Out of the box, the Compact shot with a steady drop out at about the 30’ mark. After making adjustment to the hop-up, the distance before drop increased to about 45’ to 50’. Adjusting the hop-up on the compact is easy. Lock the slide back into an open position; locate your round-slotted adjustment tool and insert it into the adjustment ring on the back of the BB chamber, make adjustments to your liking.

Because this weapon uses HC 134 gas, and is a Gas BlowBack, I did not think it would operate well with a low power gas. I was very mistaken. It has good action and has not missed a BB yet. Most of the time, I can get two and a half loads of BB’s (50 rds) out of one charge of gas. When the magazine is empty, the slide locks back.

Over all, I like the KSC USP Compact and think it is a good purchase, if you are looking for a compact pistol.  If KSC comes out with a regular size USP, I’ll be eyeing it as well.

Arch appears courtesy of The Black Company