HK45: Any chance of using as CCW?
 

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I have a chance to pick up an HK45 for $500-600 (still negotiating) and am wondering if anyone has any experience with it. I know it shoots great from all the reviews I'm reading, but I'm really interested in a CCW, and I also know I'm getting a smoking deal, and could probably flip it for $800-1000.

What Would You Do, if presented the opportunity? Does anyone have any experience, plus or minus, with the HK45?

I have a USP Compact in .40 and have used the fullsized model. I have not, however tried to conceal the full sized .45.

However, I do carry (and conceal) a full sized 1911 on a regular basis and while it (and your USP) is more cumbersome than a smaller pistol it is easily done as long as the weather permits a baggy shirt.

If you could pick that gun up for that price (and it is above board, of course) I would go for it. It might not be the best gun for you, but it is an excellent weapon and you would be getting an awesome deal.

I'd buy it. Shoot it, see how it comports to my preferences and go from there. $500-$600 for a HK in good condition is a win-win situation.

CCW. In my limited experience it depends on how big the person carrying is. I talk to fat gun shop owners CCWing a full size M&P on an OWB and don't even notice it. On the other hand me, being as slim as I am can barely CCW a slim 1911 w/o a jacket.

So, in my humble opinion, if you wanted to CCW an HK45 on some sort of waist holster (cargo pockets notwithstanding), you'd need a cover garment, period.

*Edit*: Drat. Beat by Slims. Listen to him, he knows what he's talking about.

I have no idea about that particular gun but I do know a bit about ccw as I conceal a full size 1911.

In my opinion it's all about the holster and belt, and I'd highly reccommend carrying about 3-4 o clock inside the waistband with a pancake holster. Get a real gun belt imo. I use the wilderness instructors belt with added stiching for stiffness. I'm sure the leather gun belts are great too but they are expensive and have wait times. Concealing a large gun is all about having it tight to your body so you don't feel the weight flopping around.

Crossbread supertuck, comp-tac get the best reviews for kydex style (I've never tried either). For leather expect long wait times, but they are worth it. The best is supposedly Milt Sparks VM2 but has 6 month wait. I got a black ops from purekustomleather.com that I love.

You might have trouble finding a good holster for an HK 45 just because they aren't as common as your snub noses, glocks and 1911s. Especially if it has a rail. I'd say forget the rail if you plan to carry it, but if it's a smoking deal for that one I'm sure you can work around it.

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Samcol reminded me what I forgot to mention in my first post. A good IWB holster goes a LONG ways towards making a pistol concealable.

FWIW, I conceal my USP with a FIST #1 kydex IWB holster...and it is the best holster (concealment-wise) I have ever owned...I used it all through college in a very liberal anti-gun town and only got made once when a female friend hugged me around the waist. IWB holsters hold the gun right up against your kidney and the barrel is concealed in your pants which makes for a very small profile and gives you some wiggle room if your shirt gets pulled up for a moment.

I don't use it much anymore as I am more comfortable carrying and I live in a much more understanding town.

When I first started carrying I was very paranoid at getting made. Then I realized that I never saw anyone with a ccw before I started looking for it. People just don't look for it at all, unless they are police or ccw themselves. I've only made 2 people since I've been carrying and one was at a department store and I think he was basically flaunting his shoulder rig (I live in a open carry state so it didn't matter anyway). The other time a guy got his shirt caught over the grip of an IWB system when he was removing a sweatshirt at a restaurant, and I was probably the only one who even noticed.

I'm much more concerned about casual acquaintances and friends slapping or hugging me like Slims mentioned.

People are so unaware sometimes, it's silly. I've been in businesses multiple times with lunch groups (even with gun enthusiasts) and I'll be the only one who notices someone open carrying. I've never 'made' anyone who was CCing.

People are absolutely oblivious. Unless they're carrying or are familiar with it, it won't cross their mind that the bulge might be a gun rather than a cell phone or wallet. You could probably sling a rifle over your shoulder and most wouldn't notice.

If you want a good .45 I wouldn't go with HK anymore.

Don't get me wrong - they are pretty and well-designed guns but the thing that kills it for me is the lack of customer service.

In my case that was an important issue because my HK USPc is also the only pistol that ever failed on me in the field. I own and carry Glocks, Kimber, S&W, Les Baer, Colt, CZ, HK and other pistols but my USPc was the only one that failed in the field. A flatspring sheared during a mag change and fell out of the magwell. Now the gun won't go past a half-cock.

I still can't find a local Glock Armourer to fix it. HK won't sell the $5 flatspring to my local smith or to myself and I can't find the part online. HK makes nice guns and I want to shoot my USPc again but it has been on the shelf for over a year now and I can't do a damn thing about it. This is no exaggeration - my gunsmith and I tried HARD for a long time to get the part but our hands are tied. I've all but given up on it.

I love their guns so I wish I could say more. I still shoot my HK P7M8 which I love dearly, but heaven help me if I ever needed parts for it.

You'll find this is not an uncommon complaint with HK. But honestly, when I was young, this fact wouldn't have deterred me from buying a pretty gun.

My top carry guns are my commander-sized S&W 1911 PD, Glock 23 and HK P7M8.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Well, I've got an old HK in .45, but it's a P9S. Accurate and reliable, but heavy and not a pistol I'd relish carrying CCW all day. I have a .40 S&W USP with tritium express sights that I love to shoot. Housed in a Milt Sparks holster, it's comfortable and readily-concealed. I like HK but my beef with them is the same as Longbough's: Customer Service or lack thereof.

I have a Sig Sauer P245 that is my current pistol of choice.

The HK45 gives me a minor boner and I'm thinking I want one as an upgrade to my current favorite piece: the USP45.

I've used the USP45 with a leather "PWL - Made In England" OWB forward cant straight sheath holster with some success. Gotta have a jacket on, though. The holster has the piece riding tight against my side, high enough in my kidneys and behind my lats to where there isn't an obvious gun hump.

Sadly, the full-size USP is built like a friggin' freight train car, it isn't designed for concealment. It's a beautiful gun and I haven't found a handgun I shoot better with yet, but it is a real pain to carry. Most of the time I just revert to the J-frame.

I've been carrying the whole time I've been in FL. I must say, the best way to carry for my 1911 is to do IWB at 4 o'clock, grip exposed with a cover garment on (think...trendy jacket...).

I tried cargo pocket carry, but that dinged up my knees good. (bruises everywhere!) I also was not comfortable with a Cond 1 1911 pointing whereever my knee faced.

Sorry to threadjack this, but when you guys say HK45, are you talking about the Mk23 or something else?

Nevermind, I used wikipedia.

For me these questions are very very simple.

It's going to be heavy as hell. You're not going to want to carry that every day, every place you go. One time for a quick run to the store you'll say "ehhh, I don't need to bring it" and that will turn into you never wanting carry it.

I see people that carry full size 1911's and never complain. But they are more rare then people that carry Kel-Tec 9mm's.

Funny you should say that. I bought a KelTec PF9 instead. :thumbsup:

In the long run, I imagine that will be a wise choice.

For a battle weapon, I wouldn't trade my Glock in .40sw for anything. For a carry weapon, that new generation of KelTec pf9 is about damn near perfect. The whole +p nonsense kind of stinks. But, it's reliable, small, and light.