The USP stands for Universal Self-loading pistol. Heckler and Koch Defense Industries began developing the pistol in 1989 with a goal to design and produce a semi-automatic pistol usable by the law enforcement and military agencies worldwide. Their goal was achieved in 1993 when the first version hit the US market and caught the attention of the desired recipients. The pistol was intentionally not meant for civilian use, as the laws in Germany prohibit ownership of such gun. H&K continued production and offered more variants of the pistol.
The USP’s similarities to the M1911 are partially the main reason that the weapon has been accepted in the US market so well. Both of the guns share similar features as the safety and magazine release, they function in the same way and share the same features, the vary in design. The USP utilizes materials and ideas that haven’t existed in the time in which the M1911 was designed and takes advantage of these new features. Apart from the new features, the advantage that USP has over the M1911 are its caliber variation options. H&K released the weapon in 1993 available only as a .40 S&W; a good compromise between speed and penetration of a 9mm Parabellum and the dropping power of a .45 ACP.
Shortly after, a 9mm Parabellum version was introduced after the USP .40 S&W caught in the US. This was an important advancement because it allowed a new users, which prefer the 9mm cartridge to familiarize with the handgun. The speed of the 9mm (which can exceed 1,900 feet per second) and the small diameter makes the cartridge ideal for kevlar and other body armor penetration. Armed forces around the world require these cartridges and will not adapt pistols unless they are chambered in 9mm due to safety reasons and ammunition availability.
