History

The USP (Universale Selbstladepistole or "universal self-loading pistol") is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns

Design work on a new family of pistols commenced in September 1989 focused primarily on the U.S. commercial and law enforcement markets. In 1991, USP prototypes participated in rigorous testing alongside H&K's entry in the OHWS (Offensive Handgun Weapon System) program requested by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and which would later result in the Mk 23 Mod 0. The USP prototypes were then refined in 1992, based on input from the OHWS trials, and the design was finalized in December of the same year. The USP was formally introduced in January 1993 with the USP40 model (the base version) chambered for the increasingly popular .40 S&W cartridge, followed soon by the USP9 (using the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge), and in May 1995—the USP45 (caliber .45 ACP).
 
The USP marked the first time H&K chose to incorporate many traditional handgun design elements, such as those of John Browning's M1911, in one pistol. Two principles guided its development—the first being the use of a molded polymer frame, and the second being the creation of a "pistol paradigm". Heckler & Koch observed the strong points of its previous successful pistols for insight in developing the USP. Previous H&K pistol innovations include the unique squeeze-cocking mechanism of the P7, the precise roller-delayed blowback operation of the P9S, and the plastic frame and double action only trigger system used in the VP70Z. In contrast to these ambitious designs, the USP uses a Browning-style cam-locked action, similar to that developed by John Browning for use in the Hi-Power and M1911 pistols.
 

Singleplayer/Spec-Ops

The USP .45 first appears in the level Hunter Killer where it is the starting secondary weapon and comes without attachments. It is used by Marcus Burns in the mission "Mind the Gap" with both a silencer and a tactical knife.

The USP .45 is the starting weapon for Tier 2 (Regular) Survival Mode missions. 

Multiplayer

The USP .45 is unlocked by default to the player. It features the fastest reload of any handgun but is otherwise quite unextraordinary. Compared to the other low-damage handguns (The P99 and the Five Seven), the USP .45 has the lowest firecap. It does have an interesting range profile, the bullets dropping off from a 3 hit kill slightly sooner than the other two, but maintaining their damage for longer. This makes the weapon less effective at somewhat close range but more effective as it approaches medium range.

Attachments

Attachments	Challenges	Icon
Silencer	Get 40 kills with a Silencer attached to a Pistol.
Akimbo	Get 40 kills using Akimbo on a Pistol.
Tactical Knife	Get 40 kills using a Tactical Knife on a Pistol.
Extended Mags	Get 40 kills with Extended Mags attached to a Pistol.

Challenges