One of the very unique features of the new USP pistol was that the fire control was offered in 10 different variants. for purchase, followed in June by the USP9. In April of 1993 the first USP40s arrived for sale at H&K Inc. That same month the USP40 Variant 7 was submitted to U.S. The USP was unveiled at SHOT Show in 1993 and in February 1993 USP production began at H&K GmbH in Germany. Upon completion, the USP design was frozen and production planning began. In December, both the USP40 and USP9 completed the first half of the 20,000 round endurance testing. In September of 1992, the third prototype was reviewed and endurance testing began. In August of 1992, H&K delivered 30 OHWS pistols to SOCOM, which would eventually be adopted as the MK23 MOD O pistol. Prototype 1 was reviewed in February 1992 and the second prototype in June of 1992. Unlike most of the other pistols in the industry, the USP was designed for this new caliber, not a 9mm pistol modified for the larger caliber. The pistol was designed for the newly introduced. In September 1991 the acronym USP or Universal Self-loading Pistol was assigned to the new family of weapons. The OHWS would be put through the toughest testing the world has ever seen for a pistol. Much of the criteria for both pistols were the same and both pistols would use the same basic technology. In February of 1991, United States Special Operations Command announced their Offensive Handgun Weapon System (OHWS) proposal.

During these early days of research and development, another pistol opportunity presented itself.

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