USP Match

USP Match
Production information
Type	Handgun
Affiliation	Combine Civil Protection
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Model	USP Match
Technical specifications
Magazine / reload type	18 round box magazine
Ammunition type	9x19mm Parabellum
Maximum ammunition	150 rounds
Damage	5
Fire mode	Semi-automatic
Rate of fire	Slow to medium
Projectile speed	Hitscan
Recoil	Low
Spread	Low to medium
Accuracy	Good
Range	Short to medium
Usage
Used by	Metrocops Gordon Freeman Combine Assassin (cut)
Counterparts	Other handguns
Game information
Entity name	weapon_pistol (weapon entity) item_ammo_pistol (ammo entity) item_ammo_pistol_large (ammo entity)

The USP Match, also known as the 9mm Pistol, is a semi-automatic handgun and the first firearm Gordon Freeman acquires in Half-Life 2.

Overview

Metrocops shooting at Gordon Freeman at the back of the City 17 Trainstation.

• The USP Match appears to be the Combine's standard sidearm, and is often carried by Civil Protection officers.

• The USP Match is a reliable and accurate weapon and has a large magazine. One of the weapon's most prominent features is a large muzzle compensator that reduces muzzle climb.

• The player first acquires the USP Match at the start of the Half-Life 2 chapter Route Kanal, after defeating the Metrocops beating a Citizen in a maintenance tunnel near the City 17 Trainstation. However, it is possible to obtain the gun earlier than this near the end of the chapter A Red Letter Day by stacking up crates and killing the Metrocop on top of the trains. In Episode One, it is found in the City 17 Underground. In Episode Two, it is found early on while trekking through the Victory Mine.

Tactics

• The USP Match is not particularly effective against multiple targets, and better when facing off against one or two targets at a time. When engaged in a firefight using the USP Match, aiming at the target's head is advised. Aiming for the body is not very effective, especially not if the target is wearing body armor, and it can take up to seven shots at medium range to score a kill. On the other hand, it normally takes only three headshots to kill.

• The USP Match's recoil makes it difficult to quickly fire the gun while retaining any accuracy past short range. Instead, one shot should be fired at a time to hit enemies at medium to long range.

• The USP Match is significantly more accurate than the MP7 and does a little more damage, making it convenient as a backup weapon if the other weapons are running low on ammo.

• Ammunition is plentiful in the early chapters while battling Metrocops in the Canals, but it becomes slightly harder to come by in later chapters, especially in Episode Two, where it is usually only found in some supply crates and abandoned outposts.

• Any combine (humanoid figures) can be killed with a single head-shot[1] while the player is undetected. However, the chance this will happen in the game is unlikely, as the combine are aware of the player's position most of the time. There are several factors which effect whether the player is detected. This includes the line of sight, sprinting, distance from the enemy, enemy alert or not, suit noises (zoom, use, sprint start, etc) and others. However, 'sneaking' has proved to be quite a challenge, as the combine can see anything within a 180 degree view (respective to where they're facing). Also, the distance for a head-shot to occur is 5m, which is also a problem, as the game rarely provides opportunities for this. On the other hand, a head-shot is not achieved from a distance while undetected. Instead, it does double the damage a head-shot does (which is 3x the base damage). In this case, the pistol base damage is 8, therefore a head-shot (no-stealth) would be 24. If you did this from a distance (while undetected), you would do 48. The same principle applies for other weapons as well.

• Although the USP Match lacks considerable stopping power, it has a high rate of fire (as fast as the trigger can be pulled) and a sizable 18-round magazine. It is a useful all-rounder and is particularly effective against weak or slow enemies, such as Metrocops, Headcrabs, Barnacles, Zombies and Scanners.

• The USP Match is one of only two ranged weapons that can be used underwater, the other being the crossbow.

Behind the scenes

Combine Assassin with dual USP Matchs.

• The Combine Assassin was to use dual USP Matches, as they are the successors of the Black Ops and the Glock 17, respectively.

• In the playable Half-Life 2 Beta, the USP Match has a larger texture and ejects spent magazine casings.

• The Beta USP Match uses some sounds now used by the MP7; its reloading sound, and its firing sound when fired by an NPC.

• Textures for an earlier USP Match model can be found in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta files.

Trivia

• Like the Security Guard and HECU Marines, Civil Protection units hold the USP in the holster when not in use. However, their holsters are not visible on their belts. Upon making visual contact with enemies, they pull his pistol out of their holsters.

• When the USP Match is fired by the player, no spent magazine casings are ejected, while it does when fired by an NPC.
  • However, in the Half-Life 2 Beta, it does.
  • However, this can be fixed by downloading a fixed version.

• The USP Match was discontinued in 1999.

• It is prominently used by Lara Croft in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and its 2003 sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.

• Before the May 26, 2010 update applied to Half-Life 2 and Episode One, players could hold down the secondary and primary fire to "charge" their next shot (it would fire several shots at once at the same angle, essentially creating one extremely powerful shot). However, this uses alot of ammo very quickly.

• Sometimes, there is a glitch that the CPs will shoot their "Invisible" pistol, this can be seen in the chapter Route Kanal when the CPs rush to the player on the train track at long range.

Gallery

Pre-release

Texture for an earlier USP Match model - the magazine.

Early texture for the grip (H&K's name can be seen on it).

Early texture for the hammer.

Early texture for the slide.

Early texture for the weight in front of the barrel.

Viewmodel.

Reloading the USP Match.

Gordon watches the Hydra impaling an Overwatch Soldier while holding his USP Match.

Early Zombies in the early Ravenholm, with the USP Match in use by the player.

Retail

HUD icon, a vector glyph used in-game through the font "HalfLife2.ttf".

Worldmodel.

Viewmodel.

Ammo box model.

Ammo crate model.

The first USP Match of the game that is usable by the player, held by the left Metrocop.

Metrocops shooting at Gordon Freeman at the back of the City 17 Trainstation.

References

The Half-Life Wiki has more images related to USP Match.

List of appearances

• Half-Life 2 (First appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Deathmatch (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Episode One
• Source Particle Benchmark (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two