Hi ,


25 years after his creation, some claims the HK P7 is always unsurpassed !

I had one in my ands last week but I can't shoot with it.

What is your experience with this gun ?

Thanks for your answers !

It is a very good pistol. It may take some inexperienced (to the P7) shooters a bit to get use to but it is generally an extremely accurate pistol. Almost certainly if you cannot shoot with a P7 it means you need more trigger time with it; they are that predictable. All that said, myself I don't care for them all that much. Heavy, relatively low cap compared to their weight, and the killer for me, its a 9mm. I'd rather have a 9mm than a rock but if caliber is a choice, and it is, make mine a .45 and that is why I carry a USPC .45.
I have the P7-M13, P7-M8, and the P7 and while they are all very nice and the one I have shot, the P7, is quite accurate, I really don't think they are the end all of gun design. They are an excellent example of the gunmakers craft, no question about that, but they are expensive to make (which is why all P7-Mx production has ceased), get hot very quickly when shooting, overweight IMO, and underpowered, again IMO. The P7-M10 was a real good attempt to make the pistol in a harder hitting caliber but HK ruined the initial design by giving it a top heavy slide, which many engineers said was not needed, but the lawyers won out. And my favorite, the P7-M7, was DOA and only 6 were ever made.
If you want a unique pistol that is very safe with a nice trigger, carries a bit on the heavy side, and is more accurate than it has a right to be and in 9mm which costs half an arm, the P7-M8/13 is it. If you want a 40 that cost a whole arm and part of a leg then the P7-M10 is it.

Need to learn the drill...very nice pistol, but it doesn't quite translate to the other gun's for practice (kind of like Glocks in that way).

They do tend to get hot...that odd gas arrangment is the main cause.

Squeezeing that front lever dosen't come easy to some people. Would not be the first time I've seen a round fired just ahead of the shooter's feet when they amder a panic draw...but that error proably would have happened with any gun; he got his finger on the trigger BEFORE he got the grip squeezed...if he had a 1911 type, it would have fired as soon as he swept the safety lever to off.

Big Bore has it pretty well covered. I have personally had a P7 PSP since they first arrived and it is not for sale. As said, it is probably the most accurate 9mm I've ever fired. For my needs in a 9mm, I retained it over 92's, P35's and good number of other 9's. As Ribbonstone related, it has a firing drill that must become ingrained and that keeps it from being a piece for the neophyte or casual shooter. They are a series of opposing traits. Its very low bore line makes it quite concealable (almost as small as a Chief's Spec) while its overall weight detracts from that use. I find it happiest in an old Jackass horizontal rig with dual offsetting mag pouch. I actually prefer the single stack frame and European heel clip. While its design is simplicity itself, who knows how well it might have performed with an alloy frame or if the .45 had made it to market. That said, the design does have serious drawbacks. It's heavy, firing long strings becomes quite uncomfortable, and most of all it requires the utmost in concentration from its operator in order to maintain a safe atmosphere. For those that can devote the time, they can be a remarkable piece, for all others, just a curiosity.

Do think that gas system had possibilities...the heating problem could be tamed; it really was only a problem in practise sessions where you'd run a lot of rounds through quite rapidly. The simplcity of the design had an appeal, but never really could get too friendly with the squeeze grip and they'd pretty well priced themselves out of the average guy's carry market. Not lead-bullet-friendly...and for that matter, treated the fired cases rather badly.

Just wondering...the DA/SA is the answer to a question no one asked, then the squeeze cocker is the answer to a question no one even knew existed.

Just wondering...the DA/SA is the answer to a question no one asked, then the squeeze cocker is the answer to a question no one even knew existed.

About the best thing I can say about the squeeze cocker is that it goes instantly from safe to hot and just as quick back to safe without doing anything but squeezing or relaxing your grip. If someone unfamiliar with the weapon takes it away from you and tries to fire it they may be in for a surprise, giving you time to either get away or retrieve the backup.

I do question the comments about simplicity. IMO it is overly complicated for the likes of the 9mm cartridge. Most 9mms use the blow-back action with or without barrel tipping. The use of a gas piston to retard the blowback (unlike other gas operated weapons that use the gas to operate the action the P7 uses the gas to prevent the action from operating) and the use of fluted chambers along with all those parts needed for squeeze cocking and firing, well, it seems to me it is much more complicated than just about any 9mm pistol out there, except maybe for the HK P9S that was a roller lock like the MP5/G3/9X series of rifles.

Guess it's in how you look at things...the fluted chamber is probably not any harder to make on their tooling, and keeping the barrel in once place throughout cycling seems like a good idea...to the point of case failure, the harder you push it, the tighter it locks. The rest of the design (the cocking lever and the trigger) is probably a bit over complicated, but teh locking system still seems like it's operationally simple (if not design-simple).

But what do I know...still keep an HK P9s...and that one is (1) ugly (2) complicated (3) too big for no good reason.

Think the squeeze cocking feature could be adjusted to...just a matter of training. Considering American tastes, it might have gone down better with the lever on the back.
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NOpe...remembering the Thomas...lever on the back wouldn't have helped.

From my experience, yes, venting or open chambers between the gas chamber and trigger guard would have been easy of include. I believe that with the lever on the face of the grip it reminds the user to make a more conscious effort to bring the piece to ready. Operationally, once cocked, it can be held at ready easily by one finger. Regarding the fluted chamber, I think its a great idea on a combat weapon, greatly reducing the chance for grime to bind the case in the chamber. The flute marks on the brass are mostly carbon streaking and have never given a problem with reloading, nor has there ever been any hint of the case weakening along them. As to simplicity, the gas piston that "locks" the action serves equally as the guide rod for the slide spring. Nothing else moves during cycle. It is interesting to function the piece with the slide removed. You can see that the grip front acts on one lever that cocks the striker, then the trigger acts on the same lever that then acts as the sear to release the striker. Very simple. I believe that the design could have been effectively produced for far less money. At one time, there was a near copy produced in South Africa. I understand that its function was just fine and that its failure seems to have been in marketing. Still would like to have tried the .45...