H&K P7 - The Firearms Forum

mooresridge9 · 12-02-2010, 11:38 PM

I've never been a fan of either 9MM's or semi auto revolvers.My early years and training as a Baltimore City Policeman made me into a revolver advocate partial to typical pistol cartridges 38 special, 44 special and 45LC.I recently bagan investigating 9mm semi autos.Bought a Sig 226 and sold it after 2 months.Very reliable and accurate but just didn't feel right.Too square looking as with most 9mm's.I don't like plastic guns.I like guns that are steel and feel like a gun when it's in yor hand.By accident I began resarching Heckler & Koch's P7 line of semi autos.After a lot of research and shooting the various models(my special thanks to Ed Smith who let me shoot his H&K colection-he owns over twenty of them)I purchased a German Police trade in in Grade B condition.German police apparently only carry their weapons in flap holsters and don't shoot them very much.My grade B gun showed no internal wear and the exterior had a few minor holster wear spots.Not a scratch or ding on the gun which was made in 1986.This P7 is the best firearm that I have ever shot.It has a squeeze cocking device in the handle-no safety-just squeeze the handle and every shot is single action.Extremely accurate- most groups are 1 1/2 to 2".The only after the sale improvements that are available are adjustable sights, grips and re-finishing.H&K got the gun right on the first design.Only drawback is the gun is heavy for its small size and it gets hot after 50 rounds.The most fun gun I have ever owned and shot.They are not cheap.I paid $600 for a 25 year old gun but worth every penny.If you are looking for the most reliable,safe,designed 9MM home defense gun don't overlook the P7.

oscarmayer · 12-03-2010, 03:56 AM

for a short period of time i owned a surplus p7, i marvelled at it as a true engineering masterpiece, and a well made work of art. and while i had no real issue with it while at the range i did elect to try it out on a combat coruse and failed badly. under the "stress" of the exersize i found myself having a hard time with the manual of arms / operation of this gun. now with practice i know i would of done better. but at my age i think i was so conditioned to either a single action auto ( browning or colt ) that i found myself all thumbs with the h&k . so i got rid of it and have been sorry ever since. with the exception to the sig p210 which was also a police & military issued sidearm i can't think of any finer better made auto ( handgun) in the world .

Brer Rabbit · 12-03-2010, 08:18 PM

Early in the 1980's I had an opportunity to work with GSG9, the German Anti-terrorist unit. Their primary side arm was a P-7. I had ample opportunity to fire the weapon. At first it was a little strange, squeezing the grip to cock and the trigger to fire. It took a little getting used to, but after a little practice, I realized that this not only was an engineering masterpiecs, the action and the trigger were as smooth as silk. Secondly I realix=zed theis was the perfest HD weapon. I requires an adult hand to cock the pistol, children would have a hard time doing it, and the squeeze to cock and squeeze to shoot is not an intuitive act. It takes a little training.

Great weapon -- wish I had one.

Brer Rabbit

Remington 51 · 12-14-2010, 08:55 PM

I have to agree with Oscar.

I own two PSP's....they're terrific guns.....but I would not carry one for SD or keep one for HD. I just don't feel like I can trust my "muscle memory" to apply the squeeze-cock under duress. It happens all the time at the range....forgetting about the squeeze-cock mechanism.

I suppose if that is all I ever shot, I could train myself otherwise.

hogger129 · 12-19-2010, 06:21 AM

The Sig Sauer P226 is aluminum-framed I thought. H&K makes some very well-crafted pistols. They cost a lot of money compared to some others, but I think they're worth it. One of my coworkers has the full-size USP in .45ACP and I swear it's one of the most accurate out-of-the-box pistols I've shot. I could get very good groupings with it. My only dislike is that the trigger feels like a staple gun.

gdmoody · 12-19-2010, 12:52 PM

I have never owned a P7 but I did get a chance to shoot one a few years ago. Any time I can pick up a gun that I have never seen before and put the first five rounds out of it into the bullseye at 15 yards, I would consider a very accurate pistol.

I have wanted one since that day, but it seems that when a deal comes along, I don't have the money. When I do have the money, there is no deal to be found on one.

Helix_FR · 03-08-2011, 02:02 PM

I almost bought one just because I liked the action behind it. It was a very accurate gun but mechanics behind it is what amazed me. The range I work with somehow acquired 7 of them and not a bad price. Especially for the blue ones, hard chrome were a good 150 more. I was close to slapping down the cash for it until that little voice in my head reminded me that I needed a new air compressor

Everyday I walk in there, there are two on the wall calling my name

PS thanks to our ad troll, I realized that this is a old thread. Thanks shahpolymers for bringing up the past with your vague ad

hogger129 · 03-08-2011, 04:08 PM

Never tried the P7. The USP is a good, solid gun.

muddober · 03-08-2011, 09:47 PM

The reason the HK P7 is so accurate is that the barrel is fixed to the frame and the fast return to target acquisition is due to the gas retarded slide makes for very little recoil. I have a P7m10 and a friend of mine who is a real pistolero fired 10 shots into a 6" circle at about 15 yards just about as fast as one could pull the trigger. I know of no other 40 cal handgun with hot loads capable of such a feat.

Ron

Oneida Steve · 03-08-2011, 09:47 PM

I rented a P7 back in the 1990's and thought it was a well-designed and interesting gun. A few years ago Gander Mountain imported a bunch of P7's and in 2010 they started appearing in Gander stores. I passed on one last year because $600 seemed a lot for a used 9mm, but lately I've reconsidered. If a nice one comes my way I think I'll buy it.

12-02-2010, 11:38 PM	#1
mooresridge9 Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 29	H&K P7 I've never been a fan of either 9MM's or semi auto revolvers.My early years and training as a Baltimore City Policeman made me into a revolver advocate partial to typical pistol cartridges 38 special, 44 special and 45LC.I recently bagan investigating 9mm semi autos.Bought a Sig 226 and sold it after 2 months.Very reliable and accurate but just didn't feel right.Too square looking as with most 9mm's.I don't like plastic guns.I like guns that are steel and feel like a gun when it's in yor hand.By accident I began resarching Heckler & Koch's P7 line of semi autos.After a lot of research and shooting the various models(my special thanks to Ed Smith who let me shoot his H&K colection-he owns over twenty of them)I purchased a German Police trade in in Grade B condition.German police apparently only carry their weapons in flap holsters and don't shoot them very much.My grade B gun showed no internal wear and the exterior had a few minor holster wear spots.Not a scratch or ding on the gun which was made in 1986.This P7 is the best firearm that I have ever shot.It has a squeeze cocking device in the handle-no safety-just squeeze the handle and every shot is single action.Extremely accurate- most groups are 1 1/2 to 2".The only after the sale improvements that are available are adjustable sights, grips and re-finishing.H&K got the gun right on the first design.Only drawback is the gun is heavy for its small size and it gets hot after 50 rounds.The most fun gun I have ever owned and shot.They are not cheap.I paid $600 for a 25 year old gun but worth every penny.If you are looking for the most reliable,safe,designed 9MM home defense gun don't overlook the P7. -->

12-03-2010, 03:56 AM	#2
oscarmayer Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Contributor Posts: 2,387	Re: H&K P7 for a short period of time i owned a surplus p7, i marvelled at it as a true engineering masterpiece, and a well made work of art. and while i had no real issue with it while at the range i did elect to try it out on a combat coruse and failed badly. under the "stress" of the exersize i found myself having a hard time with the manual of arms / operation of this gun. now with practice i know i would of done better. but at my age i think i was so conditioned to either a single action auto ( browning or colt ) that i found myself all thumbs with the h&k . so i got rid of it and have been sorry ever since. with the exception to the sig p210 which was also a police & military issued sidearm i can't think of any finer better made auto ( handgun) in the world .

12-03-2010, 08:18 PM	#3
Brer Rabbit Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 5	Re: H&K P7 Early in the 1980's I had an opportunity to work with GSG9, the German Anti-terrorist unit. Their primary side arm was a P-7. I had ample opportunity to fire the weapon. At first it was a little strange, squeezing the grip to cock and the trigger to fire. It took a little getting used to, but after a little practice, I realized that this not only was an engineering masterpiecs, the action and the trigger were as smooth as silk. Secondly I realix=zed theis was the perfest HD weapon. I requires an adult hand to cock the pistol, children would have a hard time doing it, and the squeeze to cock and squeeze to shoot is not an intuitive act. It takes a little training. Great weapon -- wish I had one. Brer Rabbit

12-14-2010, 08:55 PM	#4
Remington 51 Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 16	Re: H&K P7 I have to agree with Oscar. I own two PSP's....they're terrific guns.....but I would not carry one for SD or keep one for HD. I just don't feel like I can trust my "muscle memory" to apply the squeeze-cock under duress. It happens all the time at the range....forgetting about the squeeze-cock mechanism. I suppose if that is all I ever shot, I could train myself otherwise.

12-19-2010, 06:21 AM	#5
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,064	Re: H&K P7 The Sig Sauer P226 is aluminum-framed I thought. H&K makes some very well-crafted pistols. They cost a lot of money compared to some others, but I think they're worth it. One of my coworkers has the full-size USP in .45ACP and I swear it's one of the most accurate out-of-the-box pistols I've shot. I could get very good groupings with it. My only dislike is that the trigger feels like a staple gun. __________________ Samuel Adams once said, "among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life, secondly to liberty, thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can."

12-19-2010, 12:52 PM	#6
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,324	Re: H&K P7 I have never owned a P7 but I did get a chance to shoot one a few years ago. Any time I can pick up a gun that I have never seen before and put the first five rounds out of it into the bullseye at 15 yards, I would consider a very accurate pistol. I have wanted one since that day, but it seems that when a deal comes along, I don't have the money. When I do have the money, there is no deal to be found on one. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

03-08-2011, 02:02 PM	#7
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,621	Re: H&K P7 I almost bought one just because I liked the action behind it. It was a very accurate gun but mechanics behind it is what amazed me. The range I work with somehow acquired 7 of them and not a bad price. Especially for the blue ones, hard chrome were a good 150 more. I was close to slapping down the cash for it until that little voice in my head reminded me that I needed a new air compressor Everyday I walk in there, there are two on the wall calling my name PS thanks to our ad troll, I realized that this is a old thread. Thanks shahpolymers for bringing up the past with your vague ad __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com Last edited by Helix_FR; 03-08-2011 at 02:04 PM..

03-08-2011, 04:08 PM	#8
hogger129 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,064	Re: H&K P7 Never tried the P7. The USP is a good, solid gun. __________________ Samuel Adams once said, "among the natural rights of the colonists are these: first, a right to life, secondly to liberty, thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can." Last edited by hogger129; 03-08-2011 at 04:09 PM..

03-08-2011, 09:47 PM	#9
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: H&K P7 The reason the HK P7 is so accurate is that the barrel is fixed to the frame and the fast return to target acquisition is due to the gas retarded slide makes for very little recoil. I have a P7m10 and a friend of mine who is a real pistolero fired 10 shots into a 6" circle at about 15 yards just about as fast as one could pull the trigger. I know of no other 40 cal handgun with hot loads capable of such a feat. Ron

03-08-2011, 09:47 PM	#10
Oneida Steve Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 1,028	Re: H&K P7 I rented a P7 back in the 1990's and thought it was a well-designed and interesting gun. A few years ago Gander Mountain imported a bunch of P7's and in 2010 they started appearing in Gander stores. I passed on one last year because $600 seemed a lot for a used 9mm, but lately I've reconsidered. If a nice one comes my way I think I'll buy it.