The P7 is a German 9 mm semi-automatic pistol designed by Helmut Weldle and produced by Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK). It was revealed to the public for the first time in 1976 as the PSP (Polizei Selbstlade Pistole ? "police self-loading pistol").^[1]

Development

The decision to equip West German police with an advanced 9 mm pistol and replace existing 7.65 mm caliber weapons was prompted after a terrorist incident that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.^[1] The new firearm was to meet the following requirements: chamber the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge, weight - no more than , the weapon?s dimensions would not exceed 180 x 130 x 34 mm, the initial muzzle energy ? 500 J, service life ? 10,000 rounds. The pistol was also to be fully ambidextrous, safe to carry with a loaded chamber and able to be quickly drawn and ready to fire instantaneously.^[1] As a result of a competitive bid the German police forces selected three different pistols into service: the Swiss SIG-Sauer P225 (designated the P6) and two German designs ? the P7 (officially called the PSP) and the Walther P5.

Series production of the P7 was initiated in 1979. Shortly after, the pistol was adopted by the German Federal Police?s counter-terrorism unit (GSG 9) and the German Army?s special forces formations.^[1] The pistol was also exported to several countries. The P7 was produced by HK and Greek defense firm Hellenic Arms Industry (under license).

Design details

The P7 is a semi-automatic, blowback operated firearm. It features a gas-delayed blowback system modeled on the Swiss W+F 47 pistol prototype, which uses gas pressure of the ignited cartridge that is fed through a small vent in the barrel (just in front of the chamber) to retard the rearward motion of the slide by means of a piston contained inside a cylinder located beneath the barrel that opposes the rearward motion of the slide until the gas pressure has declined ? after the bullet has left the barrel ? hence allowing the slide to end its rearward motion, opening the breech and ejecting the empty cartridge case. The chamber has 18 flutes that aid in the extraction process by allowing combustion gasses to flow between the fired case and the chamber walls to free the case from the chamber walls. The drawback of this system is that the breech "opens" slightly prematurely to allow the slide to initiate its rearward motion. The high temperature gasses cycling through a tube located below the chamber area and above the trigger made the first versions of this pistol uncomfortable to shoot after the content of two magazines were fired. The advantage are a simpler manufacturing process due to the absence of locking lugs and a high accuracy due to the barrel being fixed in the frame since this pistol does not need a barrel moving rearward with the slide to delay the unlocking of the slide like with the Browning system almost universally used on other pistols.

The spring extractor is contained inside the slide, while the fixed ejector is a surface on the slide catch.

The pistol has an innovative trigger (with a squeeze cocking lever located at the front of the grip, beneath the trigger guard) and a striker firing mechanism. Pressing back the cocking lever with a force of approx. automatically cocks the firing pin. The weapon is then fired by pressing the single stage trigger rated at approx. . The squeeze cocking lever also acts as the safety and protects against accidental firing as the lever moves forward to its initial position automatically uncocking the pistol when the lever is released. This method of operation dispensed the need for a manual safety selector while providing safety for the operator carrying the pistol with a chambered round and increased the speed with which the pistol could be deployed and fired. The trigger and firing mechanism?s method of operation (and the unique slide catch) are protected by a US patent, number 4132023, issued January 2 1979.^[2]

The P7 is fed from a single-stack box magazine (with an 8 round capacity), which is held inside the firearm?s frame with a release located at the heel of the grip. After the last round has been fired, the slide will remain open thanks to a slide catch that can be released by pulling the slide further back or pressing the squeeze cocker.

The firearm uses a fixed, polygonal barrel (hexagonal with a 250 mm twist rate) and fixed notch iron sights with contrast dots that enable use in low-level lighting conditions. The pistol is completely ambidextrous and two-handed use is enhanced through the use of a profiled and enlarged trigger guard.^[1]

Between 1982-1983 the P7 received several modifications, mainly to address American market demand and shooter preferences. These modifications resulted in the P7M8 model. A new magazine release lever (available on both sides of the frame) was installed just beneath the trigger guard, which forced designers to modify both the pistol?s frame and magazine. The trigger guard was equipped with a synthetic heat shield that protects the shooter from excessive heating and a lanyard attachment loop was added in place of the previous magazine heel release. The firing pin and its bushing were also changed.

Variants

The P7M8 field stripped.

HK P7M8 with Nill Wood Grips.

The P7PT8 is a dedicated, straight blowback training pistol modified for use with the 9x19mm PT training cartridge (made by Geco) with a plastic bullet (weighing 0.42 g). A ?floating chamber? adapter is used inside the barrel which enhances felt recoil for use with the special ammunition. The pistols were marked with blue dots on both sides of the slide to differentiate the P7PT8 from other P7 pistols that can chamber lethal ammunition. To date about 200 pistols of this type were produced that are used mainly for simulated firing in enclosed spaces.

The P7M13 is the P7?s counterpart with a double-column magazine and a 13-round capacity. This pistol was offered (unsuccessfully) to the US Army. A variant known as the P7M13SD was produced in limited numbers exclusively for German special forces, featuring a longer (compared to the P7M13) threaded barrel and a sound suppressor.

The P7K3 is a shortened version of the P7 (inspired by the HK4 pistol) that uses straight blowback for operation. This version has a removable barrel and uses a sealed hydraulic recoil buffer in place of a gas cylinder. After swapping out the barrel and magazine it can use .380 ACP (9x17mm Short) or .32 ACP (7.65x17mm Browning SR) pistol cartridges and after replacing the slide, magazine and barrel (with floating chamber insert) ? it can also be used to fire .22 LR (5.6 mm Long Rifle) ammunition.

The P7M10 was introduced to the American market in 1991.^[1] It is chambered for the .40 S&W (10x22mm Smith & Wesson) round and has a double-stack 10-round magazine. With the American market in mind a variant known as the P7M7 designed to use the .45 ACP (11.43x23mm Automatic Colt Pistol) cartridge was also created, however it remained only a prototype.

See also

• Steyr GB

Notes

References

External links

• Official P7 page from HK-USA
• P7 operator's manual
• Modern Firearms: PSP, P7, P7M8, P7M13 and P7M10 pistols
• REMTEK ARMS P7 page
• Chris's Unofficial P7 website
• HKPRO - The unofficial website for the uncompromising HK enthusiast
• P7M8 discussion at PAFOA
• The Cult of the P7

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