HK P7 bought today, LNIB but age 30 **UPDATE***

[Rainman48314]

Feel in love with a fine example of German engineering, the Heckler & Koch P7. It's a generation removed from the P7 PSP but before the American style mag was introduced. It was hard chromed.

This has to be the fastest and safest gun ever made. There is a front strap cocker/decocker. You can carry a round in the chamber with this gun COMPLETELY uncocked. No fussing with a safety, just grip the squeeze cocker and pull the light SA 3.5# trigger. All shots, even the first, are SA.
The squeeze cocker also is the slide release.

The design uses blowback gas to delay the slide and keep it locked until the bullet is on its way. The barrel is both fixed and hexagonal for accuracy. The grip is high, higher than a Glock, making recoil mild. It is a heavy gun, also aiding in recoil management.

The negatives are: high price, hot running if used as a range gun. You need to let it cool off if you want to rapid shot 50+ rounds.

Anyone have one now or in their past?



Seems to have great CCW potential using an IWB holster.

[ripley16]

Anyone have one now or in their past?

I've had a couple of P7s. Everything you said above rings true; very accurate, very instinctive and natural pointing, fast to **** or decock. Sounds like you have a early production 1981 P7. There are several mag release iterations from that time... do you know which you have? My favorite P7 feature are the chamber flutes... so cool.

The P7M13 was one of the pistols submitted for Army tests in the '80s that lead to the selection of the Beretta. The P7 performed very well, as it is a robust and tough pistol. Hk steel is very hard and the finish is remarkably corrosion resistant.

If you didn't get a gas tube cleaning rod, you'll need to buy one, or a aftermarkert version or at least a bronze brush. Don't be tempted to take tools to the piston. It can tolerate a fair amount of carbon build up. I've found that Slip 2000 Carbon Killer cleans the piston very well. Use patches or soft brisle brushes only...no hard tools.

You'll discover that mags are expensive and sometimes hard to find.

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/index.php has a huge amount of information on the P7.

Enjoy your new gun. :D

Fluted chamber. Love that barrel. :cool:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/P7Chamberandbarrel.jpg

P7 tool set.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/tools.jpg

Slip 2000 Carbon Killer cleaned piston.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/007.jpg

One of my P7s, this one a 1995 BMI police agency trade, P W Arms imported example.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/lightbox007.jpg

[jocko]

super gun, no doubt, quality is like nothing we will probably ever see againjh. Priceishigh but the quality ius outstanding. I would think the reason it never made it farin our military tests is #1. Price. #2 heat factor. nice gun, I can remember back 50- years ago I seem to have seen them alot as they were just not "hot" then. People then didn't appreciate the top quality and the workings of the gun.

I am not a fan of the decocker grip but it is cool. Could be why I have 3 German cars. Porsche, Audi,, MB.

[sidekick]

LOVE that gun...accurate, easy to shoot, NEVER a failure. Too bad I took it off my CCW and replaced with the PM9 (multiple FTF, as usual).

[Chuck54]

Carried a P7M8 for years as a duty weapon. All the good stuff others have mentioned except I found it would rust up if not maintained almost daily. Shooters choice all weather grease helped a lot to cure that problem. A light coat (very light) on the piston made it easy to clean, most of the time I could just wipe the carbon off of the piston. Not sure how hard it is to find parts now but it took an extended length of time to get trigger return springs from HK.

Not taking away from the P7M8 but I like my Kahr T9 better. It feels better in my hand and I shoot it better.

[ripley16]

Not taking away from the P7M8 but I like my Kahr T9 better. It feels better in my hand and I shoot it better.

I've often said the T9 and P7 were similar in many ways, size weight, barrel length, width, capacity, accuracy, etc. Both very nice pistols.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/P7andKahr004.jpg

[jocko]

nice comparison photo for sure. kinda hard not to like the looks of the steel kahrs. I always loved the deep bluinbg on the P7's though, rust is just part of a steel gun, before stainless guns, we just nefver thought about it, we took care of them..

[Rainman48314]

If you didn't get a gas tube cleaning rod, you'll need to buy one, or a aftermarkert version or at least a bronze brush. Don't be tempted to take tools to the piston. P7 tool set.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/tools.jpg

Slip 2000 Carbon Killer cleaned piston.
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i186/ripley16/Pistols/Heckler%20Koch/007.jpg

I ordered the missing cleaning tool. I did get a new / never used brass brush. I hear any soft brass or nylon 30 cal brush will clean the piston cylinder.

My mag release is rounded and the grip comes down to blend in so it does not protrude. I think this was one of the first changes to the PSP, making it a P7 before the P7M8 was so designated.

My slide is very clean of writing. The left side has what your pic does, the left has nothing except the serial number and proof house mark. No importer name or American City name.

Going to shoot it in a couple of hours.

[jocko]

nice gun, really is.

[Rainman48314]

super gun, no doubt, quality is like nothing we will probably ever see againjh. Priceishigh but the quality ius outstanding. I would think the reason it never made it farin our military tests is #1. Price. #2 heat factor. nice gun, I can remember back 50- years ago I seem to have seen them alot as they were just not "hot" then. People then didn't appreciate the top quality and the workings of the gun.

I am not a fan of the decocker grip but it is cool. Could be why I have 3 German cars. Porsche, Audi,, MB.
They know cars and guns. My first ever lease was a Porsche 924 in 1987. It was sure a cool feeling to turn over a very small check ($800) and get the keys to a dream car. The dealer was on Woodward Ave. near Detroit and Woodward is knowing for cruising. In Fact, today, there is an event called the Woodward Dream Cruise which draws classics and 800,000 people. Talk about gridlock. More recently I owned a 2007 MB E350 and a 2009 E350 4matic. There all gone now in favor of a Buick LaCrosse. Business reasons. I'll probably go German again once I hit 65.

[jocko]

I bought one of the first MB350 my dealer got in. nice car, then a year or so later just got he bug and traded it for a MBGLK, gave that tomyt son upo0n graduation from engineering school. We kept his 04 audi and love that \car and the 0-6 Porsche realy just kinda sit sin the garage. I love to drive it but then I love to clean it to, so one offsets the other...

But in all honesty american cars have come a long ways, interiors are getting very close to German stuff, motor wise our engines today are awesome, trouble free. My borthe rin law traded in his chevy picklup tha the bought new and it had 225 mile son it and he never changed the plugs or ever replaced a timing belt, He just drove it like he stole it..

[Rainman48314]

I bought one of the first MB350 my dealer got in. nice car, then a year or so later just got he bug and traded it for a MBGLK, gave that tomyt son upo0n graduation from engineering school. We kept his 04 audi and love that \car and the 0-6 Porsche realy just kinda sit sin the garage. I love to drive it but then I love to clean it to, so one offsets the other...

But in all honesty american cars have come a long ways, interiors are getting very close to German stuff, motor wise our engines today are awesome, trouble free. My borthe rin law traded in his chevy picklup tha the bought new and it had 225 mile son it and he never changed the plugs or ever replaced a timing belt, He just drove it like he stole it..
I can't complain about my CXS. Its as quiet as the MB, has lots of electronic toys, some work better than MB versions. Huge rear seat in a 2010 LaCrosse, huge! Trunk is small for a car in its size. Its 97% of what my E350 was at $23,000 less.

[Too Tall Todd]

I have a p7m13 that I was able to get before they were generally available in the us. I called the factory in chantilly va and begged the lady about it, went to the dealer who said that it wasn't available so I gave him her name and number and a month later I had my dream. I named her excaliber for obvious reasons and have loved her ever since. The old girl is semi retired and my p9 is my primary carry but when I'm feeling highfalutin I carry her. By the way holsters for a p7 can be a problem but theis bolsters makes a fantastic holster and coincidentally, one for the p7.

[Rainman48314]

LOVE that gun...accurate, easy to shoot, NEVER a failure. Too bad I took it off my CCW and replaced with the PM9 (multiple FTF, as usual).Sounds like you live in a State where the weapon is tied to the right to CC. In Michigan, I am allowed to change guns for CC daily or more often. Anything less would be real confining. Since I'm new to CC, I am still experimenting and don't have just one CC gun.

[Bawanna]

I never for the life of me could understand tieing a specific weapon to a CCW. Don't make a lick of sense to me.

Even most police officers are restricted to what they can carry on and off duty. Our have to make an application and then qualify with it which isn't too tough but takes a little time. At least they can qualify with any possiblities they might have and then they can choose daily.

I usually carry the same ones everyday but I'd hate not being able to take something else along on any given day either in addition to or instead of.

[Too Tall Todd]

Yup tying in to specific guns sucks. Here in cali we are allowed a max of 4 guns so I can carry my Kahr my hk and my naa all at the same time (convenient for range day) but if I don't have the old harrington and Richards unknown caliber that I can't fire (it went through the 1906 earthquake) in a locked box...I'm a felon!

[Rainman48314]

I never for the life of me could understand tieing a specific weapon to a CCW. Don't make a lick of sense to me.

Even most police officers are restricted to what they can carry on and off duty. Our have to make an application and then qualify with it which isn't too tough but takes a little time. At least they can qualify with any possiblities they might have and then they can choose daily.

I usually carry the same ones everyday but I'd hate not being able to take something else along on any given day either in addition to or instead of.I'lll forgive myself for a thread jack...I have always been curious as to what LEOs need to do to qualify. Is it "x" number of rounds of practice per month? Year? I believe some minimum accuracy is also tested, again, monthly or ??

[Rainman48314]

Feel in love with a fine example of German engineering, the Heckler & Koch P7. It's a generation removed from the P7 PSP but before the American style mag was introduced. It was hard chromed.

This has to be the fastest and safest gun ever made. There is a front strap cocker/decocker. You can carry a round in the chamber with this gun COMPLETELY uncocked. No fussing with a safety, just grip the squeeze cocker and pull the light SA 3.5# trigger. All shots, even the first, are SA.
The squeeze cocker also is the slide release.

The design uses blowback gas to delay the slide and keep it locked until the bullet is on its way. The barrel is both fixed and hexagonal for accuracy. The grip is high, higher than a Glock, making recoil mild. It is a heavy gun, also aiding in recoil management.

The negatives are: high price, hot running if used as a range gun. You need to let it cool off if you want to rapid shot 50+ rounds.

Anyone have one now or in their past?



Seems to have great CCW potential using an IWB holster.
After doing my own cleaning and safety checking the previous night, I shot my new P7 today. WoW.

This design is genius. Soft and super accurate. After a couple of rounds, it became my best shooter, beating a full size M&P 9 and the Kahr PM9. The omly thing I shoot tighter groups with is a Kimber Rimfire Target in 17 Mach 2.

I was also convinced by the RO to try some Gold Dot 124s in +P. Barely noticeable as a more powerful load. Very accurate and now my carry load. I had been hesitant to try these before. Heard they don't offer much advantage of standard pressure loads.

Today I shot 50 'old school' Federal Hydra-Shok 115 gr JHP, one mag of GD 124+P and another 30 of WWB 115 FMJ. No hitch with any of it.

The only downside was the heat buildup. It starts at 50 rounds and you are best to get out the gloves at 75 rnds. or rest twenty minutes. Best solution, own two of these.

The Euro mag release is going to take a little practice. I am having Theis Holster make me a rig for IWB carry. This was like driving your first Porsche or Mercedes, or getting your first Leica or Nikon. Bliss. Sweet trigger too

[jocko]

The P7 is to guns what the Patek watches are to timepeaces. Precision engineering at its best, that most all others are compared to.

[Rainman48314]

The P7 is to guns what the Patek watches are to timepeaces. Precision engineering at its best, that most all others are compared to.
You Sir, are a connoisseur. A Patek is on my bucket list.

Want to recommend a good wine? :)

[Longitude Zero]

P7's are very reliable which is good. Getting parts today is very difficult and can be VERY expsnsive. 10 years ago HK was charging $250 for a recoil spring. I would hate to think what it would cost today.

[ripley16]

Getting parts today is very difficult

What gives you that impression? Parts are somewhat expensive, but they are available from several sources. Hk stocks them. A recoil spring costs about $20. The two most vulnerable parts are the drop safety spring and the firing pin bushing. Many P7 owners keep an extra of these.

[Longitude Zero]

All I can report is what I was told previously. I fired a P7 once and could take it or leave it. Once I saw the price NIB, I could not put it down quick enough.

A buddy who was with the NJSP when they had the P7's said that officer satisfactions was about 50/50. He found out that after the first round is fired that you can hold the triggger fully to the rear and activate the squeze cocker and the gun will continue to operate. Accuracy is not so good but many of the weapons worked that way.

He and many others were quite happy when they eventually went to SIGS.

[Rainman48314]

All I can report is what I was told previously. I fired a P7 once and could take it or leave it. Once I saw the price NIB, I could not put it down quick enough.

A buddy who was with the NJSP when they had the P7's said that officer satisfactions was about 50/50. He found out that after the first round is fired that you can hold the triggger fully to the rear and activate the squeze cocker and the gun will continue to operate. Accuracy is not so good but many of the weapons worked that way.

He and many others were quite happy when they eventually went to SIGS.Your buddy could have learned that by reading the manual. All of the P7s operate three ways: 1. Use the squeeze cocker first, shoot with the trigger as SA 2. Hold the trigger in and use the squeeze-cocker to shot DAO, or 3. try to use them simultaneously.

The absolute last criteria for selecting a SD gun ought to be price. When is an extra $200 or $500 too much for your life?

[Rainman48314]

P7's are very reliable which is good. Getting parts today is very difficult and can be VERY expsnsive. 10 years ago HK was charging $250 for a recoil spring. I would hate to think what it would cost today.Your decimal is off by one place. Parts are reasonable from Wolffe Gunsprings or HKParts.com.

[gunmut]

I have a few of these; they came on the market in the early 80's. I know that 3 versions where shold in the US at least, I have had 3 different models; all had do do with the mag relase location and grip detail.

One great hand gun no doubt about it; I have shop 1000's of rounds through mine without a failure. They do get hot....:53:

[Bawanna]

I don't have none but I've held a few and I surely want one to have and to hold and call my very own some day. Not even really sure why, it just grabs me and I think it's meant to be.
I nearly bought that one up for grabs not long ago but the marbles just weren't quite there.
Gunmut, maybe you've heard of the redistribution of guns government program, kind of works like this, you got 3, you give me one and one to some other very lucky individual and then 3 of us will have one. I'd like first pick if it ain't too much to ask although I ain't really too choosey and I'm easy to please.

Thanks for your consideration.

[ripley16]

Your buddy could have learned that by reading the manual. All of the P7s operate three ways: 1. Use the squeeze cocker first, shoot with the trigger as SA 2. Hold the trigger in and use the squeeze-cocker to shot DAO, or 3. try to use them simultaneously.



This link is to a Google video that shows the P7 operation. It is an old promotion video I think. It is long and starts kind of slow but it shows in detail the qualities and features of the gun.

(I wince and cry a little every time I see the cinder block and drop test demo.)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6239098748148707308&ei=JyA4SqbHFoT0lQfRuqDKAQ&q=hk&hl=en&client=firefox-a#

I've tried to hold the trigger and squeeze the cocker, but is is a very awkward motion, at least for me.

[JFootin]

Very good video. Wow! What an engineering masterpiece the P7 is!

[Rainman48314]

This link is to a Google video that shows the P7 operation. It is an old promotion video I think. It is long and starts kind of slow but it shows in detail the qualities and features of the gun.
This is what convinced me to buy mine. I also was unable to find a SINGLE negative comment on the web in three hours of searching and reading...including former NJS Troopers.

[Longitude Zero]

Your buddy could have learned that by reading the manual. All of the P7s operate three ways: 1. Use the squeeze cocker first, shoot with the trigger as SA 2. Hold the trigger in and use the squeeze-cocker to shot DAO, or 3. try to use them simultaneously.

The absolute last criteria for selecting a SD gun ought to be price. When is an extra $200 or $500 too much for your life?

He learned from a FACTORY trained armorer and ended up being one of the lead instructors on the P7 for many years, so I will take HIS word first. As to a SD gun I never said I was looking at a P7 for SD, it was a purchase on a lark. You incorrectly assumed I was looking at it as an SD weapon.

You like them I could care less about them. Lets leave it at that and move on.

[Rainman48314]

He learned from a FACTORY trained armorer and ended up being one of the lead instructors on the P7 for many years, so I will take HIS word first. As to a SD gun I never said I was looking at a P7 for SD, it was a purchase on a lark. You incorrectly assumed I was looking at it as an SD weapon.

You like them I could care less about them. Lets leave it at that and move on.
I did assume the gun would serve a SD purpose (home or carry). It wouldn't make much of a range gun, given the heat problem.

I guess when HK wrote the gun's manual, they must not have known how it functioned...but your friend knew better? Was he the same guy who told you that a recoil spring was $250? Ever wonder how internet misinformation gets spread?

[Longitude Zero]

Nope that is what was being charged a few years ago at a the local gun shop. EVERYTHING there that has HK on it is at least 50% above everybody else even now.