The Legendary H&K P7

The classic H&K pistol is reborn

By Darryl Bolke

In 1988, I graduated from the police academy and embarked on a nearly twenty-year law enforcement career in a busy agency in Southern California. After receiving my identification and badge, the pistol that I placed on my belt that night was an H&K P7M13. The 9mm P7 is the one gun I have always owned at least one of since I began my career till today. In that time I have watched the P7, and its unique “squeeze cocking” method of operation fall out of favor as a state of the art police service pistol to that of a “weird” gun with a cult like following by a small, hardcore group of gun owners. A unique set of circumstances recently brought the P7 back. The event responsible for the rebirth of the P7 was the release in the United States of thousands of German police trade in service pistols that have found their way to our shores. These pistols have sparked a new interest in these guns, and legions of new owners. I have used P7 series pistols in every available configuration at one time or another, and will hopefully be able to offer some insight gleaned from well over twenty years of use and carry of this fantastic pistol.

History and Design

Helmut Welde designed the P7 pistol in the mid 1970’s as a competitor for the German police forces. It was selected along with the Sig Sauer P-225 (P6) and the Walther P5. These were all in 9mm NATO. There were approximately 250 P7 “PSP” (Police Self-loading Pistol) initially produced and then in 1979 a slightly changed pistol began serious production and issue throughout Germany as the P7. It gained initial fame as the pistol that was used by Germany’s Border Guards famed “GSG 9” counter-terrorism unit and several state SEK (SWAT) teams. This model of P7 is distinctive in its European heel magazine release. It varies slightly from the “PSP”, and is often referred to as the P7 PSP to help differentiate it from later models. While it is more technically correct to call this pistol a “P7”, I will use the popular P7 PSP

designation in the course of this article when referring to the heel magazine release guns. The P7 is one of the most unique pistols ever conceived. The most significant design feature is its “squeeze cocker”. A lever at the front of the grip allows the pistol’s striker (there is no hammer) to be cocked with 12-15 lbs of pressure and then held in the cocked position with only 2 pounds of pressure. When the grip is released, the pistol instantly goes back to a safe, un-cocked condition. When the pistol is cocked, the P7 has an excellent, crisp, 4.5 lb. single-action trigger pull. The cocking lever is also used to release the slide when it is locked to the rear after a reload or when chambering a round from the slide lock position. Another unique feature of the P7 is that it is a fixed barrel, blowback operated firearm. It uses a gas delay system to slightly retard the rearward movement of the slide. This allows for a system in which the barrel and slide assembly sit very low compared to the Browning system used in most service pistols. The P7 is set up for a 110-degree grip angle that works well with a natural pointing position for most shooters. There is a small hole just in front of the chamber that allows gas pressure from the fired cartridge to bleed into a cylinder under the barrel. The rearward movement of the slide is delayed until the bullet leaves the barrel by a piston that is attached under the front of the slide and is housed in the under barrel cylinder. The gas retardation also allows for a cushioning effect that prevents the slide from slamming back into the frame. All of this makes for a pistol that has very little muzzle rise to its very low bore axis, and a comfortable recoil impulse due to the gas system. Another unique feature of the P7 is its chamber and barrel. The chamber is fluted. This allows gases from the fired round to flow around the case and free it from the chamber walls. This is so effective that the P7 will reliably extract fired cases with the extractor (which mainly serves to control the path of extraction) removed from the gun. The barrel itself has polygonal rifling and is hammer forged and is pinned into the frame (Never try to remove the barrel-it will need take a trip to Germany to fix it if you do). The P7’s also use fixed notch sights with three dots. Most P7’s feed from a well built and designed 8-round magazine (10 or 13 round in other variations) that sits vertical in the grip. Another unique feature is that the entire striker assembly is easily removed from the pistol for cleaning (a special tool is needed with the P7 PSP’s).

M series for the American Market

In the early 1980’s several changes were made to the P7 for the American market that resulted in the “M” series P7’s that up until recently were the most prevalent models in the United States. An ambidextrous magazine release was incorporated just below the rear of the trigger guard instead of the heel of the gun. The heel release was replaced with a lanyard loop. The new magazine release levers were in the position favored by American shooters, but this lever assembly works by pushing down, rather than in, and literally ejects magazines from the gun. The trigger guard was elongated for use with gloves and to accommodate a large heat shield. The Striker assembly (firing pin, spring, and bushing) was changed to allow for removal and cleaning by hand, and without tools. The P7 M8 was adopted by numerous police agencies. When the U.S. military trials began, HK developed the P7 M13, which had a wider grip frame and a 13 round magazine. While M13 was not selected by the U.S. military, they did see some significant use within the United States law enforcement community, especially among specialized units (L.A. County Sheriff’s SEB /SWAT and the Dept. of Energy SRT units are good examples). Latter on, a .40 caliber variant was produced with a 10 round magazine (P7 M10). A smaller direct blowback convertible pistol, that shot .380ACP., .32ACP. and .22LR., called the P7K3 was also released. A prototype P7M7 chambered in .45ACP. was developed, but never manufactured passed the prototype stage. There were also small runs of some specialized variations of the above, including a “PT” model that shot plastic training rounds, and “SD” models with threaded barrels for suppressor use.

The P7 today

The P7 is an absolute engineering marvel. It was far ahead of its time in every area. The materials and workmanship are incredible and very cutting edge at the time of their development. The precision machined parts and steel forgings are manufactured to the highest tolerances. They are simply works of art. Unfortunately, they are no longer viable as a service pistol or as a tactical pistol. Before I am fully ex-communicated from the P7 cult (there is an Internet forum called the “Cult of the P7”-they have a true cult following), let me explain this. Compared to the service pistols of today, the P7 is overly complex and expensive to produce. They are “odd” in how they operate. They suffer

from low capacity for their size and weight, and they are both difficult and very expensive to maintain for a large group. They have some unique idiosyncrasies that I will go over that do not fair well in today’s world of police and military service pistols. They have actually gone the way of the revolver in this regard. Like the revolver, there is still a place for the P7. In my view that place is as a first rate CCW gun and home defense pistol. Remember, these guns were carried by some of the most elite counter-terrorism and SWAT teams in the world; they are by no means ineffective for most users. To put this in perspective, an exceptionally good “Pro” and “Con” chart has been put together by Jim Schatz, a former very long term HK employee, and one of the most experienced and knowledgeable P7 experts walking the planet. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will use Jim’s observations and compound on them.

The “PRO’s”

* It is one of the fastest pistols to place into action and make “safe” do to the unique cocking lever design, which also acts as the ambidextrous slide release.

* The P7 is totally ambidextrous as other than the front mounted cocking lever, it has no external controls to deal with during firing.

*It is either cocked and ready to fire or un-cocked and “safe” (to holster, etc.) even with a round chambered.

*The cocking lever design provides a single action trigger pull for each and every shot.

*There is no sequence required to fire the pistol. As long as you squeeze the cocking lever and trigger together in any order, the pistol will fire.

*The design is somewhat uncommon so some folks cannot operate it. This has saved countless lives (many documented) where a child, or someone with ill intent who took the P7 and could not make it fire or harm the owner. Mr. Schatz indicates that he knows of at least six cases where the P7 has saved the owners life because a suspect could not make the pistol function.

*The cocking lever is very difficult (but not impossible) for a young child to operate, so it tends to have a built in “safety margin”.

*The fixed barrel that is pinned to the frame eliminates any barrel movement. This combined with the gas retardation locking system allows the height of the pistol to be kept very low (when compared to conventional tilting barrel pistols with hammers) in the hand which helps to control recoil and increase the speed of multiple shots.

*The ambidextrous magazine release on the M8 and M13 makes for easy use from either hand.

*One of the most accurate 9mm combat pistols ever made regardless of size.

*Very flat and smooth profile that is great for inside the waistband concealed carry.

*The loaded chamber extractor indicates a round present in the chamber.

*The absence of an exposed hammer provides for an “inside the pocket surprise” to an attacker.

*The grip to bore angle is optimized to match that of the human hand to improve natural aim while at the same time reducing the angle of cartridge feed into the chamber to improve reliability.

*When it is PROPERLY MAINTAINED the P7 is very reliable.

*The polygonal rifled bore is very easy to clean.

*The P7 passes the NATO 2 meter drop test with ease.

*The P7’s in service with Department of Energy users have more than 60,000 rounds on the major components. The P7 is a very durable weapon.

*There is no fitting required of any parts required for exchange.

The “CONS”

*The expense for spare magazines and parts is very high and there are no new production pistols.

*The force needed to retract the slide is difficult for some to operate due to a strong recoil spring.

*The gas retardation system requires special maintenance and can become worn over time, which requires a gas piston exchange. Because of the gas system, you cannot fire lead bullets, which can melt and collect in the back of the gas cylinder and affect the pistols operation.

*The gas system heats up the frame in about fifty rounds.

*The standard blue finish is not great for concealed carry.

*The recessed slide lock is one of the most hated features on all P7’s because they are very difficult to actuate, especially with gloves on.

*They are not a good choice for dusty, sandy, and/or saltwater and surf environments.

*While .40 S&W P7M10’s and 22 L.R./32 ACP/.380 P7K3’s were made, you are pretty much limited to a 9x19mm.

*The P7’s can be ammunition sensitive. They prefer NATO style ammunition from the 115gr.-124gr. weights, and generally do not do well with 147gr. 9mm.

*There are very few quality holsters and night sight choices, and attaching any kind of light or laser is very problematic.

*The gas cylinders cannot be exchanged in the United States if damaged and need to be returned to Germany.

The above bullet points are a great summation of what is good and bad about the P7’s, and a great way to see if the P7 is a viable gun for your needs.

The “BAD”

The best place to start with the P7 in today’s world is to look at the negatives first. To properly assess the P7, you need to understand what it was designed for and when. The P7 was designed by Helmut Wedle as a pistol that excelled in a gunfight and was geared towards police officers using them in stressful conditions. Many of the things that are negatives now, were not relevant when the gun was designed, and need to be looked at in that context. The first issue is the rarity and expense of both the guns and the parts. This was a German law enforcement pistol. It is nice when we get the wonderful engineering and precision

parts, but we tend not to like the cost involved when both looking at typical exchange rates between our currencies. Additionally, the myriad of regulations and change in the U.S. market has made the parts issue something that is difficult to overcome. The way Americans do business compared to the Germans must also be an issue because Hk’s reputation in the customer service department has always been a major source of aggravation for many. On the good side, the German police surplus guns are a great buy.

Many folks bemoan the P7’s very rigid standard of “do’s” and “don’ts” in regards to maintenance and ammunition. This is an issue with putting the P7 in its place in the big picture. The P7 is totally outdated as a general issue service pistol. Like the Colt 1911 and Browning Hi-Power before it, it is now an “enthusiast” pistol. If you want a gun you can shoot any ammunition out of, put tens of thousands of rounds through, have cheap and accessible parts, clean once in a blue moon, and bury in sand, dirt and shoot underwater-get a Glock 17. That is what I use for a service pistol, because as Ken Hackathorn says, “if you treat your pistol like a lawn mower, get a Glock”…that would be me when it comes to service guns. I will be doing a lot of Glock comparisons, as this tends to be the biggest argument I see against the P7. It seems that whenever a conversation turns to P7’s, somebody will always talk about how much better the Glocks are. The P7 needs a very rigid cleaning regimen. With the use of its delayed gas blowback system of operation, two things happen. First, we get tons of very positive features because of this system. The gun sets low in the hand, it uses a very accurate fixed barrel system, it has almost no climb in its recoil impulse, the gas system prevents the frame from being battered during recoil, and it is very reliable. The second thing is that the gas cylinder needs to be kept clean. Lead bullets can’t be used to preserve the gas system. After use, the cylinder needs to be cleaned with a special gas cylinder scraper tool. When the cylinder is allowed to get gummed up and dirty from long shooting days, or left un-cleaned, the pistol becomes noticeably sticky and malfunctions can begin occurring due to the retarded operation of the gas system. I have personally found that the P7 pistols are simply uber-reliable, and I have seen my guns go at least 500 rounds before they can be felt gumming up. My P7’s get cleaned after every shooting session, so this is a non-issue. My Glocks get cleaned when I get around to it at some point.

Ammunition type is also an issue. I am personally very partial to 147 gr. 9mm ammunition for training and self defense use. It is a round that my P7’s and P7M8’s tend to not like. I kept getting a malfunction on the last couple of rounds in the magazine where the bullet would end up sticking out of the ejection port with the nose of the bullet like a reverse stovepipe. It took me a lot of years to figure out why the P7’s don’t run well with 147 gr. ammunition, but the mystery has been solved from garnering several pieces of the puzzle over the years, and then my contacts with Jim Schatz put the whole thing together. First off, we need to understand that the 9mm round that was in use when the P7 was developed was a different breed of bullet than what we see today. This is equally true with the Colt 1911 and the BHP in regards to modifications that are needed to get them to perform reliably with modern hollow point ammunition. In the case of the P7, the hollow-point configuration is not the issue; it is the bullet length and weight. The P7 is designed for 115-124 gr. NATO specification ammunition. Not your home grown lead bullet reloads, and not underpowered or non-NATO spec. bullets. When I first switched to the 147gr. hollow point bullets, I noticed that I started to get malfunctions in my P7’s that had been totally reliable before that. I simply gave up and stuck with 115 or 124 gr. hollow points in the P7 and carried the 147’s in my Glocks and Sig Sauer’s. Then I got a newer P7M8 a couple of years ago, and this gun ran fine with the 147’s while my older guns would not. The explanation for this was simple.

The 147-grain 9mm rounds increase the slide velocities of the P7 beyond what the weapon was designed for. The first 147 gr. bullets were made to run in suppressed sub-machine guns and conventional recoil operated pistols used by select U.S. Navy personnel. When 147-grain bullets are fired in a gas-retarded P7 system, the slide moves rearward faster than normal. The slide assembly then impacts the frame harder at full travel. On the last round or two in the magazine, those rounds are under less spring tension in the magazine than they are when the magazine is at full capacity. When the slide impacts the frame, those rounds are then bumped slightly forward from under the magazine lips before the controlled feeding that normally occurs. When the slide (which is now returning to battery faster than usual as well) strikes the base of the improperly positioned round it will jump out from under the feed lips and end up sticking out of the ejection port at

the 12 o’clock position with the bullet tip up. This is described by the German technicians at HK as “nosing up” (I figured the white lab coat guys would have come up with something way cooler than that) when the problem first became apparent with the New Jersey State Police guns in the late 80’s. Heckler and Koch have done a very good job of updating and modifying parts on the P7 series when any significant issue rears its head. Some internal parts have needed changes to make the pistol safer. The newer trade-in guns and “M” series guns have the updated parts in them.

Nose ups are not uncommon when heavy ammunition is used, pistons are worn, and magazine springs are weak or a combination of all of the above. These problems are less of an issue with the P7M13’s because they have longer feed lips on their magazines. Later P7M8 magazines had longer feed lips that were increased to the length of the P7M13. When I first read about this, I checked all of my magazines and found the one later gun that did not have any 147 gr. issues had the longer feed lips, and my early P7M8’s and P7’s had the shorter ones. The mystery was solved. Being this modification was never done to the P7/PSP magazines and only the later P7M8 magazines, I have since solved the problem by just not shooting the 147 grain bullets in any of my P7’s and staying away from things like +P+ bullets that will overload the gas system. I generally use a 124-127gr. +P bullet in all my P7’s now. I do have a bunch of the later magazines for my P7M8’s that I sometimes use for a primary pistol in case I end up limited to 147 gr. bullets. I do not reload ammunition for any semi-automatic pistol, so this is not a huge issue for me. I simply have to work within a given set of parameters with the P7 series.

Another P7 “issue” is how fast they heat up. I’ll go back to the Glock comparison again. If you are a training animal, get a Glock. Most folks are not. I have shot hundreds of thousands of rounds through Glock 9mm’s over the years, so I use them for service and training guns. The reality is that I was a total anomaly in how I trained compared to my fellow police officers. At best, most of them shot a couple of hundred rounds a year. When I go to the range with a military ammunition can of bullets and a Glock, I never shoot less than 250 rounds of ammunition. Compare this to the P7. When I take a P7 to the range I generally take two fifty round boxes. I shoot a little slower, and tend to be more patient and directed in what I am doing. I will usually shoot

three magazines, and then let the gun cool down a little bit while I reload the magazines. I do this a couple of times, and the heat issue is then fairly well controlled. I have found that 50-100 round shooting sessions is far more normal for most folks who are paying for the bullets out of pocket, versus those professional gun carriers who are shooting bullets in mass supplied by their employer. In my world, I never shoot less than 250 rounds a session with a Glock, and never more than a 100 with the P7. That should be a good guide for the realities of P7 ownership. For what its worth I was in an exchange program for several years that hosted German police officers in the United States. They were shocked at how often our officers qualified, and how often we deployed our firearms during a routine shift in Southern California at the height of the gang and crack wars in the late 80’s through the mid 90’s. This also reflects on the P7 and its design. The officers the guns were built for did not shoot them a lot, and the heat issue was not really an issue at all.

Once we have finished our range session, we then need to actually clean the P7. Again, with a Glock, I’ll dump some lube on it and clean it when I get around to it. With my P7’s, I clean them as soon as practical after a range session. For many years, I cleaned my guns improperly, and it is important that others learn the correct way to clean the P7. The P7 is generally over cleaned in some areas and under cleaned in others. Many folks use harsh metallic brushes to get the gas piston squeaky clean. I was guilty of this for years, until I found out that all that harsh cleaning erodes the sharp edges on that piston that is needed to seal it inside the gas cylinder. You should simply use a soft rag or brush and a good solvent to get the piston “un-gunked”, but it does not need to be shiny. The best product I have found for this is Carbon Killer manufactured by Slip 2000. It is great stuff, and does not stink up the whole house. In the case of the gas cylinder, this needs to be clean. There is a special cylinder scraper tool that is usually supplied with the gun. This tool is inserted into the gas cylinder and rotated clockwise in order to scrap all of the fouling and carbon build up of the walls of the cylinder. A supplied brush is used to further clean this area, but it is the proper use of the scraper that will keep these guns running reliably. If your gun is missing the factory scraper or brush in the box, make sure you order these tools to ensure a long trouble free life with your P7.

Safety and Continuous Motion

I have found the P7 pistols to be one of the safest guns to deploy and use. It is not so much that the gun is “safe” (they aren’t supposed to be), but that they are very forgiving of stupidity and lack of proper training. I have found that many shooters do not religiously adhere to the four basic safety rules. The two biggest issues that tend to get folks hurt is pointing guns at things they are not willing to destroy and keeping their finger on the trigger. Back in the days when the P7 came into existence, it was a time dominated by the revolver, and a time when antiquated training practices were still taught. Cops and civilians alike tended to keep their trigger on the finger. In today’s world, T.V. and movie training still embraces this and the sad reality is that more people are more influenced by this medium than by the safety codes that were the corner stone of the Modern Technique from Gunsite. What makes the P7 so safe to use is that the trigger is essentially deactivated until the users hand is in a firing grip, and uses enough grip strength to cock the pistol. This is part of the continuous motion principle in which the P7 is drawn, cocked, and fired in one motion. The safety margin is in the fact that the forward cocking grip must be held in a firing position and generally by an adult hand in order to generate the force necessary to cock the gun. Small children with tiny hands cannot get the P7 cocked. For this reason alone, the P7 became my primary bedside gun after the birth of my child. One of the other huge Glock proponents that I worked with, and I, both utilized P7’s as bedside home defense guns when our children were born. In my home, everything is out of reach or locked in a safe with the exception of a P7. The P7 is not a substitute for proper firearms safety training for children, but it does provide an extra margin of safety. There have been several tragedies involving children getting their hands on guns and being able to discharge them at very young ages. I have never heard of a single case of this with a P7.

I have also found that the P7 is easy to work with in very high stress environments. While the P7 is not one of the guns I have used deadly force with in the past, I have used them during the service of high-risk warrants and while doing undercover work. They are also a favorite among many old school VIP protection veterans. In all of these cases, the gun can be run in a totally safe, un-cocked position, and then cocked and made ready to fire as the threat level increases to a point where deadly force is imminent. If deadly force is not used, the firing grip is simply relaxed and the pistol is un-cocked, yet is still able to be instantly

cocked and fired if needed. Another Internet and fantasy commando issue is the noise generated when the P7 is un-cocked. The P7 makes a significant audible clack when the squeeze-cocker is released. Some like to make an issue that this noise will give their position away to their enemy. Here is my reality dose. I have role played and red forced tons of scenarios with teams and individuals that are far better trained and exceed the real world experience level of most of those who think this stuff up, and guess what? Short of the 14th degree master ninja’s out there, most of us mere mortals don’t run around in tabi’s and silent ninja outfits, so this is not a huge issue. Very few folks on the planet can exercise a level of noise discipline that the sound of their pistol de-cocking is enough of an issue to discount the use of P7 for this. If the noise is that bothersome, the rear of the slide can be slightly retracted by the support hand (just like performing a loaded chamber verification), the cocking lever released, and then the slide eased forward to decrease the noise significantly. There is another method that involves pushing a fingertip into a small opening under the trigger guard…with a loaded, cocked pistol-this is simply stupid and unsafe-DO NOT DO THIS, even if you read about it on a computer gun forum.

The “Good”

With all the negativity about the P7 out of the way, lets get to what makes these things so wonderful. They are easy to shoot really well. They tend to sit in a very natural position in the hand, and by being very thin; they tend to line up very well to allow the shooter to get excellent finger placement on the trigger. Many modern pistols have very wide grips that force a less than optimal alignment with the forearm. This causes a ton of problems for many shooters, especially those with small to medium sized hands. The P7 fits my hand better than any other firearm out there, which may be the biggest factor in why I like them so much. Another important factor in why the P7 works well under stress is that the act of cocking the squeeze cocker tends to force a proper firing grip. At this point, the shooter has already conquered many of the problems that will throw a shot off. Now, it is simply a matter of pressing the trigger straight to the rear with a good sight alignment and sight picture. The trigger is very good, and is easy to get a surprise break with. The sights are also very well designed. What the P7 series excels at is not forcing the shooter to fight with anything when the critical time of pressing a shot off is at hand. In this area, it rules the day

over the Glocks. They have a much better trigger, and the hand is much better positioned for accurate shooting. You are not dealing with a long double action trigger pull like a revolver or a DA/SA or DAO auto. The low bore line and gas retarded system allows for rapid follow up shots with little disturbance to the sight picture. The fixed, polygonal rifled barrel is capable of more accuracy than most shooters can use. I have found that it is very easy for most people to shoot the P7 well when the basic principles are applied. The recoil impulse on P7’s is a little different and a new shooter to the system needs to understand it. Recoil is always very subjective. Many P7 proponents always talk about how fast the P7 is with follow up shots. Then I hear complaints from shooters about how sharp the P7 recoil is. We need to understand that the P7 is an all steel gun shooting 9mm. The recoil is not harsh. The recoil impulse is actually very fast and straight to the rear, so it feels sort of “snappy”. This is especially compared to the Glocks where you have a polymer frame that actually absorbs a lot of the recoil. I ask new P7 shooters to watch their sights in recoil and then get back to me. Universally, the response has been that they can actually maintain a sight picture during recoil with the P7 that they could not with other guns where the impulse is softer, but they have to reacquire the sights with every shot. Keep in mind; this is on a carry gun and not a compensated race gun, so this is a huge plus in a gunfight.

While the “Bad” section focused on Glock comparisons, the “Good” section will use several revolver comparisons. This is how I carry a P7, and why I carry them often. The P7 is what I carry in the scenarios where many people rely on a 5 or 6 shot snub nose revolver. I have an older heel release commercial import P7 that I have carried more than any other P7 I own. It is by far my favorite, and I refer to it as my “shove gun.” My favorite P7 is the one gun that I have no issue just shoving in my waistband, inside my back pocket (a la Tommy Lee Jones in the movie “Under Siege”) to go get the mail or take the trash out. I also carry it in a Spec Ops brand Pack-Rat organizer bag to take to the pool or out on my boat. It is the gun that gets dropped into backpacks as a back up, or jacket pockets during cold weather. It has rode many a mile shoved under my leg when driving and it is difficult to get to my primary pistol on my belt. It is the only gun I have ever carried extensively without a holster. Remember the Glock analogy…well, I NEVER carry a Glock without some type of quality holster. I have

holsters for all of my snub revolvers. The only gun that I have felt comfortable carrying without a holster in unconventional carry is the P7 (again, this is a heel release gun with no protrusions to snag at all). I used this gun for working undercover. While never a “dope” cop, I did spend a year in a detail where I did quite a bit of vice work and some undercover drug buys. The P7 was ideal for these operations. Trust me, being trapped in a car trying to arrest some hooker (half of which were actually guys in drag) whacked out on crack cocaine and not wanting to go to jail often turned into a bit of a war. I usually had the P7 stashed on my support side and felt good with the security of its unusual operation and disconnected trigger in these types of encounters. When I would work in bars or do drug buys with informants, I would make a small loop of 550 cord that was then tied to a belt loop. The nose of the P7 (which is longer than the M8 models) would fit in the hole of the cord, and then the whole thing shoved down the front of my pants. The cord kept the P7 from slidng down my pant leg, and I would simply push the gun above my waistband with my support hand to draw it. The “bad guys” never found my P7 and it worked great in these operations.

These are good examples of why I love the P7 in this role. I have a reliable semi automatic pistol with nine rounds of high performance 9mm on board that I can easily hit targets at 25 yards with versus a 5 shot revolver that is limited to 5 rounds of .38 special and very hard to hit anything with at distances past 7 yards. If I am carrying a spare magazine, I can reload the P7 far more rapidly than a 5 shot revolver. Even with the “dreaded” European heel release, it is far faster than a small speed loader or speed strips, especially under stress. In the back up gun role, I find that I shoot the P7 better than any other gun one handed and especially with only my support hand. They are probably the best things going for the lefties out there. Unlike the striker fired Glock and the single action autos, the P7 has a built in second strike ability in the case of a hard primer, just like a revolver. When we look at the P7 in the context of when it was designed, these were the .38 special revolver days as primary police service guns. I will take a P7 over a .38 Spl. Model 10 in any scenario I can think of.

Weight of the P7 is also a “how you look at it” type of thing. I personally like the “feel” of the all forged steel P7. They simply feel solid. There is something very comforting about being in a fight or headed towards one to have a real hunk of steel in your hand. It is the same way with steel

1911’s, and many revolvers. Carrying an all steel gun is not as easy as an “airweight” revolver or polymer pistol. With that said; I can personally attest that “breaking contact” with an attacker is a far more satisfying experience with an all steel gun versus a polymer or alloy pistol. The solution in most cases is the ages old battle of “comfortable” versus “comforting”. I have simply found that a decent belt will take care of many weight issues with carry guns. If HK ever decided to build an updated P7 with a high tech alloy frame to save weight, it would be “really neat” and disturbingly expensive. At this point, if a shooter is that weight sensitive, then proper selection of carry gear becomes very important. For many it is not worth the effort, and they are better served with a Ruger LCR or Airweight Smith & Wesson.

Actually carrying a P7 is an interesting proposition. If you have a good carry system, they are great. If you have a junk holster, they are miserable (see “Staple Gun-Hide” for P7 holsters). I recently was afforded an opportunity to carry a P7M8 as a primary working pistol for several months last summer. Using a Raven Concealment Systems Phantom holster and a double magazine pouch, I carried my favorite P7M8 for 16 plus hours everyday at work. I forgot how nice it was having a very thin gun and thin magazines. The flatness of the P7 and lack of sharp edges are a real plus for all day carry. Another “benefit” of the P7 for many of us is the use of single stack 8 round magazines. Unfortunately, I have to work in a state with very restrictive gun laws. For those trapped behind enemy lines, you can actually have spare magazines and parts shipped to you because they are less than 10 round capacity magazines.

Modifications-Less is better

It seems that most red-blooded American gun owners cannot stand the thought of not modifying a pistol to “make it better”. In cases like the 1911, if you don’t skimp, and know who to have build it, then this is a good thing. In the case of the P7, owners need to be very careful. The P7 is not a gun the owners should be tinkering with. They are very complicated inside the grip panels, and there are very few resources available to help get it back together correctly if you find yourself sitting at your bench with mystery parts everywhere. Bruce Gray at Grayguns is pretty much the accepted expert on tuning P7’s, especially for competition use. Be very leery of the guy at the local gunshop offering

up an “action job” on your P7. Be warned, if you are one of those people who simply have to detail strip everything you own, the P7 may not be a good choice. Owners who got in over their heads have sent many P7’s back to the factory in pieces.

The normal modifications that can work out well are night sights, grips, and refinishing. In the case of night sights, I am currently using X/S 24/7 express sights. Many “bemoan” these as “ruining” a P7 because it is felt that you lose some accuracy potential for bull’s-eye and longer range precision shooting. I like the P7 because they are very well suited to running in fast paced lethal force and high threat encounters. It is in this exact type of scenario-low light, with lots of movement going on, that the X/S sights come into their own, so that is what I use. It is also the only sight I can shoot with both eyes open, as I get older. In this case, the X/S sights seem like a perfect match for the P7. I currently use X/S 24/7 sights on all my “working” P7’s. I have used both Trijicon and Meprolite night sights in the past. This is a very subjective issue, so just stick to what you like in terms of what brand works for you. I would highly suggest that whatever sight the P7 owner chooses, spend the money and have them professionally installed. One of my beater P7M8’s, that now has a professionally installed X/S 24/7 Big Dot on it, originally came with a set of “owner” installed Meprolights. This looked like they were put on with a ball peen hammer, and was a home gun-smithing crime. Another option is to find a company that will install tritium tubes into the factory three-dot sights. Unless you are using your P7 for some type of competitive bull’s-eye shooting, avoid the huge aftermarket adjustable sights. Of course, you also need to get a good Surefire hand held flashlight so you can identify your threats in low light. Because of how easy the P7 is to run with one hand, and its design features, the P7 is very easy to run with a hand held Surefire flashlight. The Executive series of lights are a perfect match with the P7 for use in low light.

Grips are another item that owners often add. In the case of the P7 you are very limited. Nill’s are a popular aftermarket wood grip. They are very nice looking and very high quality, but owners should ensure that they do not hinder function in any way. The P7 PSP German police import guns have thicker thumb rest grips on them. Many owners of these try to find the factory flat grips if they are carrying them concealed. I have also seen some very nice micarta grips made by a

company called Grips4U, and I have ordered a set for one of my surplus P7 PSP’s to try out.

Many of the older P7’s have what is often described as a “plum” finish on their slides. Personally, I actually like this, as it is sort of a uniquely HK thing. Many of the “B” and “C” grade police trade ins have some extensive holster wear. In this case many owners have gotten them refinished. I can highly recommend NP3 coating from the Robar Company in Arizona. There are other companies that offer hard chroming. This is a very viable option. Make sure that the company doing it is well established and has experience in working with the P7’s. There are a lot of companies that do great finishes and are horrible gun-smiths. This can be a disaster with a P7. Do some homework before sending your P7 in for finishing.

For many folks, ownership of a P7 is more of a “pride of ownership” thing or as a unique collectable, and not a primary fighting pistol. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. Most of the guys I hang out with love all cool mechanical things. This runs the gamut from Snap On tools, golf clubs, high-end fishing gear, custom knives, Harley’s, hot rods, and other assorted good “stuff”. P7’s certainly fit in this class of things to have. In this case, there is always the endless debate on collectability. As with most firearms, low serial numbers are always desirable. Certain “import” marks will also appeal to many. This is one area where you can find some excellent information on a couple of the Internet forums. The Park Cities Tactical “Cult of the P7” forum and the Hk Pro forums are a very good resource for what all the different markings mean and levels of value and collectability.

Heckler and Koch itself is also doing a very good job in servicing the few guns that do have issues. This is a very welcome change in HK customer service. If something “weird” happens with a P7, always contact HK first to try to get the issue resolved. Owners should also realize that these guns are no longer being made, so it is a good idea to stock up on some basic spare parts. I have several complete striker assemblies, springs (magazine, recoil, firing pin, etc.) and extractors. Reading some of the factory manuals (both owner and armorers) is always a good idea to get a good grasp on the P7 series of pistols.

Runnin N Gunnin

When it comes down to actually running the P7 in the field, the operator needs to realize that they are a little unique and you should spend some quality training time on them. While I am not the poster child for this idea, the P7 is great for the “one gun” owner.

The first thing is simply properly applying the fundamentals to the P7 of “focus on the front-sight, press the trigger, and follow through”. The sights are just like everything else. The trigger press is very much like any decent single action trigger. The shooter need to understand that unlike the 1911 where the trigger moves straight rearward, the P7 trigger pivots at the top and the shooter must maintain a good straight press to the rear and get a surprise break on the trigger. As far as follow through goes, the P7 has a longer reset than the 1911 and the Glocks, so the shooter really needs to stay on top of it and stay on the sights in recoil.

One aspect of running a P7 that is unique is the draw stroke. I have two distinct draw strokes for the P7 that is situation dependent. The first is when the pistol is drawn in response to an immediate lethal threat in which threat evaluation has already occurred, and the shooter is reacting to it with lethal force. In this case the P7 is drawn, cocked and brought on to the target to engage in one fluid motion. In the case of a situation where the pistol is being drawn and a threat is not engaged, I use what I call a “soft draw”. In this case, the pistol is drawn to a ready position, but the squeeze cocker is not depressed. This is used for many law enforcement scenarios and when preparing to do a search or going into a hazardous situation that merits having the gun out, but no immediate threat is present. I will also return the pistol to a relaxed ready and un-cock it prior to holstering once the pistol is no longer needed in a situation or drill.

Another unique aspect is reloading the P7. Again there are a couple of unique operations that are more dependent of which model P7 you are using. With the “M” series guns, a speed reload is performed by ejecting the magazine in the gun using the magazine release (I use my trigger finger on the right side release). The gun should be “un-cocked”. A new magazine is acquired and rapidly inserted into the pistol. If the P7 was

at slide lock, then the cocking lever depressed and the pistol is now cocked with a fresh round chambered and ready to fire. Shooters need to make sure they wait until the magazine is fully seated before they squeeze the cocking lever, or the slide will release on an empty chamber. If the shooter does this inadvertently, then they need to reach over the top of the slide and grasp the rear of the weapon by the cocking serrations and manually chamber a round. A tactical or reload with retention can be performed in whatever manner a shooter is accustomed to.

A different method is used in the case of the heel release P7’s. Combat, speed and tactical reloads all start the same way. The pistol is brought back closer to the shooter into a good “workspace”, rotated slightly and angled upwards. The support hand comes off and the support thumb depresses the heel release. The index finger of the support hand is hooked around the front lip of the magazine. This is sort of a pinching movement. The magazine is then manually pulled from the magazine well. If the magazine still has rounds in it, then it can be simply dropped into a front pocket (or shoved into the waistband) on the support hands path to recover a new magazine. If it is empty it can be immediately discarded as soon as it clears the pistol. Once the spare magazine is recovered, it is inserted into the pistol and the gun rotated back on target. If there were rounds left in the magazine and the slide is not locked to the rear, then the pistol is ready to be re-cocked and fired if necessary. If the magazine was empty and the slide locked to the rear, then the squeeze cocker can be depressed when returning on target to chamber a fresh round from the new magazine. When performing any kind of malfunction clearance drills with the P7’s, I find that pulling the magazine first makes it much easier to clear up any problem. Shooters should spend some time practicing with using the squeeze cocker to chamber a round rather than pulling the slide back. It is much faster and a good benefit to use this P7 specific advantage.

I have found that the P7 is very easy to run with a small Surefire flashlight in my favored “Harries” flashlight technique. It flows very well in moving from Harries, to a reverse Harries (to get the light to the left side of the gun for some doorways) to Neck index. The use of a thin gun that fits the hand well, coupled with an easily carried (but powerful) Surefire light is a huge benefit when running the gun in low light. The “Executive” series lights and the P7’s are a natural match, and

compliment each other well for everyday concealed carry and personal protection. Some quality training time at the Surefire Institute is a great investment no matter what gun you are carrying.

The biggest issue to master with the P7 is when to cock it and un-cock it. I use a very simple rule here. When you are pointing the gun at a target that is a verifiable threat and you are willing to destroy it, then the P7 should be cocked and ready to fire. When you are at the ready or off target, then it should be un-cocked. It is just like running the manual safety on a 1911 pistol. In any case, trigger discipline is also mandatory. The P7 takes time to get used to, but once it is mastered, it is very easy to run under stress and it is properly engineered for a fighting gun.

A legacy gun

Most of my friends know I have some weird tastes in guns and I tend to get some friendly ribbing for it. I will take all the ribbing they can dish out for my love of the “German staple gun”. The P7M13 that rode in my holster my first night on the job is safely tucked into the back of the safe. Sitting next to it is a box with a low serial numbered Lower Saxony Police trade in P7 PSP that looks like it has less than fifty rounds through it. It has all the necessary maintenance tools and spare magazines. That gun has my daughters name on the box for when she gets old enough to operate it. It will be her first “fighting” pistol. I keep a P7 and a Surefire E2D LED Defender next to me when I sleep as a first line of defense (till I can get to the Vang Comp 870). I cannot think of a better endorsement for the P7 as being what I rely on as a first line defensive pistol to protect my family. Whether it is for personal protection, recreational shooting, a love of uniquely engineered tools, or collecting firearms with an interesting history, the HK P7 is a winner in every category.