mtnman31
09-13-2012, 11:50 AM
I'd like to give a review of an H&K P7M8 pistol that I recently traded for. This is somewhat significant for me personally because it is the first time that I have EVER parted with a gun. My philosophy has always been; buy once, keep forever. For those not familiar with it, the P7 is a gas-operated 9mm squeeze cocker with a single stack mag. The pistol is no longer in production but is commonly found on auction sites and ocassionally some are imported (often former police weapons).
Link to an informational website about the PSP/P7 family of pistols.
http://hkp7.com/p7m8.htm
Wow, what a gun. First, it is way over engineered. There are many other designs that are simpler, less complicated, and easier/cheaper to manufacture but, the function is flawless and the pistol is very accurate. Its barrel sits low and I feel this contributes to the low recoil - recoil is less perceptable than with other similar sized pistols. Follow up shots are quick. Sights on my model are aftermarket, fixed, Tritium night sights. The trigger pull is short and smooth. This is one of the best factory trigers I have ever used. Once the grip is squeezed, the trigger pull is short and breaks clean. There is little take up on the trigger which is taking a little getting used to. Trigger reset is positive, both tactile and audible. I guess that technically speaking, the weapon is a single action only. The trigger feels the same for each shot although I did not weigh the pull weight. Personally, the fantastic trigger and superior reliability of the pistol are where it outclasses most other pistols.
The gun has no safety lever to engage or disengage. Once the mag is inserted and the slide racked, loading a round into the chamber, the gun is in a safe carry mode. To fire, you grasp the grip and squeeze, which enables the weapon to be fired by pulling the trigger. The "squeeze" doesn't interefere with aiming the pistol or working the trigger. It is positive but not so heavy a squeeze that it interferes with the principles of accurate shooting. A nice feature of the squeeze cocker is that when I change magazines, I don't have to thumb a slide release or slingshot the slide. Simply squeezing the grip sends the slide home and allows me to stay on target.
A few drawbacks to the pistol and its design: The Gas operation means that after sustained firing it can get hot. There is a heat shield in the trigger guard to help insulate the hand from the heat build up. Another drawback is cost. The pistol is expensive and so are just about any accessories you will need. Factory mags run around $55 when they are in stock. All my reading and research says that the few aftermarket mags that are available are junk and to not waste the money. Holsters are available in a variety of designs. The pistol is sized such that it won't disappear into a back pocket but should be easily concealed with the right clothing choices. I don't anticipate many failures or breakages with the gun, but if it did break, parts replacement might be a challenge since the weapon is no longer manufactured. Let's just hope I don't break anything on it.
Disassembly of the pistol is not intuitive but once learned is easily accomplished. My pistol is coated with Robar's NP3 plating and literally wipes clean. The barrel is polygonally rifled and doesn't collect much fowling. A scraper and brush are required to ocassionally clean the under-barrel gas block. Again, to buy an HK branded cleaning kit will set you back a few bucks but there are suitable alternatives that any resourcefull shooter should be able to find and use.
I will say that since this gun is gas operated, I will not be putting much lead through the barrel. It will mostly be jacked or plated rounds. The gas port is not easily accessable and if it gets leaded up would be a pain to clean.
If anyone is interested, I can post a photo when I get home. I realize that this pistol isn't the most common one out there and that there may not be many folks interested in them, but I had a few extra minutes to kill and figured I'd share my experience with you all.
Link to an informational website about the PSP/P7 family of pistols.
http://hkp7.com/p7m8.htm
Wow, what a gun. First, it is way over engineered. There are many other designs that are simpler, less complicated, and easier/cheaper to manufacture but, the function is flawless and the pistol is very accurate. Its barrel sits low and I feel this contributes to the low recoil - recoil is less perceptable than with other similar sized pistols. Follow up shots are quick. Sights on my model are aftermarket, fixed, Tritium night sights. The trigger pull is short and smooth. This is one of the best factory trigers I have ever used. Once the grip is squeezed, the trigger pull is short and breaks clean. There is little take up on the trigger which is taking a little getting used to. Trigger reset is positive, both tactile and audible. I guess that technically speaking, the weapon is a single action only. The trigger feels the same for each shot although I did not weigh the pull weight. Personally, the fantastic trigger and superior reliability of the pistol are where it outclasses most other pistols.
The gun has no safety lever to engage or disengage. Once the mag is inserted and the slide racked, loading a round into the chamber, the gun is in a safe carry mode. To fire, you grasp the grip and squeeze, which enables the weapon to be fired by pulling the trigger. The "squeeze" doesn't interefere with aiming the pistol or working the trigger. It is positive but not so heavy a squeeze that it interferes with the principles of accurate shooting. A nice feature of the squeeze cocker is that when I change magazines, I don't have to thumb a slide release or slingshot the slide. Simply squeezing the grip sends the slide home and allows me to stay on target.
A few drawbacks to the pistol and its design: The Gas operation means that after sustained firing it can get hot. There is a heat shield in the trigger guard to help insulate the hand from the heat build up. Another drawback is cost. The pistol is expensive and so are just about any accessories you will need. Factory mags run around $55 when they are in stock. All my reading and research says that the few aftermarket mags that are available are junk and to not waste the money. Holsters are available in a variety of designs. The pistol is sized such that it won't disappear into a back pocket but should be easily concealed with the right clothing choices. I don't anticipate many failures or breakages with the gun, but if it did break, parts replacement might be a challenge since the weapon is no longer manufactured. Let's just hope I don't break anything on it.
Disassembly of the pistol is not intuitive but once learned is easily accomplished. My pistol is coated with Robar's NP3 plating and literally wipes clean. The barrel is polygonally rifled and doesn't collect much fowling. A scraper and brush are required to ocassionally clean the under-barrel gas block. Again, to buy an HK branded cleaning kit will set you back a few bucks but there are suitable alternatives that any resourcefull shooter should be able to find and use.
I will say that since this gun is gas operated, I will not be putting much lead through the barrel. It will mostly be jacked or plated rounds. The gas port is not easily accessable and if it gets leaded up would be a pain to clean.
If anyone is interested, I can post a photo when I get home. I realize that this pistol isn't the most common one out there and that there may not be many folks interested in them, but I had a few extra minutes to kill and figured I'd share my experience with you all.