H&k p7

[Battis]

I'm trying to price an H&K P7 that a friend inherited. I am not trying to sell this gun, or buy it - just price it out.
He brought it to three gun stores and that all said it was so rare that they wouldn't be able to sell it to their customers.
Apparently it's the stainless version, unfired.
He's seen prices from $5000 to $10,000.
I might send photos to Poulins auctions in Maine.
Any ideas?

[FergusonTO35]

Call Antique and Modern Firearms in Lexington, KY. They specialize in this sort of gun. 859-276-1419

[cwtebay]

Boy, I see prices for what you are thinking for far less pristine examples. I would be looking for professional appraisal. (Unless you're interested in taking a few C notes!)

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[Plate plinker]

If he is thinking of selling it he might call Morphys??? Used to be rock island auction that host a bunch of old high end stuff. They would have access to the high end collectors.
There are other similar outfits , which I am sure others could name.
Good luck.

[Battis]

I'm going to ask him exactly what the three shops said was so rare about this gun. It's definitely unfired.

[cwtebay]

I'm going to ask him exactly what the three shops said was so rare about this gun. It's definitely unfired.The "squeeze cock" is enough to intrigue most. I believe it has been expressed that it is perhaps the finest pistol H&K ever produced.

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[Battis]

Here's a pretty good (long) review of the P7.
If I had some extra moola to spend...
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/heckler-koch-p7-is-the-best-pistol-ever/

[Bigslug]

Not stainless, but nickel. That gets it extra props by being Alan Rickman / Hans Gruber's gun from the original Die Hard.

Unique in being a single action that isn't cocked until you squeeze it, which has the added benefit of helping lock you out into a proper firing grip. Also unique in using cartridge gas as a delay to keep what would otherwise be an unlocked blowback action slide-forward long enough for the bullet to exit. Unique further still in being a serious combat offering that's NOT descended from the 1911 or P-38. Crazy low bore axis on them, making them very flat shooting and controllable. The biggest negative is that the gas system puts a lot of heat into the frame, so they can get a little toasty if you run a lot of rounds. A few U.S. agencies gave them a whirl, but it only lasted a decade or so.

They're a tight tolerance gun that was never cheap at any time, and every armorer I've spoken to who took the class on them said they're a nightmare to get into. Both probably contributing factors to why they went away.

Last time I looked a couple years ago, the black "common variants" were bringing $3000+. Especially with the Die Hard connection and its greater rarity, $5,000-$10,000 for an unfired nickel one doesn't surprise me at all.

[Battis]

Nickel - good to know. I handled the gun at the owner's house but at the time I had no idea of its functions. The current owner is not a "gun guy" - his father left it to him with no info - but he knows it's worth quite a bit. I'll check out the Die Hard connection.

[Freischütz]

The guys on the Hkpro.com website will help you.

[Ed K]

Had one as my first semi-auto pistol. Everything about the pistol itself was great including that as a lefty it is 100% ambidextrous in operation. One downside was that HK USA customer service was not helpful to civilians. I understand that may have changed.

[Battis]

I tried the HKpro site, but I was told to check Gunbroker for prices, or join the paid version of the site to gain access to price checks. That's cool, I get it, but, it's not my gun. I'll suggest it to the owner - it might be worth it to him.

[Bigslug]

There's a NIB black one listing on GB for above $2500 with 16 bids and 8 days left to go.

A double stack black M13 version creeping up on $4,000 with 23 bids and 11 hours to go.

There are several nickel/hard chrome listing between $4,000 and $9,000, but with no activity on them, which is how I usually figure current market value.

FWIW.

[Battis]

I got a few replies on the HKPro site. The consensus is that the gun has been refinished. Apparently there were no factory nickel guns in that model. One poster said that it's probably a refinished German Police trade-in. That really cuts into its value. Still, a nice gun.

[charlie b]

I'd still look for a reputable person to assess the value. I've had to go through that once and the answers you get from 'armchair' folks or run-of-the-mill gun dealers are not very reliable.

If it is rare then they'd need to contact an auction house that specializes in such items. Of course, they take a 25% cut (or more).

[Bigslug]

I got a few replies on the HKPro site. The consensus is that the gun has been refinished. Apparently there were no factory nickel guns in that model. One poster said that it's probably a refinished German Police trade-in. That really cuts into its value. Still, a nice gun.

I may have misspoke on the nickel. Offerings on BG are being plugged as nickel or hard chrome, with one listed as Robar NP3. The factory DID make silver P7's, we just have to sort out what the actual pixie dust was.:lol:

[Battis]

Apparently that gun was previously owned by the Lower Saxony Police, then traded back to HK. Traded in guns were given condition grades, then shipped to the US. Some of the C grades were refinished in hard chrome or nickel before being shipped.
So, it's a nice gun, a shooter as opposed to a collectible.

[SquibCity]

A Really Neat piece, I'd Get Ahold of the bigger auction houses and see what they say. Usually Bigger Fees for selling, but a better exposure for selling something ( if they plan to sell).

[Ed K]

Factory P7s were plated - never Stainless

[Battis]

I actually called H&K and they ran the serial number for me. Good people. They confirmed that the P7 was a police gun that was bought back by HK, refinished, refurbished and sold in the US. Definitely not a factory nickel gun but still a great gun. I'm helping the owner figure out what it's worth (I sent pics and info to an auction house in Maine). Prices on GB are all over the place. It's definitely out of my price range.

[schutzen-jager]

fyi-
was standard issue for the New Jersy State Police very briefly - many accidental discharges when being holstered - i really liked them, compact, light recoil, + very accurate -

[Battis]

I had read that the NJ State Police carried them. Interesting. I handled the gun last night at the owner's house, trying to get the hang of that squeeze cocker - that is a strange action. But I like the feel of the gun, the angle it sits in my hand. Were they prone to mechanical problems? I hear that working on them can be tough. Did the SP get rid of them specifically because of the accidental discharges?

[schutzen-jager]

iirc correctly the careless holstering was the dominant reason - depressing grip cocker while holstering - no problems i,m aware of - easy maintenance -

[Battis]

Out of 100+ guns that the owner inherited, the P7 and a 1903 Springfield are the only ones left to sell. I'm helping him get a value on each. Narrowing down the history of that P7 helps, but prices are still all over the place. Three gun shops wouldn't take the gun because of the value and possible lack of interest by buyers.
And, of course, I'm scheming for ways to raise the moola to buy it, if he puts a reasonable price on it. Very interesting gun.

[Thin Man]

Many years ago our local police department would allow their officers to carry any handgun they could qualify with at the range. One of our guys came in with a P7PSP, several mags, and a "test this for me" request before he went to the range to fire a qualification course. The first thing we found was that the pistol gets very hot quickly and this gets worse as shooting continues. The real stopping point was the self-cocking front grip. To either engage or release the front grip the pistol makes a rather loud mechanical "clacking" sound. Imagine holding an uncooperative subject at gun point with the striker cocked. The springs that move that cocker are rather stiff and will tire one's hand quickly. So to relax his hands the officer releases the cocker, causing that "CLACK" sound. Odds are that bad boy Billy Bob thinks the officer is about to shoot him and dives at the officer. The rest of this story would end badly for somebody, could be prevented by not authorizing the pistol for service. That is how this application ended.