[cslinger]

I have just come back from my first range session with my newly acquired P7M8. 100 rounds of FMJ. No defensive ammo yet.

I finally understand what all the hubbub is about. I shot the P7 faster and more accurately then any other handgun I have ever shot. It is the most intuitive handgun I have ever experienced. It was like nothing I have ever shot. In short I am hooked.

I understand, I get it now. I have seen the proverbial light.

I am not saying the P7 is for everybody and I am not saying it doesn't have it's weaknesses but speaking for myself it is just about perfect. Squeeze and rattle off rounds as fast as I could and they all just went exactly where I wanted them to go no matter how quickly I brought the gun to bear or how quickly I fired. This was the same at 7' through 75'.

Dare I say this is the first gun I have ever owned that I am not saying it's nice, but it's no SIG. This thing is in a league of it's own.

Ok now for the performance. Once again I have yet to try defensive ammo but 100% reliablility through 100 fast rounds.

The heat build up was noticeable and parts of the gun would have been too hot to hold but holding the gun in a shooting position the heat was never an issue. Actually I barely noticed it until I felt for it.

Reloads are extremely fast with the squeeze cocker being used to drop the slide.

The gun is extremely pointable yet extremely compact. If feels as if it was machined out of a solid block of steel. The first time I held a P7 I thought it would feel fragile this is not the case.

The grip is perfect for my hands. I have small hands though and tend to favor single stacks. YMMV.

Cleaning it is simple and easy. As far as I am concerned it is only ever so slightly more difficult to break down and clean than a SIG which I feel is one of the easiest firearms to fieldstrip and clean.

Are P7s worth the money? Probably not. Between the import taxes and HKs name recognition and the fact so few are imported I believe the price to be artificially high.

Is the P7 a spectacular firearm? I would have to give two thumbs up big yes. It is in a class all it's own as far as I am concerned.

I am simply astonished at how fast and accurately I was able to shoot this gun.

CONS are
Price
Heavy for a 9mm, but to me it felt more solid than heavy. It balances very nicely.
Price
Low capacity but like I said I like single stacks and there is always the M13.
Heat buildup. I could see that this is not a 500 round range gun but I don't think 150 - 200 rounds is out of the question.
Price of Magazines. They are built like tanks though.


I really can't think of any other CONs. Did I mention price, or price of parts or price of magazines?

Really the cost is the biggest drawback I see. I do however feel that I will get my money's worth and more out of this gun. I also feel that it is worth a premium just not as much as the one asked.

Anyway that be that. I am going to go have a cigarette now. It was that good.:what:

Chris

[Bergeron]

Man, I am happy for you! Sounds like you've got an excellent piece there.

Do have a question though, can a P7 regularly digest +P loads?

[gbelleh]

:D The P7 is my favorite gun to shoot! :D

Smooth and Creamy! :D

[cslinger]

all the research I have done shows the P7 to be just fine for +P loadings with all the standard warnings of more wear and tear etc. All HKs seem to be built stronger then they need to be by a long shot.

I would surmise shooting nothing but +P or +P+ during a range session would probably heat the gun up quite a bit faster but for defensive use it should be a non issue.

Soooooo exactly how hard is it to find a P7M10.:D

[Zundfolge]

there's one here: http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=7837518


where it not for the price I'd own one of these. :(

[Handy]

I wouldn't bring up that you own or like your P7. You will quickly be accused of being a snob.

You will also be told that the gun is too complicated. (It has fewer parts than a Beretta 92, fewer cycling parts than a recoil gun and fewer control levers than a USP, Sig or 1911)

You will also be told that you've kissed away any hope of developing a proper lead hand load for your 9mm pistol.(?)

Finally, you may want to contact a burn unit to set up an appointment for your hand, because the first time you fire it will be like handling molten lead.



Enjoy your P7.;)

Snob.

[faustulus]

MuHahahaha

:evil:

Welcome to our nightmare.
Now the problem is you will compare all other pistols to the P7 and you will find them wanting.

MuHahahaha

:evil:

[10-Ring]

Welcome aboard! WHo's next? :cool: Quick, while supplies last! :evil:

[Bergeron]

Aw, c'mon, an M10?

They're way to ugly to own when you could get an M13 instead. Maybe even finish it it two-tone.

Drool....

[twoblink]

Cslinger, I wanted one badly, until I shot one. I couldn't get use to it, and it didn't feel right in my hands, as how you start off gripping the gun is not the grip you end up with for shooting.. So it's off my "want" list.

It's a bit heavy also. But it's very flat, one of the reasons I like it; and one of the very very VERY few guns I'd consider mexican carrying; although I probably am never stupid enough to mexican carry.

Enjoy!

[firestar]

I wish I was a snob.:( I could sell 3-4 of my other guns and buy one but what if I dropped it or scratched it? For $1400, I don't know if I could really enjoy it. It would be too valuable to shoot.:D

Maybe someone will import a million of them and the price will drop like on the Walther P-1 and PP.:D

[Pilot]

Firestar wrote:

"I wish I was a snob. I could sell 3-4 of my other guns and buy one but what if I dropped it or scratched it? For $1400, I don't know if I could really enjoy it. It would be too valuable to shoot."

I bought my LNIB P7M8 for $800. A decent 1911 and many others are that much or a lot more. It has nothing to do with being a snob, its priorities and you do get what you pay for.

[cslinger]

I do think the price is artificially high. I don't think the raw mechanics of the gun are worth what they are asking. I do think they are worth a premium over other handguns just not as much as asked currently.

I'm not a snob because I will tell you straight up my Ruger P97 shoots just about as well as my SIG 220. I even think the Ruger looks pretty good......but that is whole other thread.:D

I am extremely enamored with the P7 though. Moreso then any handgun in a very very long time. Once again I'll be the first to admit it's not perfect for everybody and it has it's CONS but it seems to fit me like a glove.

Chris

[Skunkabilly]

P7M8s have major CDI :D

Heating up? Get a second one while the first cools off :)

[dude]

I have not had any 'heat' issues in over 18 years of P7 shooting

[9mmepiphany]

price is all relative.
my first p7, a PSP, i bought new for just under $400 and it served as my duty pistol until i was enticed by a large cap sig 226.
i recently picked up a used m8 for just over $600. it has some surface wear, but it is not a major issue for my purposes

the p7 does require special consideration in holster selection. it is a short nosed (even through it has a full 4" barrel) and butt heavy piece...so it balances a bit differently. however there is some excellent leather out there for it. i am partial to the alessi CQC/s

[twoblink]

cslinger..

Now you will need to buy a Steyr and compare.. :D

Then you can tell me if the P7 is really worth 4x as much..

[Tamara]

Then you can tell me if the P7 is really worth 4x as much..

Considering that I wouldn't buy a Steyr if they were $25, I'd say that'd be a "yup". ;) :p

[tetchaje1]

Why would you say that Tamara? :confused:

The two Steyrs that I have are very well made, accurate, ergonomic, and have been utterly reliable. If you are referring to the fact that they don't hold much value, then I don't think that it is a fair comment because the price doesn't reflect the quality of workmanship.

Now I'm not saying that I would sell my P7M8 to get a Steyr, but I think that they are a bargain for the money.

...and you really can't say that you prefer a Glock trigger to the Steyr trigger... ;)

[cslinger]

I like the Steyr M and S series pistols. Triggers are better then Glock, they are very comfortable, accurate, seem to be reliable and I love the sights.

No the P7 is not worth 4x the cost of a Steryr IMHO. It is worth a premium over it but not 4X.

I just don't like the parts situation and the fact that there is enough debate about the saftey to make me wary. Please don't construe this as me taking either side because I am smart enough to know that I don't know enough about the gun to make a decision. I just have no desire to take that extra step. I really liked Twoblinks M40 though.

Fact is, if it works for you great. Just don't get that time bomb near me again. It could go full auto or explode at any moment and kill hundreds of people. :D Just kidding.

Back to the leather. So what do we know about high noon holsters? How about Delfatti? For the P7 of course.

Chris

[tetchaje1]

For P7 leather, I know that several people over at ParkCitiesTactical swear by Delfatti and MiltSparks. I know that MiltSparks has specifically addressed the balance issue with the P7 in the VersaMaxII. Delfatti makes a fine holster and I would have no doubt that his holsters would work like champs.

[Handy]

Sewed and wet molded my own FBI cant pancake holster out of fairly thick leather. It's quite secure. The key is to have enough of the gun below the belt line. Canting it forward acheives this easily.

[Handgun]

I have owned two P7M8s and I still don't understand what all the hubbub is about.

The first one was the hardest kicking 9 mm I ever shot (other than the KelTec P11). It felt like a straight blowback rather than a retarded blowback. I am guessing there was a problem with the gas system. I sold it.

The second one was just fine as far as recoil. It was lighter than the average 9 mm. But I still didn't shoot it all that well so I got rid of it.

I recently purchased a PSP that I have not had a chance to shoot. It feels better in my hands than the P7M8s and I feel that it looks better too ... the trigger guard being more in proportion to the rest of the gun. Perhaps this P7 will help me "see the light".

[cslinger]

Handgun,

Chances are the P7 may just not be the gun for you. Not like there are not a whole bunch of other spectacular handguns on the market, many cheaper than the P7.

I, myself, have been bitten though.

I would like to try a PSP myself.

Chris

[Zundfolge]

Sewed and wet molded my own FBI cant pancake holster

What did you use as a mold? Did you use the actual gun or buy some sort of gun mold?


I've been kicking around the idea of making my own holsters too (got some ideas that nobody else sells) but am not sure how to go about doing the molding of either plastics or leather.

[Tamara]

Why would you say that Tamara? :confused:

Mostly because the Steyr just doesn't do a thing for me, while the P7 rings my chimes in a serious fashion.

Thank god they make so many different kinds of pistols, neh? ;)

[Handy]

I use the gun. The first one I did was for a Glock, so I just stuck it in the wet leather and let it dry. For other guns, I just wrap them in Saran Wrap and make sure they have oil on them, under the wrap.

The minimum materials are leather, a fine drill bit (a dremel is easy to use) waxed linen thread and needles. You need water and something round and smooth like the end of a screwdriver handle for molding. Finish appropriately using dye then a clear wax.

You need to work out a pattern on heavy paper stapled together at the seams. Pancake designs are easiest because the have a built in sight channel and really hug the gun when worn.

Good luck. Email me if you need more.