Lone_Gunman
Member
The P7 will not hate you for simply admitting it is not perfect.
what makes an HK P7 so great?
- Thread starter c919
- Start date
- Status
Mike OTDP
Member
Hold on...I own three P7s, and will readily concede they aren't perfect. The trigger is not nearly as crisp as I would prefer.
On the other hand, they are like revolvers...you grab and shoot.
On the other hand, they are like revolvers...you grab and shoot.
Lone_Gunman
Member
Ok, here are the things wrong with the P7:
It gets hot.
Its finish is not very durable.
The grip is bulky.
The manual of arms is awkward.
It has a short front end, and finding good leather to hold it securely in place is not as easy as for other guns.
On the plus side, mine was very accurate, and never jammed.
The main reason I do not like it though is because of its unique manual of arms. I think if you are going to depend on a P7 for life and death, you need to be very dedicated to its manual of arms. I can switch between a 1911 and HK USP without thinking, they both work the same way. But a P7 is unique.
It gets hot.
Its finish is not very durable.
The grip is bulky.
The manual of arms is awkward.
It has a short front end, and finding good leather to hold it securely in place is not as easy as for other guns.
On the plus side, mine was very accurate, and never jammed.
The main reason I do not like it though is because of its unique manual of arms. I think if you are going to depend on a P7 for life and death, you need to be very dedicated to its manual of arms. I can switch between a 1911 and HK USP without thinking, they both work the same way. But a P7 is unique.
It is the fastest and most precisely shooting pistol for me. But it is true that the manual of arms of the P7 is not for everyone, as the same point is valid for many other pistols on the market. But I also do agree with that it is necessary to be dedicated to the manual of arms of the P7 much more than the other desings, and this why I called her a jealous mistress.
But while still having a compact service size pistol's barrel lenght, with a proper IWB holster, you got the least volume and lenght in your waist, and you got the least amount of a protrusion you got to conceal under a shirt covering your OWB holster.
I do agree that there is no free lunch, and there is no perfect pistol, and the P7 is not an exception, but if the P7 is a suitable and efficient shooting platform for me, I can stand for the finish, heat, maintainance and holster issues.
Regards.
It gets hot.
Thats been covered already.
Its finish is not very durable.
No less so than other blued guns of the era. Its not tenifer but keep it cleaned and oiled. Big deal. I've been carrying mine for several months now, no signs of wear or rust.
The grip is bulky.
No, its actuall much slimmer than other guns. It is nicely contoured and povides a very nice grip. Its actually superior to most other weapons for my fat palms and short fingers. Have you actually handled one before? Take some measurements of your G19 and I'll take some of my P7. You will be very surprised with which on has the bulk.
The manual of arms is awkward.
Yeah, grip and shoot. Remove magazine, insert new one, grip and shoot. Awkward indeed.
It has a short front end, and finding good leather to hold it securely in place is not as easy as for other guns.
Just like ANY of the current breed of subcompacts. Finding leather is easy. Several makers make quality leather for it. I prefer kydex and carry mine in a Raven Phantom holster. It is very stable and the overall profile of the weapon is much slimmer than a M&P or Glock.
Thats been covered already.
Its finish is not very durable.
No less so than other blued guns of the era. Its not tenifer but keep it cleaned and oiled. Big deal. I've been carrying mine for several months now, no signs of wear or rust.
The grip is bulky.
No, its actuall much slimmer than other guns. It is nicely contoured and povides a very nice grip. Its actually superior to most other weapons for my fat palms and short fingers. Have you actually handled one before? Take some measurements of your G19 and I'll take some of my P7. You will be very surprised with which on has the bulk.
The manual of arms is awkward.
Yeah, grip and shoot. Remove magazine, insert new one, grip and shoot. Awkward indeed.
It has a short front end, and finding good leather to hold it securely in place is not as easy as for other guns.
Just like ANY of the current breed of subcompacts. Finding leather is easy. Several makers make quality leather for it. I prefer kydex and carry mine in a Raven Phantom holster. It is very stable and the overall profile of the weapon is much slimmer than a M&P or Glock.
Last edited:
Because they're just so darn sexy.
Yes, they do get hot.
Yes, they are accurate.
Yes, they are complicated, some refer to this as highly engineered.
Not all P7's have heel magazine releases.
No, the grip is not bulky.
No, the finish is not weak.
Yes, they are thin.
Yes, they are all steel and not a 1911.
Yes, they have a very point friendly grip angle.
Yes, they are no longer produced. -No, this doesn't bother me as the price continues to rise.
Oh, and yes, they are the fastest gun to get into action......
Yes, they do get hot.
Yes, they are accurate.
Yes, they are complicated, some refer to this as highly engineered.
Not all P7's have heel magazine releases.
No, the grip is not bulky.
No, the finish is not weak.
Yes, they are thin.
Yes, they are all steel and not a 1911.
Yes, they have a very point friendly grip angle.
Yes, they are no longer produced. -No, this doesn't bother me as the price continues to rise.
Oh, and yes, they are the fastest gun to get into action......
bdg146
Member
Was it 147 grain? I've read they don't seem to like 147 grain for some reason. Never tried it myself though...
I love mine. About the only thing that bugs me is the relatively low capacity. The heat is really only an issue at the range, and I just mix other pistols in with it to give it a break every few mags... no biggie.
I have three of the M8 variant and love them. They are compact, handy and a pleasure to carry. Last October, I went to Arizona for an LFI-1 (Mas Ayoob) class. I carried one, used the other in class (and had I back-up which I never needed).
The manual of arms is unique, but simple. It's just a matter of training and practice. Holsters are a little tough to find, but mine carries very well in a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2.
The manual of arms is unique, but simple. It's just a matter of training and practice. Holsters are a little tough to find, but mine carries very well in a Milt Sparks Versa Max 2.
matai
Member
Are these P7's small enough to carry concealed or in a large pocket??
They are quite small and flat. I can slip one into a back pocket very nicely, and they carry very easily in a holster. They are not hard to conceal at all, IMHO.matai said:
This picture might give you an idea of the gun's size in comparison with the knife and watch.
Yep. They get hot.
And you know what a bummer that can be when you get in an extended gun battle with a gang of outlaw bikers and keep shooting, missing and having to jam magazine after magazine in the damn thing.
Man, after a while you can burn yourself on it.
Hazardous, I say.
Who needs that?
And you know what a bummer that can be when you get in an extended gun battle with a gang of outlaw bikers and keep shooting, missing and having to jam magazine after magazine in the damn thing.
Man, after a while you can burn yourself on it.
Hazardous, I say.
Who needs that?
Dan Crocker
Member
Really...
how about....they are the fastest pistol to get into action from a hammer down/uncocked condition?
usp9
Member
The overall size is one of the appealing aspects of the P7 IMO. You get duty sized performance out of a compact, slim pistol. Here it is compared to the Kahr K9, thought by many to be the ideal CCW size.
waterhouse
Member
I carry one concealed quite a bit, and think it is a fine choice for that job. As for pocket carry, it would have to be a large pocket, like the cargo pockets on some pants or shorts. I could probably fit a P7 into other pockets, but I doubt I could get it out of them in any reasonable amount of time.
I've heard about a lot of problems with the P7, and readily admit that it gets hot, and that the finish wears, but this may be the first time I've heard anyone describe the grip as bulky. I recently sold one to a 5' 0" woman. She is a tiny lady, with little bitty hands, and after trying out several guns she settled on the P7. It is a single stack 9mm, and is generally referred to as "slim" by most people that pick them up. It may not fit everyone's hands, but it isn't bulky.
I hear this a lot about P7s, but find it not to be a problem in practice. Perhaps if I owned a gun where the thumb safety flipped up instead of down it would be an issue, but squeezing the cocker is a very natural reaction when gripping the gun. I switch between 1911s and P7s quite often. At separate times, I've grabbed both in the dark during "panic" situations. When I grab the 1911, my thumb immediately goes to the safety. When I grab the P7, my fingers immediately squeeze. I don't think it is as big a deal as everyone makes it.
I will concede that P7s aren't for everyone. Many people that shoot mine try and buy it. Some hate it immediately. That's why it is nice to have choices.
My major con for the P7 is that it seems heavy for its size. I've been carrying one for so long that I don't notice it, but when I first got it all I could think was "man this thing looks like it should weigh less." The finish on one of mine is worn pretty bare, but I haven't had any rust issues with it. Mags are pretty difficult to find for them right now too.
Other than that, I'm quite fond of them
Last edited:
Regarding heat, I know a lot of people reading this do not know, but there are several versions of the P7 series of pistol. The former P7/PSP that is being sold as surplus into the USA is a design over 20 years old, it did not have a heat shield.
The replacement model -P7M8 has a heat shield above the trigger which protects the shooter's finger.
The replacement model -P7M8 has a heat shield above the trigger which protects the shooter's finger.
i have both a PSP and a M8 and don't think the "heat shield" made a lot of difference.
i actually prefer the PSP because i think the larger trigger guard, sights, striker collar and mad releases make it "blockier". plus the mag release wings poke me in the side...the only heel release i know that's faster than the P7 is the Beretta 92S
i actually prefer the PSP because i think the larger trigger guard, sights, striker collar and mad releases make it "blockier". plus the mag release wings poke me in the side...the only heel release i know that's faster than the P7 is the Beretta 92S
i don't think i've ever felt heat actually come out of the gun. i usually just feel the frame getting hot. i figure it's just heat transference from the gas going into the gas chamber
- Status
