HK P7 Redux

[Justin]

I was thinking about the HK P7 the other day, and what could be done to improve it.

It's an impressive pistol, but I think the design could be updated to reflect current manufacturing techniques and trends in handling.

Basically what this would entail would be giving the pistol a polymer frame, with the gas tube as a metal insert.

Also, I think that the P7 design could be improved by making the cocking mechanism a modular insert, similar to how a lot of new pistol designs have interchangable backstraps. That way someone with huge hands could insert a bigger squeeze cocking part than someone with smaller hands.

Anyway, just a couple of thoughts. Whaddya think?

 

[9mmepiphany]

so you're talking about adding a squeeze-cocking insert to the heritage stealth?

 

[Zundfolge]

I like the different sized cocking grip idea, but I think the poly frame is a bad one ... part of the point of the gun is that its a finely machined, expensive hunk of metal in your hand.

If you compare the Kahr K9 and P9, you'll find that the P9 just feels "cheaper" then the K9 (I'm not knocking the quality of the P9 ... just the perception of value). I think the same would apply to a P7 poly compared to a steel one (unless you can get the price down around $400, then it might work)


Now a Titanium P7 would be pretty cool
maybe with Damascus steel slide :drool:


Of course you know it would end up with an accessory rail

 

[10-Ring]

Blasphemy!

 

[Greg Bell]

Great idea. The P7 was the only "new" pistol design of the latter half of the 20th (yes, yes, I know it was based on older ideas). The thing that has killed it is price, weight and capacity. Presumably an ultra slim polymer P7 (.9 inch) that came in around 18-oz would be great. Can you imagine a Kahr P9 sized P7M13 (ok, 1.1 inches)? It would be great. And the gun could be manufactured at HK's Columbus facility for ~$750 MSRP. They could sell it as a safe alternative to the current crop of SAO guns. Unfortunately, H&K has been burned by being the innovator for too long. Now they just make fancy copies of everybody else's weapons. Too bad.

 

[Wildalaska]

How can you improve p[erfection?

Wildplastic?Alaska

 

[clubsoda22]

Now they just make fancy copies of everybody else's weapons

Um, like what?

 

[BerettaNut92]

At the very least, an aluminum frame. Polymer would bring it down in weight and price. As for those who think it would be blasphemous (sp?) who cares? Justin's talking about making it better, not about maintaining tradition....

Novak or Heinie sights, I hate 3-dots.

Factory +2 mag extension basepads to make it more competitive for the games.

 

[Greg Bell]

clubsoda22,

Like the USP, UMP, G36, PDW and XM-8. Good guns, no doubt--but nothing original. Unlike the G-3, P9, Vp70, P7,MP-5, G-11, etc. H&K got tired of being broke or seing their good ideas simply stolen. Hey, H&K is in the gun business, not the art business. Still, it is sad that we don't see anything radical from them anymore.

GHB

 

[Peter M. Eick]

Better blueing for one, or maybe a tennifer like hardening (harden an P7 slide, what an oxymoron!) to wear better.

More locked parts so that it would be easier to clean without dis-assembly.

Interchangable barrel like they have on the walther p22 so you can unscrew the lock nut and remove and clean the barrel.

DO NOT MAKE THE DANG THING OUT OF STAINLESS STEEL!

Titanium would be good, but polymer would be out.

A better method of clipping the gas piston onto the slide so it could be removed easily for cleaning.

Factory adjustable sights!

Return of the heel mag release as an option (for those of us who do not like the m8 version).

And finally, a 357sig version.

 

[SAWBONES]

The only real improvement in the P7 worth having, IMNSHO, would be a titanium alloy frame to lighten the weight, but ONLY if such could be had with no loss of strength.
A polymer frame would truly cheapen the gun.

I rather doubt that 357Sig, 9x21 or 9x23 would prove viable in the P7 platform, at least not without an unacceptable increase in size of the weapon, but if such COULD be done, I'd like it in a 9x23 or 357Sig.

 

[hksw]

How can you improve p[erfection?

Make it in 10 mm.

 

[9mmepiphany]

having one in Ti would be wonderous...but me thinks it's sticker would be heart stopping too

i've seen a novak, from the colt pony it think, cut down to fit the p7, very slick indeed ...and you could always go to a sight setup like heine's straight eight

 

[Kodiak AK]

hksw


After seeing the humpback whale that is the .40S&W version I say not just no , but no way in heck.

 

[9mmepiphany]

i'd almost wiped the image of the p7m10 from my mind :banghead: that's what a .357sig chambering of the p7 would look like

a 10mm version would look like the p7m7 (chambered in .45)

 

[BerettaNut92]

9mmepiphany, they make Heinies for the P7??

 

[Greg Bell]

You could use a standard slide on the M10 (the way the protos were). I think there was a little ego fight between the Krauts and the guys at HK USA (who developed the M10). Plus, everybody was paranoid about .40 early on (see the uber-beefy 228 called the 229). Nowadays everybody just says that they developed them in .40 .

GHB

 

[hksw]

That was my understanding also, the homeboys just overengineered the M10 and made that covered wagon slide.

 

[9mmepiphany]

skunk- nope they don't, sorry for the confusion

but you can have your front and rear sight drilled for single elements which align when placed atop each other. if you're as sight challenged as i am, you could have the rear as a lateral bar (like my custom setup on the 220)

 

[ajacobs]

I saw this on ar-15.com, I don't know if I would call it an improvement