P7M8 Buyer's guide? What to look for?

[Estela216]

I recently had a chance to fire a P7M8 at my range and all I can say is "WOW!" I haven't been so excited about a firearm since shooting my first AR as a kid and wanting one when I got older. Now that I have a future purchase on the radar, I need some help with what I should look for in the P7M8.

I've been to many websites and used the search feature here but am still in search of more information. I know there are police trade ins, refurbished models, new and used and refinished models. Some lingering questions I have are:

How do you know if a gun is a refurbished model?
Are any particular markings more valuable/less valuable than others? I.E. Chantilly vs. Sterling?
Are there any versions to stay away from?
Is there anything else I should know?

I'm familiar with all the pros and cons of this firearm and am not looking to hear an opinion either way. Please limit your comments on this topic to advice about purchasing. Thank you guys and gals for all your help in advance.


Kev

 

[critter]

Awsome guns! They are addicting. Go to www.parkcitiestactical.com. The 'cult' section will answer all your questiions. They are a bunch of good guys who are HK p-series guru's.

 

[Trebor]

Evaluate a P7 pretty much like you'd look at any other used gun. Look at the general finish wear and mechanical wear. Perform a function check with an unloaded gun. Pay careful attention to the squeeze cocking mechanism. Make sure it operates smoothly with no hang ups and that no excessive force is required. It will be easier to check that after you've handled a few so you have a base for comparision.

Field strip the pistol and remove the grips. Look at the wear patterns on the internals. Normal wear is ok, but lots of shiny parts on the mechanism of a externally 100% gun may indicate refinishing.

Pay special attention to the gas piston. The carbon build up should not extend much past the first piston ring on a clean gun (you can never get ALL the build up off). Look for marks or gouges on the piston that indicate improper cleaning with an implement. Wear or damage to the pistons will cause functioning problems.

Try to only buy guns imported by HK. There are guns for sale brought in by other importers, but HK will not stand by these guns for warranty repairs.

Know the differences between the P7M8 and the P7 PSP. The PSP is fine, if that's what you want, just know what you are getting.

There are subtle changes in the P7M8's of various vintages. Try to handle both the "short trigger" and standard trigger variants to see which works for you best. I believe the short trigger was a later version ( I could have that backwards though. Check with Parkcitiestactical.com )

In my opinion, refurbs are fine, for a shooter. Just check them out. Some slides will turn "Plum" after awhile. That's just a cosmetic thing.

As far as "Chantilly vs Sterling," I've owned guns with both marks and haven't noticed much difference. As far as collectability, that's a whole other issue. If your buying it just to collect, go for the best condition you can find., Ideally NIB, unfired, and then never shoot it. You'll want the box, papers, tools, etc. As far as "collectable shooters" go, buy it for it's shooting attributes. Condition and precenses of accessories help with collectability, but the P7 is still viewed more for functionality than collectability.

I'm not expert on the P7. My info comes from having bought and shot 5 different guns over about two years. I wound up selling them all after I decided it wasn't the gun for me. I did learn a little along the way.

 

[hkusp]

I'd buy the cheapest P7M8 you can find that functions properly. Send it out for a Birdsong Black-T finish. http://www.ordnanceoutsellers.com might have some coming in for $729. The finish should cost $160. Spend what you save on ammo.