Name : Heckler & Koch P7 M8, M13 & M10
AKA : The Squeeze Cocker, PSP, P7 M8,M13,M10,
Calibers : 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W,
Capacity : 8 and 13 Rounds (9mm), 10 Rounds (.40 S&W)
Weight : 27.25oz or 785g (P7M8)
Length : 6.75in or 171mm (P7M8)
Action : Striker Fired, Semi automatic, gas operated locking
Origin : Germany
The terror that ensued during the 1972 Munich Olympics resulted in a major shake up within the West German Law Enforcement community and especially the West German government, with a directive being issued to research and revise arms used by Law Enforcement and internal security forces. Technical specifications were drawn up and sent to arms manufacturers specifying that the new pistol weight under 1000g, fire a more powerful round than the 7.65mm (.32ACP) that was being used by Police at the time and various other requirements. Heckler and Koch of Oberndorf, started development on a new pistol in 1974 and prototypes were completed in 1976. The new prototype was put through its paces with a variety of West German departments for evaluation. Meanwhile other pistols were also being tested, the Walther design, a SIG Sauer P220 derivative and a Mauser pistol. West German officials decided to accept the Walther entrant as the P5, the SIG Sauer P225 as the P6 and in 1979 the Heckler and Koch entrant called the PSP (Polizei Selbstlade Pistole) as the P7, all pistols were chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
Ground breaking at the time the new PSP P7 had a number of unusual features, such as the safety device found on the forward section of the grip. Known as a squeeze cocker this device, with a initial heavy squeeze and a lighter pressure to hold the device depressed, the striker is cocked position, which can be visually checked by the striker itself protruding from the back of slide, when pressure is released the striker is de-cocked. Another interesting feature of the P7 is the locking and operating mechanism. When the pistol is fired gas from the round is tapped off through a small hole in the bottom of the barrel into a cylinder where it acts against a piston in effect retarding the slides rearward movement until the projectile has left the barrel and pressures within the barrel have dropped to safe levels, bleeding back into the barrel once again to aid cycling of the action. One advantage of this system was that the barrel of the pistol was fixed to the frame, unlike most pistols that require a locking system, the gas retardant system does not require the barrel to move during firing, thus it is always in the same position shot after shot, aiding accuracy. The barrel itself borrowed from the earlier P9 pistol by Heckler and Koch is also interesting in that is of polygonal design. This design does away with traditional lands and groves in favor of polygon shape that contains a twist.
Heckler and Koch saw the need to improve the PSP, and in 1985 production of the pistol was switched to its successors the P7 M8 and the P7 M13 remaining in 9mm parabellum, the most notable changes were the re-positioning of the magazine release from the heel of the grip to what is now standard on H&K pistols, an ambidextrous push down lever directly under the trigger guard. And in the case of the P7 M13 a double stack magazine containing 13 rounds. The P7 M13 entered the U.S. Military trials to replace the venerable Colt M1911A1 but was unsuccessful in its bid, though it passed with 100% reliability during dust tests and was rated highly for overall conditional reliability.
Heckler and Koch turned instead to marketing the pistol for personal defense and sports shooters, thus following the public interest - the P7 M10 was born. This new pistol was a caliber revision, it was chambered in .40 S&W. It differed from the M8 & M13 in both that it no longer had the polygonal barrel, but more traditional lands and groves. It also due to the considerable pressure increase over the 9x19mm parabellum was slightly larger and heavier.
INTERESTING FACT : German military special forces team GSG-9 had a special version of the P7 M13 made especially for them known as the P7M13SD which had a threaded barrel and supplied suppressor for covert operations.
PRO's : Accurate, reliable, curiosity, collectible, well made,
CON's : Cleaning is a little lengthy, no external slide catch, PSP's had heal mag releases
AKA : The Squeeze Cocker, PSP, P7 M8,M13,M10,
Capacity : 8 and 13 Rounds (9mm), 10 Rounds (.40 S&W)
Weight : 27.25oz or 785g (P7M8)
Length : 6.75in or 171mm (P7M8)
Action : Striker Fired, Semi automatic, gas operated locking
Origin : Germany
The terror that ensued during the 1972 Munich Olympics resulted in a major shake up within the West German Law Enforcement community and especially the West German government, with a directive being issued to research and revise arms used by Law Enforcement and internal security forces. Technical specifications were drawn up and sent to arms manufacturers specifying that the new pistol weight under 1000g, fire a more powerful round than the 7.65mm (.32ACP) that was being used by Police at the time and various other requirements. Heckler and Koch of Oberndorf, started development on a new pistol in 1974 and prototypes were completed in 1976. The new prototype was put through its paces with a variety of West German departments for evaluation. Meanwhile other pistols were also being tested, the Walther design, a SIG Sauer P220 derivative and a Mauser pistol. West German officials decided to accept the Walther entrant as the P5, the SIG Sauer P225 as the P6 and in 1979 the Heckler and Koch entrant called the PSP (Polizei Selbstlade Pistole) as the P7, all pistols were chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
Ground breaking at the time the new PSP P7 had a number of unusual features, such as the safety device found on the forward section of the grip. Known as a squeeze cocker this device, with a initial heavy squeeze and a lighter pressure to hold the device depressed, the striker is cocked position, which can be visually checked by the striker itself protruding from the back of slide, when pressure is released the striker is de-cocked. Another interesting feature of the P7 is the locking and operating mechanism. When the pistol is fired gas from the round is tapped off through a small hole in the bottom of the barrel into a cylinder where it acts against a piston in effect retarding the slides rearward movement until the projectile has left the barrel and pressures within the barrel have dropped to safe levels, bleeding back into the barrel once again to aid cycling of the action. One advantage of this system was that the barrel of the pistol was fixed to the frame, unlike most pistols that require a locking system, the gas retardant system does not require the barrel to move during firing, thus it is always in the same position shot after shot, aiding accuracy. The barrel itself borrowed from the earlier P9 pistol by Heckler and Koch is also interesting in that is of polygonal design. This design does away with traditional lands and groves in favor of polygon shape that contains a twist.
Heckler and Koch saw the need to improve the PSP, and in 1985 production of the pistol was switched to its successors the P7 M8 and the P7 M13 remaining in 9mm parabellum, the most notable changes were the re-positioning of the magazine release from the heel of the grip to what is now standard on H&K pistols, an ambidextrous push down lever directly under the trigger guard. And in the case of the P7 M13 a double stack magazine containing 13 rounds. The P7 M13 entered the U.S. Military trials to replace the venerable Colt M1911A1 but was unsuccessful in its bid, though it passed with 100% reliability during dust tests and was rated highly for overall conditional reliability.
Heckler and Koch turned instead to marketing the pistol for personal defense and sports shooters, thus following the public interest - the P7 M10 was born. This new pistol was a caliber revision, it was chambered in .40 S&W. It differed from the M8 & M13 in both that it no longer had the polygonal barrel, but more traditional lands and groves. It also due to the considerable pressure increase over the 9x19mm parabellum was slightly larger and heavier.
INTERESTING FACT : German military special forces team GSG-9 had a special version of the P7 M13 made especially for them known as the P7M13SD which had a threaded barrel and supplied suppressor for covert operations.
PRO's : Accurate, reliable, curiosity, collectible, well made,
CON's : Cleaning is a little lengthy, no external slide catch, PSP's had heal mag releases
