hkcavalier
US Veteran
I really want one in nickel with the wood Nills grips. Like so many on the list, rare and those that have one almost always know that. 
HK P7 PSP
- Thread starter sailor723
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I carry a P7 M8 nearly every day in a Snubbyfan holster. As earlier posters remarked, the ultimate LH pistol and it gets a little warm if you make a full day at the range . . .
I think the P7 was way ahead of its time. Very compact, easy for the owner to use, but confusing for a "snatcher." Slide retracts easily, low bore for less up-kick. Drop the slide quickly after a new mag is inserted with just a squeeze on the grip. I've owned this one for a number of years, complete with box, instructions and tools. Incredibly reliable and accurate. It formerly belonged to a police unit in Niedersachen (Lower Saxony) and apparently saw little or no use.
John
John
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American1776
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I had two P7's at one point. Nice carry guns. The size of a Makarov, yet in 9mm.
One thing to keep an eye out for: watch the welds that hold the breech block inside the slide. Tiny cracks can be seen in those welds on the earliest P7 models (I believe IB code and earlier, or earlier than 1982.
Now, I have read sources that said HK Germany is aware of those early cracks in the welds, and that they are due to the welds expanding then cooling too quickly, and they do not jeopardize the function of the pistol.
Also: keep in mind that there are three ways the gun will fire. 1) squeeze the cocker, then pull the trigger. 2) Pull trigger, then squeeze the cocker. 3) Squeeze cocker and pull trigger simultaneously.
Apparently in the 80's, the NJSP had several cases of holes in the foot because they mixed up these sequences on their P7M8. I read of one case wherein a Trooper shot himself TWICE in the foot with the P7.
It's a VERY SAFE PISTOL once you master the manual of arms.
One thing to keep an eye out for: watch the welds that hold the breech block inside the slide. Tiny cracks can be seen in those welds on the earliest P7 models (I believe IB code and earlier, or earlier than 1982.
Now, I have read sources that said HK Germany is aware of those early cracks in the welds, and that they are due to the welds expanding then cooling too quickly, and they do not jeopardize the function of the pistol.
Also: keep in mind that there are three ways the gun will fire. 1) squeeze the cocker, then pull the trigger. 2) Pull trigger, then squeeze the cocker. 3) Squeeze cocker and pull trigger simultaneously.
Apparently in the 80's, the NJSP had several cases of holes in the foot because they mixed up these sequences on their P7M8. I read of one case wherein a Trooper shot himself TWICE in the foot with the P7.
It's a VERY SAFE PISTOL once you master the manual of arms.
Rock185
US Veteran
Congrats sailor, hope you enjoy it. Mr. Hackathorn described these years ago as, "the Porsche of pistols". I think that might be an apt analogy. I have the P7M8 version now, but used to have one just like yours. Bought mine new back in the '80s, and ordered an extra magazine at the time. Thought it would depreciate like most everything else I buy, and had little idea the prices of these guns and magazines would go the other way. Totally reliable and more accurate than their compact size might suggest. I have on occasion, been able to shoots groups as about small from the bench with the P7 as with the SIG 210. It's harder to do because of the smaller size of the P7, but the intrinsic accuracy is sure there. Seems to be a lot of people who really dislike these pistols,e.g., too heavy, too big, holds too little ammo, different manual of arms, costs too much,etc,etc. Think I'll keep mine anyway.
Come to think of it, I've seen some similar complaints about S&W semi-autos,1911s and 210s. Think I'll keep them too
Come to think of it, I've seen some similar complaints about S&W semi-autos,1911s and 210s. Think I'll keep them too
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I think the P7 was way ahead of its time. Very compact, easy for the owner to use, but confusing for a "snatcher." Slide retracts easily, low bore for less up-kick. Drop the slide quickly after a new mag is inserted with just a squeeze on the grip. I've owned this one for a number of years, complete with box, instructions and tools. Incredibly reliable and accurate. It formerly belonged to a police unit in Niedersachen (Lower Saxony) and apparently saw little or no use.
John
Mine is a police surplus as well....also Lower Saxony
Richard Simmons
Member
Congrats to the OP and all of the rest of you lucky enough to own one of these. It's on my short, short list of guns I want before I check out but so far I haven't come close to getting one.
I picked up a PSP a few years back during the run of imports as well. Great gun, though mine isn't as clean as some of yours - but at $475 I think I did just fine. Wish I could say the same for the 3 extra mags I recently picked up - they are not cheap when you can find them. I've always wanted a P7K3 in 380, would make a fantastic carry gun, but they just bring too much money. Way out of my pocket book's range anyways. One of these days I'll get around to having this one hard chromed, until then I'll just keep on eating the center of out targets with it.
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
About 2008 I started receiving requests for holsters, obviously due to the recent importation of P7-PSP pistols from German police agency trade-ins. Order volume was sufficient to justify purchasing one (about $550 in box with spare mag, tools, and manual), and I completed several dozen holster orders with the P7 over the next couple of years.
Took the opportunity to do some range work with the HK P7. Overall impressions: very easy to shoot well, nicely balanced, easily controlled, very accurate. Detracting factors: holding the cocking lever down for extended periods is tiring, long transition period of training when going from any other pistol platform to the HK P7 design, annoying problem of superheated gas passing through the frame trigger recess directly onto the trigger finger during multiple rapid fire drills (OUCH!!!).
From a holster maker's standpoint, the P7-PSP (and later P7-M8 and P7-M13) all share some characteristics that can create problems: Heavy for the size and caliber. Weight distribution is heavily into the grip-frame, and the overall size (short, compact pistol) does not work well with many holster designs. In short, a great shooting pistol, a finely engineered defensive pistol, but not an easy pistol to carry comfortably and discreetly while also being ready to deploy rapidly.
Anyway, holster demand dried up after a couple of years, the P7-PSP languished in the gun safe for a couple more years, then I noticed that demand remained strong while low-priced German trade-in pistols had disappeared, so my $550 P7-PSP went away for well over a thousand bucks.
I took the money and ran.
Took the opportunity to do some range work with the HK P7. Overall impressions: very easy to shoot well, nicely balanced, easily controlled, very accurate. Detracting factors: holding the cocking lever down for extended periods is tiring, long transition period of training when going from any other pistol platform to the HK P7 design, annoying problem of superheated gas passing through the frame trigger recess directly onto the trigger finger during multiple rapid fire drills (OUCH!!!).
From a holster maker's standpoint, the P7-PSP (and later P7-M8 and P7-M13) all share some characteristics that can create problems: Heavy for the size and caliber. Weight distribution is heavily into the grip-frame, and the overall size (short, compact pistol) does not work well with many holster designs. In short, a great shooting pistol, a finely engineered defensive pistol, but not an easy pistol to carry comfortably and discreetly while also being ready to deploy rapidly.
Anyway, holster demand dried up after a couple of years, the P7-PSP languished in the gun safe for a couple more years, then I noticed that demand remained strong while low-priced German trade-in pistols had disappeared, so my $550 P7-PSP went away for well over a thousand bucks.
I took the money and ran.
They are well north of $2K here in Canada now. I actually saw a nice P7 PSP in the box with spare mag and tools go for $3450 +15% buyers premium at an online auction out of Ontario about a week ago. That seemed like crazy money to me but I guess the market decides what the value is..
American1776
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I agree with most of what you say. I carried a P7 nearly everyday for probably at least a year, even taking it on vacations.
I always wore a gun belt and a quality thumbreak leather holster. In that set up, the P7 was *very* easy to carry. Since it was so short from grip frame to muzzle, my cover shirt could be short and it wouldn't show. It was flat and every discrete.
The gun would get HOT very quickly. I think compared to today's guns, they are not up to the higher round counts. 1911's can go 50,000 rounds or more, glocks go 100,000, a beretta M9 can go 35,000 rounds. I believe an Armour of the NJSP who worked on the P7's has written somewhere that the P7 was good for about 15,000 rounds, and then it was toast. The main reason the NJSP had to transition away from the P7 was due to the pistols being worn out (the average Trooper's P7 had 14,000 rounds through it by the time they decided to change guns). Parts were breaking, and the death of a Trooper due to a P7's firing pin bushing breaking during a gunfight prompted the move away from the P7).
The heat buildup in the frame probably wasn't good for long term durability of all the metal parts.
Still a great pistol. I love the look.
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LVSteve
Member
I thought the P7s at CDNN were too expensive when they had a stack of them for sale. Crow tastes nasty no matter how much salsa you add.
American1776
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The P7 heel release models, police trade ins, go for no less than 1,500 bucks.
The P7M8's go no less than 2,200, and the P7M13 will be at least 3,000.
Prices are crazy on these.
The P7M8's go no less than 2,200, and the P7M13 will be at least 3,000.
Prices are crazy on these.
policerevolvercollector
Member
ki5mc
Member
I have owned both the PSP and P7-M8 in the past. I am still kicking myself in the you know what for trading them off in my younger days! They were both lightweight and super accurate with any handload or factory load I fed them. The PSP I had saw over 4000 rounds of +P handloads. I would love to have them both back these days.
