Back when we could own cartridge pistols in England, this first pistol I bought was the HK P13 - the 13 round magazine version of this pistol. I used that in Practical, Service and Police pistol matches, and loved it. The low bore axis meant a reduced muzzle flip, and the 4 inch barrel was sufficient for accuracy even out to 50 metres if you took a bit of time. I didn't hand it in when pistols were made illegal, instead I sent it to my friend in Arizona, and use it when I get to visit. Incidentally, the heel of butt release was a feature of the original design for the German police pistol trials, as it was a common type of release for European service pistols for many years.. H&K then made the pistol with an ambidextrous mag release by the trigger guard - essentially a lever you pushed down rather than a button you pushed in, in both 13 and 8 round variants (H&K P7M8 and P7M13). Thank you for the review - I loved this gun.
outstanding move sending it overseas to protect your property and still be law abiding. I can see it has a great sentiment value for you, i would've done the same.
to those who own this, in terms of training, how many rounds in does it start getting too hot to handle? i've heard stories of police officers needing to apply nice on their hand while training with it.
my father swears by this gun, was a cop for 25 years starting in 89 this was his service handgun throughout all 25 years he still carries it with him lol i love it
Did you know you can also fire the P7 by squeezing the trigger, THEN squeeze the cocking lever? It doesn't matter which order you do it, the gun only fires when BOTH the trigger and the cocking lever are pulled/squeezed.
I can see why and it's very good points, but your best practicing draw and firing as you might have to do it for real and don't want to screw it up that time. I also don't get if drawing is the most likely way you will hurt your self is, especially if you practice? (Am not saying your wrong, I just have never heard it before.)
+kylethedalek Well you can always practice drawing without rounds in the magazine and chamber. And I understand why a lot of people do discharge while drawing because a lot of people keep a round in the chamber with the safety off for quicker response to situation time.
+kylethedalek I'd agree but I'd do that with others around so incase something does happen on a range. I wish Concealed carry was legal in Canada especially with all the recent stuff happening.
Bought a p7 about 1980 to when they first became available in this country. Loved it! Sent it away and had a Nitex finish. Worst thing I ever did was selling it.
My P7 M8 is not a safe queen. It’s my EDC since ’86 to present day. Some have purchased ten to twenty firearms to my one costing thousands more. It’s like my expensive snap-on 1/2 wrench from the 70’s it’s a tool ( not a quest ) it still works ! Extremely accurate, ransom rest 25yds a nickel sized grouping. Follow -up shoots are easy , very very low bore axis , 4.01” fixed barrel , metro sights , glass smooth trigger (no barrel changes needed) poly barrel. 550 rounds avg. yearly according to my logs practice, practice , muscle memory and manual of arms are now liked breathing ‘ Five mags ( eye cases are good…smile ) Corbon ammo +P 125 gr. or Feds 135 gr. The 9mm cartridge has improved enormously . The best handgun ever made YES . Over engineer not , unique yes, your life dependent on it yes never fails . Run out of ammo I’ll burn you with barrel .…smile… Two attempted car jacking still here . Remember, guys I’m not John Wick in the Catacombs with 50 bad guys after me, he should have had 6 30 round mags for that AR , that’s Hollywood . The heir loom is for my grands !!
I purchased one of these back in the early 80's too. It rode with me everyday for 10 years or so. I ended up giving it away to a friend of mine's widow as a house gun. Would love to have another. The weight never bothered me much since I didn't carry concealed - as a rancher, I didn't need to do so. The gun was reliable and shot well. Like I said, I would love to have another.
This is my all time favorite pistol if it has any negatives I would say weight, it's a little heavy or may be it just feels heavy. It is the most accurate compact 9mm pistol I have ever shot. A friend and I were plinking out by a dump one time, we saw a 5 gallon metal bucket a long ways away and once I got the range of it I could free hand just like you were shooting and hit 8 or 9 out of 10 shots. After were were done we paced off the distance and we were at 112 yards. I love this pistol
Thanks for the video review! I am a longtime P7 owner and carried it for a time as my EDC, but the increasing cost and scarcity of this pistol made me reconsider and change to a less expensive, current production gun. I am thankful I never had to use my P7 in a critical defense situation, and I completely agree with you about the ergonomics and ease of use, but if the unthinkable DID occur, the reality is that the pistol might be confiscated or 'lost' due to ther legal nightmare that follows a self defense shooting. My particular P7 has been hard chromed for corrosion resistance and with aftermarket prices now at the $2500+ range, my P7 is now just a safe queen and occasional range gun. Keep up the excellent videos!!
I am a bavarian police officer and this is my service weapon. i am pretty sure that you shoot a lot better than me. But seeing you handle a pistole like this makes me feel kinda uncomfortable. I was only trained on that pistol for two and a half years, but please draw that weapon just straight to your body and pull that trigger just by the top of your index finger. :D helped me a lot to be a more consistent shooter. :) I wish you all the best and I really enjoy your vidoes. Keep up the great work. Cheers from Oktoberfest country. :P
ftotheelix123 finger position on trigger was what I noticed also. Tip of index finger was how I was taught by my dad when I was 8 years old. I’ve seen a lot of shooters on UA-cam use the same finger position on the trigger like this guy.
@@gabrielmezaali It doesn't matter. Some high level guys say to put as much of your finger in the trigger as possible. Some say just the first pad of your finger. I know a guy who shoots with his middle finger and uses his 1st finger to point down the barrel. He's very good at point shooting. No joke. The REAL TRUTH to getting good is: pick something and do it. Over and over and over again. And then some more. A person who puts his whole finger on the trigger and shots a thousand rounds a month will ALWAYS be better than someone who only uses the tip and shoots twice a year.
247tubefan correct the “ chromed” version. I had one of the chromed versions several years ago . Was told by seller the German police turned them back in to HK in the 80s and they chromed them for resale out to public etc. Beautiful pistol .
It's awesome, very safe to carry, damn good trigger, push style heel release as opposed to a pull style( so it is fairly ergonomic even if not the preference in the U.S.), you actually have one, and you're an H&K snob. By the way polygonal rifling has been a thing since black powder was standard, i.e. Metford rifling in the Lee Metford.
They are great. It doesn't look like much but once in the hand it starts to feel very comfortable. Once you actually use it and feel how it snaps together and functions so smartly... you see why people have them.
There are only two downside to a P7, first is the weight and, second is how hot the slide near the front trigger gets when fired repeatedly. This second problem was fixed in later versions by t he addition of a heat deflector. Comes in a very wide range of caliber's and best of all holds it's value well against the others. Some people find the grip cocking odd at first but practice over time gives you a respect for this superior handgun. Thank you for sharing. Wishing you many more happy years with your H&K P7.
You are the first person I have seen to advise against holster drawing for practice! The rational being airtight and so common sense is inescapable, thank you for saying so, I for one appreciate the demonstration of responsibility. Really great video sir, thank you.
Truly one of the most advanced designs in handgun history. Amazing weapon. I have longed to own one since first seeing and handling one in 1987. Unfortunately I was not 21 and unable to purchase it. I wish H&K would be smart and re-release this weapon. I think it would be accepted by today's prices. You are lucky to own one.
The P7M8 was a great concealed carry pistol for me in the Boston area, including the "combat zone." It's on my current canceled carry pistol list. While a bit heavy, it is ultra safe. The trigger doesn't need special work to make it better--its great out of the box. I have had at least one since 1986 and have multiples of it. As a lefty, it is perfect for either handed shooters.
I just attained a seemingly unfired M8 with original box, tools and three magazines for under 3k. It truly is a masterpiece of fine German engineering.
I want to thank you for saying that you should never do any fast draw shooting when by yourself ..In fact it is really important to try and get a friend to go shooting with you if your favorite place to in out in the desert or up in the mountain woods. I have been out of shooting for several years and am just getting ready this 2017 summer to get back into going shooting again.Thank you so much for that reminder!
Not many pistols are as accurate as the P7. Not sure why fixed barreled pistols never really caught on. I carried the P7 psp (heel release) for two years as a duty weapon. NJ State Police carried the P7 M8 for about 10 years. The Irvington NJ PD used it for about two years. They had a few accidental discharges. I never had any accidental discharges but one time I had to "assist" a passenger out of their car at gp. Once they were on the ground, I went to holster the weapon and heard the click. Due to opposition hand reflex when I grabbed the passenger, I also squeezed the decocker. Good thing training kicked in and trigger finger remained on the frame and not trigger. Oh the P7 has one of the sweetest single action triggers ever. Follow up shots, so accurate. Now the pistol is not finiky but must be maintained. Once the weapons began to age 7 plus years, it was not uncommon to go to qualifications and have a weapon not fire on first trigger pull. The springs would break or become worn and cause malfunctions. Some of these guns also had dust bunnies in and around the slide. These guns never cleared leather outside of qualifications. Imagine just hearing a click when it should go bang. Do not take the hand grips apart w/o a schematic. On more than one occasion a detective would bring in a box of parts for the armorer to put their handgun back together. We switched over to the Beretta Cougar 8000D when the FBI made the move to the same weapon. Talk about polar opposite. P7 single stack small frame to double stack brick of a frame. The offered us to buy our P7's for $350. I'm still kicking my self or not buying two. But I was young and did not own any guns outside of my issue weapon. But I'm on the look out for a P7 to add to my collection. Thanks for the video. Well made
I liked your advice regarding holster use in the field, I have started to train the draw at home with an empty gun, after dry firing it. I believe you make an excellent point.
+TheFajardo100 It's true. I have a friend, retired NJ State Police and that was his issue pistol and he echoed it was the case for years. He still has it and will never get rid of it.
Seriously, you have one of the best audio voices I've ever heard, if you ever did longer videos like a firearms podcast, I think it would be very successful.
2 notes. These are merely a preference- it does not mean anything in the video is wrong nor bad. I like this video. I love my P7M8. It's one of my first firearms ... back in 2001. It has some weight for a smaller handgun; however, the weight & blowback reduction system help to greatly reduce felt recoil. I've always referred to the P7M8's "cocking mechanism" as the "front strap" Personally, I seldom... very seldom wear anything other than my P7M8 or P7M10. If I ever needed to draw & fire, I'll need to know my carry firearm functionality without thinking... oh wait... this is a XXX Regarding the ability to "rack the slide" by pulling the front strap: I don't do that - carrying 24/7, I don't want to fumble. If I'm not carrying one of my P7s.... & drop & insert a new magazine... pull the front strap on my Glock... & nothing happens. I'd put myself at risk I look at this philosophy as a way to create as smooth of a routine & similar muscle memory reactions regardless of the firearm. Of course, I appreciate & maximize the beauty/features of the various firearms.
I have a p7m8 that I love to shoot, the extremely low bore axis and the delayed blowback operation makes controlling the thing far easier than most compacts but honestly the most important chacteristic of the gun is that squeeze cocking system. The important part you need to not is that the gun fires when you have both the cocking lever and trigger fully depressed no matter which order you get there. It means that carry is completely safe since even with a round in the chamber the gun is carried uncocked and the process of gripping the gun firmly also prepares it for firing so there's no issues with failing to actuate a safety, fully rack a slide or slipping the hammer when your manual dexterity goes to hell under a sudden stress situation. While you can carry a glock cocked and locked, having the gun uncocked until you're in firing position is a very good safety feature, I'm sure you've seen plenty glock trigger snag videos by now, that literally would do nothing to this gun which makes drawing from odd positions much safer, especially if you would need to draw from a seated position in a car.
I am fascinated with these,my cousin has one but the bastard won't sell it to me ,and they are pricey used as they should be.When you pick it up you just feel the superb quality fit and finish,shooting it I love the feel and low bore.Never lose it.
Why would it be an issue if it was your gun and you've trained with it? For complete newbies it might pose some momentary confusion though as they look for a safety or relax their grip. Always good for a laugh, that one.
I have carried a P7 for a long time, with the increasing cost and rarity it is making me look for a newer different type to carry. Even though it would decrease the value on the one I currently own, I would love another production run so I could justify carrying it instead of it becoming a safe queen. Everybody likes to carry what they are comfortable with, including myself. Thanks for the excellent videos.
I bought a P7M8 in 1992 for $1050.00. She still Resides in my safe with all the original paperwork, box and she’s in near perfect condition as she’s only had a mere 200 rounds thru her. She’s priceless in the current times.
Inherited mine from a Friend that Died, came with a total of 3 Factory mags. Love the Gun, But at 53, arthritis is starting to kick in, making squeezing it tough, But they can bury me with it.
Once I shot a H&K P7 (II) (gas-ported like the Walther CCP and also „locked“ by gaspressure) using Fiocchi sintered Bullets (Plasic embedded copper-powder). After the 6. shot the Pistol jammed and could not be cycled because of partially melting from the bottom of the sintered bullets into the gas-porting. Dependig on the situation this could be fatal.The disassembly and repair (removing of melted plastics) was most time consuming. This possibility should be taken into consideration with the P7 (and CCP).
@@klausramelow4812 Well, first of all sintered bullets are a bit rare on the market and the fact that plastic melts should not come as a surprise to anyone that shoots. I rather prefer rounds that don't do that and retain mass into the target. Service ball, for all its limitations, would be better, so it is not an issue of the gun but rather of the dubious ammo choice of the shooter.
I ordert one today... i see this gun the first time as a child i am german and living in germany as a child i got a book it names waffenkunde für Polizeibeamte. .. and i was in love ... so today was the day and i buy one of them its a bigger cal as the 380 auto in my PPK and smaller as my Glock 17 i got a few other Hk guns and i love them all ...
Watching this video makes be believe that while the narrator is certainly a firearms enthusiast, they have not had much training with the defensive use of a pistol. 1) Small of back carry inhibits in fight access when entangled with an assailant. 2. Falling backwards while the gun is holstered can break your spine with a small of back holster. Talk to an old cop on why they don't carry equipment there. 3. The way he improperly indexes the magazine in his hand during the reload, index finger should be along the front of the magazine. 4. He reloads the pistol down closer to his belt than closer to his face (commonly referred to workspace). 5. He does not place his support hand on his body during the draw, which could lead to shooting of the support hand in a close-retention firing position. 6. Leaning slightly backwards when shooting the steel, weight should be forward. 7. Support hand is floating off the gun when firing two handed with the non dominant thumb an inch off the side off the gun. A firm firing grip is both hands firmly on the firearm.
For whats its worth, He never claimed to be a expert on shooting or tactics. This channel is more about the history and inner workings of firearms, not on how to use them in a gun fight.
RaftGuidePhil If someone is going to make a video about their carry gun, carry set up, and why they chose them, they should have some knowledge on the subject. But they do not seem to possess that knowledge.
This is not a instructional video. Hes simply showing HIS carry gun and HIS carry technique. He did not say anything about how you should carry your own gun.
Just to clarify, BMAH, knowledge is different from muscle memory. He may mentally know how tactical instructors would say you should reload, but he may not care or have built the muscle memory in doing so. The simple truth is that many young people (of which Alex is one) are not yet super skilled with using handguns. Shooting and operating handguns well is a life-long pursuit, and it is unreasonable to expect everybody to master something before they post a video on UA-cam.
I carried a P7 while working in the US in the mid/late 90's, and thought that if I was going to CCW it had to be the best 'pointer' I could find. I was lucky and found a P7M13, it fit my hand like it had been made for it, and the triggerfelt like it had been through a custom shop even though is was a stock pistol. I never had any problems even that 'overheating' of the delay piston area, If you have to expend a full magazine at one go to stop a 'bad guy' then there is something wrong how you're doing your drills, the P7 is so inherently accurate that double taps to centre mass should not be a problem.
Good to see someone besides myself carry a P7,I have the M8 and it doesn’t cary the holster wear yours does not that it really matters.I remember back in about 2007-8 HK flooded the US market with retired German Police guns they refurbed and they were affordable. $600 in original boxes with 2 magazines. Only way you could tell was the purple tint to the slide. I wish I had bought several of them! They’re worth a lot more today.👍🏻
Scene 1:57 to 2:03: "I'm a firm believer that a conceal and carry handgun should not be a tiny little mouse gun. It should be big enough to fight with but small enough to conceal" This is why I got a Charter Arms Bulldog revolver chambered in the 44 Special and a Citidal Arms 1911 Officer Model chambered in the 45 ACP.
I have shot them for years, until they where banned in the UK....now in France have difficulty in finding one. They are one of the finest carry guns made. Good choice and I prefer the earlier PSP also..........
+klow “klowthecat” Games also portray the recoil of a .357 Magnum as way too much. the exception being Battlefield 4 which did a pretty decent job with recoil. but I've been playing Rainbow Six Siege and the .357 in that game is unwieldily. the recoil is so bad you can't follow up quickly and hit the target unless you're 2 feet from the enemy and that's a full size revolver like around the same size as a 6" Python. that's absurd. and the recoil management and damage stats in most game is just absurd. I hate how vertical foregrips somehow dampen recoil
The H&K P7: the Makarov meets the Steyr GB. The way I do my training, if the pistol either has a thumb safety, no safety, or a safety that isn't combat-usable, it doesn't matter to me, as I always perform a thumb sweep as part of my draw. Pistols that have a combat-usable safety like the 1911 or M17 are carried safety engaged. All others are carried safety off. I don't like non-standard designs like the P7, though. that would require me to vary my standard manual of arms.
There is an outstanding video by MrEK78. Goes into great detail as to how the squeeze cocker mechanism works. It's utterly brilliant and you can see some high level engineering went into the design of this pistol.
This particular version is the "original" European version with bottom mag release. He does mention a 13 round version with a different release, that is the P7M13. They also made a model called the P7M8, that was a 8 round version with a side mag release . Both of the newer M8 and M13 versions also have a small plastic shield above your trigger finger to minimize burns. This pistol had a special piston system that would use spent gasses to delay the slide, if you shot a lot of rounds fast, it got very hot ! Also, you should always use total metal jacketed bullets with this pistol ( jacketed bullet base). Because of that piston system, lead can foul the piston and will make the pistol malfunction ! I have mine because the previous owner used dirty ammo and got annoyed that it was malfunctioning ! A side note that is NOT mentioned about this pistol, is that IF the squeeze cocking mechanism is gripped while your finger ( or anything else) is on the trigger, IT WILL DISCHARGE. They are out of production for many years, and they command quite a bit of money if you are looking to purchase one. It is a fantastic pistol and i would never sell mine.
Every time I visit my FFL, I take a minute to drool over the display case he has in his office. He collects HK's. Including three P7-M8's in various finishes (One with the "Die Hard" Hans Gruber Chrome) and one P7-M13. I've always wanted one. Of course, he's not selling. Those are his Babies.
This may have been the first pistol I ever fired. I was 15 and went to the shooting range with my Grandad who owned one. He passed away, but the gun is still something my family has to remember him by.
Back when we could own cartridge pistols in England, this first pistol I bought was the HK P13 - the 13 round magazine version of this pistol. I used that in Practical, Service and Police pistol matches, and loved it. The low bore axis meant a reduced muzzle flip, and the 4 inch barrel was sufficient for accuracy even out to 50 metres if you took a bit of time. I didn't hand it in when pistols were made illegal, instead I sent it to my friend in Arizona, and use it when I get to visit.
Incidentally, the heel of butt release was a feature of the original design for the German police pistol trials, as it was a common type of release for European service pistols for many years.. H&K then made the pistol with an ambidextrous mag release by the trigger guard - essentially a lever you pushed down rather than a button you pushed in, in both 13 and 8 round variants (H&K P7M8 and P7M13). Thank you for the review - I loved this gun.
Awesome that you prevented it your pistol from being destroyed.
Kristoff Gerhardt Didn't fancy an armed police response team sledgehammering my doors in followed by a 5 year jail sentence.
What the hell England sucks
outstanding move sending it overseas to protect your property and still be law abiding. I can see it has a great sentiment value for you, i would've done the same.
to those who own this, in terms of training, how many rounds in does it start getting too hot to handle? i've heard stories of police officers needing to apply nice on their hand while training with it.
I have had my P7 PSP since 1988, I will never sell it. It is my favorite carry weapon.
my father swears by this gun, was a cop for 25 years starting in 89 this was his service handgun throughout all 25 years he still carries it with him lol i love it
Always slap myself when I think of how I traded mine for some gym equipment. One of the best shooting firearms Ive ever owned.
Damn that sucks man..what kina gym equipment we talking?? Just curious how bad u actually f'ed your self..lol
Lol you traded a 3,000$ pistol for trash
my little bro bet an edition 1 charizard on a game of pokemon at a pool snackbar and lost
@@HelwigDorsuodamn
hes a man of his word and gave the card but i wonder what its worth today@@demetriuspowell29
"HK was the first company to polygonally rifle barrels in small arms"
What about Whitworth, never forget Whitworth!
"Whit" who? Let's try and keep our references to something no older than say the last fifty years?
The Canuck Redcoat whitworth wasnt a conpany
Hexagonal?
@@fwinkler112 generally accepted to be the first ever sniper rifle goddarnit
Did you know you can also fire the P7 by squeezing the trigger, THEN squeeze the cocking lever? It doesn't matter which order you do it, the gun only fires when BOTH the trigger and the cocking lever are pulled/squeezed.
So I guess the lever can act as a trigger...
Yes.
That sounds like a fun challenge to see how accurate you can be with the cocking lever being treated as the trigger.
This lead to some serious accidents in German police forces, mainly due to insufficient instruction and training of police cadets.
@3:32 that PSA alone is reason enough to watch this video, I learned something new and for that i thank you
I can see why and it's very good points, but your best practicing draw and firing as you might have to do it for real and don't want to screw it up that time.
I also don't get if drawing is the most likely way you will hurt your self is, especially if you practice? (Am not saying your wrong, I just have never heard it before.)
+kylethedalek Well you can always practice drawing without rounds in the magazine and chamber. And I understand why a lot of people do discharge while drawing because a lot of people keep a round in the chamber with the safety off for quicker response to situation time.
+Icemonkey Jones I know, but I believe it's important to practice your drawing and firing, because you might need to (hopefully never)
+kylethedalek I'd agree but I'd do that with others around so incase something does happen on a range. I wish Concealed carry was legal in Canada especially with all the recent stuff happening.
STFU. Just stop.
Hans Gruber approved!
Ch M But only the nickle plated version.
"I'm going to count to 3, there will not be a 4, give me the code"
Indeed
Shoot... the glass.
Bought a p7 about 1980 to when they first became available in this country. Loved it! Sent it away and had a Nitex finish. Worst thing I ever did was selling it.
I love to squeeze decock with my hand
I see what you did there
My beautiful and amazing Princess I can think of a couple other parts that would be better, haha.
I love the “release” I feel once the decocker is squeezed
My beautiful and amazing Princess your very punny
Lol
some of the best quality firearms videos on the internet
+Evan Rogers
Thanks Evan, we certainly try our best
Just got my first P7 off gunbroker. $2650 with holster, 3 total mags , box and paperwork. Good deal!
I have been carrying a P7PSP for 14 years and love it. Just grip and rip. No messing with safeties or a first shot long trigger pull. Plus accurate.
Had my P7M8 since 1988, carry it every day.
My P7 M8 is not a safe queen. It’s my EDC since ’86 to present day. Some have purchased ten to twenty firearms to my one costing thousands more. It’s like my expensive snap-on 1/2 wrench from the 70’s it’s a tool ( not a quest ) it still works ! Extremely accurate, ransom rest 25yds a nickel sized grouping. Follow -up shoots are easy , very very low bore axis , 4.01” fixed barrel , metro sights , glass smooth trigger (no barrel changes needed) poly barrel. 550 rounds avg. yearly according to my logs practice, practice , muscle memory and manual of arms are now liked breathing ‘ Five mags ( eye cases are good…smile ) Corbon ammo +P 125 gr. or Feds 135 gr. The 9mm cartridge has improved enormously . The best handgun ever made YES . Over engineer not , unique yes, your life dependent on it yes never fails . Run out of ammo I’ll burn you with barrel .…smile… Two attempted car jacking still here . Remember, guys I’m not John Wick in the Catacombs with 50 bad guys after me, he should have had 6 30 round mags for that AR , that’s Hollywood . The heir loom is for my grands !!
I purchased one of these back in the early 80's too. It rode with me everyday for 10 years or so. I ended up giving it away to a friend of mine's widow as a house gun. Would love to have another. The weight never bothered me much since I didn't carry concealed - as a rancher, I didn't need to do so. The gun was reliable and shot well. Like I said, I would love to have another.
This is my all time favorite pistol if it has any negatives I would say weight, it's a little heavy or may be it just feels heavy. It is the most accurate compact 9mm pistol I have ever shot. A friend and I were plinking out by a dump one time, we saw a 5 gallon metal bucket a long ways away and once I got the range of it I could free hand just like you were shooting and hit 8 or 9 out of 10 shots. After were were done we paced off the distance and we were at 112 yards. I love this pistol
Thanks for the video review! I am a longtime P7 owner and carried it for a time as my EDC, but the increasing cost and scarcity of this pistol made me reconsider and change to a less expensive, current production gun. I am thankful I never had to use my P7 in a critical defense situation, and I completely agree with you about the ergonomics and ease of use, but if the unthinkable DID occur, the reality is that the pistol might be confiscated or 'lost' due to ther legal nightmare that follows a self defense shooting. My particular P7 has been hard chromed for corrosion resistance and with aftermarket prices now at the $2500+ range, my P7 is now just a safe queen and occasional range gun. Keep up the excellent videos!!
You must be ..dumb...to trade in a classic German piece of Art..for a cheap knockoff..😂😂its like to trade in a 1955 Mercedes SL for a 2015 Hyundai....
I am a bavarian police officer and this is my service weapon. i am pretty sure that you shoot a lot better than me. But seeing you handle a pistole like this makes me feel kinda uncomfortable. I was only trained on that pistol for two and a half years, but please draw that weapon just straight to your body and pull that trigger just by the top of your index finger. :D helped me a lot to be a more consistent shooter. :) I wish you all the best and I really enjoy your vidoes. Keep up the great work. Cheers from Oktoberfest country. :P
@@timmattle4730 Most Bavarian Cops love this pistol but that capacity is terrible thp
@@timmattle4730 the VP9 /SFP9 is the New Service weapon for the bavarian police
Just curious how you like your new H&K SFP9 compared to the P7.
What do your colleagues think about it?
ftotheelix123 finger position on trigger was what I noticed also. Tip of index finger was how I was taught by my dad when I was 8 years old. I’ve seen a lot of shooters on UA-cam use the same finger position on the trigger like this guy.
@@gabrielmezaali It doesn't matter. Some high level guys say to put as much of your finger in the trigger as possible. Some say just the first pad of your finger. I know a guy who shoots with his middle finger and uses his 1st finger to point down the barrel. He's very good at point shooting. No joke.
The REAL TRUTH to getting good is: pick something and do it. Over and over and over again. And then some more. A person who puts his whole finger on the trigger and shots a thousand rounds a month will ALWAYS be better than someone who only uses the tip and shoots twice a year.
The gun you’d use for the Chicken man.
it would be nice to see HK revisit this design and possibly make some improvements
Fat hope, as nice as it would be. When the USP came out, they tried so hard to not let anyone get a hold of the P7s.
hard to improve on arguably the perfect handgun
I've always wanted one of these since I first watched Die Hard when I was 15. Finally got the chance to pick one up.
I just realized this is the gun Hans Gruber used in Die Hard.
BalzToTheWall86 The nickle plated version.
247tubefan correct the “ chromed” version. I had one of the chromed versions several years ago . Was told by seller the German police turned them back in to HK in the 80s and they chromed them for resale out to public etc. Beautiful pistol .
Burton Kephart Ahh.. thanks for the info. That chrome version with wood grips is a holy grail.
It's awesome, very safe to carry, damn good trigger, push style heel release as opposed to a pull style( so it is fairly ergonomic even if not the preference in the U.S.), you actually have one, and you're an H&K snob. By the way polygonal rifling has been a thing since black powder was standard, i.e. Metford rifling in the Lee Metford.
They are great. It doesn't look like much but once in the hand it starts to feel very comfortable. Once you actually use it and feel how it snaps together and functions so smartly... you see why people have them.
Definitely the best gun review channel on UA-cam. Professional, and not too much ''pewpew, 'muricuuh''
There are only two downside to a P7, first is the weight and, second is how hot the slide near the front trigger gets when fired repeatedly. This second problem was fixed in later versions by t he addition of a heat deflector. Comes in a very wide range of caliber's and best of all holds it's value well against the others. Some people find the grip cocking odd at first but practice over time gives you a respect for this superior handgun.
Thank you for sharing. Wishing you many more happy years with your H&K P7.
"I've never had to with 'this' firearm"...is that implying there have been others used for that purpose?
I know, sounds like an implied "BTDT".
Well, that takes me back a long way. Always wanted one of them.
You look like Michael C. Hall as Dexter. I can't be the first person to notice.
Holy crap, he kinda does...
You're not the first. He might get sick of it.
Yep
Guns are noisy and easily traced. I prefer knives. "Do I see plastic in your future?"
+Dex Morgan I would rather not, good sir.
I can't upvote this enough. The absolute best concealed carry handgun ever.
How so? I can mount a light on pretty much anything else and pretty much anything else is just as reliable.
+TheFajardo100 I don't vary a handgun for its ability to illuminate.
I love my M13. Best handgun I have ever fired
Ditto
I still own and have carried the HK P7M8/M13 for years .. it’s my opinion these are the most
accurate pistol’s I’ve ever shot ..
Well this is long overdue I suppose
With THIS firearm you say. So you've been in a scuffle/scuffles where you've had to take up arm(some other gun) to get the other to back down ey?
Great video. But where's Patrick?
what is the P7 chambered in? .380 ACP or 9mm
I think they're mostly or all 9mm.
I hope you practice drawing from a holster
You are the first person I have seen to advise against holster drawing for practice! The rational being airtight and so common sense is inescapable, thank you for saying so, I for one appreciate the demonstration of responsibility. Really great video sir, thank you.
I love my P7. I carry it occasionally and have even used it in a uspsa match
Truly one of the most advanced designs in handgun history. Amazing weapon. I have longed to own one since first seeing and handling one in 1987. Unfortunately I was not 21 and unable to purchase it. I wish H&K would be smart and re-release this weapon. I think it would be accepted by today's prices.
You are lucky to own one.
The P7M8 was a great concealed carry pistol for me in the Boston area, including the "combat zone." It's on my current canceled carry pistol list. While a bit heavy, it is ultra safe. The trigger doesn't need special work to make it better--its great out of the box. I have had at least one since 1986 and have multiples of it. As a lefty, it is perfect for either handed shooters.
I just attained a seemingly unfired M8 with original box, tools and three magazines for under 3k. It truly is a masterpiece of fine German engineering.
It’s so cool 😆 I want one!!
Probably can’t own it in California though 🙁
I want to thank you for saying that you should never do any fast draw shooting when by yourself ..In fact it is really important to try and get a friend to go shooting with you if your favorite place to in out in the desert or up in the mountain woods. I have been out of shooting for several years and am just getting ready this 2017 summer to get back into going shooting again.Thank you so much for that reminder!
Not many pistols are as accurate as the P7. Not sure why fixed barreled pistols never really caught on. I carried the P7 psp (heel release) for two years as a duty weapon. NJ State Police carried the P7 M8 for about 10 years. The Irvington NJ PD used it for about two years. They had a few accidental discharges. I never had any accidental discharges but one time I had to "assist" a passenger out of their car at gp. Once they were on the ground, I went to holster the weapon and heard the click. Due to opposition hand reflex when I grabbed the passenger, I also squeezed the decocker. Good thing training kicked in and trigger finger remained on the frame and not trigger.
Oh the P7 has one of the sweetest single action triggers ever. Follow up shots, so accurate. Now the pistol is not finiky but must be maintained. Once the weapons began to age 7 plus years, it was not uncommon to go to qualifications and have a weapon not fire on first trigger pull. The springs would break or become worn and cause malfunctions. Some of these guns also had dust bunnies in and around the slide. These guns never cleared leather outside of qualifications. Imagine just hearing a click when it should go bang. Do not take the hand grips apart w/o a schematic. On more than one occasion a detective would bring in a box of parts for the armorer to put their handgun back together.
We switched over to the Beretta Cougar 8000D when the FBI made the move to the same weapon. Talk about polar opposite. P7 single stack small frame to double stack brick of a frame. The offered us to buy our P7's for $350. I'm still kicking my self or not buying two. But I was young and did not own any guns outside of my issue weapon. But I'm on the look out for a P7 to add to my collection. Thanks for the video. Well made
You've changed so much in 6 years, but the quality of your videos stays consistent!
You had me intrigued on it so I was curious to see how much some were going for. Is $2400 worth it? haha
+Gabe Lindig
I would not pay over $1000 for a standard P7.
+TFB TV I probably should look more. The cheapest one I've found was $1400 on gunbroker but then again its gunbroker haha
They are going up. I paid close to $700 for mine. 2008
@@freakindawgen my dad paid 842 for one in 2006 I believe
This comment didn’t age well. Haha
I liked your advice regarding holster use in the field, I have started to train the draw at home with an empty gun, after dry firing it. I believe you make an excellent point.
I love my P7M8 but I would never carry it and get it all banged up. That's what my glock is for!
Nice gun. Love the colors of the aged metal parts.
Would love to carry that
Lalos guns :D
Great video. I truly love The H&K P7. Not to mention it is a great collectors piece....
In NJ, it was the issue sidearm to the state police for years.
Can I get a source for that?
+TheFajardo100 It's true. I have a friend, retired NJ State Police and that was his issue pistol and he echoed it was the case for years. He still has it and will never get rid of it.
absolutely true. i've held one in my hands.
I o
Also the city of Paterson PD carried the P7 until 1994
Seriously, you have one of the best audio voices I've ever heard, if you ever did longer videos like a firearms podcast, I think it would be very successful.
It's a shame that hk stopped making this pistol.
mdredheadguy1979 . That's a real pity indeed.
Brian Ross like your mom does?
Your voice is the best part of your videos. You should do asmr gun reviews
Wow Lalo reaaaally should've used something else with Gus 😬
shouldve bought armor piercing bullets
@@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012 you were on both comments 💀
@@kennethortiz2043 you are too
R.I.P Howard
2 notes. These are merely a preference- it does not mean anything in the video is wrong nor bad. I like this video.
I love my P7M8. It's one of my first firearms ... back in 2001.
It has some weight for a smaller handgun; however, the weight & blowback reduction system help to greatly reduce felt recoil.
I've always referred to the P7M8's "cocking mechanism" as the "front strap"
Personally, I seldom... very seldom wear anything other than my P7M8 or P7M10. If I ever needed to draw & fire, I'll need to know my carry firearm functionality without thinking... oh wait... this is a XXX
Regarding the ability to "rack the slide" by pulling the front strap:
I don't do that - carrying 24/7, I don't want to fumble. If I'm not carrying one of my P7s.... & drop & insert a new magazine... pull the front strap on my Glock... & nothing happens. I'd put myself at risk
I look at this philosophy as a way to create as smooth of a routine & similar muscle memory reactions regardless of the firearm. Of course, I appreciate & maximize the beauty/features of the various firearms.
I wonder how long it will be until the patent expires and clones enter production.
The patents have been expired for decades. No one is going to clone it, because there's no market for a $1200 carry gun.
I have a p7m8 that I love to shoot, the extremely low bore axis and the delayed blowback operation makes controlling the thing far easier than most compacts but honestly the most important chacteristic of the gun is that squeeze cocking system.
The important part you need to not is that the gun fires when you have both the cocking lever and trigger fully depressed no matter which order you get there. It means that carry is completely safe since even with a round in the chamber the gun is carried uncocked and the process of gripping the gun firmly also prepares it for firing so there's no issues with failing to actuate a safety, fully rack a slide or slipping the hammer when your manual dexterity goes to hell under a sudden stress situation.
While you can carry a glock cocked and locked, having the gun uncocked until you're in firing position is a very good safety feature, I'm sure you've seen plenty glock trigger snag videos by now, that literally would do nothing to this gun which makes drawing from odd positions much safer, especially if you would need to draw from a seated position in a car.
if it is made in Germany it must be good!
my pop has the p7 m13, great pistol, great trigger too. it does get pretty hot after a couple mags by that dust cover. great vid !
Safety and drawing from a holster: see Tex Grebner.
+Isaac Arnold
I dont want to become a living meme
Look son! It's a rare living meme..
c:
I have shot one and I loved it. I know a guy who carried it as a U.S. Park Police officer in the DC area and said it made a good service weapon
Where is Alex now?
I am fascinated with these,my cousin has one but the bastard won't sell it to me ,and they are pricey used as they should be.When you pick it up you just feel the superb quality fit and finish,shooting it I love the feel and low bore.Never lose it.
I wonder how the P7 would fair in a handgun course.
I could out shoot anyone in my academy class...... but some of the students were handicapped by their own Sheriff with modified guns.
Why would it be an issue if it was your gun and you've trained with it? For complete newbies it might pose some momentary confusion though as they look for a safety or relax their grip. Always good for a laugh, that one.
I have carried a P7 for a long time, with the increasing cost and rarity it is making me look for a newer different type to carry. Even though it would decrease the value on the one I currently own, I would love another production run so I could justify carrying it instead of it becoming a safe queen. Everybody likes to carry what they are comfortable with, including myself.
Thanks for the excellent videos.
Walther CCP polymer frame, and the gas system used in the P7. Get the M2 variant, as it is easier to disassemble than the older one.
Here in Bavaria it's still the carry gun of the police and everybody hates it :D
Why do they hate it?
Svar Ragan There were some accidents with these guns and the handling is not the easiest if you are under stress. Its a nice gun, but its outdated...
Thanks for the info, man. Appreciate it.
@ Erebos. The design of P7 is exactly for stressful situation! I found the grip not so ergonomic though.
Yeah that must be why german miltary special forces and the police anti-terror unit GSG 9 chose the P7 over all other available 9mm.
I bought a P7M8 in 1992 for $1050.00. She still
Resides in my safe with all the original paperwork, box and she’s in near perfect condition as she’s only had a mere 200 rounds thru her. She’s priceless in the current times.
i came looking for gcse revision and somehow im here
Possibly the best gun ever. As naturally safe as a revolver which instantly turns into a SA semiauto!
I purchased my P7 PSP in 1983 for $620. No you can't have it.
Inherited mine from a Friend that Died, came with a total of 3 Factory mags. Love the Gun, But at 53, arthritis is starting to kick in, making squeezing it tough, But they can bury me with it.
Once I shot a H&K P7 (II) (gas-ported like the Walther CCP and also
„locked“ by gaspressure) using Fiocchi sintered Bullets (Plasic embedded
copper-powder). After the 6. shot the Pistol jammed and could not be
cycled because of partially melting from the bottom of the sintered
bullets into the gas-porting. Dependig on the situation this could be
fatal.The disassembly and repair (removing of melted plastics)
was most time consuming. This possibility should be taken into
consideration with the P7 (and CCP).
@@klausramelow4812 Well, first of all sintered bullets are a bit rare on the market and the fact that plastic melts should not come as a surprise to anyone that shoots. I rather prefer rounds that don't do that and retain mass into the target. Service ball, for all its limitations, would be better, so it is not an issue of the gun but rather of the dubious ammo choice of the shooter.
I ordert one today... i see this gun the first time as a child i am german and living in germany as a child i got a book it names waffenkunde für Polizeibeamte. .. and i was in love ... so today was the day and i buy one of them its a bigger cal as the 380 auto in my PPK and smaller as my Glock 17 i got a few other Hk guns and i love them all ...
Watching this video makes be believe that while the narrator is certainly a firearms enthusiast, they have not had much training with the defensive use of a pistol. 1) Small of back carry inhibits in fight access when entangled with an assailant. 2. Falling backwards while the gun is holstered can break your spine with a small of back holster. Talk to an old cop on why they don't carry equipment there. 3. The way he improperly indexes the magazine in his hand during the reload, index finger should be along the front of the magazine. 4. He reloads the pistol down closer to his belt than closer to his face (commonly referred to workspace). 5. He does not place his support hand on his body during the draw, which could lead to shooting of the support hand in a close-retention firing position. 6. Leaning slightly backwards when shooting the steel, weight should be forward. 7. Support hand is floating off the gun when firing two handed with the non dominant thumb an inch off the side off the gun. A firm firing grip is both hands firmly on the firearm.
For whats its worth, He never claimed to be a expert on shooting or tactics. This channel is more about the history and inner workings of firearms, not on how to use them in a gun fight.
RaftGuidePhil If someone is going to make a video about their carry gun, carry set up, and why they chose them, they should have some knowledge on the subject. But they do not seem to possess that knowledge.
This is not a instructional video. Hes simply showing HIS carry gun and HIS carry technique. He did not say anything about how you should carry your own gun.
Just to clarify, BMAH, knowledge is different from muscle memory. He may mentally know how tactical instructors would say you should reload, but he may not care or have built the muscle memory in doing so. The simple truth is that many young people (of which Alex is one) are not yet super skilled with using handguns. Shooting and operating handguns well is a life-long pursuit, and it is unreasonable to expect everybody to master something before they post a video on UA-cam.
As a survivor of a spinal chord injury I can confirm that small of back carry is a terrible idea.
I carried a P7 while working in the US in the mid/late 90's, and thought that if I was going to CCW it had to be the best 'pointer' I could find. I was lucky and found a P7M13, it fit my hand like it had been made for it, and the triggerfelt like it had been through a custom shop even though is was a stock pistol. I never had any problems even that 'overheating' of the delay piston area, If you have to expend a full magazine at one go to stop a 'bad guy' then there is something wrong how you're doing your drills, the P7 is so inherently accurate that double taps to centre mass should not be a problem.
If your hand wasn't shaking like a leaf when I saw you tighten your grip to fire I'd still say no thank you
Good to see someone besides myself carry a P7,I have the M8 and it doesn’t cary the holster wear yours does not that it really matters.I remember back in about 2007-8 HK flooded the US market with retired German Police guns they refurbed and they were affordable. $600 in original boxes with 2 magazines. Only way you could tell was the purple tint to the slide. I wish I had bought several of them! They’re worth a lot more today.👍🏻
it looks like you're struggling just to keep the squeeze down
It's not any more of a struggle than to hold the weight of the pistol....easy.
Scene 1:57 to 2:03: "I'm a firm believer that a conceal and carry handgun should not be a tiny little mouse gun. It should be big enough to fight with but small enough to conceal"
This is why I got a Charter Arms Bulldog revolver chambered in the 44 Special and a Citidal Arms 1911 Officer Model chambered in the 45 ACP.
I wanted one since I saw one in ALIENS , one of the colonial Marines had one.
Waaaay late…But just FYI- That was a VP70, not a P7.
I have shot them for years, until they where banned in the UK....now in France have difficulty in finding one. They are one of the finest carry guns made. Good choice and I prefer the earlier PSP also..........
Why don't you do a video on realism of guns in video games?
Sounds cool.
+Chips Dubbo
I am not a gamer, so I feel like trying to pander to that audience would come off as extremely disingenuous or insulting.
+TFB TV Thanks for the honesty. Glad to see you know where the bounds of you being able to make quality content lies.
TFB TV Okay, thanks for your reply.
+klow “klowthecat” Games also portray the recoil of a .357 Magnum as way too much. the exception being Battlefield 4 which did a pretty decent job with recoil. but I've been playing Rainbow Six Siege and the .357 in that game is unwieldily. the recoil is so bad you can't follow up quickly and hit the target unless you're 2 feet from the enemy and that's a full size revolver like around the same size as a 6" Python. that's absurd. and the recoil management and damage stats in most game is just absurd. I hate how vertical foregrips somehow dampen recoil
Thanks for review. For me, it is good-looking too, there is something in it's straight lines.
you need to learn to shoot with both eyes open.
does it make a difference? Im really curious
Damn, I miss Alex C from TFB TV.
Dude asks for donations and is wearing a Rolex.....
+Joe Vazquez
For what it is worth that money goes to production and is not handled by James or myself. We don't see any of it personally.
Ok I was gonna say you guys seem like pretty honest guys so I was just kinda surprised by that lol
Remove automatic watches before shooting or playing golf :-)
nice gun my dream gun
My favorite carry pistol as well. It's a little heavy, but its thin profile along with it being extremely safe make it ideal to carry.
Great video buddy!
My pop used p7m8 as his service pistol. Still has it and is beautiful. I just picked up P30 Lem
It Sounds very nice when shot and the squeeze cocking is also very mechanical sounding (Nice sounding)
The H&K P7: the Makarov meets the Steyr GB. The way I do my training, if the pistol either has a thumb safety, no safety, or a safety that isn't combat-usable, it doesn't matter to me, as I always perform a thumb sweep as part of my draw. Pistols that have a combat-usable safety like the 1911 or M17 are carried safety engaged. All others are carried safety off. I don't like non-standard designs like the P7, though. that would require me to vary my standard manual of arms.
It was my favorite pistol. Had to sell it but as a carry gun it was the best!
There is an outstanding video by MrEK78. Goes into great detail as to how the squeeze cocker mechanism works.
It's utterly brilliant and you can see some high level engineering went into the design of this pistol.
Blast from the past. I love it.
Nice review - I would love to have one
This particular version is the "original" European version with bottom mag release. He does mention a 13 round version with a different release, that is the P7M13. They also made a model called the P7M8, that was a 8 round version with a side mag release . Both of the newer M8 and M13 versions also have a small plastic shield above your trigger finger to minimize burns. This pistol had a special piston system that would use spent gasses to delay the slide, if you shot a lot of rounds fast, it got very hot ! Also, you should always use total metal jacketed bullets with this pistol ( jacketed bullet base). Because of that piston system, lead can foul the piston and will make the pistol malfunction ! I have mine because the previous owner used dirty ammo and got annoyed that it was malfunctioning ! A side note that is NOT mentioned about this pistol, is that IF the squeeze cocking mechanism is gripped while your finger ( or anything else) is on the trigger, IT WILL DISCHARGE. They are out of production for many years, and they command quite a bit of money if you are looking to purchase one. It is a fantastic pistol and i would never sell mine.
H&K P7 and a Rolex watch... You have exquisite taste my friend.
The trigger is visually awesome
Indeed a very nice and reliable gun.
Every time I visit my FFL, I take a minute to drool over the display case he has in his office. He collects HK's. Including three P7-M8's in various finishes (One with the "Die Hard" Hans Gruber Chrome) and one P7-M13. I've always wanted one. Of course, he's not selling. Those are his Babies.
This may have been the first pistol I ever fired. I was 15 and went to the shooting range with my Grandad who owned one. He passed away, but the gun is still something my family has to remember him by.
I love the quality of the video
Thanks Sam