Heckler & Koch’s Maschinepistole 7 was developed as a modern Personal Defense Weapon capable of penetrating modern soft body armor.
January 14, 2020
By David M. Fortier
VIDEO
Heckler & Koch’s Maschinepistole 7 (MP7) is an ultra-light and compact Personal Defense Weapon (PDW). Developed to meet a 1989 NATO requirement to replace existing 9x19mm handguns and submachine guns, the MP7 was a direct competitor to FNH’s 5.7x28mm P90 PDW. While NATO never made the switch to a modern PDW, the HK MP7 has seen some success including limited fielding by U.S. Special Operations. Chambered for a small high velocity 4.6x30mm cartridge capable of defeating modern soft body armor, the MP7 features mild recoil combined with a high 950 rpm cyclic rate. Very light and compact, the MP7 is easy to carry and fast handling. Its ammunition is also relatively light and it feeds from 20, 30 and 40 round detachable box magazines. While it has a fairly high hit probability, terminal performance of individual 4.6x30mm AP rounds is lackluster.
An interesting gas operated short-stroke piston design; the MP7 is very fun to shoot. It’s easy to control on full automatic and brass erupts out of its ejection port thanks to its high rate of fire. The example seen here is from the DriveTanks.com collection in Uvalde, Texas. This living history museum was featured in the 2018 season of Guns&AmmoTV, in the pages of Firearms News and online here.
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HK MP7 Specifications Operation : Gas operated via short-stroke pistonCaliber : 4.6x30mmBarrel Length : 7.1 inchesMuzzle Velocity : 2,411 fpsSights : Folding BUIS with optics railCyclic Rate : 950 rpmFeed : 20, 30 and 40-round detachable box magazineWeight : 4.2 poundsLength : 16.3 Inches w/stock collapsed, 25.1 inches w/stock extendedPractical Range : 200 yards
