Heckler & Koch MP7
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| Heckler & Koch MP7 | |
|---|---|
 MP7A1 with 20-round magazine | |
| Type | Personal defense weapon |
| Place of origin |  Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Produced | 2001–present |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 1.9 kg (4.19 lb) |
| Length | 638 mm (25.1 in) stock extended / 415 mm (16.3 in) stock collapsed |
| Barrel length | 180 mm (7.1 in) |
| Width | 51 mm (2.0 in) |
| Height | 169.5 mm (6.7 in) |
| | |
| Cartridge | 4.6x30mm |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Rate of fire | 950 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | Approx. 725 m/s (2,379 ft/s) |
| Effective range | 200 m |
| Feed system | 20/30/40-round box magazine |
The MP7 is a German submachine gun manufactured by Heckler & Koch (H&K) and chambered for the 4.6x30mm cartridge. It was designed in conjunction with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989 calling for a personal defense weapon (PDW) class firearm with a greater ability to defeat body armor than current weapons, which are limited due to the use of conventional pistol cartridges. The MP7 went into production in 2001. It is a direct rival to the FN P90, also developed in response to NATO's requirement. The weapon has been revised since its introduction and the current production version is the MP7A1.
The proliferation of high-quality body armor has begun to make guns that fire pistol ammunition (such as HK's earlier MP5 or USP) ineffective. In response to this trend, HK designed the MP7 (along with the brand new UCP pistol, which uses the same ammunition) to penetrate body armor, but small enough to be used in place of either a pistol or a submachine gun.[citation needed]
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[edit] Design details
The MP7 essentially operates like a scaled-down assault rifle, with the same action as HK's G36. It fires a specially designed, armor-piercing round with a muzzle velocity nearly as high as that of the 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge used by many modern rifles. This ammunition is unique among submachine guns in that the bullet is made almost entirely of a hardened steel penetrator instead of softer brass or lead. The ammunition is virtually exclusive to the gun (save for the H&K UCP and a planned variant of the Brügger & Thomet MP-9) and also offers low recoil. The round also has a small diameter (it can almost be described as a scaled down .223 Remington), allowing for high capacity in a very small magazine.[citation needed]
The weapon allows a conventional 20-round, 30-round, or 40-round box magazine to be fit within the pistol grip (the former being comparable in size to a 15-round 9 mm magazine, while the latter compares to a 30-round 9 mm magazine). The weapon features an ambidextrous fire-select lever and rear cocking grip. It has an extendable stock and a folding front grip; it can be fired either one-handed or two-handed. It is compact and light using polymers in its construction.
The MP7 is marketed as a direct competitor to the FN P90.[citation needed]
[edit] Variants
- PDW: The first prototype shown in 1999 was designated the 'PDW' (Personal Defense Weapon). It had a short Picatinny rail on the top and a smooth pistol grip surface.
- MP7: In 2001 it was named the 'MP7' and went into production. It included a full length Picatinny rail, a thick curved stock and an anti-slide surface on the pistol grip much like the HK USP. It also featured folding iron sights mounted on the Picatinny rail and the button to fold the foregrip was made larger for easier operation.
- MP7A1: In 2003 its designation was changed to 'MP7A1' and featured a redesigned pistol grip with a different surface and curved shape, a smaller stock with a straight buttpad, side mounted Picatinny rails as standard and the folding iron sights were made more compact. The weapon was made slightly longer, but because the stock was shortened, the overall length did not change. The stock is also able to be locked into 3 positions. Recent MP7A1 models have a safety trigger similar to a Glock pistol; the middle section of the trigger must be pulled first before the outer part will move. This helps to stop accidental discharges if the trigger is bumped.
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