Heckler & Koch MP7
| Heckler & Koch MP7 | |
|---|---|
 An MP7A1 on display as part of Germany's IdZ program. |
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| 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) without magazine |
| 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) |
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| 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.[1]
Contents |
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.[2] VBR produces a 4.6x30mm 2-part controlled fragmenting projectile that is claimed to increase the content of the permanent wound cavity and double the chance to hit a vital organ.[3] Heckler & Koch claims that the CPS Black Tip ammunition made by Fiocchi has a muzzle energy of approximately 525 J that would be comparable to 9x19mm Parabellum rounds.[4] [5]
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.[6] 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.
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.
Accessories
The weapon features a full-length, top-mounted Picatinny rail that comes standard with folding fore and rear iron sights attached. When the sights are folded flat, they resemble simple open sights. Folded up, they feature aperture sights. The sights can easily be removed by loosening a single screw and lifting them off. It can fit additional rails on the sides of the barrel, which allow it to mount commercial optical sights (telescopic and red dot sights), laser aiming modules (LAM), and tactical flashlights. The MP7 can also accept a suppressor.
Users
Austria: EKO Cobra.[8]- Germany: In use with the Bundeswehr[9] and GSG9.[10]
Ireland: Garda Regional Support Units.[11]
Jordan[12]
Norway: The MP7 is set to replace the Heckler & Koch MP5 in the Norwegian Armed Forces. 6,500 MP7s and 8,200 HK416s were purchased on 31 May 2007.[13]
Oman[12]
South Korea: Various special forces.[14]
United Kingdom: The MP7SF (Single Fire) has been adopted by the Ministry of Defence Police as a single weapon system that replaced three weapons (the L85, MP5 and Browning pistol) as a cost effective exercise which also reduces the need for training on different systems.[15]
See also
- FN P90
- PP-2000
- ST Kinetics CPW
- Steyr TMP
References
- ↑ http://www.heckler-koch.de/HKWebText/detailProd/1926/81/4/20
- ↑ http://www.heckler-koch.de/HKWebText/detailProd/1926/81/4/20
- ↑ http://www.fsdip.com/website/The46x30mmB2Fcartridge/tabid/405/Default.aspx
- ↑ http://www.heckler-koch.de/HKWebText/detailPara/1926/81/4/20/257
- ↑ http://world.guns.ru/ammo/am_pistol-e.htm
- ↑ http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg49-e.htm
- ↑ Zeiss RSA-S Reflex Sight
- ↑ http://www.bmi.gv.at/cms/BMI_EKO_Cobra/publikationen/files/LawOrder.pdf
- ↑ Gourley, S.; Kemp, I (November 26, 2003). "The Duellists". Jane's Defence Weekly (ISSN: 02653818), Volume 40 Issue 21, pp 26-28.
- ↑ "АРСЕНАЛ: ОРУЖИЕ НЕМЕЦКОГО СПЕЦНАЗА (Arsenal: Weapons of the German Special Forces)" (in Russian). Bratishka. http://www.bratishka.ru/archiv/2009/9/2009_9_9.php. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
- ↑ Tom Brady (2008-09-04). "Quick-change armed gardai hit the streets — National News, Frontpage". Independent.ie. http://www.independent.ie/national-news/quickchange-armed-gardai-hit-the-streets-1468916.html. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). ISBN 978-0710628695.
- ↑ Skagemo, Leif Inge (2007-06-05). "En liten røver med trøkk i" (in Norwegian). Hæren. Forsvarsnett. http://www.mil.no/haren/start/article.jhtml?articleID=141475.
- ↑ http://world.guns.ru/smg/smg49-e.htm
- ↑ Steven Partridge. "A Modern Weapon for a Modern Role". http://www.publicservice.co.uk/pdf/dmj/issue28/DMJ28%200402%20S%20Partridge.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
External links
- HK Defense: MP7 product page
- 2008 Heckler & Koch Military and LE brochure
- HKPRO page on HK MP7
- Modern Firearms — HK MP7
- Bundeswehr fact sheet (German)
- Gun-World.net gallery of the MP7 (Chinese)
- Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide (FILM) H&K MP7 PDW Presentation (.wmv)
- Video of the MP7
- Presentation of mp7 for the German Police
- an mp7 pushed into mud and fired afterwards
- an mp7 submerged into water with silencer and fired afterwards
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