Heckler & Koch MP7

The MP7 is a German Personal Defence Weapon (PDW) manufactured by Heckler & Koch (H&K) and chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm cartridge. It was designed with the new cartridge to meet NATO requirements published in 1989, as these requirements call for a personal defense weapon (PDW) class firearm, with a greater ability to defeat body armor than current weapons limited to 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 versions are the MP7A1 and newest MP7A2.^[8][9][10] The proliferation of high-quality body armour has begun to make guns that fire pistol ammunition (such as Heckler & Koch's earlier MP5 submachine gun or USP pistol) ineffective. In response to this trend, Heckler & Koch designed the MP7 (along with the now cancelled 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.^[8][9][11]

Design details

The MP7 uses a short-stroke piston gas system as used on H&K's G36 and HK416 assault rifles, in place of a blowback system traditionally seen on sub-machine guns including those by H&K.^[12] The 4.6×30mm ammunition is virtually exclusive to the gun (save for the now-cancelled Heckler & Koch UCP and a planned variant of the Brügger & Thomet MP9) and also offers low recoil.^[8][9] This ammunition is unique among submachine guns in that the bullet is made almost entirely of a hardened steel penetrator instead of softer copper or lead.

The weapon allows a conventional 20-round, 30-round, or 40-round box magazine to be fitted within the pistol grip (the 20-round magazine being comparable in size to a 15-round 9×19mm magazine, while the 40-round magazine compares to a 30-round 9×19mm magazine). The weapon features an ambidextrous fire selector, bolt catch lever and magazine release. It has an extendable stock and a folding front grip; it can be fired either one-handed or two-handed.^[8][9] It is compact and light, due to the use of polymers in its construction.

Ammunition

A German Army soldier demonstrates the MP7A1 of the IdZ program.

A recent production MP7A1 (note the safety trigger) with a Zeiss RSA reflex red dot sight on display as part of Germany's IdZ program.^[13]

The MP7's specially designed armour piercing (AP) high velocity rounds consist of either copper plated solid steel (DM11), alloy plated steel jacket (DM21) or copper-alloy-jacketed lead core projectiles (Fiocchi FMJ ZP). Standard AP high velocity DM11 (Ultimate Combat) round with a 2.0 g (31 gr) projectile has a muzzle velocity of 720 m/s (2,362 ft/s) and has a muzzle energy of 506 J (373 ft-lbf).^[14] The DM11 round penetrates the NATO CRISAT target (20 layers of kevlar with 1.6 mm titanium backing) even at 200 m.^[15] The round has a small diameter, allowing for redoubling penetration capability and high capacity in a very small magazine.^[16]

VBR of Belgium produces a 4.6×30mm 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.^[8][9][17] Heckler & Koch claims that the CPS Black Tip ammunition made by Fiocchi has a muzzle energy of approximately 525 J, which would be comparable to 9×19mm Parabellum rounds.^[18][19]

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 trigger safety 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.^[8][9]
• MP7-SF: Semi-automatic only variant of MP7. Currently used by Ministry of Defence Police in United Kingdom.
• MP7A2: Without folding front grip and added fourth rail STANAG 2324

Accessories

The weapon features a full-length, top-mounted Picatinny rail that comes as standard with folding fore and rear iron sights attached. When the sights are folded flat, they resemble Partridge style 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. The tailor-made suppressor for the MP7 does not interfere with its accuracy or rate of fire.

Users

Country	Organization name	Model	Quantity	Date	Reference
Albania	Special Operations Battalion (Albania)	−	−	−	[9][20]
Australia	Western Australia Department of Corrective Services Emergency Support Group	−	−	−	[9][21]
Austria	Einsatzkommando Cobra (EKO Cobra) of the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior	−	−	−	[9][22]
Croatia	Special Operations Battalion (Croatia)	−	25	2004	[9][23]
Czech Republic	Police of the Czech Republic - PDW of ordinary police officers - guns are locked in a special compartment of ordinary police cars' front doors	MP7A1	−	2012	[24]
France	French special forces, DGSE SA, GIGN	MP7A1	−	−	[25][26]
Germany	German Army		−	−	[8][9][27]
	Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG 9) counter-terrorism group of the German Federal Police		−	−	[9][28]
	SEK SWAT police unit (state police) of several German states	−	−	−	[9][29]
Georgia	Ministry of Internal Affairs	−	−	−	[30][31]
Indonesia	Special Forces Command (KOPASSUS) special forces of the Indonesian Army	−	−	−	[32]
Ireland	Garda; Special Detective Unit, Emergency Response Unit, Regional Support Unit, National Bureau of Criminal Investigation	MP7A1	−	2006	[8][33][34] [9][35]
Italy	9th Parachute Assault Regiment	−	−	−	[9]
Japan	Japanese Special Forces Group	−	−	−	[36]
Jordan	−	−	−	−	[9][37]
Malaysia	Pasukan Khas Laut (PASKAL) counter-terrorism group of the Royal Malaysian Navy	MP7A1	−	2010	[9][38]
	Pasukan Gerakan Khas (PGK) counter-terrorism divisions of the Royal Malaysia Police		−	2007	[8][9]
Norway	Norwegian Armed Forces		6,500		[8][9][39]
Oman	−	−	−	−	[9][37]
Republic of Korea	Republic of Korea Army 707th Special Mission Battalion	−	−	−	[9][16]
	Republic of Korea National Police Agency SWAT	−	−	−	[8][9]
	Presidential Security Service	−	−	−	[40]
Romania	SRI Brigada Antitero	MP7A1	−	−	[41]
United Kingdom	Ministry of Defence Police	MP7-SF	−	−	[8][9][42]
United States	United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group	−	−	−	[9][43]
	Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety in California	MP7A1	−	−	[9][44][45]
Vatican City	Pontifical Swiss Guard		−	−	[46]

Gallery

• 

  An MP7A1 with Zeiss RSA reflex red dot sight and LLM01 laser light module.

• 

  British MoD police on patrol in London with a MP7-SF.

• 

  MP7A1.

• 

  MoD Police Conducting Search Drills on a Warship.

• 

  MOD Police Officer on range with an MP7-SF in CBRN Suit.

• 

  An MP7A1 with a suppressor, extended magazine, and an Elcan reflex sight.

• 

  Royal Malaysian Navy PASKAL frogman on standby in Kuala Lumpur with an MP7A1.

See also

• Brügger & Thomet MP9
• FN P90
• PP-2000
• SR-2 Veresk
• ST Kinetics CPW
• Steyr TMP

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: MP7 (category)

• 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

Modern personal defense weapons (PDWs) and cartridges Personal defense weapons AO-46 AAC Honey Badger PDW ČZW-438 Floro PDW FN P90 GA Personal Defense Weapon Heckler & Koch MP7 Interdynamics MKR Knight's Armament Company PDW Magpul PDR MARS Interdynamics MKS Modern Sub Machine Carbine PP-2000 QCW-05 Saab Bofors Dynamics CBJ-MS SR-2 Veresk ST Kinetics CPW VBR-Belgium PDW PDW-caliber pistols FN Five-seven Glock-VBR 7.92 pistol SR-1 Vector Heckler & Koch UCP Pindad PS-01 QSW-06 QSZ-92 VBR-Belgium CQBW GSh-18 PDW cartridges .224 Boz 4.38×30mm Libra 4.5×26mm MKR HK 4.6×30mm 5.56×21mm PINDAD 5.56×30mm MARS 5.56×30mm MINSAS FN 5.7×28mm 5.8×21mm DAP92 6×35mm KAC 6.5×25 CBJ-MS 7.92×24mm 9×19 mm 7N31 9×21mm Gyurza 9×39mm