HK P7
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 105 mm
- Weight, empty
- 785 g
- Introduced
- 1979
About
What it is, and why it matters
The HK P7 is a German semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, designed by Heckler & Koch for the West German police trials of the 1970s. Originally designated the PSP (Polizei-Selbstlade-Pistole), it is renowned for its unique squeeze-cocking lever in the front strap that cocks and decocks the striker as the shooter grips the pistol, and for its gas-delayed blowback action with a fixed barrel. The fixed barrel, low bore axis, and gas-retardation give the P7 exceptional accuracy and controllability for a compact service pistol.
The P7 emerged as the winner of the West German police pistol trials launched after the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, which exposed the inadequacy of the police's aging Walther P38 sidearms. Its squeeze-cocking system was conceived so an officer could safely carry a loaded pistol yet fire it instantly with a simple, natural grip.
The squeeze-cocking lever requires roughly 13 lb (about 58 N) to initially cock the action, then only about 1.5 lb to keep it cocked, allowing the pistol to be carried safely with the chamber loaded yet brought to fire instantly. The gas cylinder beneath the barrel can become very hot during sustained fire, which led to the addition of a heat shield on later models.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1979 to 2008
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 105 mm
- Overall length
- 171 mm
- Height
- 130 mm
- Width
- 29 mm
- Sight radius
- 148 mm
- Weight, empty
- 785 g
- Weight, loaded
- 950 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Trigger pull
- 20.0 N
- Capacity
- 8
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Parkerized
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 351 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 480 J
- Effective range
- 50 m
- Maximum range
- 1800 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Squeeze cocking lever
Gas delayed blowback system
Polygonal rifling
Heat shield
Fixed barrel
Low bore axis
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 560 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 785 g | 765 g | Near the median |
| Overall lengthAmong 559 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 171 mm | 191 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 569 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 105 mm | 105 mm | Near the median |
| Magazine capacityAmong 571 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 8 | 15 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Answers
Questions about the HK P7
How much does the HK P7 weigh?
The HK P7 weighs 785 g (1.73 lb) empty and 950 g (2.09 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the HK P7?
The HK P7 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the HK P7 hold?
The HK P7 holds 8 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the HK P7?
The HK P7 is 171 mm (6.73 in) long overall, with a 105 mm (4.13 in) barrel.
Who makes the HK P7?
The HK P7 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by Helmut Weldle.
When was the HK P7 introduced?
The HK P7 was introduced in 1979 and discontinued in 2008.
How does the HK P7 operate?
The HK P7 uses a delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- German Federal Police (Bundespolizei)
- 1979
- GSG 9 (German counter-terrorism unit)
- Germany
- New Jersey State Police
- 1984
Provenance
Confidence in this record
86%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/hk-p7' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-p7", "name": "HK P7", "manufacturer": { "id": "heckler-koch", "name": "Heckler & Koch", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1949, "website": "https://www.heckler-koch.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "ae60994f5b45d604da21fcd14b728cfa9d2e62000c92e596de4c48c4be768979" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1979, "barrel_length_mm": 105, "weight_empty_g": 785, "action_type": "delayed_blowback"}