The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: Maschinenpistole 7) is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch.

This article or section appears to contradict itself on production date -- is it 1999 or 2001. (February 2024)

Quick Facts Type, Place of origin ...

Heckler & Koch MP7
HK MP7A1
Type	Personal defense weapon Submachine gun
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	2001–present
Used by	20+ countries (see Users)
Wars	War in Afghanistan Iraq War Operation Inherent Resolve Operation Neptune Spear Papua Conflict[1]
Production history
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	1999–present
Specifications
Mass	1.90 kg (4.2 lb) with 20-round empty magazine (PDW) 2.10 kg (4.63 lb) with magazine (MP7A1)[2]
Length	638 mm (25.1 in) stock extended / 415 mm (16.3 in) stock collapsed[3]
Barrel length	180 mm (7.1 in)[4]
Width	51 mm (2.0 in)[3]
Height	169.5 mm (6.7 in)[3]
Cartridge	HK 4.6×30mm
Action	Gas-operated, short stroke piston, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	950 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	735 m/s (2,411 ft/s) (Fiocchi CPS Black Tip ammunition)
Effective firing range	200 m (660 ft)[5][6]
Feed system	20-, 30- or 40-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Tritium-illuminated flip-up night sights; handgun and rifle sights (adjustable)

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It was designed (together with the new cartridge) to meet NATO requirements published in 1989, which called for an SMG-type weapon with a greater capacity to defeat Kevlar body armour (versus pre-existing submachine guns using conventional pistol cartridges such as .45 ACP and 9×19mm Parabellum).

The MP7 went into production in 2001, and is a direct rival to the FN P90, also developed in response to NATO's requirement by Belgian company FN Herstal. The weapon has been revised since its introduction and the latest production variants are the MP7A1 and MP7A2.^[7][8]

The proliferation of cheap yet effective soft body armor has begun to make guns that fire pistol ammunition (such as Heckler & Koch's earlier MP5 submachine gun and USP pistol) ineffective. In response to this trend, Heckler & Koch designed the MP7 (along with the cancelled UCP pistol, which uses the same ammunition) to penetrate soft body armor while being small enough to be used in place of either a pistol or a submachine gun.^[7][9]

This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021)

The MP7 uses a short-stroke piston gas system as is used on H&K's G36 and HK416 in place of a blowback system traditionally seen on submachine guns.^[10] The 4.6×30mm ammunition is exclusive to the gun and offers low recoil.^[7] 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 MP7 has a cyclic rate of fire of around 950 rounds per minute.

The MP7 allows a conventional 20, 30 or 40-round box magazine to be fitted within the pistol grip (the 20-round magazine is comparable in size to a 15-round 9×19mm magazine, while the 40-round magazine compares to a 30-round 9×19mm magazine). It features an ambidextrous fire selector, bolt catch lever and magazine release. It has an extendable stock and a folding front grip (MP7 and MP7A1 variants, the MP7A2 lacks the folding front grip); it can be fired either one-handed or two-handed.^[7] It is compact and light, due to the use of polymers in its construction.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021)

• PDW: The first prototype was shown in 1999 and was designated as 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 designated as the 'MP7' and went into production. Changes include 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 features a 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.^[7]
• MP7A2: A variant without the folding front grip but features a Picatinny rail to mount various grips in line with the user's preference.
• MP7-SF: A semi-automatic only variant of the MP7 which is currently used by the Ministry of Defence Police in the United Kingdom.

• An MP7A1 with Zeiss RSA reflex red dot sight and LLM01 laser light module.
• MoD Police officer on range with an MP7-SF in CBRN suit.
• MP7A1 (note the safety trigger) with a Zeiss RSA reflex red dot sight.

This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021)

The Heckler & Koch Universal Combat Pistol (HK UCP), also known as the HK P46 is a double action, semi-automatic handgun developed under commission for the German Bundeswehr. The concept for the UCP was later cancelled at the prototype stage.

• AO-46 (firearm)
• FN P90
• Mauser MP-57
• Modern Sub Machine Carbine
• PM-63 RAK
• PP-2000
• SR-2 Veresk
• ST Kinetics CPW