Heckler & Koch MP7
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.
| 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 |
|
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Produced | 1999–present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass |
|
| 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 | 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) |
| Feed system | 20-, 30- or 40-round detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Tritium-illuminated flip-up night sights; handgun and rifle sights (adjustable) |
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.
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.