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Heckler & Koch MP7
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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.
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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 (see Variants).
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, 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.
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. 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.
The weapon allows a conventional 20-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.
The MP7 is marketed as a direct competitor to the FN P90. Some observers make the distinction that the MP7 is closer to a true machine pistol than a submachine gun. The FN P90 features a simpler straight blowback design that fires with a closed breech, so there is no rotating bolt or gas system, but it is bulkier and heavier than the MP7.
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
 : Used by the EKO Cobra anti-terrorist unit. : The Albanian Army has acquired some MP7 for use in the Special Operations squads (B.O.S.), along with MP5 submachine guns and G36C carbines; further procurement for police forces is planned. : Certain specialized units within the Croatian Navy use the MP7. : The Bundeswehr began to procure the MP7 in high numbers after seeing its use by the special forces unit Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), where it has been used extensively. German soldiers in Afghanistan are now using the MP7 on patrol in Kabul. The MP7 is also a part of Germany's Infantryman of the future project. The GSG 9 of the German Federal Police also uses the MP7. : Detasemen Jala Mengkara Denjaka, a special forces unit of the Indonesian Navy, has adopted MP7. : used by Gruppo di Intervento Speciale, a special operations unit of the Carabinieri, and 17º Stormo Incursori of the Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force). : The MP7 has replaced the Uzi in service with the Garda Síochána (national police) Emergency Response Unit and Regional Support Units. : In 2007, The Royal Malaysian Police also acquired the MP7 for use within the Pasukan Gerakan Khas special forces unit along with the HK416 and G36C. : 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.
- The MP7 has been adopted for use within the National Police Special Weapon Attack Team (KNP SWAT) and the Coast Guard Sea Special Assault Team (SSAT) for field operations along with the MP5, UMP, USP and P7M13.
 : The Portuguese Air Force has acquired MP7A1s for use in Polícia Aérea units, where it will replace the MP5K-PDW but complement the UMP submachine gun and other variants of the MP5.
- In 2005, the MP7 was also adopted by the Ministry of Defence Police as their weapon of choice. The light weight of the weapon, as well as its close range accuracy, were both given as reasons for the purchase.
- The MP7 has also been adopted for use within the Safety and Security Service for field security duties along with the G36K, MP5, Benelli shotguns and Glock 19.
See also
External links
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