Heckler & Koch MP7

Heckler & Koch MP7
An MP7A1 with a suppressor, extended magazine, and an Elcan reflex sight
Type	Personal defense weapon Submachine gun Machine pistol
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	2001–present
Used by	20+ countries (see Users)
Wars	War in Afghanistan (2001–14) Operation Iraqi Freedom 2013 Lahad Datu standoff
Production history
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	1999–present
Specifications
Weight	1.90 kg (4.2 lb) with 20-round empty magazine (PDW) 2.10 kg (4.63 lb) with magazine (MP7A1)
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	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 (656 ft)
Feed system	20-, 30- or 40-round detachable box magazine
Sights	Tritium-illuminated flip-up night sights; handgun and rifle sights (adjustable)

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. 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.

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. 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. 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.