Heckler & Koch P7M8

This is a wonderful rock solid 9mm semi auto pistol that is super reliable and super accurate. It has a Cult following that most pistols never achieve. It is a single stack 8 shot plus 1 in the chamber, giving you a 9 shot pistol, that works using a gas retard system. The fixed barrel is very accurate. The barrel is polygonal rifled, and it has the best crown in the business.

All handguns have positive and negative features that we can talk about. This pistol is totally ambidextrous, It is 29 ounces empty. The reason it is so good for a South Paw like me is that it does not have the usual magazine release or slide stop or thumb safety.
It works using a front cocking strap which activates the system. This pistol is not for everyone, some people love this pistol and others can not seem to adapt to this unique design.
This pistol has a fluted chamber which is a plus, Let me explain how it works.

You insert a loaded magazine into the magazine well and it locks in place, you pull the slide back and let it slam into battery which inserts a bullet into the chamber. It comes with a 21 lb. recoil spring, I have installed a 23 lb. recoil spring in mine because I use very hot ammo.
There is no thumb safety, unless the front strap is squeezed in and held, the trigger can not be activated to fire the striker system.

It takes approx. 12 lbs to pull in the front cocking strap, and it takes about 4 lbs to hold it in. This front strap must be held in, to be able to keep firing this pistol. When you fire this pistol the little hole in front of the fluted chamber accepts the gas from the burning powder of the fired bullet and keeps the slide locked in battery, thru the gas piston system. As the gas is reduced, the slide is released to cycle and extract the old case and feed another bullet into the chamber.

You must keep the gas piston and tube clean, you must also keep the little hole in front of the chamber clear and clean, I use a paper clip as a tool that is straight and I put a small 90 degree bend very near the end. One of the downsides of this type of handgun is that if you fire a lot of ammo, lets say 100 rounds, the frame gets very hot, that is why it has polymer heat shields on each side of the trigger guard.

It has an audilble noise when releasing the front strap which can be a problem in Police work, but if you pull the slide back 1/4 inch before releasing the front cocking strap this noise will be barely audilble. The factory polymer grips are fine, although Nill grips, makes wood replacements. Pro Mag makes good magazines that can be purchased at a very reduced price.

I carry this gun and mine is chrome plated. I have all my custom holsters made for me by Lou Alessi. I would not trade my HK P7 M8 for anything, I guess I am a member of the cult following.

Teddy Jacobson