Michael Yon posted on his Facebook page this photo of a German Solider's H&K MP7 in Afghanistan.
When I got my hands on a real MP7 for the first time I was surprised how large it was. Compare the size of it with the pistol the solider has on his right thigh.
[ Many thanks to Warren for emailing me the link. ]
His sidearm looks like an HK45, it has its weird safety selector switch
0 
0I think I jumped the gun on the above post^ now that i recall, the Bundeswehr probably issues HK USPs, same type safety
0 0It looks like he has a hk usp as his sidearm
0 0The Max pack is an Octa, with some molle straps on the front Velcro, I believe.
0 0what kind of sidearm does he probably have?
0 0tactical fanny pack?
0 0Yeah, same size as a Uzi. No surprises.
0 0It looks a lot like a USP to me. As for the bullet, it’s small but it performs more like a rifle caliber than a pistol bullet. 2,250+ fps. People had the same concerns when the 5.56 was widely introduced. If you still think the 5.56 isn’t an effective caliber at close to medium range, you need to get out from under that rock.
0 0The Norwegians have also been using the MP7 in Afghanistan for a while.
Here’s a couple of pictures of some eod-technicians from the Norwegian Navy:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/4134/1111111111jn.jpg
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3660/2222222222ow.jpg
0 0THE MP 7 IS SICK. I THINK OUR TROOPS SHOULD HAVE THE BEST, BUT WE WOULD BE LIVING IN A FANTASY LAND IF WE THOUGHT THAT, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER THE COST may be, OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE FOR US, INSTEAD OF PUTTING ON BS PR PRESS CONFERENCES. ANYWAY I SEEN IT A FEW YEARS BACK ON ULTIMATE WEAPONS TV SHOW, AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE H K MP 7 IS ILL, AND I CAN’T FORGET THE P 90, THE EMPTY’S COME OUT THE BOTTOM, SICK. AND THE KRISS 45 ACP WITH A 5 AND A HALF INCH BARREL. OH MAN I LOVE IT. 
(:
0 0@Alex
HK P8 => HK USP 9mm with rifling barrel (not an polygonal barrel), translucide polymer mag, & safty in lower position with automatic decoking
0 0That 4.6×30 round certainly is interesting for PDW purposes against armored opponents, but not against wiry Pashtuns. The Bofors CBJ-MS answers that question better and in a smaller package. The MP7 always seemed too large as an “always on me” PDW. Talking purely about packaging, I think the Steyr TMP aka B&T MP9 (without that foregrip and in different calibre) would be just about ideal.
Putting a red dot and a light on it defeats the purpose of this class of weapons.
0 0Is it probably a P8 (USP) since it is the issue sidearm of the Bundeswehr.
0 0HK MP7 replace the MP2 UZI
Hight velocity bullet like SS19 of P90, 7,62 Mas long or 7,62tok
the size of the MP7 is near the Mini Uzi
0 0Basically a super modern uzi, being closed bolt and gas operated, must have a quite nice accuracy. The issue is the caliber, independent tests showed the 4.6mm to be inferior to the FN 5.7mm.
0 0I’m still itching to read combat reports about the mp7 and g36 anybody got any?
0 0I had the opportunity to fire it once, and i didn’t find it that large. It sure is bigger than a glock with a stock, but the size and proportions are just perfect for normal hands.
Plus, it’s super accurate and does have next to no recoil, even in full auto.
It is a shame HK doesn’t offer a civilian version of it. It probably would be the nightmare of all gun-control lobbyists.
0 0This happens to be one of my favourite weapons platforms ever. I would absolutely love to get my hands on one in .22lr or even see a semi-auto clone for the US market (where I plan to emigrate to)
0 0It may be larger than you expected, but for PSD or mounted crews, its infinitely more convenient than a short barreled carbine and much more controllable. Its a nice supplement to sidearms. Too bad we did not get a chance to get together for the shoot a couple years ago at SHOT. I was pretty impressed with the MP7…
0 0Hey, can anyone ID that Maxpedition hip-pack the guy is wearing? Doesn’t match anything on their website…
0 0Yeah, I always laugh when they show some HK model shooting the thing like a pistol. Maybe if your name is Thor, then it could be a pistol. Otherwise, the thing is a sub-machine gun. I find it funny that FN and HK both have half of the compact sub-gun/PDW concept. HK has the (slightly) superior firearm, FN has the (vastly) superior PDW round.
0 0Saw one used by an Adghan KPF (Khowst Protection Force, kind of like Khowst province’s Special Forces) while I was there this spring, the thing is damn cool.
0 0.172″ bullets have a TERRIBLE Ballistic Coefficent, even compared to flat based .22′s which is why this gun puzzles me so much. I’m also dubious about the performance of the bullet in soft tissue (how well it penetrates armor strikes me as a superfluous concern, like how cool it looks, or how original it is). It’s better than nothing, but I’m not too sure it’s much better than nothing. If I had a 9mm handgun and an MP-7 like this guy does, and enemy in the wire, I’d probably pick the handgun.
0 0Anyone know what his sidearm is? I can’t tell.
0 0Hi guys!
I don’t know why, but I never liked this design… Sure, it’s compact, but it looks like a bulky UZI with a VFG that folds, and the casings ejecting so close to my hand (though most military operators wear gloves anyway) as well as the AR15-like charging handle, never got my fancy! Sure, I always preferred the P90 in the PDW department, but this dislike of mine has nothing to do with preferences!, but rather on bulkiness and of course, firepower (50 rounds is a whole lot more firepower than that protruding 30 mag in the picture!)
So, ergonomically speaking, the P90 wins in every single detail… I never quite understood how this weapon got rated far greater than the P90 in the Ultimate Weapons series… Of course, a lot of HK weapons were there, so I take it was an editorial preference rather than relying on merit…
Of course, if you value compactness and ergonomy in a SMG-type weapon, and with that comes additional firepower in a more compact package, then the P90 wins! Although the calibers are different, throughout last year, I have seen a whole lot of German Army guys using it for border control units and such! I don’t know if it is because it is a German design, but given that recently the German Army negated the Hk417 for their DMR, I take it if the German Army is using the MP7, is because it is reliable! Not that ‘not being reliable’ has ever been in H&K’s vocab, but there ya go…!
Cheers!
0 0“I was surprised how large it was.”
Well in that configuration fitted with a 40 round magazine, red dot, and a fore grip with light, I’d imagine so, especially compared to a pistol! 
0 0Der soldate is reppin’ Maxpedition I see! On a serious note, that definitely looks bigger than an MP5K to me.
Also, if anybody cares to discuss and has experience with it in Mil/LE, I’d like to know to what extent it has replaced the MP5 family and in what roles.
0 0Never liked those. I just hate the way the front of the grip actually bows forward near the bottom. Necessary due to the curved magazine. That simply can’t feel natural.
0 0
THE MP 7 IS SICK. I THINK OUR TROOPS SHOULD HAVE THE BEST, BUT WE WOULD BE LIVING IN A FANTASY LAND IF WE THOUGHT THAT, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER THE COST may be, OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE FOR US, INSTEAD OF PUTTING ON BS PR PRESS CONFERENCES. ANYWAY I SEEN IT A FEW YEARS BACK ON ULTIMATE WEAPONS TV SHOW, AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE H K MP 7 IS ILL, AND I CAN’T FORGET THE P 90, THE EMPTY’S COME OUT THE BOTTOM, SICK. AND THE KRISS 45 ACP WITH A 5 AND A HALF INCH BARREL. OH MAN I LOVE IT.
(:
The Norwegians have also been using the MP7 in Afghanistan for a while.
Here’s a couple of pictures of some eod-technicians from the Norwegian Navy:
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/4134/1111111111jn.jpg
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3660/2222222222ow.jpg
@Alex
HK P8 => HK USP 9mm with rifling barrel (not an polygonal barrel), translucide polymer mag, & safty in lower position with automatic decoking
That 4.6×30 round certainly is interesting for PDW purposes against armored opponents, but not against wiry Pashtuns. The Bofors CBJ-MS answers that question better and in a smaller package. The MP7 always seemed too large as an “always on me” PDW. Talking purely about packaging, I think the Steyr TMP aka B&T MP9 (without that foregrip and in different calibre) would be just about ideal.
Putting a red dot and a light on it defeats the purpose of this class of weapons.
Is it probably a P8 (USP) since it is the issue sidearm of the Bundeswehr.
It looks a lot like a USP to me. As for the bullet, it’s small but it performs more like a rifle caliber than a pistol bullet. 2,250+ fps. People had the same concerns when the 5.56 was widely introduced. If you still think the 5.56 isn’t an effective caliber at close to medium range, you need to get out from under that rock.
Yeah, same size as a Uzi. No surprises.
I think I jumped the gun on the above post^ now that i recall, the Bundeswehr probably issues HK USPs, same type safety
His sidearm looks like an HK45, it has its weird safety selector switch
It looks like he has a hk usp as his sidearm
The Max pack is an Octa, with some molle straps on the front Velcro, I believe.
tactical fanny pack?
what kind of sidearm does he probably have?
HK MP7 replace the MP2 UZI
Hight velocity bullet like SS19 of P90, 7,62 Mas long or 7,62tok
the size of the MP7 is near the Mini Uzi
Basically a super modern uzi, being closed bolt and gas operated, must have a quite nice accuracy. The issue is the caliber, independent tests showed the 4.6mm to be inferior to the FN 5.7mm.
Anyone know what his sidearm is? I can’t tell.
.172″ bullets have a TERRIBLE Ballistic Coefficent, even compared to flat based .22′s which is why this gun puzzles me so much. I’m also dubious about the performance of the bullet in soft tissue (how well it penetrates armor strikes me as a superfluous concern, like how cool it looks, or how original it is). It’s better than nothing, but I’m not too sure it’s much better than nothing. If I had a 9mm handgun and an MP-7 like this guy does, and enemy in the wire, I’d probably pick the handgun.
Hi guys!
I don’t know why, but I never liked this design… Sure, it’s compact, but it looks like a bulky UZI with a VFG that folds, and the casings ejecting so close to my hand (though most military operators wear gloves anyway) as well as the AR15-like charging handle, never got my fancy! Sure, I always preferred the P90 in the PDW department, but this dislike of mine has nothing to do with preferences!, but rather on bulkiness and of course, firepower (50 rounds is a whole lot more firepower than that protruding 30 mag in the picture!)
So, ergonomically speaking, the P90 wins in every single detail… I never quite understood how this weapon got rated far greater than the P90 in the Ultimate Weapons series… Of course, a lot of HK weapons were there, so I take it was an editorial preference rather than relying on merit…
Of course, if you value compactness and ergonomy in a SMG-type weapon, and with that comes additional firepower in a more compact package, then the P90 wins! Although the calibers are different, throughout last year, I have seen a whole lot of German Army guys using it for border control units and such! I don’t know if it is because it is a German design, but given that recently the German Army negated the Hk417 for their DMR, I take it if the German Army is using the MP7, is because it is reliable! Not that ‘not being reliable’ has ever been in H&K’s vocab, but there ya go…!
Cheers!
“I was surprised how large it was.”
Well in that configuration fitted with a 40 round magazine, red dot, and a fore grip with light, I’d imagine so, especially compared to a pistol!
Der soldate is reppin’ Maxpedition I see! On a serious note, that definitely looks bigger than an MP5K to me.
Also, if anybody cares to discuss and has experience with it in Mil/LE, I’d like to know to what extent it has replaced the MP5 family and in what roles.
Saw one used by an Adghan KPF (Khowst Protection Force, kind of like Khowst province’s Special Forces) while I was there this spring, the thing is damn cool.
Yeah, I always laugh when they show some HK model shooting the thing like a pistol. Maybe if your name is Thor, then it could be a pistol. Otherwise, the thing is a sub-machine gun. I find it funny that FN and HK both have half of the compact sub-gun/PDW concept. HK has the (slightly) superior firearm, FN has the (vastly) superior PDW round.
I had the opportunity to fire it once, and i didn’t find it that large. It sure is bigger than a glock with a stock, but the size and proportions are just perfect for normal hands.
Plus, it’s super accurate and does have next to no recoil, even in full auto.
It is a shame HK doesn’t offer a civilian version of it. It probably would be the nightmare of all gun-control lobbyists.
I’m still itching to read combat reports about the mp7 and g36 anybody got any?
This happens to be one of my favourite weapons platforms ever. I would absolutely love to get my hands on one in .22lr or even see a semi-auto clone for the US market (where I plan to emigrate to)
It may be larger than you expected, but for PSD or mounted crews, its infinitely more convenient than a short barreled carbine and much more controllable. Its a nice supplement to sidearms. Too bad we did not get a chance to get together for the shoot a couple years ago at SHOT. I was pretty impressed with the MP7…
Hey, can anyone ID that Maxpedition hip-pack the guy is wearing? Doesn’t match anything on their website…
Never liked those. I just hate the way the front of the grip actually bows forward near the bottom. Necessary due to the curved magazine. That simply can’t feel natural.