View Full Version : Thinking of going back to hk p7m8 or m13, any thoughts?
I had a new sterling m8 and have regretted selling it for 8 years. I was thinking of getting a nice m8 or m13. But don't realistically know if I will carry either often. I haven't held a m13, but would feel like I upgraded capacity vs going back to the 9 round m8.
There are less m13s out there and they are quite pricey right now. I do like the idea of having the safety of the squeeze cock.
Curious what others think of the platform now that there are so many other polymer platforms.
(My tiny rohrbaugh r9s robar holds the same number of rounds as the m8)
Going back 15 years I was deep into P7s. Owned one each of the K3s and six M13s etc.
Shot competition and CCWd every day. Mostly shot the 13 and carried the 8 due to weight.
Eventually moved on as parts and repairs became an issue.
As much as I like the P7, if you want a 9, trade off capacity and get a quality 9mm 1911.
I heard somebody refer to people that carry P7s as "gun hipsters". Hard to disagree with that. They're neat, but they're ridiculously expensive anymore and I have significant doubt that the majority of people have the commitment or discipline to train enough with it.
dwhitehorne
06-17-16, 13:00
I was issued a M13 for 7 years. I never cared for it as a duty gun. The grip felt like a 2 x 4 and was slippery when cold and wet. Mine was a used gun made in 1986 and the finish was quite worn. Everytime I got rained on and didn't take the grips off to dry off within 24 hours it would rust. I did like the M8 grip better but wasn't a fan of the fullsize grip and only 9 rounds in the gun. I alway said it was P7 was the Ferrari of handguns and you don't drive a Ferrari to work everyday.
Today, I see there's one P7M13 on Gunbroker, used, at $2800. Although I do have a 1911 which cost as much, I end up carrying one of the 6 to 7 Glocks I bought for that same price, instead.
If you have the money and like the gun, regardless of cost, I say carry it. If you need an endorsement, it was Hans Gruber's weapon of choice in Die Hard:
http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Die_Hard#Heckler_.26_Koch_P7M13
Just sold my third one, have always loved the easy accuracy, and have always felt people made too much of the manual of arms, it's not complicated, and a normal level of training should suffice if your paying attention...
I still sold it, too much weight in this day of plastic pistols. Good luck😀
The Dumb Gun Collector
06-17-16, 19:03
Amazing gun. Can't go wrong.
Drifting Fate
06-17-16, 20:35
Love the M8, but agree the M13 feels like a 2x4.
While it may be one of the greatest handguns ever made, there is no support for the P7 and it's a mechanically complex tool.
The lack of support make it an interesting piece, but not one I would invest into heavily as a carry gun.
I love my P7M8.
Accurate and super reliable.
Lack of support, spare parts, and having to pay $90 for a "new" H&K 8 round magazine has made it into a safe queen.
The P7 series is a great design, but for the costs related to purchasing and maintaining it I believe there are more sound choices.
I would look to the HK USP compact series or the P series: either the P2000 or P30.
I previously owned a P7M8 and carried it occasionally. It was heavy, the finish isn't rust resistant, and low-capacity. That said it was one of the most accurate pistols I have owned and very fast to the draw. Forgot about the difficulty in finding holsters too.
Take a look at the HK compacts, specifically the P2000/ USPC in 9mm and the P30.
I ended up going with a USP Compact in 9mm and a P2000 SK later in the same caliber. I love my HK USPC and it is a much more practical carry piece and just as accurate.
I thought of picking up another P7 myself too, but just couldn't justify the expense for a collectable piece to sit in the safe.
I heard somebody refer to people that carry P7s as "gun hipsters". Hard to disagree with that. They're neat, but they're ridiculously expensive anymore and I have significant doubt that the majority of people have the commitment or discipline to train enough with it.
And "hipster" would still be a compliment...
wildcard600
06-18-16, 11:31
The P7 series is a great design, but for the costs related to purchasing and maintaining it I believe there are more sound choices.
I would look to the HK USP compact series or the P series: either the P2000 or P30.
I previously owned a P7M8 and carried it occasionally. It was heavy, the finish isn't rust resistant, and low-capacity. That said it was one of the most accurate pistols I have owned and very fast to the draw. Forgot about the difficulty in finding holsters too.
Take a look at the HK compacts, specifically the P2000/ USPC in 9mm and the P30.
I ended up going with a USP Compact in 9mm and a P2000 SK later in the same caliber. I love my HK USPC and it is a much more practical carry piece and just as accurate.
I thought of picking up another P7 myself too, but just couldn't justify the expense for a collectable piece to sit in the safe.
This ^^^
The USPc and the P2000 are fantastic pistols. No experience with the P30 but i'm sure its good as well.
The P7 is a cool piece of history, but considering the cost of the pistols and spare mags/parts it seems like a poor choice for carry considering the other options available.
I would buy one if they weren't cost prohibitive. Maybe we will see someone else pick up the tooling and kick a bunch out in the future, like PTR did with their rifles.
I have an hk armorer close by. He seems to be one of the go to guys for p7's. I haven't seen anyone jonesing for parts, but I guess it could be an issue. This will not be my primary.
TheChunkNorris
06-18-16, 13:10
I still carry a M8 and it's a fantastic carry piece especially with all the new 9mm single stack craze.
I bought a M13 when I 1st got my permit. I didn't buy it persay to be a carry gun but because it's my grail gun and I had a good job at the time. I carried it a few times but its just so heavy that it sagged my pants worse than they usually sag. It lives in the safe and gets taken out now and then to show off and shoot. I'm not so much worried about spare parts as much as I am the fact of it being evidence if I had to defend myself with it. So I carry a Glock 19 and don't worry about living with myself if someone dremels a case number on it.
Related to the price. I have never lost money on a P7 purchase. I have owned over 20 total and sold all for more than I paid. Someone always has to have the gun. Remember they are not like money pit 1911. All you need are night sights and you are done.
Of course it does help to live near the last two P7 armorers in America :-)
James being one of them? Who is the other?
TheChunkNorris
06-18-16, 14:26
James being one of them? Who is the other?
I was wondering that myself.
Gary1911A1
06-18-16, 15:57
I really like my standard P7 with the heel mag release. Nice and flat. Wish I'd of kept my other one. Even have a Rogers Hackathorn Holster for mine.
I bought a P7 six or seven years ago when they were cheap because I wanted one ever since seeing Die Hard and Under Siege. Once the newness wore off, I hardly ever shot or carried it. It only came out of the safe to show friends, and I am not really a collector. I sold it recently for enough to buy an STI 2011, which will come out of the safe every time I go to the range or shoot 3-gun.
You seem to know what you're getting into, so go for it if that's what you really want. I just can't see paying the crazy prices they're going for these days. Then again, they aren't going to get cheaper.
I have a P7M8 I got in a trade. I was able to get a decent quantity of factory magazines on Gunbroker under $40 each. It comes out every now and then, but the lack of available parts keeps it as a once in a while shooter.
I love my P7.
I wish someone would make an updated version of it. Maybe with a poly frame and better heat protection. I would buy a few of these if just someone would make it.
I do like the idea of having the safety of the squeeze cock.
To me, this is THE issue with 'part time' carry of the P7.
When the M8s first came into the country I worked for an agency that had a inside connection to HKUSA and we were able to get a few for T&E.
On the range during the "T&E" part of the exercise, they were great and were highly thought of, then we issued them to a few of our more competent officers for street-level eval. They carried them 'part time' - non-uniformed assignments and off-duty - because there were no uniform-style duty-holsters available yet. After a few times where a 'part time' carrier had to go guns-up, the reality of the uniqueness of the P7 became the issue.
After the first couple of incidents, the officers reported that instead of being the safety benefit we thought the squeeze-cock would be, it was the potential Achilles-heal of the system. Under the stress of the situation, officers were simply not remembering to actually squeeze-cock their handgun. They reported that they were assuming a firm firing grip, but since they were carrying 'part time' they hadn't conditioned-in the 'squeeze' response and simply weren't doing it when they needed to.
These weren't dud officers either. They were some of our most proficient shooters, were always the first guys in-line at qual time, and were always shooting-up our ammo on open-range days. Several were competitive shooters and all had transitioned to semi-autos quickly after they were approved.
That concerned us in the training & command staff and we issued guidance that if an officer carried a P7, it had to be their exclusive duty weapon and the only other approved weapon for back-up or off-duty would be a revolver. We believed that was the most prudent guidance given our real-world experience with them.
Unfortunately, instead of the eval officers falling in love and not letting go of them (as we expected/hoped), they fell out of favor. All were quickly turned-in and returned to HK.
I've not learned anything new since that time that would suggest that the P7 - as impressive a system and mechanical design as it is - is a candidate for 'part time' carry for serious use (which is why I share my experience every time it comes up).
thanks guys;
I ended up trading a few guns for a factory nickel p7m13; the deal isn't completed yet
But I figure it is a good investment if nothing else
EDIT: so the deal fell apart for now; seller wanted $1000 extra for the deal.....
Back to the hunt
I carry a former NDS P7 in a Garrity In-Congnito IWB holster. Despite the drawbacks others have mentioned, I found that combination is more comfortable to carry and conceals better than the P2000/Versa Max 2 combination I had previously tried. I am more inclined to carry the P7 than the P2000 or any of the other pistols I own.
After shooting and carrying the LEM trigger for a while, I found I was more comfortable carrying and more accurate shooting the P7. My biggest concern with the P7 is the capacity. I'm still working to determine if/how I will carry spare magazine(s) or if nine rounds is realistically sufficient given where I live and carry.
It's not for everyone, but it works for me.
Thanks
I found a used p7m13 on Gb for a fair price
I had not help one prior to purchasing it; it is for sure thicker in the grip area than the m8
Holster is inbound; I think I will get a p7m8 also sometime; the holster should be good for both...
I might try shoot idpa with it once I get the mags in also....
I will report back
Congrats on the purchase of your P7M13.
In case you were wondering how the thickness of the P7M13 compares to the P7M8...
http://i1358.photobucket.com/albums/q766/nitmr26/P1010272.1_zpsoo51gcgf.jpg (http://s1358.photobucket.com/user/nitmr26/media/P1010272.1_zpsoo51gcgf.jpg.html)
I owned a P7M13 for a short while but found I preferred the slimmer lines of the P7M8 and P7. I probably should have kept it, but I decided to trade it for something else.
What holster did you order for your M13?
I got a rgrizzle holster. (the one in the photo)
I called them and he had just finished a brown holster for a client; but the client wanted black
Fair price and very quick...
He was about to post it on his website that day.
I spoke with del fatti, but its like 18 month wait
It should be in Tuesday
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