Heckler & Koch MP7

Type	Personal defense weapon Submachine gun
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
Used by	See Users
Production history
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	2001–present
Specifications
Weight	1.9 kg (4.19 lb)
Length	590 mm (23.2 in) stock extended / 380 mm (15.0 in) stock collapsed
Barrel length	180 mm (7.1 in)
Width	42 mm (1.7 in)
Height	172 mm (6.8 in)
Cartridge	4.6x30mm
Action	Gas-operated, rotating bolt
Rate of fire	950 + 200 rounds/min
Muzzle velocity	Approx. 710 m/s (2,329 ft/s)
Effective range	200 m
Feed system	20 or 40-round box magazine

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.