HK MP7A1 submachine gun

HK MP7A1 submachine gun / personal defense weapon with extended 40-round magazine and a number of extras, including night sight, flashlight and silencer

Caliber: 4.6x30mm HK
Weight: 1.5 kg empty
Length (stock closed/open): 340 / 540 mm
Barrel length: 180 mm
Rate of fire: 950 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 20 or 40 rounds
Effective range: 150-200 meters

The HK MP7 Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) is a member of a relatively new class of small arms, called Personal Defense Weapons (PDW; such specialized weapons are build since the start of WW2). The PDW are intended, as name implies, to be a defensive sidearm for second-line troops, vehicle crews and other military personnel who normally not issued with assault rifles. Previously, these troops were issued with pistols or submachine guns, but proliferation of body armor in recent years made those guns ineffective. The first firearm, intended as "the new age PDW" and offered in that class was Belgian-made FN P90, and it had special low-impulse, high-velocity ammunition, capable of penetration of current military body armor and helmets at ranges of 100 meters and beyond, while being much smaller and lighter, than assault rifle. The HK MP7, originally known simply as HK PDW, is another entry in the PDW class, and thus is a direct rival to FN P90.

The HK MP7, first announced in 2000, entered production in 2001 and, by early 2007, is officially adopted by German military, as well as some German special police units, such as KSK, and also offered for export sales. The British Military Police issues HK MP7A1 to its personnel since 2005, and it is believed that some South Korean special forces also use MP7A1.