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| UK MOD POLICE WITH MP7 |
The MP5 is an old sub-machine gun now - it entered service in the 1960's. The fact that it is still used all over the world, fifty years later, says a lot for its classic design.
I love Personal Defence Weapons or PDWs as they are called.
Small, light and deadly.
You can carry them on a sling while you run, climb or fast rope. Yet when you need them, they are easily deployed and can be fired pistol-like or from the shoulder like an assault rifle. They are ideal for close protection work and can be easily carried in motorcades.
The MP7 came into being around 2001 and immediately went head to head with the Belgian FN P90. The problem in 21st century conflicts is the widespread use of body armour - the 9mm Parabellum round used by the MP5 and most nine-mil pistols, struggles against body armour.
The MP7 was introduced to use a 4.6mm supersonic round which will penetrate the specimen NATO CRISAT armour target consisting of 1.6mm Titanium plate supplemented by 20 layers of Kevlar. This target is intended to replicate the personal protection used by former Warsaw Pact countries. The competitor to this is the FN Herstal 5.7x28mm cartridge and there has been exhaustive tests to examine the comparative merits of these two unusually sized calibres. The German military who not unsurprisingly, are an avid user of the MP7, use the armour piercing DM11 Penetrator round. This has a 2g copper plated solid steel bullet which can penetrate CRISAT at 200m or 9mm thick mild steel plate at 50m.
Personally, I'm not a great fan of bullpup rifles, so the P90 doesn't curry favour with me, but I absolutely love the MP7 series.
The improved MP7A1 came in 2003. It can take an extended 40-round mag, is incredibly light (1.9Kg) and feels more like a large handgun - the 4.6mm ammo is said to also reduce recoil compared to larger calibres. The charging handle is at the rear, there is a two part split trigger safety not dissimilar to that used in the Glock pistol and there is plenty of rail space for furniture like the standard H&K Hensoldt RSA-S Reflex Sight, laser or a tactical torch. Unlike the 20th century MP5, the 21st century MP7A1 is mostly polymer and has a three position extendable buttstock and flip up sights which can be used either down or in the raised position.
The real steel weapon is not quiet in operation, especially when used with the supersonic ammunition, so it is often seen with the H&K suppressor.
It is in use with the US SOCOM, the UK MOD police who protect military assets (MP7-SF Semi Auto version), Norwegian Special Forces, the German GSG9, French Special Forces and the police and SWAT teams of about 6 or 7 other countries.
In Airsoft, the two market leaders are Tokyo Marui and KWA with their gas blowback replicas. At this years SHOT SHOW in Las Vegas, VFC Vega Force launched their own GBB entrant and this is already appearing in the UK retailers.
Cost £265 - £350 in the UK depending on maker
