H&K P7

[cruzans]

Does anyone know the difference in grading on H&K P7's ? I believe I have seen A, B, C ???? I am looking at a Grade C, German Police Trade Ins, going for $ 529 - seems like a pretty good price - I usually see them go from $ 699 up ?
Thanks !

[1911shooter]

I have only seen the A and B grades and i know the B are around 600 to 650, the A are around 650 to 750 and i have seen some realy nice looking A's go for 900. they are a great pistol, i carry one every day and love it, I have gone from my 1911 to a P7 for now and i love it.

[Rule10b5]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=HK+P7+PSP+grading

Fourth link from the top.

Long story short:

Nobody is 100% sure about the grading criteria, other than those who did the actual grading. That said, the grades refer to internal wear, duration of use, and (likely) round count (though I'm not sure how they'd figure that out unless the round count is tracked by the dept. that originally issued them).

Given that the C grades tend to have the most internal wear from being shot a lot, they'll also likely have the most exterior wear. B is supposed to be a bit better. A, obviously, is supposed to be borderline ANIB.
That said, there are a ton of folks who've bought C grade pistols that turn out to have pristine internals, and little or no exterior wear, so go figure.

I, personally, would not buy one of these sight unseen unless it was graded A. Well, I'd buy a B if it was a steal. And I'd have no problem buying a B or C if I inspected it in person and everything checked out.

If you're looking at one of these, and are worried about wear, inspect it in person before buying. Or bring a friend who knows the model well and let him inspect it in person.

If you're REALLY worried, bring a micrometer and measure the piston and tube/cylinder. A worn (smaller diameter than new) piston isn't a big deal. A worn (larger diameter) tube/cylinder is a major repair, and can turn an other wise excellent gun into a piece of junk.

I don't own one of the graded P7 guns, I own a P7M8 (Trussville stamped) that I bought new, and a like new P7M13 (Chantilly) that I bought used. They're both awesome little guns. If you don't want to go through the worries of buying a graded P7, you can still get new P7M8s (they're in stock all over the place, even though they're discontinued) for $1400 and up in most places.

[Steve_NEPhila]

^^^^^The Barrister hit the nail on the head.^^^^^

There is a great forum about HK's at HKPro.com that should possibly give you some leads to buy a used one if so interested as well as additional information. My P7 (PSP) should be coming back from Robar today, and if it does there will be some serious porn posted in the pictures section.

[Rule10b5]

^^^^^The Barrister hit the nail on the head.^^^^^

There is a great forum about HK's at HKPro.com that should possibly give you some leads to buy a used one if so interested as well as additional information. My P7 (PSP) should be coming back from Robar today, and if it does there will be some serious porn posted in the pictures section.

Definitely post the pics! I keep hoping that the finish on my M8 will wear out quickly just so I can get it NP3'd or hard chromed. Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten one of the rare ones that actually has a durable finish -- not quite sure how that happened, usually you can trash the finish on an M8 by just looking at it funny.

[-JD-]

There is a great forum about HK's at HKPro.com that should possibly give you some leads to buy a used one if so interested as well as additional information.

Park Cities Tactical - Cult of the P7 is also back running again:
http://www.parkcitiestactical.com/pct_faq.htm
http://www.parkcitiestactical.com/ubbthreads/

I missed a good deal on a NIB M13

My P7 (PSP) should be coming back from Robar today, and if it does there will be some serious porn posted in the pictures section.

Drool .....

Been thinking about doing my milled/really plum M8. That or Metalife.

But then I keep thinking Melonite/Nitriding and or Ion Bond.

[Steve_NEPhila]

P7 back from Robar Today:

http://forum.pafoa.org/gun-pictures-...tml#post973793

[cruzans]

Thanks as always for the great feedback ! I was excited to see the P7 for
$ 529 and have been torn. I've never seen one go for less than $ 650+ on gunbroker, gunsamerica or gunshows. Going to think about it a little more - even though $ 529 seems like a great price, I guess it sucks if the gun is a dog

[cruzans]

Still thinking about this P7 !!!! Anyone know anything about the gas system ? Is it something that craps the bed after a while and needs repair/replace ? Probably a dumb question, but I don't know anything about this gas system. The grade C's I'm looking at have some holster wear, and described as "internals are excellent", so if the gas system isn't something I have to worry about, the only downside would be some holster where which I could live with ! Thanks !

[Steve_NEPhila]

The gas system is very robust and damn near fool proof. Here are a few links for you to educate yourself:
http://www.hkp7.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_&_Koch_P7
http://www.parkcitiestactical.com/

In my opinion, the gas system does not just "crap out." The P7 is a reliable, accurate and fine weapon.