H&K

Check out this underwater pistol Heckler & Koch built for the Navy SEALs

One of the things movies always get wrong about firearms is how water will affect the way a bullet travels. Even in the otherwise-almost-too-real “Saving Private Ryan,” bullets are shown flying through water almost exactly as they do in the air: on a straight trajectory and with a lethal amount of kinetic energy. The truth of the matter is, bullets just don’t move through the water all that well. In fact, with many firearms, all it takes is a few inches of water to strip a moving bullet of the speed necessary to penetrate the human body. In most cases, water just knocks bullets off their course, but in some, hitting the water is enough to break the round apart completely. While some firearms can function under water, they tend not to function as you’d need them to if you were in a fight for your life.

This scene from John Wick 3 actually does a really good job of demonstrating how water affects bullets.

(Warning: graphic content)

For most folks, a weapon’s ability to take a life while completely submerged in water isn’t a pressing concern, but for some very specific groups of war fighters, this presents a serious issue. Navy SEALs are known for conducting clandestine operations in and around the water, and Navy Frogmen are often tasked with preventing the foreign equivalent of our SEALs from doing the same near American shores. Because most standard issue firearms would be all but useless in an underwater engagement, these undersea war fighters needed something with a bit more reach than their diving knives that actually worked beneath the waves.

That’s where Heckler & Koch stepped in. Back in 1976, they secretly developed the P11: a five-barrel module-arrangement pistol that’s capable of firing 4-inch long steel darts. Its effective range underwater was between 30 and 50 feet (depending on depth) and they could even be fired in the dry air with an effective range of just shy of 100 feet (though accuracy was said to be questionable at such distances).

Heckler & Koch P11 with test-device (WikiMedia Commons)

H&K didn’t even acknowledge producing the pistol until 1997, giving their select customer list a solid two decades of use before letting the cat out of the bag. According to some sources, hundreds of these pistols were issues to Naval special warfare units, though it’s unclear how many are still in service. It stands to reason that the Navy may now be operating more effective underwater weapons.

Instead of using traditional rounds, each of the five barrels came sealed from the manufacturer with what was effectively a mini-rocket propelled missile stored inside. The projectiles were actually tiny solid-fuel rockets with fins to stabilize their path as they sailed through the water. When the operator pulls the trigger, an internal battery actually sends a current to ignite the fuel and launch the projectile through its barrel. Once all five rounds had been expended, there was no way to reload the pistol — it had to be sent back to Heckler & Koch to have a new sealed five-round chamber installed.

Feature image screen captured from YouTube

The Heckler & Koch MP7: Compact and lightweight Personal Defense Weapon

The MP7 is extremely compact, lightweight, can be used in very confined spaces, and is practically recoil-free. It can be carried continuously, making it the ideal personal weapon for the soldier of today. Those who carry it will be suitably armed for the broadest range of operations. – Heckler & Koch

In 1989, NATO published a set of requirements that requested a new type of firearm with rounds capable of penetrating body armor. Called the Personal Defense weapon, or PDW, it was meant to replace weapons, such as pistols and submachine guns, whose caliber was found wanting against ballistic protection. Several companies went on to design PDWs, with the most successful, if not the most visible version, coming from German arms company Heckler & Koch.

Designated the MP7, it was first displayed in 1999, with H&K officially beginning production of the weapon in 2000. The MP7 is a compact firearm that uses polymers extensively in its construction, and a short 7.1 inch barrel that helps keep the weight at 4.1 pounds. For ease of carry, a sliding stock provides a length of 25.1 inches extended and 16.3 inches closed. Iron sights for back up compliment mounting rails for sights, lights and lasers, etc., atop the length of the receiver and both sides of the forearm. A front grip that folds under the forearm is also standard.

Internally, its operation is based on the short stroke piston design of the G36 assault rifle, another H&K offering, and helps ensure that the round, which is unique to this weapon, functions reliably. And it is this round which may be the most intriguing part of the MP7.

Featuring a cartridge that measures a diminutive 4.6x30mm, first impressions might lead one to dismiss it as insufficient. Nonetheless, looks can be deceiving, and in this case keep in mind it is meant to defeat body armor. In this role, it is successful.

There are three types of rounds in widespread use. All feature specially designed penetration abilities, which range from the standard DM11, a 31 grain copper plated solid steel AP projectile; the DM21, a 46 grain steel jacketed lead core FMJ round; to the improved DM31 grain copper washed steel jacketed solid steel AP round. These can penetrate several layers of woven Kevlar fabric, with the DM11 traveling at a muzzle velocity of 2,362 fps able to pass through 20 layers backed by a 1.6mm titanium plate at 200 meters.

The cartridge fits in box magazines that come in 20, 30 or 40 round sizes. The 20 round is the same size of a 15 round 9mm magazine and the 40 is the same size of a 30 round 9mm. These insert into the pistol grip of the weapon and are reminiscent of the famous Uzi SMG.

Events after September 11, 2001 sent the MP7 into the field and it became an instant hit. Through the years, numerous worldwide Special Forces and police units adopted it, one of the most famous being the U.S Navy’s DEVGRU, better known as Seal Team 6. The weapon has seen use in Iraq, Afghanistan, and likely numerous classified operations during the War on Terror.

In 2003, H&K improved upon the design and a new version appeared called the MP7A1. This is the variant produced today, and features a redesigned pistol grip, stock and integral trigger safety like those found on Glock pistols.

As of 2014, military and police units of 17 nations employ the MP7 and MP7A1. Without a doubt, it is one of the most popular PDWs in the world today, with its closest competitor being the Fabrique National P90 in 5.7x28mm. FN’s PDW holds the lead in adoptions due in part to a 10 year head start in production. Regardless of this, it is not unreasonable to expect H&K’s weapon to close the gap in the coming years.

For more information

*Photos courtesy of Heckler & Koch

*Originally published on Special Operations.com

New Crate Club products and a quick SHOT Show recap

The Loadout Room team is back from SHOT Show and mostly recovered. Looking forward to some new partnerships and new products showing up on our site. Once the dust settles from all the vendors getting back into the swing of things, we’ll be getting a steady flow of new products to show you guys and gals. One of the new companies we stopped to chat with was AMEND2. AMEND2 is quickly gaining traction as being the toughest AR-15 magazine on the market. Well, we’ll be getting some of their AR-15 mags and Glocks mags to put to the test. Stay tuned. We also met with 5.11 Tactical, Magpul, ASP, Streamlight and numerous other firearms companies to include Heckler & Koch.

Upon my return home I was greeted with a box from the Crate Club. Inside the box were a few products that will get plenty of use during these cold months. Check it out!

Zenith MKE Z-5P SB | Subgun second to none

Manufactured by MKE of Turkey and imported by Zenith Firearms, the Z-5P SB is the closest thing you can get to an authentic Mp5 without buying an HK directly. The Z-5P (and its roller-delayed brethren) are manufactured on the same machines and in the same factory as licensed Turkish-made HK guns. I’ve written about my early impressions with this clone of a legend, but now that I’ve been shooting it for a couple of months, it’s time to revisit this gun.

In case you missed the quick look article, it covers the tech specs in detail. For a brief primer (to those unfamiliar to the Mp5 family of guns) the Z-5P is the descendant of the original short-barreled submachine gun chambered in 9mm which uses rollers on the bolt to delay blowback. The benefits of the roller-delayed recoil system are decreased recoil and comparatively greater accuracy when measured against open-bolt submachine guns.

This Z-5P SB is a 4.6lb clone of the Mp5K, with the K denoting the shorter version of the Mp5. We’re looking at a ~14″ overall length and a 5.8″ barrel that features both threading and HK’s three-lug suppressor mount. This version with its short barrel, lack of buttstock and under 26″ overall length is legally defined as a pistol. An arm brace and receiver endcap are both included, depending on your preference. The receiver is topped with a length of Picatinny rail for optional optics attachment.

I used the 1/2×28 threading to affix one of my AAC TiRant 45 suppressors. While this adds a bit of length, the weight of the suppressor is pretty negligible and it lends a fantastic balance to this little shooter. While the stock iron sights are more than adequate, who can resist the temptation of tossing a little red-dot on a gun such as this? When not shooting with the irons, I’ve been using a Vortex Venom micro sight (review here), which takes the Z-5P’s natural point-and-shoot ergonomics and combines them with the speed of a reflex sight to devastating effect.

While this gun handles silky smooth and shoots like a dream, there is one rub. The Z-5P (just like my old Mp5SD) runs flawlessly with brass cased ammo. Steel cased ammo provides the same level of dependability. So where’s the problem? Aluminum cased ammo. The violent nature of HK designed extraction/ejection leaves poor aluminum cases not knowing what to do or where to fly. Some did circles inside the receiver. Some stovepiped. Changing back to brass or steel cased ammo totally and immediately eliminated the issue. Again, this has been true for me when shooting legit/original HK Mp5’s as well as American-manufactured clones and this Turkish made Z-5p.

The universal aluminum case issue aside, this is a flawless recreation of HK’s legend. MKE licensed the HK designs and has followed the plans to perfection. Unlike some other “cloners” (*cough* SW/Cohaire *cough*), MKE has stayed true to the blueprints and has made the closest thing you can get to an HK produced gun. This Z-5P shoots as well as any Mp5 derivative I’ve shot. German or otherwise. The price tag is $1844 for the base pistol (which includes 3x 30 round mags, a plastic carry case and a cleaning kit) and $2104 for the big package, which includes everything from the base model as well as a discreet carry case and the arm brace. While this is a steep price, it’s the cheapest I’ve seen for a quality replica of the legendary Mp5. Check it out!

-Rex Nanorum

Yankee Hill Machine Backup Iron Sights

With the quality of primary optics being at an all time high, I’ve noticed a trend of many shooters skipping back-up iron sights (BUIS) on their primary fighting rifle. I feel that if a gun is to be used for more than competition or as a range toy, BUIS are still a critical component to have. I was able to get my hands on a set of Yankee Hill Machine’s (YHM) HK styled front and rear quick deploy sights (QDS) to see how they held up.

These BUIS’s are made from solid aluminum and are hardcoat anodized in matte black. They are a scant .435 tall when folded. They lock when up or down, with a small button on the left side (or port side for you squids) unlocking spring-loaded deployment. The front sight is adjusted for elevation using a standard A2 front sight tool. The rear sight is adjusted for windage by twisting the knob on the right side. While the front sight has the HK “hooded” design, this set of BUIS’s differs from traditional HK sights by moving away from the “diopter drum” rear sight. Much has been made by internet commandos on how this setup being used by YHM isn’t functional without a rear diopter, the argument being that without a fixed front post being centered in the rear sight, the eye won’t naturally center the post in the circular sight picture provided by the rear sight. I call BS! In using the YHM sights, I found them to be perfectly functional. More on that after this picture.

Sight picture YHM BUIS. Photo by Rex Nanorum

Take a look at the sight picture there: Sure it’s hard to get the camera to duplicate what the eye sees, but you can use that for reference. The circle of the front is centered naturally with the circle of the rear sight. Minor adjustments for elevation can be made by adjusting point-of-aim slightly while keeping the circles lined up. With that out-of-the-way, I can say the BUIS’s I have here are solid. They spring right into place and lock up tight. Zeroing was easy and they’ve held zero just fine during a number of range trips. Adjustment clicks are crisp and tight. These don’t feel flimsy or weak in any particular area. I’ve actually taken off the primary optic (a red dot of middlin’ quality) and am using these irons for deer hunting.

As fate would have it, I was finishing up a near-ish Honey Badger clone when I came across these and the YHM’s hooded front sight fit in nicely with the intended aesthetic. From a functional standpoint, these have performed very well. Most of my experience with flip-up BUIS’s has been with the ubiquitously common plastic ones. These feel very solid in comparison. These run $218 on the yhm.net website and $184 on midwayusa. These are good irons and I’ll keep banging away with them on my primary rifle. As always, if I get more pertinent info on them (such as failure due to engineering flaw) I’ll post an update.

FAB Defense Scorpus Covert G-9 Holster

The name FAB Defense should be no stranger to regular readers of the Load Out Room, the Israeli based company has had several of their products featured here before. FAB Defense made a name for themselves with their KPOS Glock carbine conversion kit and their GL-Core AR15 stock that was compatible with both civilian and mil-spec buffer tubes. In this installment of the LoadOut Room, we have been fortunate enough to get one of their Scorpus Covert G-9 holsters to spotlight and review. We want to take this moment to thank FAB Defense’s North American distributor ZFI Incorporated for partnering with us on this review.

The Scorpus Covert G-9 holster is an interesting holster for several reasons. What makes it interesting is that the design team at Fab Defense has managed to make an affordable holster that it thin, lightweight and is usable by several different pistol formats. They also took the lessons learned from their successful Scorpus G-9R outside the waist holster and incorporated them into this new inside the waist holster. Let’s take a look at closer look at the new holster.

Specifications:

Manufacturer: FAB Defense

Country of Origin: Israel

Material: Unspecified Polymer

Material Thickness: 1.9mm Thick (0.07 inch)

Model Supported:

Glock Model :17, 19 , 22, 23, 26, 27, 31, 32 & 33
CZ-P10 C
H&K VP 9
Walther P 99
FN FNS-9 & FNS-9 Compact
Ruger SR-40
Grand Power K100 & T12
Schmeisser SLP-9
FMK 9C1 G2

Colors Available: Black Only

Handedness: Left & Right Both Available

Belt Sizes Supported: 1.5 ” & 1.75″ Wide Belts

MSRP: $39.25

Other Features:

Adjustable Retention Mechanism
Ergonomic Rounded Sweat Guard
Removable Covert Spacer to allow the holster to ride even closer to the wearer
Weighs 67 grams (2.36 Ounces)

Initial Impressions

The first thing I noticed after unboxing the FAB Defense Covert G-9 is it’s weight or lack of weight I should say. Weighing in at a whopping 2.36 Ounces and being less than 2mm thick the holster is about as minimalist as you can get. In a holster that will be used as a conceal carry holster, that is a good thing. It’s hard enough to conceal a pistol without adding a huge polymer monstrosity on your hip poking out for all to see.

FAB Defense wasn’t specific on their polymer that was used in the Scorpus Covert holster but I will say that without the pistol in the holster it does flex a bit when pressure is applied to it. After all, it is less than 2mm thick so it’s to be expected, that being said once the pistol is inserted no flexing of the material is detectable which is a good thing.

The backside of the holster that will be in contact with the users skin or undershirt if the user is layering clothing is textured with a pattern of in recessed circles. It’s an interesting pattern but FAB Defense never says why the pattern is included in the design. I will wager a wild ass guess that its the allow the holster to not stick to the wearer skin in humid or wet conditions. The voids in the pattern should allow some amount of circulation of air against the users skin? Maybe

One issue many people face when selecting a CCW holster is that they usually have to think about what width belt they are going to use with their holster. Traditionally holsters didn’t offer much in the way of select-ability, you bought a size and you were stuck with it. In designing the Scorpus Covert the team at FAB Defense made a quick change feature that allows the wearer to use either a 1.5″ or 1.75″ wide belt.

This may not be an issue for people with only one width belt but many people today have wider range belts they use while training that are slightly wider than a belt they would wear daily. The ability to train and use the same holster across not only several different pistol models as well as two different width belts just adds to the overall value of this holster.

Wearing and Adjustments

Wearing the FAB Defense holster with my Glock 19 is a dream. The fact it’s extremely lightweight and thin helps reduced any profiling while wearing it at the 3 O’Clock position. When lugging around a fully loaded pistol I tend to look for ways to lighten the load, and with this holster, it’s about the lightest CCW loadout I can find. I always tend to wear some form of undershirt and generally a long sleeve shirt so that any holster doesn’t directly contact my skin. So I can’t speak to how the recessed pattern on the holster sticks or doesn’t stick to your skin.

I can say that it doesn’t bunch or dig into my shirt and that all the rounded and smoothed edges are a very nice touch and speaks to the attention to detail at the factory. This isn’t an Uncle Mikes holster that you regret buying the instant you try to wear it. The design team at FAB Defense made this a very direct and straightforward design. Even when it comes to making adjustments like tightening the retention screw, all you need is a small phillips style screwdriver and you are all set. When swapping between 1.5″ and 1.75″ belt clips all you need is a flathead screwdriver to press down the retention tab. A few pulls of the material and you simply slide in the new clip and you are ready to go.

Overall I will say that for the price that the company is asking for this holster it’s really a can’t miss deal. It’s well built, lightweight and does the job with no muss or fuss. It’s a common sense no-frills approach to CCW. It keeps in line with the tradition FAB Defense has built of making quality gear at an affordable price. If you would like to purchase the FAB Defense Scorpus Covert or any of their other products like the pistol caliber carbine conversion kits, check out the company’s North America distributor in the links below. We want to say again thanks to FAB Defense for all of their support.

FAB Defense: www.Fab-defense.com

ZFI Incorporated North American Distributor: www.zfi-inc.com