The Aristocrat’s Parabellum: Heckler & Koch P7 PSP

By Chris Eger

With its low-profile slide, innovative “squeeze-cocker” design, and reliable construction, the HK P7 PSP was a serious handgun for its era. (Photos: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)
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Developed in the 1970s, Heckler & Koch’s P7 was billed as “the best combat pistol” on the market at the time and today is a solid collectible handgun.
Designed by Helmut Weldle — the same forward-thinking mind that helped craft the world’s first polymer pistol, the VP70, for HK — the semi-auto 9mm used a “squeeze-cocker” on the front of the grip, a concept he had recycled from an earlier handgun design that didn’t reach the market. This device cocked the internal striker of the pistol and gave it an exceptionally light single-action trigger.
The cocking lever is engaged with the natural movement of a shooter’s grip, providing a single-action trigger pull with each shot, and re-engages when released. (Photo: Richard Taylor/Guns.com)
As it was designed for West German police use, it was dubbed the Polizei Selbstlade Pistole, or Police Self-loading Pistol, due to that feature. Falling in line with German police acceptance testing, it earned the P7 designation as it was introduced after the Walther P-1 (P38), P2 (SIG P210-4), P3 (Astra 600), P4 (P-38

Source: Guns.com