I'll be hitting the highlights, in no particular order. I hope there's at least a nugget of interest in each one. First, say hello to Hans, named after Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), that suave but despicable bad guy from "Die Hard", who set a new high in low-lifes. At least he had impeccable tastes in personal weaponry, if not his line of work. :)
There are several interesting features about this H&K P7, but straight-out-of-the-box performance like this isn't one of them, it is to be expected. I have no idea what needs improving on this design, so I don't even try.
However, this hard-chrome model (fairly rare from early in production, along with the seldom-seen nickel-plated version), is from the first product iteration, where it was called the P7-PSP. There was considerable American interest, along with the insistence that the Euro-style magazine catch at the bottom of the grip had to go. That brought about the P7-M8, with a traditional release button, along with some phenomenally rare variations in calibers to entice American buyers.
This particular weapon was a direct-import from the factory to an individual in the USA, because there are no markings of an American importer on it, as the case would be for ordinary firearms. Also, except for slight cosmetic blemishes from handling, it is virtually unfired. Thankfully, minor cosmetic problems allow me to fire something without the guilty conscience I would have from shooting a pristine collectible.
Unfortunately, the previous owner wasn't so conscientious about preserving the packaging, with only the original cardboard box surviving (barely).
I wasn't deterred by the ratty box, figuring there must be empty boxes out there that would look better, and be more complete, than what came with it. There are, but even one as bad as this one had a $100 asking price, while the more durable hard plastic boxes from later production have prices of $150-$200. I decided the best course of action was to preserve what's left of the existing box, and invest in a $12 padded case for actual transport.
Finally, a quick look at final results of tuning the S&W M&P series, in this case the M&P .45. The $8 plastic recoil buffer can't be seen here, but these things seem to make a handgun more pleasant to shoot, which, in turn, relieves the shooter's hand of the sometimes-painful final "slap" that degrades accuracy (at least in my case).
That's the result of firing two ten-round magazines, because there are two fliers, the first round out of the mag, my "signature" vice. Other than that, decent performance from a rank amateur in the handgun marksmanship field. I wish my shooting talent could improve at the same rate my craftsmanship and analytic abilities do.
Also on all three of my S&W centerfire M&Ps, upgraded identically, I installed a new all-steel magazine release button to replace the merely plastic original part. It does nothing to improve accuracy, but works wonders in ergonomics.
First, it has a genuine grooved button face, so it can't be mistaken for another piece of texture that matches everything else on the frame. An inconvenience when shooting for fun, and a possible source of a fraction of a second of indecision in a serious situation. It also is available in factory-standard length, or extra length (1/16th inch, with the forward edge flaring outward) version. Both are vast improvements for $26, and I went with the extended edition on all three. It makes my non-standard mag-change procedure swifter and surer.
In future articles, we'll look in more detail at tweaks involving grip shape and size, recoil mitigation, and other ergonomic factors that I've stumbled upon over the last few months. YMMV, but I've found two or three of these of these items per type of handgun have yielded small but noticeable improvements in performance and comfort. And eliminated some subconscious concerns that have always been pestering me, even when it looked like I had everything nailed down properly.