I am sure I am not alone here, but I have owned and shot a whole ton of different handguns. The P7 is the best in the world, IMHO.
I have started selling off all my other guns and just buying P7's. Why? Because there is no faster, more accurate handgun made, (once again, IMO).
Like the unofficial P7 motto says: "Instant marksman, just add shooter".
And just to note: I am NOT a mindless "HK freak" that thinks that "anything that is NOT an HK is inferior". I don't even like most stuff put out by HK, but I LOVE the P7.
I also regularly shoot a 1911 among other handguns and I have NO problems with the manual of arms or changing back and forth from the P7 to other guns. I will say though that I am so enamored with my P7 that I "gun-sterbate" (*) with it a lot, so I become very familiar with it even when I can't go shooting. The minute my hand grabs the P7, the huge lever instantly tells my muscle memory that I am holding a P7. I have never had a problem with getting confused with other guns.
I have two P7 M13's and I am working on getting a P7 M10 for a duty sidearm. I also have just about talked my wife into getting a P7 M8 for herself to replace her UltraStar .40, so then I would have a complete collection of all the P7's made (sans the European PSP, which I don't want because I would never remember where the mag release is)! On my budget this is no small feat, so you can imagine how much I respect this handgun. Every time I pick up the P7, I can't imagine how anyone could shoot anything else without feeling short-changed. It is so fast, and so darn accurate! People that haven't put rounds through them just don't understand what "accurate" (in reference to a mid-sized semi-auto) means. Accuracy is on a whole different level with the P7 than other semi-auto handguns.
I have a tricked-out Colt 1911 Gov't model that is very accurate, and even that huge beast with every modification one can add (all added and tuned by a professional gunsmith), can not even come CLOSE to the accuracy of my smaller P7. The accuracy of the P7 is more on the level of a fine full-sized revolver, but with supreme speed and minimal felt recoil. With my P7 I can pump two clips of 9mm (that is 26 rounds!) into a head sized target at 50 feet in seconds (I don't know how many seconds, I never timed myself) at rapid fire (consecutive hammer pairs) on any day of the week without missing. Felt recoil is minmal so the gun stays on target, and accuracy is there to place the bullet where you point it. Just last night I loaded up two clips and put a target at 50 feet and pumped hammer pairs as fast as I could, and basically chewed the black part right out of a target. Other mid-sized semi-auto handguns cannot even compare.
I would suggest that you NOT get one, or you will become like me and refuse to shoot anything else.
Did I mention that I really like the P7?
thaddeus
(*) "Gun-sterbate" means to walk around the house with an unloaded gun (double check that!) and practice the manual of arms or sight aquisition, generally without pulling the trigger.
[This message has been edited by thaddeus (edited February 20, 1999).]