Langdon Tactical Goes HK

[Thy.Will.Be.Done]

The real reasoning behind the paddle release is there was no other place to easily place it on the HK P7 when they converted it away from the heel release. Then, they realized it was a pretty neat solution and used it from there.

Not correct, they went away from the heel release because it was the culprit for lost magazines in the field. As with everything H&K does, there's so often a contract requirement behind it and this was no different... the German police made it a requirement and they obliged.

[Greg Bell]

Not correct, they went away from the heel release because it was the culprit for lost magazines in the field. As with everything H&K does, there's so often a contract requirement behind it and this was no different... the German police made it a requirement and they obliged.

The paddle release was a work-around developed for the US Military trials and the New Jersey police because they didn't want the European style heel release. The squeeze cocker made it difficult to incorporate a traditional button mag release so they came up with the paddles. HK was similarly shy about changing the lockwork when they developed the P7m13, that is why it tapers from a double feed to a single feed tower. They pretended in marketing literature that it was a reliability measure, but it was actually to save development and manufacturing costs

Also, the accidental mag ejection issue was addressed by a flush European heel release for customers who still preferred the heel release. You can even find older P7's converted to this style release with new grips. They were still offering the heel release until at least 97.