P7000 1911-Style Pistol: Meet the 7x23mm Pistol Cartridge.

by David Crane
david@defensereview.com

DefRev was recently contacted by an Italian company called Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s., regarding their P7000 pistol, which is chambered for their proprietary 7penna/7x23mm round.

The P7000 looks like an open-slide (Beretta style) 1911-style pistol. Like the 1911 pistol, it’s single-action in operation. However, unlike the 1911, the P7000 pistol utilizes a fixed-barrel system and a different operating mechanism that DefRev isn’t yet adequately informed about, since we have yet to speak with someone at Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s. who speaks fluent English. From the pictures, the gun looks to us like it’s gas-operated (unconfirmed). Perhaps one of DefRev’s members or readers speaks fluent Italian? If so, perhaps this person can speak with the good folks at Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s., and then explain the gun’s operation to us in detail?

The P7000 pistol has an ammo capacity of 13+1 rounds. Three different types of barrels are available for the P7000 pistol.

The unique and proprietary 7penna/7x23mm pistol cartridge is the…

most intriguing (and likely major selling point) of the P7000 pistol. The 7penna/7x23mm pistol cartridge should make an excellent small game hunting (i.e. varminting) round. From this picture on the Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s. website, the 7penna/7x23mm cartridge appears to be a tapered round, like the 9x23mm. This should enhance it’s feeding reliability.

The Italians measure muzzle velocity in meters. If DefRev is reading it right, the muzzle velocity for the 7penna/7x23mm round appears to be 530 m/s, but DefRev hasn’t confirmed this, yet. DefRev will let it’s readers and members translate meters-per-second into fps (feet-per-second).

DefRev has read the following excerpt on the company’s website:

"The "P7000" is the only pistol on the market with a unique feature, which lets the shooter know that only one round is left in the magazine. In fact, the action will remain open when the magazine contains one last round. The shooter only has to chamber the last round and substitute the empty magazine. This feature allows the shooter the best and safest way to continue firing, an evident advantage in both training and combat."

Yeah, whatever. Fortunately, DefRev has found out that this feature is only an option. It’s DefRev’s opinion that this unique and unnecessary operating feature (option) defies/contradicts American defensive pistolcraft doctrine and has absolutely no business (i.e. doesn’t help anything) being on a pistol that might be called on to serve its owner in a serious, immediate, and highly dynamic social situation, at some point (God forbid). The slide hold-open feature should operate in the exact same way on ALL of one’s semi-auto pistols. No pistol should work differently (regarding this specific aspect) than any other.

The only saving grace is that, even with this unique and stupid feature, the operator really doesn’t have to change his gun-handling doctrine with the P7000, since he/she can just leave the last round in the used mag, and drop it with the (used) mag. Since the pistol is 13+1 capacity, and the operator is only losing one round by doing this, it’s really no big deal. Still, DefRev thinks that this proprietary feature’s gotta’ go. End of story. However, again, it’s apparently just an option. From what DefRev understands, the P7000 can be ordered with standard magazines containing followers that engage the slide stop in the traditional fashion, after the last round has been fired.

Secondly, DefRev prefers a closed-slide design, unless the open top is necessary for reducing slide weight, for functional reliability with the 7x23mm round. Even so, DefRev would think that the slide can be lightened in other ways–for instance, by making racing cuts, just like many professional IPSC shooters do on their racing guns.

Click here to visit the P7000 pistol spec page.

DefRev will try to perform a thorough T&E of the P7000 pistol and 7penna/7x23mm cartridge at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s. can be contacted by phone at 011-39-31-692055. You can contact Leonardo Penna directly via email at penna@qsarmi.biz.