January 12, 2019
Meet the Heckler & Koch P9S: The Gun the Navy SEALS Loved
We explain why.
by Charlie Gao
Like many German pistols before, it used blowback action, 9x19mm Parabellum caliber, and a single-stack magazine with a heel release. But it paired this with an unorthodox roller-delay mechanism, internal hammer system, and extensive use of polymer.
The resulting pistol didn’t see widespread adoption, but it was successful in niche roles and is considered to be very accurate. What drove H&K to make such an idiosyncratic pistol? What parts of its design can be seen in H&K’s handguns today?
In the 1960s, H&K had a series of successful weapons that used the Vorgrimler roller-delayed action. The G3 and MP5 are the most famous of these, seeing wide service with German military and police forces. But back then H&K didn’t really have a pistol to offer with their rifles.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet-heckler-koch-p9s-gun-navy-seals-loved-41397
