For what its worth, here’s my take on the controversy regarding comments about the HK MP7A1 in RECOIL magazine Issue #4:

Having worked on magazines and other professional publishing projects, I know very well the challenges of meeting deadlines, of writing clearly, of editing and fact-checking, and of accommodating manufacturers’ view-points. So, I was willing to cut these guys some slack and see what they had to say for themselves.

So I read the passage in question, read the apologies from the Editor, and read the detailed and thoughtful op eds from our friends at Soldier Systems Daily and ITS Tactical. Conclusion? It does in fact seem to me that the Editor of RECOIL is suffering from Recto-Cranial Insertion Syndrome, and maybe also a case of sucking-up-to-the-big-manufacturer-itis, rather than just about it being just a case of bad editing.

Let’s hope that RECOIL gets a new Editor and some writers who actually know guns, as opposed to just seeing them in movies and/or playing with them in airsoft or video games. Maybe then RECOIL can go on to become the magazine we all really hoped it would be.

In the meantime, this has really been an unfortunate – and in some ways even ugly – turn of events. But if there’s one over-arching TRUTH that I know from almost 20 years experience in business and marketing, its this: the best way to kill a business is to alienate your target market.

It looks like Jerry Tsai, the current Editor of RECOIL, just learned that lesson the really hard way.Let’s hope that RECOIL v2.0 gets it right.

Addendum: 

What are my personal thoughts on whether a version of the MP7 should be available to “civilians”?

Yes, why not?  For states in the US that don’t have a ban on rifles with large capacity magazines, pistol grips and collapsible/folding stocks, this would be a nice little carbine for personal or property defence, sport / competitive shooting purposes, etc.  The only changes would obviously have to be that the barrel would need to be extended to be at least 16 inches in length, and it would have to be capable of semi-auto fire only.  For added sweetness, they could camouflage the extended barrel with a fake suppressor – and if HK won’t do it, then maybe the good folks at UmarexUSA can add it to their line-up of .22 calibre HK replicas (see below).

Actually, a semi-auto .22 LR, or better still a .22 Magnum, version of the MP7 would be rather fun indeed!

Strike-Hold!

– Lawrence