The objective to increase the sales forecast of the 7.92 VBR-B cartridge (7.92 x 24 mm C.I.P. registration) on the International Trade Fare IWA Nürnberg haze provided a nice surprise. The 7 Penna of Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s. Italia.

A few years ago, after a series of complains about the lake on stopping power of the 5.7x28 mm caliber we started the project to provide the 5.7x28 mm defense system with a higher stopping power by the use of our new bullet technology. Fore this project I used the un-necked 5.7x28 mm case and modified it to the 7x29 mm cartridge.

 

The only two weapons, which could use this cartridge where the P90 and the FiveSeven pistol from FN Herstal. Unfortunately, FN Herstal was not interested in this new event...

 

 

Further attempts to reduce the size of the cartridge to make it suitable for the .45 frame platform did not satisfy to our requirements. Every cut-down of the case resulted in the cut-down of the performances. There is already a lot of critics to the performances of the 5.7x28 mm cartridge. A reduction of the energy is not a step in the good direction of general military personal defense.

 

A good year later my silent assistant ballistic told me that he have seen a 7mm Penna for a 1911 frame on a Trade Fare in the United States. This was strange..? I always considered this combination as too light for military personal defense. A quick review at the performances of the 7x23 mm cartridge confirmed my conclusions.

 

As a designer you don’t consider a particular cartridge as good or as bad!

 

Every cartridge haze his own identities!

 

In function of a certain goal, you can consider each identity as a advantage our as a disadvantage.

 

 

The 7 Penna project of Q.S. Progetto Meccanica is intend for sports and personal defense applications. With this goal it is a good low recoil cartridge / pistol combination. It was a nice surprise to see the 7 Penna back !

 

The P7000 made by Q.S. Progetto Meccanica s.a.s. Italia.

 

 

Mr. Leonardo Penna explained the performances of his 7x23 mm ammunition and also the armor piercing capabilities of his brass bullets on a level IIIA soft body armor. However, current military standards are dominated by the CRISAT demands (1.6 mm titanium + 20 layers Kevlar) and on this type of body armor, the brass bullets of the 7x23 mm cartridge perform rather poorly compared to the drill performances of the 4.6x30 mm or the 5.7x28 mm AP bullets.

 

Although, it is possible to provide the 7x23 mm cartridge with a VBR-Belgium sub-caliber AP bullet, the performances of the sub-caliber hardened steel penetrator on a CRISAT body armor will be not better then this of the small caliber PDW bullets. More info about the VBR-B 7x23 AP5.7 cartridge.

 

A better option is to provide the P7000 with a conversion set for the 7.92 VBR-B caliber. The 7.92 x 24 mm caliber (7.92 VBR-B) is already designed to compete with the 4.6 x 30 mm and 5.7x28 mm calibers. Not only concerning armor piercing capabilities but also concerning a bigger stopping power.

 

7x23 mm  (7 Penna)        7.92x24 mm    (7.92 VBR-B)

Identities of the 7.92 x 24 mm cartridges 

While the 7 Penna (7x23mm) is an excellent low recoil cartridge, the 7.92 VBR-B (7.92x24mm) is a more power full cartridge special designed for PDW use. The higher energy level of the 7.92x24 mm cartridge causes a little bit bigger recoil impulse, but provides a higher drill performance and bigger stopping power.

 

 

Under investigation !!!

The multi-caliber capabilities of the P7000 pistol frame allows the us of the stronger 7.92x24 mm cartridges. The 7.92 x 24 mm cartridge haze almost the same dimensions as the 7 x 23 mm cartridge. The conversion of the P7000 to the 7.92 x 24 mm caliber requires only minor adaptations. The conversion to the 7.92 VBR-B caliber brings the usability of the P7000 to a higher level.