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The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German
small arms A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes c ...
manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, including some semi-automatic versions. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world,Hogg, Ian (2002). ''Jane's Guns Recognition Guide''. Jane's Information Group. . having been adopted by over forty nations and numerous military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security organizations. In 1999, Heckler & Koch developed the UMP, the MP5's successor. Despite its higher cost, the MP5 remained the more successful of the two options.


History

Heckler & Koch, encouraged by the success of the G3 automatic rifle, developed a family of small arms consisting of four types of
firearm A firearm is any type of gun designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see Legal definitions). The first firearms originated in 10th-century China, when bamboo tubes ...
s all based on a common G3 design layout and operating principle. The first type was chambered for
7.62×51mm NATO The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries. First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first been introduced in U.S. service fo ...
, the second for the 7.62×39mm M43 round, the third for the intermediate
5.56×45mm NATO The 5.56×45mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 5.56 NATO, but often pronounced "five-five-six") is a rimless bottlenecked intermediate cartridge family developed in the late 1970s in Belgium by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, L110, and ...
caliber, and the fourth type for the
9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...
pistol A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
cartridge. The MP5 was created within the fourth group of firearms and was initially known as the HK54. Work on the MP5 began in 1964 and two years later it was adopted by the German Federal Police, border guard and army special forces, referring to as the "MP64" or later "MP5". The MP5A1 was introduced in the late '60s, which is the first model to have the iconic ring front sight and the slimline handguard. In 1970, the MP5A2 and MP5A3 was introduced. In 1974, the MP5SD was introduced, which is a suppressed variant of the MP5. It was used in the Vietnam War in 1975 by the
Green Berets The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal m ...
. In 1976, the MP5K was introduced as a request for a variant for South America. In 1977, the standard 20 & 30 round, curved steel magazines were introduced for the MP5A2 and MP5A3 design. In 1978, the Tropical forearm was introduced to be produced with the MP5. In 1980, the MP5 achieved iconic status as a result of British special forces regiment the
SAS SAS or Sas may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''SAS'' (novel series), a French book series by Gérard de Villiers * ''Shimmer and Shine'', an American animated children's television series * Southern All Stars, a Japanese rock ba ...
when they stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, live on television, rescuing hostages and killing five terrorists during
Operation Nimrod Nimrod (; ; arc, ܢܡܪܘܕ; ar, نُمْرُود, Numrūd) is a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Genesis and Books of Chronicles. The son of Cush and therefore a great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod was described as a king in the land o ...
. The MP5 has become a mainstay of
SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...
units of law enforcement agencies in the United States since then. However, in the late 1990s, as a result of the
North Hollywood shootout The North Hollywood shootout was a confrontation between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers, Larry Phillips Jr. and Emil Mătăsăreanu, and members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the North Hollywood district of Los Ang ...
, police special response teams replaced most MP5s with AR-15-based rifles. The MP5 is manufactured under license in several nations including Greece (formerly at EBO – Hellenic Arms Industry, currently at ΕΑΣ – Hellenic Defense Systems), Iran ( Defense Industries Organization), Mexico ( SEDENA), Pakistan (
Pakistan Ordnance Factories , type = State-owned company , industry = Firearms, Defense, Machinery , fate = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct = , hq_location_city = Wah Cantonment, Punjab , hq_location_country = Pakistan , area_served = worldwi ...
), Saudi Arabia,
Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
( Military Industry Corporation), Turkey ( MKEK), and the United Kingdom (initially at Royal Ordnance, later diverted to Heckler & Koch Great Britain).


Design details

The primary version of the MP5 family is the MP5A2, which is a lightweight, air-cooled,
selective fire Selective fire is the capability of a weapon to be adjusted to fire in semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode. The modes are chosen by means of a selector switch, which varies depending on the weapon's design. Some selective-fire we ...
delayed blowback operated
9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...
weapon with a roller-delayed bolt. It fires from a closed bolt (bolt forward) position. The fixed,
free floating ''Free Floating'' (russian: Свободное плавание) is a 2006 Russian comedy film directed by Boris Khlebnikov. Plot The film tells about a 20-year-old guy who lives in a small town in which the only factory is suddenly closed. He w ...
, cold hammer-forged barrel has 6 right-hand grooves with a 1 in 250 mm (1:10 in)
rifling In firearms, rifling is machining helical grooves into the internal (bore) surface of a gun's barrel for the purpose of exerting torque and thus imparting a spin to a projectile around its longitudinal axis during shooting to stabilize the pro ...
twist rate and is pressed and pinned into the receiver.


Features

The first MP5 models used a double-column straight box magazine, but since 1977, slightly curved,
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
magazines are used with a 15-round capacity (weighing 0.12 kg) or a 30-round capacity (0.17 kg empty). The adjustable
iron sight Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly as ...
s (closed type) consist of a rotating rear diopter drum and a front post installed in a hooded ring. The rear sight is mechanically adjustable for both windage and elevation with the use of a special tool, being adjusted at the factory for firing at with standard FMJ 9×19mm NATO ammunition. The rear sight drum provides four apertures of varying diameters used to adjust the diopter system, according to the user's preference and tactical situation. Changing between apertures does not change the point of impact down range. For accurate shooting the user should select the smallest aperture that still allows an equal circle of light between the rear sight aperture and the outside of the front sight hood ring. The MP5 has a hammer firing mechanism. The trigger group is housed inside an interchangeable polymer trigger module (with an integrated pistol grip) and equipped with a three-position fire mode selector that serves as the manual safety toggle. The "S" or ''Sicher'' position in white denotes weapon safe, "E" or ''Einzelfeuer'' in red represents single fire, and "F" or ''Feuerstoß'' (also marked in red) designates continuous fire. The SEF symbols appear on both sides of the plastic trigger group. The selector lever is actuated with the thumb of the shooting hand and is located only on the left side of the original SEF trigger group or on both sides of the ambidextrous trigger groups. The safety/selector is rotated into the various firing settings or safety position by depressing the tail end of the lever. Tactile clicks (stops) are present at each position to provide a positive stop and prevent inadvertent rotation. The "safe" setting disables the trigger by blocking the hammer release with a solid section of the safety axle located inside the trigger housing. The non-reciprocating
cocking handle The cocking handle, also known as charging handle or bolt handle, is a device on a firearm which, when manipulated, results in the bolt being pulled to the rear, putting the hammer/ striker into a spring-loaded ("cocked") "ready and set" position ...
is located above the handguard and protrudes from the cocking handle tube at approximately a 45° angle. This rigid control is attached to a tubular piece within the cocking lever housing called the cocking lever support, which in turn makes contact with the forward extension of the bolt group. It is not however connected to the bolt carrier and therefore cannot be used as a forward assist to fully seat the bolt group. The cocking handle is held in a forward position by a spring detent located in the front end of the cocking lever support which engages in the cocking lever housing. The lever is locked back by pulling it fully to the rear and rotating it slightly clockwise where it can be hooked into an indent in the cocking lever tube.


Operating mechanism

The bolt rigidly engages the barrel extension—a cylindrical component welded to the receiver into which the barrel is pinned. The delay mechanism is of the same design as that used in the
G3 rifle The Heckler & Koch G3 (''Gewehr'' 3) is a 7.62×51mm NATO, select-fire battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CE ...
. The two-part bolt consists of a bolt head with rollers and a bolt carrier. The heavier bolt carrier lies up against the bolt head when the weapon is ready to fire and inclined planes on the front locking piece lie between the rollers and force them out into recesses in the barrel extension. When fired, expanding propellant gases produced from the burning powder in the cartridge exert rearward pressure on the bolt head transferred through the base of the cartridge case as it is propelled out of the
chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations *Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics *Debate chamber, the space or room that houses deliber ...
. A portion of this force is transmitted through the rollers projecting from the bolt head, which are cammed inward against the inclined flanks of the locking recesses in the barrel extension and to the angled shoulders of the locking piece. The selected angles of the recesses and the incline on the locking piece produce a velocity ratio of about 4:1 between the bolt carrier and the bolt head. This results in a calculated delay, allowing the projectile to exit the barrel and gas pressure to drop to a safe level before the case is extracted from the chamber. The delay results from the amount of time it takes for enough recoil energy to be transferred through to the bolt carrier in a sufficient quantity for it to be driven to the rear against the force of inertia of the bolt carrier and the forward pressure exerted against the bolt by the recoil spring. As the rollers are forced inward they displace the locking piece and propel the bolt carrier to the rear. The bolt carrier's rearward velocity is four times that of the bolt head since the cartridge remains in the chamber for a short period of time during the initial recoil impulse. After the bolt carrier has travelled rearward 4 mm, the locking piece is withdrawn fully from the bolt head and the rollers are compressed into the bolt head. Only once the locking rollers are fully cammed into the bolt head can the entire bolt group continue its rearward movement in the receiver, breaking the seal in the chamber and continuing the feeding cycle. Since the
9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Parabellum or 9mm Luger or simply 9mm) is a rimless, tapered firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer Georg Luger in 1901, it is widely considered the most popular handgun a ...
cartridge is relatively low powered, the bolt does not have an anti-bounce device like the G3, but instead the bolt carrier contains of tungsten granules that prevent the bolt group from bouncing back after impacting the barrel extension. The weapon has a fluted chamber that enhances extraction reliability by bleeding gases backwards into the shallow flutes running along the length of the chamber to prevent the cartridge case from expanding and sticking to the chamber walls (since the bolt is opened under relatively high barrel pressure). A spring extractor is installed inside the bolt head and holds the case securely until it strikes the ejector arm and is thrown out of the ejection port to the right of the receiver. The lever-type ejector is located inside the trigger housing (activated by the movement of the recoiling bolt).


Accessories

In the early 1970s, HK introduced a conversion kit for the MP5 that enables it to use rimfire ammunition (
.22 LR The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smooth ...
). This unit consists of a barrel insert, a bolt group and two 20-round magazines. This modification reduces the cyclic rate to 650 rounds/min. It was sold mostly to law enforcement agencies as a way to train recruits on handling the MP5. It used ammunition that was cheaper and had a lower recoil than 9×19mm Parabellum. This reduced training costs and built up skill and confidence in the operators before transitioning them to the full-bore model.


Barrel accessories

Threading is provided at the muzzle to work with certain muzzle devices made by Heckler & Koch, including: a slotted flash suppressor, blank firing attachment (marked with a red-painted band denoting use with blank ammunition only), an adapter for launching rifle grenades (for use with rifle-style grenades with an inside diameter of 22 mm using a special grenade launching cartridge) and a cup-type attachment used to launch tear gas grenades. An optional three-lugged barrel is also available for mounting a quick-detachable suppressor.


Receiver

The receiver housing has a proprietary claw-rail mounting system that permits the attachment of a standard Heckler & Koch quick-detachable
scope mount Scope mounts are used to attach telescopic sights or other types of sights to firearms. The scope sight itself is usually made for only one of two main types of mounts, which can be classified as ''scopes for ring mounts'' (for example a 30  ...
(also used with the G3, HK33 and G3SG/1). It can be used to mount daytime optical sights (telescopic 4×24), night sights, reflex sights and laser pointers. The mount features two spring-actuated bolts, positioned along the base of the mount, which exert pressure on the receiver to hold the mount in the same position at all times assuring zero retention. All versions of the quick-detachable scope mount provide a sighting tunnel through the mount so that the shooter can continue to use the fixed iron sights with the scope mount attached to the top of the receiver. A Picatinny rail adapter can be placed on top that locks into the claw rails. This allows the mounting of STANAG scopes and has a lower profile than the claw-rail system.


Handguard

Aftermarket replacement handguards with Picatinny rails are available. Single-rail models have a Picatinny rail along the bottom and triple-rail models have rails along the bottom and sides. They allow the mounting of accessories like flashlights, laser pointers, target designators, vertical foregrips, and bipods.


Variants

The stockless ''MP5A1'' has a buttcap with a sling mount for concealed carry; the MP5K series was a further development of this idea. The MP5A2 has a fixed buttstock (made of a synthetic polymer), whereas the compact ''MP5A3'' has a retractable metal stock. The ''MP5A4'' (fixed stock) and ''MP5A5'' (sliding stock) models, which were introduced in 1974, are available with four-position trigger groups. The pistol grips are straight, lacking the contoured grip and thumb groove of the ''MP5A1'', ''MP5A2'', and ''MP5A3''. The selector lever stops are marked with bullet pictograms rather than letters or numbers (each symbol represents the number of bullets that will be fired when the trigger is pulled and held rearward with a full magazine inserted in the weapon) and are fully ambidextrous (the selector lever is present on each side of the trigger housing). The additional setting of the fire selector, one place before the fully automatic setting, enables a two or three-shot burst firing mode. A variant with the last trigger group designated the MP5-N (N—Navy) was developed in 1986 for the United States Navy. This model has a collapsible stock, a tritium-illuminated front sight post and a threaded barrel for use with a
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's corros ...
sound suppressor made by Knight's Armament Company together with quieter subsonic ammunition. It had ambidextrous controls, a straight pistol grip, pictogram markings, and originally had a four-position selector (Safe, Semi-Auto, 3-Round Burst, Full Auto). This was replaced with a similar three-position ambidextrous selector after an improperly-reassembled trigger group spontaneously fired during an exercise. The "Navy"-style ambidextrous trigger group later became standard, replacing the classic "SEF" trigger group. In late 2013, Heckler & Koch unveiled the MLI (Mid Life Improvement) version of the MP5. It is fitted with a tri-rail foregrip, a quick-release-optic mount, an MP5F stock standard, and comes in with the new RAL8000 (Yellow-Brown) colour scheme.


MP5

* HK54: The original model that was produced in 1964. The ''54'' designation is from the Heckler & Koch company's old system that indicates that it is a submachine gun/assault carbine (5-) chambered for the 9×19mm cartridge (-4). It had a charcoal-gray phosphated finish rather than the matte-black lacquered finish used on later models and had narrow slotted metal handguards. Its major differences were that it had a longer and heavier bolt carrier than the MP5 and a flip up "ladder"-style rear sight (like the early G3 rifle) rather than the MP5's aperture sight. Its original 15- or 30-round steel magazines were straight rather than curved, had a plastic follower, and were reinforced with ribs (thus their nickname of "waffle"-type magazines). * MP5: A slightly modified version of the HK54 first created in 1966. A matte-black lacquered finish instead of the greyish phosphated finish was introduced for export models in 1977. It originally had the narrow checkered metal "Slimline" handguards in the place of the HK54's narrow slotted metal ones. These were later replaced by the thicker "Tropical" handguards in 1978. The proprietary Heckler & Koch "claw mount" rails for mounting optical and electronic scopes were added around 1973. The improved 15- and 30-round magazines were adopted in 1977; they were curved, had unribbed sides, and had chromed-steel followers. **MP5A1: No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), "SEF" trigger group. ** MP5A2: Fixed buttstock, "SEF" trigger group. ** MP5SFA2: Fixed buttstock, single-fire (SE) trigger group. ** MP5A3: Retractable buttstock, "SEF" trigger group. ** MP5SFA3: Semi-automatic carbine version of MP5A3. Retractable buttstock and single-fire (SE) trigger group. ** MP5A4: Fixed buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group. ** MP5A5: Retractable buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group. ** MP5-N: Model developed specifically for the U.S. Navy. Ambidextrous "Navy" trigger group, 3-lug/threaded barrel for attaching a sound suppressor; rubber-padded retractable stock. ** MP5F: Model developed in 1999 specifically for the French military. Rubber-padded retractable stock, ambidextrous sling loops/bolts and internal modifications to handle high-pressure ammunition.


Training variants

H&K offers dedicated training variants of these weapons, designated ''MP5A4PT'' and ''MP5A5PT'' (PT—Plastic Training), modified to fire a plastic 9×19mm PT training cartridge produced by
Dynamit Nobel Dynamit Nobel AG is a German chemical and weapons company whose headquarters is in Troisdorf, Germany. It was founded in 1865 by Alfred Nobel. Creation After the death of his younger brother Emil in an 1864 nitroglycerin explosion at the famil ...
of Germany. These weapons operate like the standard MP5 but have a floating chamber and both rollers have been omitted from the bolt to function properly when firing the lighter plastic projectiles. To help identify these weapons blue dots were painted on their cocking handles and additional lettering provided. The PT variant can be configured with various buttstocks and trigger groups and was developed for the West German Police and Border Guard.


MP5SF

The ''MP5SFA2'' (SF – single-fire) was developed in 1986 in response to the American FBI solicitation for a "9 mm Single-fire Carbine". It is the same as the MP5A2 but is fitted with an ambidextrous semi-automatic only trigger group. The ''MP5SFA3'' is similar except it has a retractable metal stock like the MP5A3. Versions delivered after December 1991 are assembled with select-fire bolt carriers allowing fully automatic operation when used with the appropriate trigger module. The semi-automatic "MP5SF" models are widely used by British police forces including London's
Metropolitan Police Service The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
Specialist Firearms Command The Specialist Firearms Command (SCO19) is the firearms unit of the Metropolitan Police Service (Greater London, England). The Command is responsible for providing a firearms-response capability, assisting the rest of the service which is not ro ...
, Diplomatic Protection Group, authorised firearms officers, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to name a few. The two-position trigger unit was also used in the semi-automatic ''HK94'' carbine that was produced specifically for the civilian market with a barrel.


MP5SD

In 1974, H&K initiated design work on a sound-suppressed variant of the MP5, designated the MP5SD (SD—''Schalldämpfer'', German for "sound suppressor"), which features an integral but detachable aluminium sound suppressor and a lightweight bolt. The weapon's barrel has 30 ports drilled forward of the chamber through which escaping gases are diverted to the surrounding sealed tubular casing that is screwed onto threading on the barrel's external surface just prior to the ported segment. The suppressor itself is divided into two stages; the initial segment surrounding the ported barrel serves as an expansion chamber for the propellant gases, reducing gas pressure to slow down the acceleration of the projectile. The second, decompression stage occupies the remaining length of the suppressor tube and contains a stamped metal helix separator with several compartments which increase the gas volume and decrease its temperature, deflecting the gases as they exit the muzzle, so muffling the exit report. The bullet leaves the muzzle at subsonic velocity, so it does not generate a sonic shock wave in flight. As a result of reducing the barrel's length and venting propellant gases into the suppressor, the bullet's muzzle velocity was lowered anywhere from 16% to 26% (depending on the ammunition used) while maintaining the weapon's automation and reliability. The weapon was designed to be used with standard supersonic ammunition with the suppressor on at all times. The MP5SD is produced exclusively by H&K in several versions: the MP5SD1 and MP5SD4 (both have a receiver end cap instead of a buttstock), MP5SD2 and MP5SD5 (equipped with a fixed synthetic buttstock) and the MP5SD3 and MP5SD6 (fitted with a collapsible metal stock). The MP5SD1, MP5SD2 and MP5SD3 use a standard 'SEF' trigger group (from the MP5A2 and MP5A3), while the MP5SD4, MP5SD5, and MP5SD6 use the 'Navy' trigger group—a trigger module with a mechanically limited 3-round burst mode and ambidextrous selector controls (from the MP5A4 and MP5A5). A suppressed version was produced for the U.S. Navy—designated the MP5SD-N, which is a version of the MP5SD3 with a retractable metal stock, front sight post with tritium-illuminated dot and a stainless steel suppressor. This model has a modified cocking handle support to account for the slightly larger outside diameter of the suppressor. The design of the suppressor allows the weapon to be fired with water inside, should water enter the device during operation in or near water. * MP5SD: An MP5 model with an integrated suppressor (''Schalldämpfer'') created in 1974. * MP5SD1: No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor * MP5SD2: Fixed buttstock, "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD3: Retractable buttstock, "SEF" trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD4: No buttstock (endplate/receiver cap in place of buttstock), 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD5: Fixed buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD6: Retractable buttstock, 3-round burst trigger group, integrated suppressor. * MP5SD-N1: Fixed buttstock, "Navy" trigger group, KAC stainless steel suppressor. * MP5SD-N2: Retractable buttstock, "Navy" trigger group, KAC stainless steel suppressor.


MP5K

In 1976, a shortened
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine-fed, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to describe its design concept as an autom ...
version of the MP5A2 was introduced; the ''MP5K'' (K from the German word ''Kurz'' = "short") was designed for close quarters battle use by clandestine operations and special services. The MP5K does not have a shoulder stock (the receiver end was covered with a flat end cap, featuring a buffer on the inside and a sling loop on the outside), and the bolt and receiver were shortened at the rear. The resultant lighter bolt led to a higher rate of fire than the standard MP5 at around 900 rounds per minute. The barrel, cocking handle and its cover were shortened and a vertical foregrip was used to replace the standard handguard. The barrel ends at the base of the front sight, which prevents the use of any sort of muzzle device. The MP5K is produced (by Heckler & Koch and under license in Iran and Turkey) in four different versions: the MP5K, ''MP5KA4'', ''MP5KA1'', ''MP5KA5'', where the first two variants have adjustable, open-type iron sights (with a notched rotary drum), and the two remaining variants – fixed open sights; however, the front sight post was changed and a notch was cut into the receiver top cover. The MP5K retained the capability to use optical sights through the use of an adapter. A civilian semiautomatic derivative of the MP5K known as the SP89 was produced that had a foregrip with a muzzle guard in place of the vertical grip. In 1991, a further variant of the MP5K was developed, designated the ''MP5K-PDW'' (PDW—Personal Defense Weapon) that retained the compact dimensions of the MP5K but restored the fire handling characteristics of the full-size MP5A2. The MP5K-PDW uses a side-folding synthetic shoulder stock (made by the U.S. company Choate Machine and Tool), a "Navy" trigger group, a front sight post with a built-in tritium insert and a slightly lengthened threaded, three-lug barrel (analogous to the MP5-N). The stock can be removed and replaced with a receiver endplate; a rotary drum with apertures from the MP5A2 can also be used. * MP5K: Short (''kurz'') version created in 1976. It has a shortened barrel, shorter trigger group frame, and a vertical foregrip rather than a handguard. There are no MP5KA2 or MP5KA3 models because it does not come with a fixed or retractable stock. * MP5K Prototype: A stockless, cut-down MP5A2 with regular iron sights and an open vertical foregrip. It was created in 1976. * MP5KA1: MP5K with smooth upper surface and small low-profile iron sights; "SEF" trigger group. * MP5KA4: MP5K with regular iron sights; four-position 3-round burst trigger group. * MP5KA5: MP5K with smooth upper surface and small low-profile iron sights; four-position 3-round burst trigger group. * MP5K-N: MP5K with "Navy" trigger group and 3-lug/threaded barrel for mounting suppressors or other muzzle attachments. * MP5K-PDW: Personal Defense Weapon; MP5K-N variant introduced in 1991 for issue to special operations aircraft or vehicle crews. It adds a Choate side-folding stock, 5-inch 3-lug barrel for mounting a quick-detachable Qual-A-Tec suppressor, and an ambidextrous 4-position trigger group with a 3-round burst mode. A shoulder cross-draw or thigh quick-draw holster is available. *MP5K Operational Briefcase: MP5K mounted with a STANAG claw mount inside a plastic hard shell Special Briefcase (''Spezialkoffer''), with an external trigger mounted in the briefcase handgrip. An earlier version called the Special Bag (''Spezialtasche'') included a large opening in the rear of a soft side leather case to grasp the pistol grip and manually actuate the trigger. The briefcase was sold preconfigured with the MP5K as well as separately.


MP5/10 and MP5/40

In 1992, Heckler & Koch introduced the ''MP5/10'' (chambered in
10mm Auto The 10mm Auto (10×25mm, official C.I.P. nomenclature: 10 mm Auto, official SAAMI nomenclature: 10mm Automatic) is a semi-automatic pistol cartridge introduced in 1983. Its design was adopted and later produced by ammunition manufacturer ...
) and ''MP5/40'' (chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge), which are based on the MP5A4 and MP5A5. These weapons were assembled in fixed and retractable stock configurations (without a separate designation) and are fed from translucent 30-round polymer box magazines. These weapons include a bolt hold-open device, which captures the bolt group in its rear position after expending the last cartridge from the magazine. The bolt is then released by pressing a lever positioned on the left side of the receiver. Both weapons use a barrel with 6 right-hand grooves and a 380 mm (1:15 in) twist rate, and like the MP5-N, both have a 3-lugged muzzle device and a tritium-illuminated front sight aiming dot. Problems with the MP5/10 and MP5/40 led to their discontinuation in 2000, although Heckler & Koch continues to provide support and spare parts. * MP5/10: Chambered in
10mm Auto The 10mm Auto (10×25mm, official C.I.P. nomenclature: 10 mm Auto, official SAAMI nomenclature: 10mm Automatic) is a semi-automatic pistol cartridge introduced in 1983. Its design was adopted and later produced by ammunition manufacturer ...
, available in various stock/trigger group configurations. It was produced from 1992 to 2000. * MP5/40: Chambered in .40 S&W, available in various stock/trigger group configurations. It was produced from 1992 to 2000.


Civilian variants

* HK94: American import model of the MP5 with an exposed 16.54-inch
20mm 20 mm caliber is a specific size of popular autocannon ammunition. It is typically used to distinguish smaller-caliber weapons, commonly called "guns", from larger-caliber "cannons" (e.g. machine gun vs. autocannon). All 20 mm cartridges ha ...
barrel and special SF (safe/semi-automatic) trigger group, designed for civilian use. The ''94'' factory designation code indicates that it is a semi-auto only Sporting Rifle (9-) chambered for the 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge (-4).
A barrel-mounted vertical foregrip and a ventilated barrel shroud were available for the stock HK94. The HK94 was imported from 1983 to 1989, in three different configurations: **The HK94A2 had a fixed stock, an overall length of 34.59 inches 29 mm and weighed 6.43 lbs. .92 kg. In 1991, the state of California imported 420 HK-94A2s, mostly for their state Department of Corrections; it was the last batch of HK-94s imported into the United States. **The HK94A3 had a retractable stock, an overall length of 27.58 inches 00 mmcollapsed and 34.05 inches 65 mmextended and weighed 7.18 lbs. .26 kg **The HK94/SG-1 (''Scharfschützengewehr'', "sharp-shooting rifle") was designed for short-range sniping in built-up areas like cities or prisons. It proved to be unsuitable for its designed purpose, due to its poor penetration and stopping power, and most went to target shooters and collectors. It had a fixed match stock with a rubber buttpad and an adjustable cheekpiece, folding bipod, flash hider, and a 6 × 42mm Leupold VIII Adjustable Objective scope. It had an overall length of 40.39 inches
026mm This is a list of firearm cartridges which have bullets of a caliber between and . *''Length'' refers to the cartridge case length *''OAL'' refers to the overall length of the cartridge Measurements are in millimeters then inches, i.e. ''mm (i ...
and a weight of 9.25 lbs. .2 kg Its mean standard retail price (MSRP) in 1986 was US$1,525; this was more than twice what a stock HK94A2 (US$650) or HK94A3 (US$720) cost. Only 50 were imported into the United States; authentic models have serial numbers running in the 43XX range.
As an aftermarket modification, a PSG-1 trigger pack with target pistol grip and match trigger could be added by a gunsmith by changing the ejector and hammer spring. The 6× Leupold scope was calibrated for .223 Remington rounds, so other scopes were often substituted. * SP89: ''Sportpistole M1989''. Semi-automatic only version of the MP5K designed for civilian use. It lacked a vertical foregrip to make it compliant with the National Firearms Act. It was made from 1989 to 1994. * SP5K: First introduced in 2016, the SP5K is an updated version of the SP89. It features a Picatinny rail mounted on the top of the receiver for mounting accessories. As with the SP89, it is semi-automatic only and the forward handguard does not have a vertical foregrip. *SP5: Introduced in 2019, the SP5 is a semi-automatic only version. With an 8.86 inch
25mm 25 mm may refer to: *25 mm caliber, a large caliber round, used by cannon and autocannon *25 mm grenade, an explosive round used by some grenade launchers *1 inch Measuring tape with inches The inch (symbol: in or ″) is a unit of le ...
barrel, the same length as that of the original MP5A2. It features the Navy barrel with the threaded adaptor available in the MP5K, paddle magazine release, and fluted chamber.


Manufacturers

* :
Norinco China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, doing business internationally as Norinco Group (North Industries Corporation), and known within China as China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (), is a Chinese state-owned defense ...
makes unlicensed copies of the MP5A4, as the NR-08 and NR-08A, and the MP5A5, as the CS/LS3. * : Manufactured under licence by
MAS Mas, Más or MAS may refer to: Film and TV * Más y Menos, fictional superhero characters, from the Teen Titans animated television series * Más (Breaking Bad), "Más" (''Breaking Bad''), a season three episode of ''Breaking Bad'' Songs * Más ( ...
as the MP5F. * : Manufactured under licence by EAS (''Ellinika Amyntika Systimata'': "Hellenic Defence Systems"). * : Indian Ordnance Factory makes unlicensed copies of MP5A3, known as the OFB Anamika 9mm. * : Manufactured under licence by DIO as the Tondar (MP5A3) and Tondar Light (MP5K). * : manufactured by Luxembourg Defence Technology using POF-made parts * : Manufactured under licence by SEDENA. * : Manufactured under licence by
Pakistan Ordnance Factories , type = State-owned company , industry = Firearms, Defense, Machinery , fate = , successor = , founded = , founder = , defunct = , hq_location_city = Wah Cantonment, Punjab , hq_location_country = Pakistan , area_served = worldwi ...
as the MP5P and also POF-5. * : Manufactured under licence by
Al Kharj Arsenal AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...
, Military Industries Corporation. * : Manufactured by Military Industry Corporation as the Tihraga (MP5A3), a clone of the Iranian Tondar. * : Manufactured under licence by Brügger & Thomet. * : Manufactured by MKEK. Their trigger groups are marked: E (Safe), T (Semi-Auto) and S (Full Auto) instead of SEF. * : Manufactured under licence by Royal Small Arms Factory – Enfield.


Users


Gallery

File:AKM and MP5K.JPEG, An Australian Air Traffic Control Detachment range officer fires an MP5K at the Baghdad International Airport firing range. File:US Navy SEALs in from water.jpg, U.S. Navy SEALs armed with MP5-Ns on a training exercise. File:SEAL MP5N.JPEG, A member of SEAL Team 8 with an MP5-N variant in February 1991. File:Bangladesh Army Counter Terrorism unit. (31527384851).jpg, Bangladesh Army Counter Terrorism unit with MP5A3 in Victory Day Parade 2016. File:Rapid Action Battalion (04).jpg, Rapid Action Battalion of Bangladesh armed with MP5K (except the second from right). File:Iranian green beret commandos (7).jpg, NOHED Brigade of Iran training with their MP5 along with their sidearm. File:RATS operators parading.jpg, Anti-Firearms Squad of Japan armed with MP5 submachine guns, some are equipped with Brügger & Thomet Foldable Visor Helmet Stocks. File:PDRM with MP5.jpg, Recruits of the Royal Malaysia Police training with their MP5s. File:Topkapı sarayında nöbetçi Jandarma Eri.jpg, A Turkish gendarme with an MP5 at Topkapı Palace in Istanbul. File:Police.gun.1.london.arp.jpg, Police officer from
Met police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...
London England Uk at Downing Street security holding an MP5A3. File:RAF-Logo.svg, The West German Marxist militant group Red Army Faction (RAF) depicted the MP5 in their insignia, shown here.


See also

* IMI Uzi * Scorpion Evo *
PP-19 Vityaz The PP-19 Vityaz (also known as the PP-19-01 “Vityaz-SN”) is a 9×19mm Parabellum submachine gun developed in 2004 by Russian small arms manufacturer Izhmash. It is based on the AK-74 and offers a high degree of parts commonality with the AK ...
* Colt M635 * Daewoo Telecom K7 * SIG MPX *
CS/LS7 The CS/LS7 (military designation QCQ-171) is a submachine gun developed by the Jianshe Industries (Group) Corporation of Chongqing. The CS/LS7 is chambered in Chinese 9×19mm DAP-92 ammunition or 9×19mm Parabellum round. Development The CS/LS7 i ...
* FAMAE SAF


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * *


External links

*
2008 Heckler & Koch Military and LE brochure
* HKPRO
MP5MP5KMP5SDMP5/10 & MP5/40
* REMTEK


HECKLER & KOCH MP5 SUB MACHINE GUN FAMILY OPERATOR'S MANUAL

HK MP5 Armorers Manual
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heckler and Koch Mp5 .40 S&W submachine guns 9mm Parabellum submachine guns 10mm Auto submachine guns Cold War weapons of Germany
MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
Personal defense weapons Silenced firearms Carbines Police weapons Roller-delayed blowback firearms Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1966