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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 Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
. 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 An automatic rifle is a type of autoloading rifle that is capable of fully automatic fire. Automatic rifles are generally select-fire weapons capable of firing in semi-automatic and automatic firing modes (some automatic rifles are capable of ...
, developed a family of small arms consisting of four types of firearms all based on a common G3 design layout and operating principle. The first type was chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO, 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, an ...
caliber, and the fourth type for the 9×19mm Parabellum pistol 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 The Federal Police (''Bundespolizei'' or BPOL) is the national and principal federal law enforcement agency of the German Federal Government, being subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (''Bundesministeriu ...
, 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 The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
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 mis ...
. 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 The United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) is a directorate comprising the Special Air Service, the Special Boat Service, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, the Special Forces Support Group, 18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment and the Joint Special Forc ...
regiment the SAS when they stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, live on television, rescuing hostages and killing five terrorists during Operation Nimrod. The MP5 has become a mainstay of SWAT 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 Ange ...
, police special response teams replaced most MP5s with
AR-15 An AR-15-style rifle is any lightweight semi-automatic rifle based on the Colt AR-15 design. The original ArmaLite AR-15 is a scaled-down derivative of Eugene Stoner's ArmaLite AR-10 design. The then Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporatio ...
-based rifles. The MP5 is manufactured under license in several nations including Greece (formerly at EBO –
Hellenic Arms Industry The Hellenic Arms Industry ( el, Ελληνική Βιομηχανία Όπλων, links=no, ''Elliniki Viomichania Oplon'', abbreviated EBO) has been the main arms manufacturer of Greece. Its creation is linked to a desire of Greek governments fo ...
, currently at ΕΑΣ – Hellenic Defense Systems),
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
(
Defense Industries Organization The Defense Industries Organization (DIO) is a Conglomerate (company), conglomerate of companies run by the Iran, Islamic Republic of Iran whose function is to provide the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Armed Forces with the necessar ...
), Mexico (
SEDENA The Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA); es, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional is the government department responsible for managing Mexico's Army and Air Forces. Its head is the Secretary of National Defense who, like the co-equa ...
),
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
( Pakistan Ordnance Factories),
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
, Sudan (
Military Industry Corporation The Military Industry Corporation is the state-run defense corporation of Sudan. It is responsible for the production of a wide range of defense equipment, such as munitions, firearms, artillery etc. History The MIC was established by national d ...
),
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
(
MKEK The Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation ( tr, Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi or MKE for short), established in 1950, is a reorganization of government-controlled group of factories in Turkey that supplied the Turkish Armed Forces with mili ...
), and the United Kingdom (initially at
Royal Ordnance Royal Ordnance plc was formed on 2 January 1985 as a public corporation, owning the majority of what until then were the remaining United Kingdom government-owned Royal Ordnance Factories (abbreviated ROFs) which manufactured explosives, ammuniti ...
, 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
delayed blowback Blowback is a system of operation for self-loading firearms that obtains energy from the motion of the cartridge case as it is pushed to the rear by expanding gas created by the ignition of the propellant charge. Several blowback systems exist wi ...
operated 9×19mm Parabellum weapon with a roller-delayed bolt. It fires from a
closed bolt A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward. When the trigger is pulled, the firing pin or striker fires th ...
(bolt forward) position. The fixed, free floating, cold hammer-forged barrel has 6 right-hand grooves with a 1 in 250 mm (1:10 in) rifling twist rate and is pressed and pinned into the receiver.


Features

The first MP5 models used a double-column straight
box magazine A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges with ...
, but since 1977, slightly curved, steel magazines are used with a 15-round capacity (weighing 0.12 kg) or a 30-round capacity (0.17 kg empty). The adjustable iron sights (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 A polymer (; Greek '' poly-'', "many" + ''-mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic a ...
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 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 Forward assisting is the practice of moving the bolt or bolt carrier of a firearm fully forward when the return spring has not done so (or there is a chance that it will not have done so). Some firearms have a dedicated device to allow forward a ...
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 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 Cartridge may refer to: Objects * Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition * ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device * Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators Other uses * Cartridge (surname), a ...
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 delib ...
. 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 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 Tungsten, or wolfram, is a chemical element with the symbol W and atomic number 74. Tungsten is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isol ...
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 A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle (firearms), muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the b ...
, blank firing attachment (marked with a red-painted band denoting use with blank ammunition only), an adapter for launching
rifle grenade A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade were thrown by hand. The practice of projecting grenades with rifle-mounted launchers was first widely used dur ...
s (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 Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...
grenades. An optional three-lugged barrel is also available for mounting a quick-detachable
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and muzzle rise when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, b ...
.


Receiver

The receiver housing has a proprietary claw-rail mounting system that permits the attachment of a standard Heckler & Koch quick-detachable scope mount (also used with the G3,
HK33 The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K), primarily for export. Building on the success of their G3 design, the company developed a family of smal ...
and G3SG/1). It can be used to mount daytime optical sights (telescopic 4×24), night sights, reflex sights and
laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fi ...
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 The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...
adapter can be placed on top that locks into the claw rails. This allows the mounting of
STANAG In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO st ...
scopes and has a lower profile than the claw-rail system.


Handguard

Aftermarket replacement handguards with
Picatinny rail The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...
s 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 The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. This model has a collapsible stock, a
tritium Tritium ( or , ) or hydrogen-3 (symbol T or H) is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with half-life about 12 years. The nucleus of tritium (t, sometimes called a ''triton'') contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of ...
-illuminated front sight post and a threaded barrel for use with a stainless steel
sound suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a muzzle device that reduces the acoustic intensity of the muzzle report (sound of a gunshot) and muzzle rise when a gun (firearm or air gun) is discharged, b ...
made by
Knight's Armament Company Knight's Armament Company (KAC) is an American firearms and firearms parts manufacturer, best known for producing the Rail Interface System (RIS) and the Rail Adapter System (RAS) grips for firearms use. They currently produce a variety of fire ...
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 The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
. 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 The French Armed Forces (french: Forces armées françaises) encompass the Army, the Navy, the Air and Space Force and the Gendarmerie of the French Republic. The President of France heads the armed forces as Chief of the Armed Forces. France ...
. 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 fam ...
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 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
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
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 r ...
,
Diplomatic Protection Group Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) is a branch of Protection Command within the Specialist Operations directorate of London's Metropolitan Police Service. Duties A unit of the Metropolitan Police Service, PaDP is responsible for p ...
, authorised firearms officers, and the
Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ') is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it was reform ...
to name a few. The two-position trigger unit was also used in the semi-automatic ''HK94''
carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and lighte ...
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 Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
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 A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helic ...
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 physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
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 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 Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
) 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 Personal defense weapons (PDWs) are a class of firearms intended for self-defense and security rather than warfare and infantry. Most PDWs fire a small-caliber (less than ), centerfire bottleneck cartridge resembling a scaled-down intermedia ...
; 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 Charles A. "Mickey" Finn (June 21, 1938 – April 24, 2007) was an American designer who specialized in designing and producing weapons systems for the U.S. military. He retired from defense work and began designing sporting equipment, including th ...
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 In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO st ...
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 h ...
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 California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
imported 420 HK-94A2s, mostly for their state
Department of Corrections In criminal justice, particularly in North America, correction, corrections, and correctional, are umbrella terms describing a variety of functions typically carried out by government agencies, and involving the punishment, treatment, and s ...
; 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 (in ...
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 The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as . The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufact ...
. 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 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 as the MP5F. * : Manufactured under licence by EAS (''Ellinika Amyntika Systimata'': "Hellenic Defence Systems"). * :
Indian Ordnance Factory Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), consisting of the Indian Ordnance Factories, now known as Directorate of Ordnance (Coordination & Services) was an organisation, under the Department of Defence Production (DDP) of Ministry of Defence (MoD), Gover ...
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 The Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA); es, Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional is the government department responsible for managing Mexico's Army and Air Forces. Its head is the Secretary of National Defense who, like the co-equa ...
. * : Manufactured under licence by Pakistan Ordnance Factories as the MP5P and also POF-5. * : Manufactured under licence by Al Kharj Arsenal, Military Industries Corporation. * : Manufactured by
Military Industry Corporation The Military Industry Corporation is the state-run defense corporation of Sudan. It is responsible for the production of a wide range of defense equipment, such as munitions, firearms, artillery etc. History The MIC was established by national d ...
as the Tihraga (MP5A3), a clone of the Iranian Tondar. * : Manufactured under licence by
Brügger & Thomet B&T AG (formerly Brügger & Thomet AG; sometimes rendered B+T) is a Swiss defence supplier specializing in the design and manufacturing of firearms and tactical components such as sound suppressors and rail systems. The company is based in Thun, ...
. * : Manufactured by
MKEK The Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation ( tr, Makina ve Kimya Endüstrisi or MKE for short), established in 1950, is a reorganization of government-controlled group of factories in Turkey that supplied the Turkish Armed Forces with mili ...
. 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 The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sm ...
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 Rapid Action Battalion or RAB, is an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police. This elite force consists of members of the Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Police, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh, B ...
of
Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
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 B&T AG (formerly Brügger & Thomet AG; sometimes rendered B+T) is a Swiss defence supplier specializing in the design and manufacturing of firearms and tactical components such as sound suppressors and rail systems. The company is based in Thun, ...
Foldable Visor Helmet Stocks. File:PDRM with MP5.jpg, Recruits of the
Royal Malaysia Police The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) ( ms, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM)), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation. Its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman ...
training with their MP5s. File:Topkapı sarayında nöbetçi Jandarma Eri.jpg, A Turkish gendarme with an MP5 at
Topkapı Palace The Topkapı Palace ( tr, Topkapı Sarayı; ota, طوپقپو سرايى, ṭopḳapu sarāyı, lit=cannon gate palace), or the Seraglio, is a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey. From the 1460s to the complet ...
in
Istanbul ) , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 34000 to 34990 , area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side) , registration_plate = 34 , blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD , blank_i ...
. File:Police.gun.1.london.arp.jpg, Police officer from Met police
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
Uk at
Downing Street Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk f ...
security holding an MP5A3. File:RAF-Logo.svg, The West German Marxist militant group
Red Army Faction The Red Army Faction (RAF, ; , ),See the section "Name" also known as the Baader–Meinhof Group or Baader–Meinhof Gang (, , active 1970–1998), was a West German far-left Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group founded in 1970. The ...
(RAF) depicted the MP5 in their insignia, shown here.


See also

*
IMI Uzi The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially Letter case, cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open bolt, open-bolt, blowback (arms), blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel Gal, Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the l ...
* Scorpion Evo * PP-19 Vityaz * Colt M635 *
Daewoo Telecom K7 The Daewoo Telecom K7 is a 9×19mm Parabellum submachine gun with an integral suppressor used by the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. It is based on the Daewoo K1A assault rifle, but is simplified by utilizing a blowback action rather than the gas ...
*
SIG MPX The SIG MPX is a gas-operated submachine gun designed and manufactured by SIG Sauer, and is primarily chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge. It is a gas-operated firearm featuring a closed, rotating bolt. These design features, rare in submac ...
* CS/LS7 *
FAMAE SAF The FAMAE SAF is a submachine gun produced and manufactured by FAMAE (''Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército'') since 1993. Since 1999, Taurus have produced the SAF under license in .40 S&W for Brazilian law enforcement. Semi-automatic-only ...


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