Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 (German: Maschinenpistole 5) is a submachine gun developed in the 1960s by German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It uses a similar modular design to the Heckler & Koch G3, and has over 100 variants and clones, including selective fire, semi-automatic, suppressed, compact, pistol-classed, and even marksman variants. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by over forty nations and numerous militaries, police forces, intelligence agencies, security organizations, paramilitaries, and non-state actors.
| Heckler & Koch MP5 | |
|---|---|
Heckler & Koch MP5A3 | |
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1966–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars |
|
| Production history | |
| Designer | Tilo Möller, Manfred Guhring, Georg Seidl, Helmut Baureuter |
| Designed | 1964–1966 |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Produced | 1966–present |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2.54 kg (5.6 lb) |
| Length | 680 mm (27 in) |
| Barrel length | 225 mm (8.9 in) |
| Width | 50 mm (2.0 in) |
| Height | 260 mm (10.2 in) |
| Cartridge | 9×19mm Parabellum |
| Action | Roller-delayed blowback, closed bolt |
| Rate of fire | 800 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 400 m/s (1,312 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 200 m (656 ft) |
| Feed system | 15-, 30-, 40-, or 50-round detachable box magazine, 50-round drum magazine and 100-round Beta C-Mag drum magazine |
| Sights | Iron sights. Rear: rotary drum; front: hooded post |
In 1999, Heckler & Koch developed the UMP, which was intended as the MP5's successor. However, despite its higher cost, the MP5 remained the more successful of the two options, as its roller-delayed action was considered better at "reduc[ing] recoil ... making it easier to stay on target" than the UMP's straight blowback action.