Heckler & Koch MP5 | |
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MP5A3 with a retractable stock and early handguard
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Type | Submachine gun |
Place of origin | West Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1966–present |
Used by | See Users |
Production history | |
Designer | Tilo Möller, Manfred Guhring, Georg Seidl, Helmut Baureuter |
Designed | 1964–1966 |
Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Produced | 1966–present |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Weight |
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Length |
Fixed stock:
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Barrel length |
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Width |
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Height |
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Cartridge |
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Action | Roller-delayed blowback, closed bolt |
Rate of fire |
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Muzzle velocity |
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Effective firing range |
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Feed system | 15, 30 or 40 round detachable box magazine and 100-round Beta C-Mag drum magazine |
Sights | Iron sights. Rear: rotary drum; front: hooded post |
Fixed stock:
The Heckler & Koch MP5 (from German: Maschinenpistole 5, meaning Submachine gun 5) is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) of Oberndorf am Neckar. There are over 100 variants of the MP5, including some semi-automatic versions.
The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by 40 nations and numerous military, law enforcement, intelligence, and security organizations. It is widely used by SWAT teams in North America.
In 1999, Heckler & Koch developed the Heckler & Koch UMP, the MP5's successor; both are available as of 2016[update].
Heckler & Koch, encouraged by the success of the G3 automatic rifle, 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 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, border guard and army special forces.