How a MP5 Works

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, 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.

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.

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.

Type Submachine gun
Place of origin West Germany
Service history
In service 1966–present
Used by See Users
Wars

The Troubles
Operation Marajoara
Operation Feuerzauber
Soviet–Afghan War
Iranian Embassy siege
Operation Eagle Claw
Lebanese Civil War
Internal conflict in Peru
Colombian conflict
Sri Lankan Civil War
Salvadoran Civil War
Gulf War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War[4]
Boko Haram insurgency
Libyan Civil War
2013 Lahad Datu standoff

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
10mm Auto
.40 S&W

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[9] and 100-round Beta C-Mag drum magazine
Sights Iron sights. Rear: rotary drum; front: hooded post