If you know me at all, or have taken hints from this travesty of a website, you know that I am a little bit of an H&K hooker. For me, that love affair started around 30 years ago when I was a wee lad. Growing up on action movies from the 80's and 90's, along with Richard Marcinko books, I have always lusted after an MP5.
I never really thought I would get one as HK94's were stupidly priced and goofy with the 16" barrel. On top of that, since I actually use my stuff hard I would have felt a bit guilty doing so with a firearm considered a collectors piece. The clones never really did it for me since the quality levels vary from being built by roaches, methed out gorillas, or the good ones made by true artisans. And they aren't really H&K so I would be left wanting. When the SP5K came out I was meh since it was neutered. Now, when the SP5 came out I am pretty sure that I got the largest erection (verified by scanning electron microscope mind you) that I have ever had. Two days before Christmas and 30 days before I turned 36 I finally fulfilled my childhood dream of owning an "MP5"
I never really thought I would get one as HK94's were stupidly priced and goofy with the 16" barrel. On top of that, since I actually use my stuff hard I would have felt a bit guilty doing so with a firearm considered a collectors piece. The clones never really did it for me since the quality levels vary from being built by roaches, methed out gorillas, or the good ones made by true artisans. And they aren't really H&K so I would be left wanting. When the SP5K came out I was meh since it was neutered. Now, when the SP5 came out I am pretty sure that I got the largest erection (verified by scanning electron microscope mind you) that I have ever had. Two days before Christmas and 30 days before I turned 36 I finally fulfilled my childhood dream of owning an "MP5"
The MP5: Teutonic Space Magic
Do I really even need to say anything about the MP5? It is one of the most iconic submachine guns of the 20th century, used by all the high speed units of the good guys, just seeing its profile you know what it is. The MP5 really broke onto the scene in 1980 with the Princess Gate siege of the Iranian embassy in London, where the SAS used it on live tv as they stormed the building and rescued hostages (as a side note, the movie 6 Days about this is epic).
Unfortunately due to unconstitutional gun laws in the US such as the NFA act of 1934, the 1968 Gun Control Act, and the 1989 Assault Weapons Import Ban has made getting a real deal MP5 basically impossible as a filthy unwashed peasant. Enter the SP5.
Unfortunately due to unconstitutional gun laws in the US such as the NFA act of 1934, the 1968 Gun Control Act, and the 1989 Assault Weapons Import Ban has made getting a real deal MP5 basically impossible as a filthy unwashed peasant. Enter the SP5.
The SP5
Christmas time 2019 H&K made Christmas come true for everyone and announced the SP5 was hitting the market. Due to the BATFE, it was imported as a "Pistol", since it could not be imported in rifle format due to the 1989 AWB. Verses the original SP5K (Counterpart to the MP5K) imported several years ago, this time H&K did their homework and really hit every feature that fans wanted. So let's go over this thing.
For those that do not know, the SP5 is a 9mm "Handgun" that weighs in at 5.1 pounds with an 8.86" barrel. It operates from a closed bolt utilizing H&K's famous roller locking operating system. We will get into that Kraut Space Magic later on when we go over the bolt group.
For those that do not know, the SP5 is a 9mm "Handgun" that weighs in at 5.1 pounds with an 8.86" barrel. It operates from a closed bolt utilizing H&K's famous roller locking operating system. We will get into that Kraut Space Magic later on when we go over the bolt group.
Out of the box the SP5 comes with a good quality H&K logo soft case, the manufacturers opinion (owners manual), two magazines, the sight adjustment tool, and a single point bungee sling that attaches to the swivel on the rear of the end cap.
Starting off with the barrel, the SP5's muzzle is not only threaded, but it also features their 3 lug system for fast attachment of suppressors or other muzzle devices. It is threaded 1/2"x28 so it can accommodate the vast majority of 9mm and handgun suppressors on the market. This goes to show that H&K does love us, and listens to our wants and desires.
The barrel itself is cold hammer forged by the magical elves from Oberndorf, and are well known for their longevity and accuracy. The chamber is fluted to help with positive and reliable extraction, featuring 16 flutes. What the flutes essentially do is to allow gas expelled from the fired round into the chamber to surround the case and help extract it positively from the chamber. Allegedly this can even help the firearm extract even when the extractor shits the bed. Allegedly.
The barrel itself is cold hammer forged by the magical elves from Oberndorf, and are well known for their longevity and accuracy. The chamber is fluted to help with positive and reliable extraction, featuring 16 flutes. What the flutes essentially do is to allow gas expelled from the fired round into the chamber to surround the case and help extract it positively from the chamber. Allegedly this can even help the firearm extract even when the extractor shits the bed. Allegedly.
The trigger pack/grip frame/trigger housing/whatever the hell you like calling it is polymer and similar to what H&K calls the "Navy Style" grip frame. The selector is ambidextrous and is angled down so that it is easier to activate. Some people complain that the selector is difficult to activate, but having monster hands I have no such issue. You can see the "XX" on the hammer in the picture, which is the proper hammer for 9mm H&K's. Over the years many "Clone" makers have just thrown standard G3 hammers in their 9mm abortions, and have had varying levels of success. Of course the mothership would do it correctly.
The magazine release is both a button, and a paddle to remove the magazine. No, you do not have to press both at the same time. You should not attempt to do this either, because that is just retarded, and I say that as someone who is five quarters retarded. This is also an area where H&K listened to their customer base. The original HK94's, SP89's and SP5's all had just a push button magazine release. Unless you have extra mondo long fingers, pressing the button was pretty difficult with your to do with your trigger finger. As with the real deal MP5's, the paddle mag release is the way. Press the paddle forward with your thumb, and pull down on the magazine to remove it. Easy peasy, and it feels natural.
I have always liked the iron sights on H&K roller locking firearms. The front sight is a hooded post, and generally the rear sight is an adjustable diopter, with different sized diopters depending on range or sight picture. However, the SP5 comes with the "Castle" style sight off the MP5K. Since everyone either throws a brace on their SP5 or SBR's it, this has caused the secondary market for diopter drums for the MP5 to completely dry up. I can see why they put the castle sight on it, since it is a "handgun" and presents a useable sight picture from an arms length away, verses when it is shouldered with a stock. Let's be real here too, the Germans are very literal too and probably figured this was appropriate since it is a "handgun".
On the left side of the magazine well is the attachment point for the H&K 3 point sling. The bracket on the factory sling attaches here so that you then have an attachment point at the front, middle, and rear of the firearm making the firearm more stable allegedly. Back in the day people thought this was a point so hang the firearm on the wall, or a bottle opener. If that is what you wanna do with it, then go for it.
The magazines themselves are absolute quality, much like the rest of the firearm. They are double stack, 30 round capacity, and have a chrome follower. On the rear of the magazine they have three witness holes so you can see if the magazine is full, half, or empty at a glance. They are also $80 each and I bought 11. RIP my bank account.
The SP5 naked. NSFW
Now we get to the real heart of the SP5 and what makes it so awesome, the operating system. The MP5, G3, HK33, etc have a roller locking operating system. I could go full weaponized autism explaining the seven transversal points of the H&K roller locking system as I did in a paper I wrote in 10th grade in high school, but I am going to simplify things quite greatly and use fewer words and a sweet sketch that I took over 9000 hours in paint to make. Essentially the rollers lock into the trunion via the wedge shaped locking piece until pressure subsides enough and the inertia from recoil causes the mass of the bolt carrier to move rearward thusly moving the locking piece to the rear and causing the rollers to retract.
Not to scale What this does is give the SP5 an incredibly smooth recoil impulse verses the majority of the other 9mm carbines on the market. Other guns such as the Ruger PC Carbine and CZ Scorpion use a direct blowback operating system. With direct blowback you are essentially using a heavy bolt and spring to keep the bolt forward until the chamber pressure subsides to safe levels for it to move rearward. Downside with that is increased recoil due to more reciprocating mass and excessive ejection port noise when suppressed due to the breech not being locked.
 Bolt assembly assembled |  Bolt assembly disassembled |
As you can see, the bolt group is pretty simple. Not a ton of parts, and easy to take apart. One thing H&K claims is you have less gas fouling since it isn't gas operated. But have they ever tried to clean the deep dark areas of the receiver after a couple thousand rounds? It still gets rather dirty.
Bolthead with the locking piece in, showing the rollers in the engaged position.
Overall impressions
The SP5 is cool. That is the easiest thing to say about it. It just wreaks of classical subgun awesomeness. The fit and finish is superb, magazines lock in tight, and is what you would think of for H&K Quality. It blows the majority of "Clone" MP5's out of the water, especially those made in third world countries and by methed out gorillas in garages. It is on the pricey side with MSRP being $2,799.99, but you get the real deal made by the people who invented it, with all of the latest (F) upgrades.
This is a gun that I bought because I have always wanted one. It is more for fun than a practical purpose, but it will be an excellent gun for my adventuring since I like to go explore abandoned and decrepit mine shafts.
I have already filed an E-Form 1, and have ordered a ton of stuff for it. So now that my soul isn't crushed by working in the firearms industry, I will actually post my journey with this thing every couple weeks or so.
Also, Mannerheim digs it, and you cannot put a price on that.
This is a gun that I bought because I have always wanted one. It is more for fun than a practical purpose, but it will be an excellent gun for my adventuring since I like to go explore abandoned and decrepit mine shafts.
I have already filed an E-Form 1, and have ordered a ton of stuff for it. So now that my soul isn't crushed by working in the firearms industry, I will actually post my journey with this thing every couple weeks or so.
Also, Mannerheim digs it, and you cannot put a price on that.
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