![]() In 1980, the MP5 achieved iconic status as a result of being used by the British SAS special forces when they stormed the Iranian Embassy in London, live on television, rescuing hostages and killing five terrorists during Operation Nimrod. ![]() The MP5 has seen continuous service in both Europe and the United States since its introduction in the 1960's. And aside from these main versions, there are a plethora of other models available: some made in larger calibers, some with built-in suppressors, and some that are semi-auto only. The MP5A3 uses a retractable metal stock, while the MP5A5 is fitted with a sliding stock as well as having the same pistol grip/fire selector changes that were made to the MP5A4. Both the MP5A2 and MP5A4 feature fixed stocks, with the main difference between the two being the shape of the pistol grip and some mechanical changes to the fire selector. The shortened MP5K came about as a means of making the weapon even more compact that this standard variant. It was fitted with a sling mount, and was meant for concealed carry. The original MP5A1 features no stock, and instead opts for a sort of cap at the back end of the weapon. There have been a vast number of separate variants of the MP5 produced. The handle, after being 'slapped' out of its recess, be sent into the forward position via spring tension and ensuring a proper seating of the bolt. The construction of this cocking handle has lead to the famous 'HK Slap' technique, where the cocking handle is released from its notch at the back of the cocking tube by 'slapping' the handle downward. 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. The cocking handle is held in the forward position by a spring detent located in the front end of the cocking lever support which engages in the cocking lever housing. It is not connected to the bolt carrier, however, and therefore cannot be used as a forward assist. This rigid control is attached to a tubular piece within the cocking lever housing, which in turn makes contact with the forward extension of the bolt group. One of the MP5's most distinctive design features is the non-reciprocating cocking handle located above the handguard. Instead, the bolt carrier contains 32.5 g (1.15 oz) of tungsten granules that prevent the bolt group from bouncing back after impacting the barrel extension. Since the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge is relatively low powered, the bolt does not have an anti-bounce device built into it like the G3 rifle does. The resistance provided by the bolt head moving back against the carrier and the rollers camming out of their recesses provides the required delay that ensures the action remains locked until the gas pressure falls to a safe level, at which point the bolt cycles back and the spent case is ejected. When the gun is fired, gas pressure from the fired cartridge pushes back against the bolt. This serves to lock the bolt in place for firing. The bolt head features a set of metal rollers that are pushed out into recesses in the receiver when the bolt is pushed into the forward position by the carrier. The roller-delayed bolt system works like this: the bolt is made up of two parts, consisting of a bolt carrier and bolt head. It is delayed blowback operated, with H&K's famous roller-delayed bolt system, and fires from a closed bolt. Mechanically, the MP5 is a scaled-down version of the G3 rifle, chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum. It would be adopted by the German Federal Police, border guards, and army special forces, and it would be here that the weapon received its 'MP5' designation. Originally known as the 'HK54', work on the design began in 1964, and was completed two years later. These weapons included the HK21 light machine gun, the HK33 assault rifle chambered in 5.56mm NATO, and the MP5. įollowing the success of their earlier G3 rifle design, H&K would get to work developing a whole family of firearms based on it. It 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. ![]() The MP5 (Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum blowback-operated machine pistol/submachine gun, developed in the 1960's by German small arms manufacturer Heckler and Koch.
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