Heckler & Koch is now shipping the HK SP5, a semi-automatic sporting version of the MP5 submachine gun, in the U.S., according to a company release. MSRP is $2,799. 

Read our review of the HK SP5K here. 

The SP5 is a semiautomatic civilian sporting pistol that matches the look and feel of the MP5 submachine gun. The SP5 is manufactured in HK’s Oberndorf factory in southwest Germany. The importer, HK-USA, is based in Columbus, Georgia.

According to HK-USA, the SP5 retains many of the critical elements of the MP5. Of course, the biggest functionality of the machine pistol — pewpewpewpewpew, multiple shots per trigger pull — is changed to pew-pew-pew of semi-auto one-shot-per-trigger-pull operation in the newly available SP5.

The SP5 maintains the roller-delayed blowback operating system originally perfected on the Heckler & Koch G3 rifle and which has also been used on several other HK firearms still serving today around the world.

In fact, the company says the SP5 will be made in the same factory, on the same lines, and by the same workforce that has been making MP5s for years. Designed and manufactured to meet the definition of a civilian pistol, the SP5 is loaded with authentic MP5 features, like a Navy barrel with threaded tri-lug adaptor, paddle magazine release, fluted chamber and chrome-lined bore.

“Our whole team is very proud and very excited to finally bring the SP5 to the US,” HK-USA COO/CSO Mike Holley said. “The MP5 isn’t just a customer favorite, it’s an HK employee favorite too. So, we are just thrilled to roll out the most authentic semiautomatic-only version of it we’ve seen in the US.”

A variety of accessories can be added to increase its functionality. As a popular pistol-caliber carbine platform, the MP5 and SP5 are supported by an aftermarket loaded with lots of great accessories.

HK similarly announced the SP5K, the civilian version of the MP5K, in 2016. TTAG covered that roll-out here.

Caliber: 9mm x 19
Operating Principle Recoil operated
Locking System: Roller-delayed blowback
Magazine Capacity: 30/15/10 rounds
Cartridge case ejection: Right side
Length: 17.8 in. 
Width: 2.48 in.
Height: 8.66 in.
Barrel length: 8.86 in.
Weight (without magazine): 5.1 lbs.
Trigger pull: 6.74-10.11 lbs.
Return Travel: .12 in.
Trigger Travel .24 in.
Sight Radius: 13 in.
Barrel Profile/Twist Groove/land profile: 6 grooves, right-hand twist
Sights: Rotary rear sights, 4 positions

CONFIGURATIONS AVAILABLE

SP5 9mm with two 30rd magazines – 81000477 (UPC 642230259829) MSRP $2799

SP5 9mm with two 10rd magazines – 81000478 (UPC 642230259812) MSRP $2799

Magazine, SP5, 9mm, 30 rounds – 206349S (UPC 642230254336) MSRP $80

Magazine, SP5, 9mm, 15 rounds – 215610S (UPC 642230251809) MSRP $80

Magazine, SP5, 9mm, 10 rounds – 239257S (UPC 642230255210) MSRP $80

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

93 COMMENTS

    • Yup. Why is this thing $2800? Because it can be. Personally I’ll stick with my FM9: it’s more ergonomic, takes 33 round Glock mags that are less than half the price of an MP5 mag, you can actually load a mag on a closed bolt, already has a rail for optics, equal in terms of trigger, recoil and accuracy (probably), weighs about the same, oh and costs a third of the SP5. Only thing this has going for it is “HK slap” on the charging handle. I’ll spend the rest of my $2k-ish on optics, ammo and training.

      • “Why is this thing $2800? Because it can be…”

        Same as pretty much anything, can’t blame them for that.

    • They want customers to buy their genuine product, and not those made in Turkey and Pakistan on machinery and tooling provided and installed by Heckler und Koch, and sold at less than half the price of the genuine product.

  3. Lets hope they make enough to supply the market the SP5K supply has been zero for the past 6 months driving prices from under $2100 to over $3k for NIB currently

  4. Looks like fun, but way too expensive. The CZ makes far more sense. Still, I’m glad to hear that they are making and selling them.

    • Skorpion is a simple and cheap modern blowback gun that puts 9mm rounds where you want them. MP5’s have an antiquated (1940’s) design and manufacturing process, are over-complicated, lacking in modularity, and way over priced accessories and parts. Last I checked, HK factory mags are pushing $100. Its telling that I can have a German G3 parts gun for 1/4 the price of a factory MP5 with HK factory magazines for $3 each. This MP5 thing is nothing but a cash grab…. but, hey, people want to spend their money on it… *shrug*…. whatever…..oh!…. and, H&K hates you.

  5. Or just buy an upper and conversion kit for the AR you already have for $500ish that runs on Glock mags. $2,000 will buy a lot of ammo and accessories. Or any other quality 9mm carbine/pistol for way under this homage to history.

    • That’s what I did. For less than $300 (+ $130 for Vortex Spitfire 1x optic) I turned one .300 BO AR pistol into 9mm. To make the blowback action softer shooting, I drilled out the center of the solid steel “heavy” buffer and filled the cavity with molten lead, creating a “superheavy” buffer. Works like magic.

      The Skorpion is nice, but it still seems too expensive. This thing is completely outrageous. If I wanted to spend almost 3 grand on one gun, it would be a decent shotgun, not a stamped sheetmetal semi auto “submachine” gun. But to each his own, if someone wants one and can afford it, more power to him.

      • Scorpion is reasonably priced, there’s some ergonomic issues that CZ has to correct though. Scorpion plus the fixes are still half the money of the SP5.

    • 9mm is for NATO trash, and Euro beta males. It’ll piss off the bad guy and then you can throw that ugly, overpriced piece of ****, you’ll feel lighter and maybe you’ll run away faster.

      • You’re right. Hey, will you do me a favor and hold this paper target for me at about 7 yards away? No, not to the side like that…right in front of your chest…yes, that’s it…now you look more like a realistic opponent for my training. Excellent.

        Now I can unholster my 9mm pistol. Don’t worry…if I miss the paper, it will only piss you off and you’ll be fine. Then I can practice throwing my gun at you to see if that works.

      • Yeah, which is why the FBI, the Secret Service, the SAS, and a whole bunch of other folks who expect to shoot people on a frequent basis use 9mm. Oh wait…
        Your inner Gunstore Commando is showing,

        • The FBI switched back to the 9mm because the recruits they were getting couldn’t handle the recoil of the. 40 S&W. There is also the fact the FBI instructors couldn’t figure out how to use the Blackhawk Serpa holster correctly.

      • A 9mm is no match for a rifle caliber. That’s a big reason why a lot of militaries and police forces have moved towards SBRs instead of firearms like this. That said, the 9mm will kill about as well as its rivals (.40, .45) and your disrespect to the gun that saved Nakatomi towers has been noted in your permanent record.

  9. Interesting. It’s not a surprising price for them to jump in at in terms of MSRP.

    Most of the clones from quality manufacturers are at this price or higher. Zenith puts most of their at ~$2300 If this comes down a few hundred in the wild it will be really quite competitive considering it’s actually from HK.

    Roller delayed blowbacks are pricey.

    • But they’re really not. PTR makes a great G3 clone on HK machinery to the original specs and its ~1,000$. Same system and more material, and likely more effort being a .308. Also they were mass produced by several nations as a standard service rifle. The only reason this is such a high price is name brand.

      • I should have said “roller delayed blow back sub guns” are pricey.

        There’s an oddity about the MP5 clone market and it’s specific to the MP5 clone market. I’m not really sure what it is but it’s not name on the side of the gun. MP5’s are just pricey. If I was forced to guess I’d say it’s probably because the “semi auto subgun” market is limited in comparison to rifles and pistols. The people who make the things argue that they’re just not a cheap gun to deal with because they’re pricey to make and since that floor price kinda limits their market they tend to be high-end all around in finishing which pushes the price point even higher.

        Quality clones of an MP5, depending on what model you want to clone are usually $2000-$4000 MSRP.

        Note that PTR also makes MP5 clones and their KT, CT and 9C clones are all around the $1900 price point nearly double the price of their G3.

        • The clones are absolutely nowhere near that price point. PTR MP5 clones can be had all day for around 1600, Zenith for about the same, and POF for the same or less. The HK SP5 is easily $1k more than comparable clones. The only clones which compare in price are the likes of Dakota Tactical, which everyone knows is nice but outrageously overpriced.

        • That’s true. I’ve never read another explanation other then that it’s simply business. Higher demand, higher price.

        • That whole family of weapons (stamped sheet metal, DRB guns: STG45 > MP5, G3, HK33, etc) was originally conseptualized in NAZI Germany in 1944-45 as a way to rapidly mass produce cheap, reliable, modern firearms by unskilled slave laborers. MP5’s probably costs $100 per unit to make, but HK marks it up 30,000% because WE will pay that much…..because H&K hates you.

  11. H&K, the aristocracy of the gun world! A fugly gun for a crazy outrageous price, keep it.

  12. Serious question. What good are they? If you are going to use a gun that big why not get a short barreled carbine? If you need a pistol the gun is way to big and heavy be to be used as such because its not concealable or comfortable to carry.

    Of course it is the darling of drug gangs for drive by shootings. If you want to see a demonstration there will soon be a drive by shooting with one in your neighborhood. Perhaps HK should call it “The New Chicago Typewriter”. It would seem that HK in their blind greed is only contributing for even more calls on more gun bans. Guns like that scare the hell out of even many normal minded gun owners who have not lost control of all their mental faculties.

    In short in all honesty the gun is a total failure as a carbine and a total failure as a pistol.

    Rather than hear the normal cussing and name calling by the paramilitary lunatic fringe I am willing to listen to a response from anyone who can tell me a legitimate use for the gun.

    I will give you a hint: Home defense? Well I will go along with that except why spend that horrendous amount of money when you can get a pistol in the same caliber for way less money and in some cases even a 9mm carbine and often with plenty of firepower with an extended magazine. And a real pistol can be used for concealed carry as well.

    For fun? I will go along with that but you have to have deep pockets for unnecessary play toys like that coupled with the fact they serve no real purpose and other weapons would work much better and for way less money.

    If I felt there was a real need for one personally I would get one but I fail to see the use of it other than “Hey guys look what I have and look what you do not have”.

    Any good points: Well HK might make some money if there are enough well healed people out there that want a gun that looks like the real full auto sub gun or sell to enough people who are just plain suckered into blowing their money to purchase tits to put on a bull. Real Bulls (real full auto sub guns) do not need semi-auto tits. And the real full auto’s have a folding stock as well.

    • Just remember you will never own a full auto Pres. Reagan made sure of that and do not forget Pres. Bush and his assault rifle ban. With Republicans like that who needs Democrats for enemies. At least the Republicans get anti-gun bills past.

      Cheer up you could buy a look alike semi-auto Thompson and then walk around the house muttering famous movie lines by Edward G like “Mother of mercy is this the end of Rico”? To which your sane wife will respond “Its time for dinner, shut the fk up and quite acting like a nut case.”

    • Uhhh what? You think gang bangers are gonna use a $3,000 semi auto pseudo pistol for drive by shootings? Yeah ok, sure… definitely not a cheap, cost effective weapon like a Mac 11 or an AK, and definitely not a Hi Point either. I suppose you also think every criminal carries a Five Seven and has a POF AR in his vehicle?

      • Many gun stores have very little security and they get robbed very often.

        Unfortunately too many gun owners do not even have secure safes. Gang Bangers will have plenty of opportunities to get these weapons and remember some of the gang bangers make more money in 1 hour than you or I make in a lifetime. To them $3,000 is chicken feed. Believe me the gang bangers will get plenty of them and they may even become a status symbol like an expensive car or watch or jewelry.

        • Gang bangers will not have plenty opportunities as not many people are going to buy this H&K, and if a gangbanger breaks into a gun store they are not going to be looking around for an hour, they’ll grab AR and AK rifles, as well as good handguns.

        • If you think gang bangers are robbing gun stores or routinely running around with pistol caliber carbines, you’ve been watching too many movies.

          The top 2 crime guns we see right now are Hi Points and Taurus G2s. The rest (a minority) are random handguns mostly consisting of Glocks, 1911s, and random revolvers.

        • Might want to do some actual research on the drug trade there buddy. Majority of the bangers make less than McDonald’s wages as much of the cash they hold tends to go to the traffickers for more drugs. Traffickers tend to make more than the gang leaders.

    • it’d sure look cool holding one in each hand and shooting while spinning in a circle?

      hard pressed to think to a better way to spend $5600 🙂

    • “I will go along with that but you have to have deep pockets for unnecessary play toys like that coupled with the fact they serve no real purpose …….”

      You mean like Corvettes or para sails? Some people just like fun things and don’t have to give a reason to anyone for it.

      So go fuck yourself you fudd.

    • “What good are they?”

      Most of the people who buy something like this are probably looking to SBR it so they essentially end up with a semi-auto MP5, which is an excellent home defense gun. The Stribog clone shoots like a 3″ groups with the irons offhand at 100 yards.

      That roller delayed blowback on a 9mm platform is… well, use one and you’ll see the draw. There’s a reason HK did so well with the MP5 for decades and decades.

      As for the comparison to full auto… this costs less. A lot less. Rock Island Auctions has one coming up for sale expected to go for $7000-$11,000 just for the sear and trigger pack. Gunbroker sells pre-ban guns for $20,000+. Other places have them for $16,000-$40,000+.

    • Even single-shot MP5s have been heavily adopted among government forces. While modern SBRs are often a better choice, there are some things that make guns like this stand out. They have a smaller barrel length while getting more out of the caliber- in other words, better performance for less recoil. 9mm hollowpoints will expand excellently in an 8+ inch barrel. They are also useful when suppressing compared to trying to do it with a rifle round.

      Now, will a 8.5in suppressed .300AAC do better in general than the MP5 with an increase in ammo price? Yeah. But let’s be honest. These are for people who want an MP5. It’s a very effective close-quarters firearm, but there are better ones out there- or at least ones that cost less. But sometimes a gun is more than a sum of its parts.

      I have an M1 Garand. It’s inferior to more modern 7.62 rifles. But when I had a budget to buy a gun, I went with the M1. There’s just something special about it.

  14. Not the real deal. Doesnt even look like the original “Skinny Popper” or the MP5K. Kind of a mash up of the 2 and this has some mickey mouse polymer lower like the PTR’s. I remember turning down a real SP for $850 twenty or so years ago. Just didnt have the scratch and after shooting real rock n roll MP5K and SP89, the semi auto’s just didnt cut it for me. No thanks.

  15. I’ll wait til the PSA clone comes out and has time to iron out the bugs. $1100-1200? and none of that goes to Angela Merkel or to the Hague.

  16. The feb 2019 review says no threaded barrel and no tri-lug, while this post says threaded and tri-lug. Care to clear up the discrepancy?

  17. H&K has always been expensive. Does this weapon have a real use? Not for me. Now if they reintroduce the 91 and 93 they’ll have my attention.

    • I got my brother a really nice preban 93. Bran new magazines with it also which you probably know are pricey. My lawyer had to give it up and I was going to buy it but I let my brother buy it….which was a mistake. I should have to him to f— off and bought it myself. Oh well. The thing that sucks, I got it for a damn good price also. It was probably worth twice what I paid.

      • I read that several times, and I can’t tell if you bought the gun, or your brother bought it.
        On the one hand, you said “I got it for a damn good price”, and on the other hand you said “but I let my brother buy it.”
        Maybe you bought it and then sold it to your brother?
        But that can’t be it, because you said, ” I was going to buy it but I let my brother buy it.”
        I’m confused.

  18. Having shot the MP5K and the MP-5A4, I will admit they were loads of fun. Especially the K. I even own an H&K USP .45. But I’m not going to plunk down $2.5k or more for a 9mm heavy toy like that. I’m going to spend $700 and put together my own 9mm AR pistol that takes glock mags. I like H&K’s, but they simply have too much competition that not only does it cheaper, but many times lighter and better.

    • Shot a friends glock magged AR9 the other day and it was loads of fun. I can see one in my future along with shooting PCC matches. Makes shooting fun again.

    • Not sure how you can compare an AR9 to a roller lock gun. Having shot both, I’d go with the MP5 every day.

  19. Owned a registered sear MP5 S&H Arms conversion in the 80s. Ran like a sewing machine. Was hard on brass because of the fluted chamber though. Full auto is fun but gets boring and expensive. This new offering fitted with a pistol brace should be quite enjoyable and a tenth of the price of an H&K with extra detent on safety lever

  20. It seems like you are paying for the nostalgia and the look more then anything else. Don’t get me wrong, if i had a million dollars i would get one but why spend so much on a 9mm PCC when you could instead get a Scorpion or AK-V, throw a few mods on, and still end up at about half the cost as one of these (or build something for even less)? Even the more expensive 9mmPCC’s are still a thousand less then this.

  21. I has a hypothetical question. Can this typewriter be cheaply and easily be modified to send multiple letters with one touch of the shift key?

  22. Far too rich for my blood … all my Cabela’s card Club points wouldn’t buy half that thing!

    What I want is for Ruger to solve the problem of 50 round drums not working on their PC Carbine. I figure it is the lack of support, the drum has to hang down so far it cannot stay lined up, wobbles. Have thought of buying a drum mag and cutting down the vertical stack, reattach with J-B Weld. See if losing some rounds but shortening the stack allows the thing to hold alignment.

    Ruger really should have thought of this, that gun needs to take drum mags!

    C’mon Ruger! Make a big drum magazine for the PC Carbine already!!!

    • I agree.
      I have a pair of HK P7M13s in my collection, a NIB unfired safe queen (with 4 new mags) and a Nill Walnut Target Gripped shooter, topped with Trijicon Bright ‘n Tough tritium sights (with 4 used mags). The HK P7M13 is always in high demand on outings with my shooting group. It even gets used on some long gun range sessions. Seems my shooting friends can’t get enough of the P7.
      I would like to see the P7 line come back.

  25. $2800 for a blowback 9mm design from the 70s. This makes my day.

    Bet they wont be able to keep these in stock, which is even more entertaining than the first statement.

  26. Seems like they never wanted to bring it to market in the first place.
    -hear demand
    -acquiesce
    -charge $3k
    -sell 10
    -conclude demand isn’t there
    -cease production
    -fulfilled your own prophecy
    -justify belief that your customers are asshole
    -continue to hate them

  27. Were I richer, I probably would do it just for the nostalgia factor alone.

    But…. my scorpion fits the bill nicely for a lot less coin. And I’m not that rich. Maybe I will be after a successful takeover of Nakatomi Plaza….

    • There’s the double catch-22. You have to have the MP5’s to take over Nakatomi plaza, which you are taking over so you can buy an MP5, but there will be plenty of MP5’s laying on the ground after the fight for Nakatomi plaza…. What is one to do?

  29. Can it accept a tactical brace and a vertical foregrip?
    If so, and if it has a length of over 26″ inches
    Then it is not a
    – Rifle: because it is not designed to be shouldered
    – Pistol: because it is designed to be held with two hands
    – Shotgun: because it has rifling
    – Any Other Weapon: because it is longer than 26″

    In other words, its free from restrictions in states such as New York or New Jersey and is not an assault weapon.

    • Wait…… if it was a domestic build and didn’t need to be a pistol for import this might work here. Wouldn’t want to be the test case and now I need to reread the SAFE act but you may have just IDed a narrow field of not quite pistol caliber carbines that in theory wouldn’t need the mag lock for all the features.

  31. NOT in commie kalifornia! Cause the elite political despots that run this cesspool, say it’s too dangerous in the hands of the DEPLORABLE dirt bags. AKA LEGAL LAW-ABIDING AMERICAN CITIZENS.

  32. Folks that are spanking on the closest thing to an Mp5 saying it’s not relevant anymore are full of it.
    The Military & Police Units that shoot the Mp5 use it almost 100% in SEMI AUTO!

    Look at the Forgotten Weapons YT Video with Ken Hackathorn and he says right there that he trained in FA only because sometimes the trainees would get stressed and turn the selector to FA on accident and he wanted them to know how to shoot in the gun FA but he trained folks to do 3 shot bursts in SA.

    The fukcing gun is still relevant and especially with a can and subsonic ammo

    And my name’s not Vlad, although I have impaled a few shiitbags in my life.

  33. So, maybe someone is still looking at this thread because I need some advice. Having been German SOF (now living in the Home of the Brave), the MP5 was the best thing I ever shot in my life. By a long shot. Recoil, accuracy, feel. I hated the cleaning. And I always hated the G3 – the G36 is much better. I own a couple of LaRues and they are awesome, but they are rifles. I like the 300BLK. Anything better that the SP5?

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