Heckler & Koch has developed one of their most sought-after products for the U.S. commercial market. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
Heckler & Koch unveiled a commercial semi-automatic version of their iconic MP5K machine pistol at this year’s NRA Annual Meeting, the SP5K. They are also adding a new model VP9 pistol with a flat dark earth (FDE) frame and factory night sights.
Rumors of the impending SP5K announcement have been building for a few weeks making this gun a real show-stealer. Based on the globally-popular MP5, the SP5K uses the proven roller-delayed blowback operating system giving it all the look and feel of the professional-grade submachine gun. The SP5K is manufactured at Heckler & Koch’s Oberndorf factory in Germany.
“The SP5K is a unique and historic HK pistol that captures the essence of the legendary MP5K but as a semi-auto handgun,”said HK-USA vice president Michael Holley in the official announcement. “It’s equipped with a special ergonomic handguard that protects the shooter’s supporting hand and enables a stable and comfortable grip. A bungee cord sling is also included and makes shooting an SP5K easy. It’s a fun gun to shoot and goes a long way in recreating the experience of handling and firing a real MP5 subgun.”
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The SP5K is compact and tidy and makes the magazine look big by comparison. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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It weighs a hair over 4 pounds unloaded. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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The safety is ambidextrous. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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Standard capacity: 30+1 and 10-round mags are available where required by local law. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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To qualify as a pistol under U.S. law the handguard had to be redesigned without a forward pistol grip. It still features a handstop that doubles as a barrier support. The front face of the barrier device is scalloped to let shooters pivot the gun against a surface. The handguard extends past the muzzle and also serves as a blast mitigation device.
The SP5K comes with the same fixed rotary diopter sights Heckler & Koch is famous for but it also includes H&K’s flattop Picatinny rail mount suitable for red dots and other long eye relief scopes. Each SP5K will ship with two 30-round magazines or two 10-round mags for restricted markets in a custom-fitted, lockable reinforced carry case.
The single-point sling mounts directly to the endcap, the same as with the machine pistol MP5K. It also uses the same short, lugless 4.5-inch cold hammer-forged barrel. For people looking to build a full-size MP5 short-barreled rifle some of these parts will have to go, but we’re sure that the commercial aftermarket will address this fast.
The handguard has been updated to comply with federal gun laws. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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Even with the extended handguard the pistol is just 14 inches long. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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Like the full-auto MP5K, the SP5K is chambered for 9mm Luger. Each pistol comes with the rail and a custom carry case. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
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Here’s a look down the blast mitigation portion of the handguard. (Photo: S.H. Blannelberry)
These extras help take some of the heat off the sticker price, which is $2,699. That includes the accessories which are realistically worth over $500, but it’s still up there. Thankfully real-world prices are almost always less than MSRP, and let’s face it, a lot of die-hard H&K fans will be willing to spend more to get a real, not cloned, semi-auto MP5K.
The FDE models are priced in-line with the LE models and come with factory night sights. (Photo: Heckler & Koch)
H&K’s other new announcement at this year’s NRA show are two-tone VP9 pistols. These have H&K’s black hostile environment finish on the metal components on top of the flat dark earth frame for an attractive two-tone look.
Functionally the FDE version is identical to the popular and now well-established original VP9 introduced not that long ago. They have the same fully-ambidextrous controls and easy-to-customize ergonomics with the included set of 9 interchangeable grip inserts in small, medium and large. Like the all-black models, the FDE version is available in 9mm and .40 S&W.
Other cool features that set the VP series apart include a cocked striker indicator, loaded chamber indicator, front and rear slide serrations and rear cocking tabs to make racking the slide a cinch. The frame has a standard railed dust cover for lights and other pistol-mounted accessories.
The 9mm model comes standard with two 15-round magazines and the .40 comes with a pair of 12-rounders and 10-round mag packages will be offered as well. Instead of the basic luminescent 3-dot sights on the original VP9, the FDE pistols will ship with tritium night sights. Both have a suggested price of $819, which translates to real-world pricing in the $650 to $750 range.
For more information about these and other H&K products visit HK-USA.com: https://hk-usa.com/
Shop for H&K firearms on GunsAmerica.com: https://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=heckler%20%26%20koch