HK MP5A2
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Introduced
- 1966
About
What it is, and why it matters
The HK MP5A2 is a fixed-stock, selective-fire variant of the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. It uses the company's roller-delayed blowback action with a closed-bolt, hammer-fired mechanism that gives the MP5 its hallmark accuracy and controllability. The A2 features a rigid plastic buttstock and offers single-fire and full-automatic fire modes at a cyclic rate of around 800 rounds per minute. Introduced in 1966, the MP5 became one of the most widely adopted submachine guns in the world, serving with military, police, and special-operations units across more than 40 countries.
Developed in the mid-1960s from the G3 battle rifle's roller-delayed action scaled down to a pistol cartridge, the MP5 gained worldwide fame after Britain's SAS used it during the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege, broadcast live on television.
The A2 designation denotes the fixed (non-retracting) polymer stock; the otherwise identical MP5A3 substitutes a sliding metal retractable stock. The base MP5A1 omits a buttstock entirely.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1966
- Variant of
- Fixed stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Overall length
- 680 mm
- Height
- 260 mm
- Width
- 50 mm
- Sight radius
- 340 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.60 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 3.00 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 400 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 596 J
- Effective range
- 200 m
- Maximum range
- 1000 m
- Rate of fire
- 800 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Fixed stock
Roller delayed blowback
Cold hammer forged barrel
Drum rear sight
Free floating barrel
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 201 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 2.60 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 70% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 680 mm | 723 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 202 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 225 mm | 213 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 204 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 30 | 32 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the HK MP5A2
How much does the HK MP5A2 weigh?
The HK MP5A2 weighs 2.60 kg (5.73 lb) empty and 3.00 kg (6.61 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the HK MP5A2?
The HK MP5A2 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the HK MP5A2 hold?
The HK MP5A2 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the HK MP5A2?
The HK MP5A2 is 680 mm (26.8 in) long overall, with a 225 mm (8.86 in) barrel.
Who makes the HK MP5A2?
The HK MP5A2 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by Tilo Moller, Manfred Guhring, Georg Seidl, Helmut Baureuter.
When was the HK MP5A2 introduced?
The HK MP5A2 was introduced in 1966.
How does the HK MP5A2 operate?
The HK MP5A2 uses a blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- German Federal Police (GSG 9)
- 1973
- British Army (SAS)
- United Kingdom
- United States Navy SEALs
- United States
Provenance
Confidence in this record
86%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/hk-mp5a2' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-mp5a2", "name": "HK MP5A2", "manufacturer": { "id": "heckler-koch", "name": "Heckler & Koch", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1949, "website": "https://www.heckler-koch.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "ae60994f5b45d604da21fcd14b728cfa9d2e62000c92e596de4c48c4be768979" }, "category": { "id": "submachine-gun", "name": "Submachine Gun", "description": "Automatic firearms chambered in pistol calibers" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1966, "barrel_length_mm": 225, "weight_empty_g": 2600, "action_type": "blowback"}