Heckler & Koch MP5A5
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.54 kg
- Introduced
- 1980
About
What it is, and why it matters
The MP5A5 is the four-position-trigger-group, telescoping-stock variant of the iconic MP5 submachine gun, combining the collapsible stock of the A3 with a fire selector offering Safe / Semi / 3-Round Burst / Full-Auto. Built around H&K's signature roller-delayed blowback closed-bolt action, it remains one of the most accurate and controllable 9mm submachine guns ever produced and is the configuration most commonly chosen by tier-one military and law enforcement units.
The 'Navy' designation for the burst trigger group dates to a 1980s US Navy SEAL contract that demanded pictographic icons in place of European lettering so soldiers could change selector positions in zero light by feel. The MP5 became the global symbol of 1980s-90s special operations after British SAS troopers stormed Iran's London embassy on live television in 1980.
Distinguished from the MP5A4 by its retractable steel stock; from the MP5A3 by its 'Navy' burst trigger group with the icons replacing the European S/E/F lettering.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 1980
- Variant of
- Collapsible stock burst
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Overall length
- 680 mm
- Height
- 230 mm
- Width
- 64 mm
- Sight radius
- 340 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.54 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 30
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 400 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 600 J
- Effective range
- 200 m
- Maximum range
- 1800 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.
Collapsible telescoping stock
4 position burst trigger group
Diopter sights
Closed bolt operation
Cold hammer forged barrel
Straight pistol grip
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 | 2.54 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| 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 Heckler & Koch MP5A5
How much does the Heckler & Koch MP5A5 weigh?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 weighs 2.54 kg (5.60 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Heckler & Koch MP5A5?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Heckler & Koch MP5A5 hold?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Heckler & Koch MP5A5?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 is 680 mm (26.8 in) long overall, with a 225 mm (8.86 in) barrel.
Who makes the Heckler & Koch MP5A5?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by Tilo Moller.
When was the Heckler & Koch MP5A5 introduced?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 was introduced in 1980.
How does the Heckler & Koch MP5A5 operate?
The Heckler & Koch MP5A5 uses a roller delayed 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
- United States Navy SEALs
- United States
- British Special Air Service
- United Kingdom
- Bundespolizei GSG 9
- 1973
- GIGN
- France
- FBI Hostage Rescue Team
- United States
- Royal Hong Kong Police
- Hong Kong
Provenance
Confidence in this record
85%
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-mp5a5' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-mp5a5", "name": "Heckler & Koch MP5A5", "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": 1980, "barrel_length_mm": 225, "weight_empty_g": 2540, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}