HK SP5
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.49 kg
- Introduced
- 2016
About
What it is, and why it matters
The HK SP5 is a semi-automatic, civilian-legal derivative of the Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun, chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum. Introduced in 2016, it retains the MP5's hallmark roller-delayed blowback action and tri-lug barrel, but fires only in semi-automatic from a closed bolt. Built to the same standards as the military MP5 on original Heckler & Koch tooling, the SP5 offers the legendary smoothness, low recoil, and accuracy of the MP5 platform to law enforcement and civilian shooters where select-fire variants are restricted. It feeds from steel 30-round curved magazines and accepts the broad range of MP5 furniture and accessories.
The SP5 finally brought a factory Heckler & Koch MP5 to the civilian market after decades in which collectors relied on clones and transferable pre-1986 machine guns. It is built on genuine MP5 tooling rather than as a licensed copy, making it the closest a private owner can get to the real submachine gun that defined hostage-rescue and counter-terror units worldwide.
The SP5 is mechanically a self-loading firearm but is the direct civilian counterpart of the MP5 submachine gun family and is catalogued accordingly. Sold without a shoulder stock in the U.S. as a pistol; the SP5K is the compact short-barrel version and the SP5L a long-barrel variant.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Submachine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- In production
- Produced
- 2016
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 225 mm
- Overall length
- 325 mm
- Height
- 210 mm
- Width
- 50 mm
- Sight radius
- 340 mm
- Weight, empty
- 2.49 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed 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
- 375 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 519 J
- Effective range
- 100 m
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.
Roller delayed blowback
Tri lug barrel
Fixed pistol grip
Paddle magazine release
Iron sights
No buttstock
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 | 2.49 kg | 3.18 kg | Lighter than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 200 9x19mm Parabellum submachine guns | 325 mm | 723 mm | Among the shortest tenth |
| 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% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the HK SP5
How much does the HK SP5 weigh?
The HK SP5 weighs 2.49 kg (5.49 lb) empty.
What caliber is the HK SP5?
The HK SP5 is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the HK SP5 hold?
The HK SP5 holds 30 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the HK SP5?
The HK SP5 is 325 mm (12.8 in) long overall, with a 225 mm (8.86 in) barrel.
Who makes the HK SP5?
The HK SP5 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by Tilo Möller.
When was the HK SP5 introduced?
The HK SP5 was introduced in 2016.
How does the HK SP5 operate?
The HK SP5 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.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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-sp5' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-sp5", "name": "HK SP5", "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": 2016, "barrel_length_mm": 225, "weight_empty_g": 2490, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}