Heckler & Koch MP series

The MP series is a "personal defence weapon" (PDW) made by Heckler & Koch in Germany. It is one of the most popular submachine guns in the world. It is used by many different militaries and counter-terrorism and police groups.

The Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun

The latest version: MP7A1, fitted with a suppressor (less noise), extended magazine (more rounds), and a reflex sight (better aiming)

MP5

The main version of the MP5, the MP5A2, uses 9mm pistol ammunition and shoots 800 rounds per minute, which is about thirteen rounds per second. The normal magazine size (how many bullets it holds at once) is 30 or 15 rounds.

There are many other versions of the gun, some which use different caliber bullets, are shorter, or have other differences. One important type of MP5 is the MP5SD series, which are MP5s with built in suppressors ('silencers'). The MP5SDs are quieter than most guns and can be used for stealth. The MP5 is used by many special forces groups around the world, including the United States Navy SEALs and British SAS.

Since it is used by many heroes in pop culture, it is sometimes called the "good guy gun."

Main versions

• MP5
• MP5K (K=kurz: German for short)
• MP5SD (SD=Schalldämpfer: German for suppressor)

MP7

The MP7 is the updated MP5. It was designed with a new cartridge with higher muzzle velocity to meet NATO requirements published in 1989. A modern PDW needs greater ability to defeat body armour, because former weapons used only conventional pistol cartridges. The MP7 went into production in 2001. It is a direct rival to the Belgian FN P90, also developed in response to NATO's requirement. The MP7 has been revised since its introduction and the current production version is the MP7A1.