Short and to the Point

The characteristics that make the MP5 suitable for CQB also apply to
home defense. Modern roller lock 9mms, such as the 9CT from PTR, are
easily adaptable to meet shooters’ individual needs.

Introduced in 1966, HK’s iconic MP5 submachine gun first came into public view during the dramatic 1980 Prince’s Gate hostage rescue by the SAS. Shortly thereafter it became a SWAT staple and the star of every ’80s action flick, and the passage of time has diminished little of the MP5’s draw. As recently as a few years ago the Army was requesting bids for MP5 clones.

Due to the limited quantity available for civilian ownership, prices for transferable MP5’s continue towards the stratosphere, reaching now into the $30,000 range, but semi-auto versions from HK, PTR and Zenith are readily available in a much more accessible range of prices. Most of these roller locked 9mm’s come with the 8.85″ barrel found on the original and with either an end cap or an arm brace, making them pistols per the legal definition.

The very things that made the MP5 so good for CQB also make it usable in the close quarters found inside a home; it’s compact, has good ergonomics, and is chambered for a pistol caliber (9mm) that is not likely to penetrate walls in the same way that, say, 12-gauge buckshot or rifle calibers will. The other good news is that a thriving aftermarket makes it possible to modify the MP5 to make it even better suited for home defense.

For those unfamiliar with the platform, the MP5, like the roller locked .308 G3 battle rifle, after which it is patterned, is a modular design. The furniture is held in place by pushpins, similar to the captured pins that hold together the upper and lower receivers of the AR15. This makes it easy, not only to change the gun to a different configuration, but to swap back and forth between more than one setup. With this in mind, we’ll look at sights, lights and slings to set up the roller locked 9mm for home defense.

A trend PTR started with its .308 rifles. Most modern roller locks come
with an optics-ready rail welded in place. Since the post-and-drum sights
don’t co-witness as well as AR sights, a quickly removable throw lever mount is helpful.

Trijicon makes tritium night sights that replace the front post; they
also come with a thin ring filling the slot left by removal of the factory
sheet metal front sight post.

Replacing the front sight requires drifting out the roll pin that holds it in place,
for which you’ll need a roll pin punch. The rear sight is easily installed by removing
the windage locking screw, pushing in the rear sight and replacing the screw.

The rear tritium sight insert fits inside the protective wings of the rear
sight base and is held in place by the windage lock screw.

The rear windage screw that holds the tritium sight in place can interfere
with the ability to see through the sight aperture in the rear drum. A few
careful file strokes and some cold blue will solve the problem.

Sighting

You are responsible for every bullet you fire, and inside of a home there is nothing unimportant to hit. Accuracy is critical. Most modern roller lock guns come with a 1913/Picatinny rail already welded to the top of the receiver, so adding optics is every bit as easy as we’ve come to expect, and the choice is limited to what suits your fancy. Word of warning, though: Most optics do not co-witness as well with the factory sights as they do on an AR, which makes me like quickly removable throw lever mounts even more. Also, if the eye relief is so short it requires the ocular end of the scope to sit about even with the rear sight, you may have to use a riser of some sort to raise the scope above the well-buttressed drum rear sight.

For those who prefer iron sights or just want a solid backup system, several companies make tritium insert sights to replace the stock irons. While some MP5s came with a flip-up tritium front dot, which is a pretty cool setup, most of the time installing night sights requires drifting out the roll pin that holds the front sight post in place. Use a roll pin punch (I use a set from Brownells) or you will regret it, as it’s easy to damage the triple tree front sight base.

The tritium rear sight usually consists of a U-shaped insert that fits inside the rear “wings” of the sight and is held in place by the windage locking screw. I’ve used Trijicon tritium sights on a couple of roller lock rifles (a PTR32 in 7.62x39mm and a 16″ A3-style PTR91 .308), and found on the latter gun that the domed head of the windage screw interfered with my ability to see through the aperture of the rear sight drum. If you’re handy with a file, a few strokes and some cold blue will bring the top of the screw down enough to let you see the sights adequately.

PTR’s 9CT comes with an M-Lok forend for mounting accessories like a light,
laser or hand stop. Forends are available with rails or in KeyMod as well.

My personal preference is for SureFire’s forend weaponlight. With an
integrated light with either 500 or 1,000 lumens, the light and its tape
switch are integrated into the forend with no wires to snag or route.

Lighting Options

Any gun you expect to use in low light should be accompanied by a light — and preferably two. Weapon-mounted lights are far faster and allow better gun handling than even the best of the handheld light techniques but should not replace a handheld; you need both. While this may sound contradictory, a gun-mounted light is best once the shooting starts but shouldn’t be used to find your way around your darkened house or to identify things. To do otherwise involves pointing your gun promiscuously around the house that is dangerous and foolhardy.

PTR’s 9CT comes with an excellent M-Lok forend that will accept any compatible light mount, such as Crimson Trace’s CWL series tactical lights. I have the CT lights in 500- and 900-lumen versions installed on a DRD Aptus 5.56 rifle and a .308 roller locked with a KeyMod forend, and they are bright, adaptable, and have a great switching system.

I do, however, have to admit a preference for forend weaponlights from SureFire. Boasting either 500 or 1,000 lumens, the light and its tape switch are integrated into the forend with no wires to route or snag. The main drawback is price — it’s a bit on the spendy side. On mine the cocking knob scrubs on the left side of the forend when charging, a problem a little judicious sandpaper work would solve.

PTR’s 9CT comes with a sling loop on the receiver end cap, as well as a single-point bungee-type sling.

The staked-in pin in the front sight base usually has an integrated sling loop.
While it’s missing on this PTR 9CT, the pin can be drilled out and replaced with a loop.

Rather than drilling out and replacing the pin, a simpler way to add a sling loop
is to install one in place of the spring-loaded pushpin that usually holds the forearm
in place. Helpful for lefties, the loop pushpin can be installed from either side of the gun.

There’s an elegance to the original MP5 sling, which holds the gun close to the body.
It is still readily available as surplus. For the curious, the odd little clip on the side of
the magazine well is designed to hold the sling in place against the gun.

Handling Options

Most long guns — with the possible exception of pump shotguns — benefit from a sling that lets you free your hands from the gun without losing it. In the law enforcement or military world, this makes for an easy transition to a holstered sidearm, but most people will not be in full battle rattle when they go check out the strange noise downstairs. It’s more likely you’ll need a hand free to open doors, hold a flashlight, or use hands-on defensive tactics if appropriate. Not to mention pushing the gun forward against the pressure of a sling is a long-known technique to help stabilize short subguns.

PTR’s 9CT comes with a sling loop on the receiver end cap, as well as a single-point bungee-type sling. Unfortunately, it lacks the traditional sling loop usually found on the side of the front sight base, but this can be easily replicated by using a stock takedown pin with a sling loop in it, which can be installed on either side of the gun for lefties. While I’ve used modern single- and two-point sling designs from Magpul and others, there’s an elegance to the original MP5 sling. They hold the gun close into the body and are still readily available as surplus. For the curious, that odd little clip on the side of the magazine well is designed to hold the sling in place against the gun.

Most controls are available in an extended form, such as this extended
cocking knob, which needs a little clearance to mate well with the SureFire forearm.

Not quite unobtanium but close, HK’s spring-loaded dual mag clamps
are efficient but hard to find. This is a replica for GSG5 .22 magazines,
not suitable for 9mm mags.

The machined aluminum Mag Grip clamps the mags together using screw
pressure instead of spring tension like the original clamp, and they run about $30.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics are a matter of personal taste, but there are several options to choose from. Most roller locks come with the “Navy” plastic trigger housing with a fairly simple, straight pistol grip. It can be readily replaced by a finger groove version (the correct early MP5 style) or Magpul’s newly available polymer version. The steel housing so desirable on G3/Cetme style guns is a little anachronistic on the MP5 but can be modified to fit if that’s the look or feel you prefer.

Most controls are available in an extended form, from cocking knobs to selector levers, and fortunately most roller locks now come with the paddle-style magazine release that was verboten for so long on semi-auto roller locks. For those who don’t nerd out on these things like I do, there are some fairly strict rules about how paddle mag catches can be installed. Many of the DIY options for adding one can result in your gun being reclassified as a machinegun even with no other functional change to the gun. For that reason, if you want a paddle, it’s best to buy a gun that already has one or to have it added by a manufacturer with a BATFE-approved method of installation. Similarly, stocks are absolutely out of the question unless you have registered the gun as an SBR, which leaves most users with either an arm brace or end cap/sling to help steady the gun.

Most self-defense situations do not justify a high round count. That said, there are no guarantees, and as with shotguns and Redi-Mag-style accessories on rifles, there’s a lot to be said for having a reload on the gun itself rather than left in the nightstand where you can’t get to it. HK’s answer was an ingenious mag clamp that holds two magazines together. Not quite unobtanium, they’re still pretty rare and pricey. There are aluminum versions, however, that clamp the mags together using screw pressure instead of spring tension like the original clamp, and they run about $30.

Two words to the wise on using clamps: The first is to install the clamp where your hand would usually grasp the magazine during a reload, which reduces the risk you’ll pull the loaded mag out of the clamp, leaving the empty still in the gun. Second, orient the two magazines in the gun so the reload is on the far side of the gun from the hand you will use to operate the magazine release paddle, otherwise you may not be able to reach it with your thumb. For example, if you’re right-handed, insert the left mag into the gun, leaving the right one as the reload, on the far side of the gun from the left hand that will be reloading the gun.

While a Class III MP5 may be out of reach for most, a semi-auto version can make for a great home-defense option.

For more info: CrimsonTrace.com, Magpul.com, PRT-US.com, Surefire.com, Trijicon.com

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