laststandonzombieisland

From 1918 until the end of the 20th century, the submachine gun had a special place in the armories of military and police forces around the world. Perhaps no better specimen of the species exists than the finely tuned German designed Heckler and Koch Maschinenpistole Number 5, better known by its initials, the MP5. With more than a half century of use around the world, it could in all honesty be the subgun that all others are compared to.

The submachine gun has proven itself one of the most influential types of guns born in the past hundred years. A compact pistol caliber weapon, these guns were the ‘in between’ bridge from a small handgun which could provide five to 15 shots out to 25 yards and a larger, often bolt action rifle that was accurate out to a thousand.

These submachine guns were ideal for non-front line troops such as vehicle drivers and radio operators that didn’t need to lug around a 10-pound rifle. The compact size of these guns and their brutal effectiveness at close range also made them a quick choice for paratroopers, tank crews, and special ops type characters that needed to squeeze into tight places.

In the early 1960s, the preeminent subguns were the British designed Sterling, the Israeli Uzi, and the Czech Sa vz. 23. These guns equipped the troops of dozens of nations. West Germany, recently formed from the ashes of the Allied occupied Third Reich, was stuck with WWII-era British Sten guns, and a few remaining MP40 style subguns. With the adoption of the new, HK designed G3 rifle by the West German Army in 1959, the company saw the writing on the wall for a new subgun.

The MP5…
Read the rest in my column at GUNS.com

(GIGN doesnt like much small talk…)