A list of iconic 20th-century gun designs would be a crowded one, as that 100-year period saw rapid advancement and innovation in firearms technology. There is no debate, however, that Heckler & Koch’s MP5 has a place on that list. Though its big brother, the G3 infantry rifle, is more prolific, with more than 8 million produced, it was the 9 mm-chambered MP5 submachine gun that captured our imaginations, from movies to video games to news photos of elite military and law-enforcement units employing the MP5 around the world.
Part of that appeal was its exclusivity. For decades, semi-automatic, roller-delayed blowback firearms were rarities on the U.S. civilian market; they were only imported for a few years before being banned, leading to exorbitant prices for the few in circulation. The demand was there and the market answered it, initially with U.S.-made firearms assembled out of parts kits, and later with licensed-built models imported from Pakistan and Turkey.
SDS Arms, under its Military Armament Corporation (MAC) brand, imports Turkish-made roller-delayed handguns of the MP5 pattern. The Turkish firearms industry is on a bit of a roll in the American market these days, but the roller-delayed products predate the trend. Beginning in the 1960s, Turkish companies began to build licensed versions of the G3 rifle, followed by the HK33 and the MP5, for the Turkish military. Adapted into semi-automatic form for the U.S. civilian market, Turkish-made roller-delayed firearms have become the best value in that category.
A flash hider covers both the threaded muzzle and the traditional three-lug mount just ahead of the handstop • With the flash hider removed, the threaded barrel is exposed for direct-thread attachments, and a thread protector is included to cover the muzzle • Controls are standard MP5-design, with Safe and Fire designations as well as a decorative-only “Full-Auto” stop • For those desiring the “HK slap,” the charging handle rests in an upturned slot • Sights include a protected front post and an elevation-adjustable rear drum • Takedown follows standard MP5 procedures, although full removal of the trigger group/bolt is not needed for field stripping.
The MAC-5 is made by Mertsav, a company that has been a subcontractor for Turkish manufacturer MKE since 2006. It is a faithful, semi-automatic-only, large-format-pistol copy of the classic MP5 of the 1970s and ’80s, down to its lacquer paint over magnesium-phosphate finish. The polymer trigger housing is of the “SEF”-type, with its contoured finger grooves, left-side-only metal selector lever and markings that indicate “Sicher” (safe), “Einzelfeuer” (semi-automatic) and “Feuerstoß” (full-automatic) in the MP5’s native tongue. With the MAC-5, the “F” marking is obviously for decorative purposes only. As it is a handgun, the MAC-5 is imported into the U.S. as a complete firearm as it left the Mertsav factory.
The model we tested was the MAC-5K, a pistol version of the MP5K, itself a compact, stockless variant of the full-size MP5. The 5K’s shorter barrel is also complemented by a shortened receiver and bolt carrier. While original MP5Ks had a barrel where the muzzle sat flush with the front-sight tower, the MAC-5K follows the “PDW” form of the MP5K, with an extended 5.75-inch barrel that has both a three-lug mount and its muzzle threaded ½x28 tpi. Unlike the original, the MAC-5K’s barrel is button-rifled and chrome-lined. Because it is a handgun, the MP5K’s handguard with built-in vertical grip has been replaced by a slim-line handguard with a hand stop to protect the digits of the support hand from drifting too close to the muzzle.
On the range, the MAC-5K proved 100-percent reliable, as expected for a well-built version of this proven design. I checked the pistol’s bolt gap before firing it, and it measured within Heckler & Koch tolerances.
As the original MP5 was a closed-bolt design, the manual of arms of the semi-auto MAC-5 is identical. To load, with the safety engaged, grasp the left-side forward-mounted cocking handle and pull the bolt to the rear, securing the handle in the notch in the cocking tube. Next, insert a loaded magazine and give a satisfying slap to the cocking handle to send the bolt into battery with the proper force. The pistol is now ready to be fired.
Trigger pull is the typical two-stage MP5 feel with a vague take-up and lack of a positive reset, but it is easy to manage with the pistol’s size and a two-handed hold. Once the magazine is expended, lock the bolt to the rear and operate the paddle-type magazine release (a right-side release button is also present) while grasping the magazine to remove it.
The rear sight is an adjustable drum with open notches that suit a handgun eye relief, combined with a front post protected by a hood. No optics mount is provided, but the MAC-5K’s receiver has the lugs that allow aftermarket mounts to be utilized. I did my accuracy testing with the supplied iron sights. As a large-format pistol, the MAC shot well off a rest. Its weight combined with the smooth-shooting characteristics of a roller-delayed blowback action made for pleasant shooting.
Off-hand, the long sight radius of the iron sights, combined with using the supplied sling, made for accurate shooting out past 50 yards. Just like the original, the MAC-5K has a receiver end cap with a sling swivel. While it is compatible with many pistol braces currently on the market, the setup works very well as originally intended, by attaching a sling to the swivel and pushing out against its tension to steady the pistol.
SDS Arms’ MAC-5K comes in a hard carrying case that includes a spare magazine, sling, cleaning kit and three-lug flash hider. It performed well in testing and, with a retail price of $1,100, represents one of the most affordable ways to get your hands on a quality copy of this classic design.
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