| | | Airsoft mp5 | The Heckler and Koch mp5 (short for machine pistol 5)
was introduced in 1966 for use by the West German
border patrol. After the attack on Jewish athletes by
the Palestinian terrorist group Black September at the
1972 summer olympics at Munich, the GSG 9 (which is
the counter-terrorism unit of the German Federal
Police,) adopted the weapon as well. Due to it's small
size and accuracy and reliability, it has been a
favored weapon of military and law enforcement forces
for over thirty years. Heckler and Koch also make a
variant of the weapon for use by the United States
Navy.
Unfortunately, however, recent advances in body armor
have made the mp5 ineffective against a heavily
armored adversary. But it's not just the mp5 that
faces the danger of becoming obsolete. The submachine
gun, due to it's small caliber bullets has taken a
back seat to other weapons that are more effective
against body armor, such as the p90. Due to these
advancements in body armor, the future of the mp5, and
other sub machine guns are uncertain.
The design of the MP5, originally a submachine gun
made by Heckler and Koch, has been very popular with
airsoft enthusiasts. Perhaps the main reason for it's
popularity is the fact that civilians cannot own a
real one. Several airsoft manufacturers offer airsoft
guns that are based off the design of the mp5. Also,
the small size of the airsoft mp5 makes it an ideal
weapon for indoor play, where a larger sized airsoft
rifle might be cumbersome and limit movement, or break
if you hit it's long barrel against the wall during a
frenzied fire fight.
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