Intro 

Some things will always come back into style. Bell bottoms, anti-carb diets, 70s Cameros, and certainly the preferred machine gun of John Mclane… the MP5. No matter how many newer and more modern PCC and SMG designs come out they never seem to scratch that cool itch achieved by the beautiful and Hollywood awesome of a German designed roller lock. One of the things that pops up every handful of years is a new American clone or an imported clone that people scramble to decide whether is worthy of putting hard earned cash into. Century Arms importing the MKE AP5 pistols in recent years may be the best of those options for a few reasons. 

History of MKE 

The first question is likely, “What is MKE and why do they matter?” MKE is a Turkish government firearms manufacturer that was created back in 1950. They have had a long history of working with the Germans making and importing firearms beginning as far back as the 1880s.  In the 1960s Turkey adopted the G3 roller locking 308 battle rifle which began their relationship with that design. Over the years they had HK bring in machining and tooling, design experts, manufacturing trainers, and every degree of HK support imaginable so that they can create the best possible licensed HK spec firearms. They have decades of experience making true to spec roller lock platforms ranging from the G3 to the HK53 the MP5 and even the ridiculous HK51. As an added goodie, all of those examples are supposedly going to be imported to the US soon with most already doing so.  

Impressions of the AP5-M 

When I bought my AP5-M I was looking for something to start my journey into gunsmithing on MP5 platforms. At the time, I got a jaw dropping deal to pick up a new one for under $800. I couldn’t say no. I was incredibly impressed with the quality and finish of the weapon. It screamed 1980s MP5 and that’s an important part about these MKE pistols. They are as close as you can get to the original MP5 designs. These are not modernized or vastly different from the old ones. Now, that has positives and negatives but means those positives and negatives are the same ones you would get from the original fame creating cool guy MP5s most are thinking about. The trigger is long and heavy, obviously, it was designed to be a military use trigger on a close quarters full auto submachine gun but that’s ok. Initial firing was the factory suggested break in of 500 rounds using 124gr FMJ and it performed flawlessly. With all of its 1980s design drawbacks, it still made no difference to how fun it was to shoot. All complaints will melt away with the first cocking handle slap and mag dump. 

Compatibility and Mods 

Many people have no control over themselves when it comes to customizing their firearms and that is one of the places that the AP5 shines. Due to MKE manufacturing them with HK tooling and staying within proper specifications they fit really well with all your MP5 parts. My K model clone has the Magpul SL handguard and ESK selector installed, and they had no problems going in. I upgraded the sights with the Metrolight MP5 tritium night sight set which was also a breeze. The pistol backplate was swapped for a 1913 mount backplate for MP5Ks and it was a tight fit but still had no issues. I even built a new trigger pack with a flat face trigger and all new internals with total success installing it into the trigger housing and engaging as it should. It has the best fitment compatibility of any HK clone I have used or worked on. 

Comparison to other MP5s 

When it comes to deciding whether this is the right one for you to buy, that decision matters most in terms of what the other options are. The most comparable competitor is the MAC-5 and MAC-5K that are also from Turkey but are made by one of MKE’s subcontractors then branded for Military Armament Corporation. These end up being under less quality control scrutiny and often a higher price due to the extra branding steps. This QC issue becomes very apparent when trying to install a trip for things like a Super Safety. You quickly find that the FA blocks are very inconsistent with their placement creating an infinity of problems. I personally don’t know why people choose them but to each their own. PTR is an American company that has made excellent roller lock weapons, but the parts compatibility is a problem. They do not have the same dimensions and specs as HK MP5s do. This also goes for the newer American made Zeniths. There may be some serious modifications and fitment needed to get parts and accessories changed. The final one to address is the big daddy HK SP5 itself. The real HK civilian sport model “MP5” but that’s also the issue. It is not an MP5, it is an SP5 and that has some relevant differences. You will mostly need to buy parts specifically made for the SP5 and that will have the proper HK price markups because we all know how much HK hates poors.  

Conclusion 

Who is this weapon for? If you are looking for peak old school MP5ness then this is for you without a doubt. I also would suggest that guys looking to break into the world of MP5s but don’t want to put a ton of money out on the first go start with the AP5s. They make excellent base platforms for a build project. The quality of the parts and receiver are very high, especially considering how far the prices drop every now and then for sales. I really cannot emphasize how good of a deal the AP5s are if you are willing to wait for a big drop in price. You will not be disappointed if you buy one and on the off chance you are, you will always be able to sell it for a profit if you just wait a few months after the sale is gone.