The 7 Best MP5 Clones in 2025 (Our Picks)

The MP5 wears the crown of the most iconic submachine gun of all time.

It was a tough fight between the MP5 and the Thompson, but the MP5 has more cultural cache. Part of the deciding factor was the appeal.

How many companies produce MP5 clones versus how many companies produce Thomspon clones?

A quick look shows the MP5 wins hands down. 

Heckler and Koch built their company on the roller delayed design. It was their brand and butter for decades. Of their various roller-delayed designs, the MP5 is the most famous. The MP5 became the submachine gun of choice for militaries, police forces, counter-terrorism units, and special operations forces due to its fantastic design. 

This was an era of blowback-operated open-bolt submachine guns. The MP5 gave us a roller-delayed, closed-bolt submachine gun. It was lighter, smaller, and had less recoil than the competition. It proved to be accurate, reliable, and a capable option for discerning shooters. 

The weapon not only armed elite soldiers and cops but also armed some of our favorite action stars.

It became a famed gun due to its use in pop culture, from Die Hard to Rainbow Six, the MP5 was everywhere and continues to be popular in movies, TV, and beyond. 

What’s an MP5 Clone

The Hughes Amendment and various NFA import laws keep us from being able to own a real MP5. Even if we could, HK probably wouldn’t sell us one. We have to settle for clones. Clones are copies of the MP5. They typically come as large-format pistols, but rifle variants with 16-inch barrels exist. They lack the select fire function, and the pistols can’t have stocks. 

The MP5 has been around since 1966. Any patents HK has are long gone. This opened up a market for clones. Anyone can produce an MP5, and quite a few people do. For years, HK ignored the semi-auto HK market, and that allowed companies to sweep in and create a market for clones. 

People love the MP5. They love the MP5 and PCCs, and large-format pistols have increased in popularity. The NFA has become more accessible, and MP5s are popular SBR platforms and suppressor hosts. The design works, it is reliable, and admittedly, it is just fun to shoot. With that in mind, we’ve gathered seven of the best MP5 clones on the market.

Best MP5 Clone

Editor’s Choice HK SP5		Authentic HK Available in Full Size and K Model Drum Sights	Check It Out
PTR 9C		Optics Ready M-LOK Forend Tri Lug Muzzle Device	Check It Out
Dakota Tactical D54/10		10mm Optics Ready Straight Mag	Check It Out
Century Arms AP5 SD		Mock Suppressor Pictogram Lower Omes With Brace	Check It Out
Zenith ZF-5		Included Claw Optics Rail Cold Hammer Forged Barrel Comes With Tons of Accessories	Check It Out
MAC-5		Trilug With Flash Suppressor Foam Cut Carry Case Affordable	Check It Out
Hitec Arms HP5SD		Integrally Suppressed  Optics Ready Optional  Cold Hammer Forged Barrel	Check It Out

Reviews of the Best MP5 Clones

You might claim an HK clone doesn’t count, but I disagree. The HK SP5 is a semi-auto clone of the MP5. Kinda like how the AR-180 isn’t an AR-18. The SP5 comes with that authentic HK detail, primarily the HK markings and absurd price point for a gun that’s old enough to collect social security. HK has had an on-again, off-again relationship with producing MP5 clones, and we are currently in an on-again phase. 

If Die Hard is your favorite Christmas movie and you despise the rise of the short carbine for replacing your beloved submachine gun, then the HK SP5 is for you. If you can, grab one that’s been imported by B&T. They lack a lot of the silly “read manual reading before firing” markings on the gun and are a bit more authentic. 

The SP5 serious has come as both the MP5K style gun and the standard MP5. It looks, feels, and even smells like a real MP5. No concerns about mismatching finishes, Turkish construction, or receiving a less-than-stellar magazine. HK’s proud of their old tech, but they’ve perfected it. The HK MP5 comes with all the MP5 features one could want. 

The rotating drum sight, the awkward ergonomics, the polymer furniture, and the tril-lug adapter. Users can attach a brace or take the SBR route and add a stock to the gun. There is no accessory fear since it’s an HK-made MP5 clone built to the proper spec to accept authentic accessories. 

The downside is the price point. It’s not cheap. If you want a bit more of a modern MP5, this isn’t the route to go either. It’s a pain to add optics, but Magpul makes a great handguard. It’s an SP5, what do you expect?

HK SP5 Pros and Cons

PTR made its name with its fabulous G3 clones. The company understands the ancient art of the roller-delayed gun, so downsizing a .308 G3 into a 9mm MP5 must not have been too much of a challenge. A few years ago, PTR began producing MP5 clones, the current production model of which is the PTR 9CT. The 9CT isn’t afraid to break from tradition and embrace the modern world. 

The PTR 9CT comes from the factory with an M-LOK handguard and an optic rail. No claw mounts or fittings are needed. Attaching optics, accessories, and similar accessories is quite easy. I’m an accessory guy, and the ability to accessorize. We do get the classic tri-lug mount for suppressors, so not everything has jumped into the future. 

The PTR 9CT runs like a clock and has a good reputation amongst MP5 fellas. The gun doesn’t stray from the MP5 internally, and with PTR’s experience, it’s no surprise the gun works well. While the PTR 9CT features a lot of modern flare, it keeps the accuracy, reliability, and soft shooting nature of the MP5 in place. Heck, it’s even auto-sear-ready if you happen to be that lucky. 

The downsides, well, the trigger is quite heavy for an MP5. It hovers between nine and ten pounds, which is hefty for an MP5 clone. Price-wise, it’s competitive, especially for an American-made MP5. It even comes with a sweet hard case, sling, and two magazines.

PTR 9CT Pros and Cons

We know the MP5 as a 9mm submachine gun. That’s what it is and always has been, right? Well, not quite. The MP5 has been rechambered in several different calibers. This includes 10mm and .40 S&W. If you want to get out of the 9mm MP5 world and into the .40 S&W or 10mm variants, then Dakota Tactical has you covered. With that said, they can also get you into a fine 9mm MP5. 

Dakota Tactical’s MP5 clones offer you two things. First, options. We get 10mm and .40 S&W as an option, and as far as I know, Dakota Tactical is the only company producing mP5s in other calibers. The 10mm model, in particular, excites me. I love 10mm, and from an MP5’s 8.9-inch barrel, it’s flying fast. 

Dakota Tactical also produces NFA MP5s. Short-barreled rifles with authentic stocks and grips are an option. This includes an MP5 model with the iconic vertical grip. They also have an SD model, meaning it’s integrally suppressed and sweet as a kitten to shoot. Dakota Tacticla even adds M-LOK handguards and optics mounts. 

The second thing they offer you is incredible workmanship. Dakota Tactical is a small company, but they are masters at what they do. They develop some of the best MP5 clones ever. That brings me to their downside. Availability is somewhat spotty, and the price is always high. They are for the hardcore roller delayed enthusiast.

Dakota Tactical D54/10 Pros and Cons

I love the look of the MP5 SD. I don’t love the price of the SD, and the rarity also makes it tough. With that in mind, Century Arms has created a mock MP5 SD, and I think it’s a neat take on the concept. The Century Arms AP5 SD isn’t actually an SD model it just looks like one. There is no suppressor, but just a shroud that gives the MP5 SD look without the complication, price, and tax stamp of a real suppressor.

The AP5 SD isn’t for everyone, but if you want a vibes gun, the AP5 SD is just that. The MP5 is already a vibes gun in 2025, so adding a fake gun just pushes the vibes in a different direction. The AP5 SD is a pretty plain Jane MP5 clone. One thing that sticks out is the lower pictogram. 

You know, the drawing of red bullets to signify the mode. It shows a pictogram of a safe and semi, but also burst and full auto, even though those aren’t real on this gun. If you’re cloning a gun, you might as well go ham and clone the iconic markings.  

The Century Arms AP5 guns are Turkish-made MP5s. They are made by MKE, who used to import guns for Zenith. They are nice for Turkish firearms. I won’t say their finish is fantastic, but their performance and price are solid. They are a few hundred bucks cheaper than most of the competition. 

The AP5 SD comes with a nice little accessory kit. You get an attachable optics rail, two magazines, and a cleaning kit. There is an option for the Magpul brace model. Obviously, the biggest downside is that it’s not a real suppressor, but you don’t have to deal with the ammo-picky MP5 SD problems.

Century Arms AP5 SD Pros and Cons

Zenith has made waves in the roller delayed world. It’s impressive since they developed from essentially being an import of MKE MP5s from Turkey. They now produce roller-delayed MP5s and even a roller-delayed 5.56 rifle that works with an AR lower. However, we are talking about MP5s and the Zenith ZF-5 is their flavor of MP5 clone. 

The Zenith ZF-5 doesn’t trend far from the standard German MP5. It’s got the same layout as the OG MP5. It’s a full-sized model with the basic polymer furniture and a little cap where the stock should be. It can accept any of the standard MP5 stocks or braces. If you use a stock, your gun is subject to the NFA. 

The Zenith ZF-5 handles like a standard MP5, and that means I got soft recoil, decent accuracy, and the same 1960s ergonomics the gun can’t escape. Sadly, there is no pictogram, and it’s the two-position style safety. The ZF-5 works like a champ and chews through a lot of ammo without any complaints. 

It’s clearly a well-made MP5. It’s tight and isn’t a rattle can. The finish is nice, and the polymer feels quality. I don’t want to make fun of their old guns, but the ZF-5 feels so much nicer, and it seems like they’ve had consistent quality control with their guns. 

To top it off, it comes with three magazines, a rail attachment, a sling, and a nice little hard case. The ZF-5 isn’t the cheapest gun, and the move to American manufacturing upped the price, but the quality has clearly improved, and they cost less than the guns from Dakota Tactical and HK.

Zenith ZF-5 Pros and Cons

Military Armament Corporation is back. Kind of. Someone bought the name and has been importing a variety of guns from Turkey. These are mainly shotguns, which have been surprisingly nice for Turkish shotguns. Alongside those Turk-built shotguns, we’ve gotten MP5s. MP5s that are fairly affordable. 

The MAC MP5 clones are called the MAC-5s, and they retail for less than a grand. That’s the only MP5 with actual roller-delayed goodness that costs less than a grand that I know of. Does that mean we are getting a crappy MP5? In my experience, no. I’ve handled and shot a few MAC-5 models and have yet to see any problems with one. 

A close friend runs one suppressed, and it works quite well. The MAC-5 models come in a few different configurations. None are MP5 authentic. The handguard is different; the pistol grip has little finger groovers, and there are just little things that make it distinct. It’s not bad, but if Die Hard is your favorite movie, this might not satisfy you. 

The MAAC-5 comes in both the standard MP5 and the more compact K-type model. They are compatible with standard MP5 accessories, like claw rail mounts for optics, stocks, and braces.

The MAC-5 guns come with three magazines, a hard case, a sling, and a flash hider that covers the tri-lug muzzle device. It’s a decent package, especially at the price point. I’d almost be happy to ditch the case for a cardboard box if they could nuke a hundred bucks from the price.

MAC MP5 Pros and Cons

If you really want an MP5SD, there is a cure for your Angst. A company called Hitec Arms has your back. The HP5SD delivers an authentic MP5SD with all the benefits and problems of the design. Admittedly, the problems are small, and for most MP5 enthusiasts, being able to have an MP5SD has been a real dream. Hitec Arms is a smaller company made up of craftsmen who clearly love the MP5 platform. 

The HP5SD comes in a few flavors. Some are made entirely by Hitec Arms, but other times, I’ve seen them convert other MP5 clones to an SD format. We are looking at the HP5SD built entirely from Hitec Arms for today’s purposes. The HP5SD uses an integrally suppressed design that’s capable of reducing supersonic ammo to subsonic velocities. 

This does reduce velocity but makes any 9mm round subsonic, which guarantees the lowest sound signature possible with a 9mm gun. This does mean you should never use subsonic ammo in the HP5SD. It won’t work, and it’s not needed. 

The HP5SD comes in a few flavors. We have the classic model with the SEF trigger design, but the F isn’t functional. It’s the classic model we all love from Tom Clancy games. The other is the more modern variant with an M-LOK handguard and rail for an optic. There is also an SBR option too. 

Overall, HP5SD is the best way to get an MP5SD. Sadly, the way to get an MP5SD requires a tax stamp and the appropriate wait time. Plus, it’s expensive. Like used car expensive. That’s the real downside. However, if you already have an MP5 clone Hitec Arms will do a conversion to an SD design. 

Hitec Arms HP5SD Pros and Cons

The MP5 – A Legend 

The MP5 remains a favorite. Its use by elite forces, its presence in pop culture, and its overall high-performing nature make it an outstanding firearm. MP5 clones are fun but also capable firearms for home defense. The MP5 hasn’t lost its luster even after more than six decades of performance. What’s your favorite MP5 clone? Let us know below.