7 Best MP5 Clones for Any Budget

There’s nothing quite like the buzz you get from burning through a 30-round stick of 9mm with an authentic MP5 on full auto, especially if you get to run that thing suppressed.

Sadly, while we love a classic MP5 here at Guns.com, most of us can’t afford to add such a luxury submachine gun to our collection just for kicks. However, there are a lot of semi-auto clones out there that hit just about every price point and shooting interest.

Here’s a short list of some of the best options for any wallet.

Your MP5 Clone Cheat Sheet:

Bang for Your Buck: Century Arms AP5/AP5-M
The Real McCoy: HK SP5/SP5K
Most Affordable .22 Plinker: GSG-16
Preferred .22 Plinker: HK MP5 .22 LR
Cheapest 9mm Option: MAC-5
Best Upgrade Under $2K: Zenith ZF-5
Premium USA-Made Pick: PTR 9C

Bang for Your Buck: Century Arms AP5/AP5-M

Century Arms has a history of bringing classic guns to the American people at budget-friendly prices. Although all MP5 clones tend to run on the more expensive side, Century Arms’ AP5 and chopped-down AP5-M offer a proven bang-for-your-buck option.

Made in Turkey by the reputable MKE factory and imported into the states by Century, these MP5 clones encompass nearly all the features of the popular HK MP5s, minus the brand recognition and associated cost … or full-auto fire.

The fit and finish are good, with solid welds, and the roller-delayed/locked operating system has proven to be reliable in our hands-on testing. I’m personally partial to the smaller AP5-M because it’s wieldier in a pistol format than the larger AP5. Plus, it gives me some real “Resident Evil” vibes.

Century’s AP5 line now offers models equipped with a Picatinny rail, though I had no issue chewing out the heart of a target at 25 yards with the iron sights on the small AP5-M.

The Real McCoy: HK SP5/SP5K

Heckler & Koch’s classic MP5 is perhaps best represented in clone form by the company that created the real McCoy in the first place. The SP5 and shortened SP5K are, for all intents and purposes, as true as you can get to a real MP5 clone without paying Uncle Sam his NFA tax stamp for a transferable full-auto MP5.

Brand recognition and HK’s dedication to quality come at a premium that generally runs between $2,000 and $4,000, depending on the model. Then again, there’s something to be said about owning – dare I say investing – in an HK-quality gun that’s sure to keep its value over time.

The SP5 line is manufactured at Heckler & Koch's Oberndorf factory in southwest Germany. It’s worth noting that HK is very aware of the many MP5 copycats, and it’s completely unfazed by the competition.

As Heckler & Koch argues in its SP5 marketing, “The Heckler & Koch MP5 is arguably the most imitated pistol-caliber carbine in the world. But even a pretty good copy is still just a copy. The truth is, you can only get a real HK from HK.”

Most Affordable .22 Plinker: GSG-16

For plinkers who are dying to scratch that MP5 itch on a shoestring budget, I give you the GSG-16. No, this gun isn’t coming from Germany’s elite anti-terrorism GSG 9 police unit. Rather, it’s a sub-$400 MP5 look-alike chambered for .22 LR.

Brought to you by the overseas budget gun maker German Sports Guns, the GSG-16 hit the market in 2019. It replaced the legacy GSG-522, which was discontinued in 2016. That gun replaced the even older GSG-5 that dates to 2007. I say all that to point out that the people’s demand for affordable MP5-style plinkers from the German Sports Guns company is persistent.

There’s a good reason for all that. Brought into the U.S. under the American Tactical Imports (ATI) banner, the GSG-16 has the look and general feel of an MP5 at a tiny fraction of the cost. These popular budget guns are pitched as tactical plinkers and often sport a healthy amount of Picatinny rail along with collapsible stocks.

The guns make generous use of polymer to keep costs and weight to a minimum. Before you turn your nose up at this affordable option, you should also know GSG designed it so you can manually lock the bolt back. That means you can still enjoy that classy “HK slap” to send the bolt home before shooting.

Preferred .22 Plinker: HK MP5 .22 LR

If you’re looking for both quality and high-volume shooting on a dime, it’s hard to beat the well-priced HK MP5 .22 LR. For just a bit more than you’ll pay for the affordable GSG-16, you can have a genuine HK MP5 chambered for the plinker-friendly .22 LR.

Made in collaboration with Umarex Sportwaffen, best known these days for its line of potent air rifles and .177 CO2-powered BB guns, the HK MP5 .22 LR comes in two flavors. My favorite is the carbine variant that comes complete with a collapsible stock and mock suppressor that hides a 16.1-inch barrel.

For those seeking a more compact option, there’s also a pistol variant without the collapsing stock that sports an 8.5-inch barrel. These blowback MP5 plinkers hit the scene in 2021. HK markets the guns as budget sub-caliber MP5 trainers and, frankly, range-time swag.

If you “just want the coolest .22 LR fun gun on the range,” HK says its MP5 .22 LR has about as much sex appeal as you can pack into a rimfire. The guns are still made in Germany on behalf of HK by Umarex.

They come with all the attention to detail you’d expect from a German gun manufacturer. That includes the HK markings you can’t get on cheaper clones like the GSG-16.

Cheapest 9mm Option: MAC-5

New for 2024, Military Armaments Corporation kicked off its MAC-5 line of MP5 clones chambered for 9mm. True to the classic MP5 design, the MAC-5 is a 9mm roller-locked gun compatible with most aftermarket MP5 products.

MAC-5s can be had in a 17.9-inch pistol variant with an 8.9-inch barrel or as the shorter MAC-5K that sports a 5.8-inch barrel for a total length of just 13.7 inches. The Military Armaments Corps launched the MAC-5 as an appeal to the budget-minded consumer. These are generally the cheapest roller-locked 9mm MP5 clones on the market right now.

The guns come with tri-lug flash hiders that you can quickly pop off and replace with your favorite suppressor. MAC also offers its own line of MAC-5/MP5 accessories that include M-LOK handguards, top Picatinny rails, collapsing/folding stocks, and stabilizing braces.

With an MSRP set at just $1,099, the MAC-5 is your new baseline budget MP5 clone. You can expect to shell out at least a few more bills for the other 9mm clones on this list.

Best Upgrade Under $2K: Zenith ZF-5

Zenith Firearms offers a nice variety of MP5 clones in its USA-made ZF-5 line. Zenith has long offered Turkish-made MP5 clones in the form of guns like the Z-5P. Those older imports may have hailed from Turkey’s well-respected MKE arsenal, but the guns themselves were made on legit original tooling, dies, machinery, and schematics from HK.

The newer ZF-5s hit the market in 2021 and offer various color schemes and models to fit just about any taste. There’s even an upscaled ZF-56 chambered for 5.56 NATO. Zenith’s clones come at a bit of a premium when compared to the budget MAC-5, but they’re still well under the cost of an HK-made SP5 and many other American-made MP5 options.

Zenith’s ZF-5s and other MP5-style clones have a solid following in the U.S. With the ZF-5, Zenith set out to make an affordable, American-made MP5 variant that also took advantage of modern manufacturing techniques for precise tolerances, improved coatings, and cold hammer-forged barrels.

Premium USA-Made Pick: PTR 9C

PTR Industries makes what has been one of my favorite MP5 clones to test so far. The PTR 9C, along with a larger rifle and pistol family of roller-locked PTR guns, has a higher price tag that comes with plenty of refined upgrades.

These American-made MP5 clones come in a spectrum of variations, but I’m partial to the models boasting integral top Picatinny rails for optics and aluminum M-LOK handguards. As far as MP5 triggers go, these are also among the best I’ve tested.

The PTR 9C offers a rapid three-lug suppressor mount, or you can grab a version with 1/2x28 TPI threading if you opt for the PTR 9CT. I’ve also found the PTR 9C offers a smoother safety lever over the more budget alternatives I’ve tested.

Premium American-made products come at an accompanying price point, and that puts the PTR 9C on the higher end of our list. However, it’s still well shy of what you’ll pay for a similar HK-manufactured alternative.