The Heckler and Koch MP5 is arguably one of the most recognizable submachine guns in the world. Developed in the 1960s, it was quickly adopted by German Federal Police. Since its inception, the MP5 has been a thing of divine obsession for many as images of the weapon were broadcast worldwide during Operation Nimrod (SAS siege of the Iranian Embassy in London). Despite its age, the MP5 has undergone few upgrades to its timeless appearance. Unfortunately, timeless doesn’t always mean it’s the most modern or practical as the upgraded Midwest Industries MP5 rail has shown me.
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Over the years, I’ve developed a diverse collection of pistol caliber carbines (PCCs). Admittedly, it’s gotten a little out of hand with additions like the KRISS Vector and Uzi Model A, but the MP5 remains a necessary part of any extensive PCC collection. When I got my hands on the Midwest Industries MP5 rail, I was excited to put it on a short-barreled rifle MP5 I’ve had in my collection for some time.
My MP5 started as a decommissioned and chopped Heckler and Koch MP5A3N and was de-milled, welded, and reassembled. Of course, with some input from the nice folks at the ATF, it became a registered, but unfortunately semi-automatic only, SBR MP5. Nevertheless, it’s a fun PCC with a strong sense of nostalgia. I’m not saying I am an SAS operator, but it’s hard to not feel as cool as one every time I slapped the MP5’s charging handle.
Midwest Industries MP5 Rail
As time went on, my “homemade” MP5 performed well, but it missed the modern touch. Despite the initial addition of a geriatric Surefire weapon light, the rifle lacked certain features. First, the Surefire weapon light interfered with the ability to use a suppressor, whether added with direct thread or the distinctive tri-lug attachment mechanism. Second, there’s something about a secure vertical foregrip that adds a significant level of control to a carbine or SBR. While the MP5 is controllable in its “OG” configuration, it isn’t nearly as controllable when adorned with a vertical foregrip. Thus, I began the search for a quality, reputable rail to give a facelift to this legendary platform. After some research, the Midwest Industries MP5 rail took the lead. Simply put: I was not disappointed.
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The Midwest Industries MP5 rail is exceptionally simple in both appearance and design. Midwest Industries is nothing new to the rail game. I acquired my first Midwest rail nearly 10 years ago and have acquired several since with reliable and consistent performance despite regular abuse directed towards them. Nevertheless, Midwest Industries has continued to improve the quality and design of its products over the years.
Installation
The Midwest Industries MP5 rail is exceptionally easy to install. Secured with a detent pin, the MP5 forend has changed little to none in 60 years. Midwest secures its rail with a single bolt through where the detent pin is normally located. The bolt secures an aluminum section that attaches to the rail with two additional screws. Before tightening the two screws down, the rail secures to the barrel trunnion and has some room for adjustment. The overall installation process was exceptionally fast with the rail installed in about three or four minutes.
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Function
For anyone looking to upgrade their rifle, there are two points to consider: 1. Does it solve a problem? 2. Does it improve function and performance? There are many “upgrades” available nowadays that are the firearms equivalent of gas station knives. It looks cool but serves little purpose to actually improve the handling and/or performance of the firearm. In the case of the Midwest Industries MP5 rail, it improves performance and solves a problem.
For those of us who like things a bit more quiet, a suppressor is a great tool. Furthermore, a fighting light on your rifle is even better. BOTH makes for an excellent combination. Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, the classic Surefire MP5 forend impeded suppressor use. With the Midwest rail, that became a non-issue and, with the convenience of M-LOK slots, the addition of a light was easy.
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The Midwest Industries MP5 rail included a Picatinny M-LOK section. Any of the seven rail planes will accept M-LOK accessories. Due to the location of the MP5’s legendary cocking handle, 360-degree coverage from a forend rail is problematic. Nevertheless, Midwest Industries utilized a “tri-rail” design but included seven planes on the forend capable of accepting M-LOK accessories. While I would have preferred a scout light, I found several orientations to mount the included Picatinny rail that sufficiently accepted a Surefire X300 Ultra weapon light. As a lefty, this was convenient. Righties, your results may vary due to the cocking handle’s location. For once, the lefties have something going for them. On behalf of the wrong-handed, thank you Heckler and Koch and Midwest Industries.
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The M-LOK system conveniently accepted a Magpul MVG forend I had on hand. With the addition of a Magpul SL stock, the rifle became exceptionally comfortable and controllable under rapid fire. I’ll have more on Magpul’s SL stock in another missive. That upgrade is more than worthy of its own discussion.
Midwest Industries MP5 Rail on the Range
After I got my tinkeritis out of the way and found a comfortable position for the vertical foregrip, it was time to head to the range. Now that the forend no longer impeded with using a suppressor, I outfitted the rifle with a trusty AAC Ti-Rant 45 suppressor with a tri-lug adaptor. While a tad gassier under heavy, sustained rapid fire; the gun was exceptionally fun to shoot. The vertical forend made an already notoriously controllable carbine almost laughable at transitioning between targets while stringing them with controlled pairs.
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Over the course of several hundred rounds, there were no issues. The mounting design, when torqued to the specs provided by Midwest Industries, is secure and doesn’t wiggle or move. Furthermore, the mounting design didn’t affect point-of-aim to point-of-impact. The rail is undeniably secure during shooting. You can be confident this isn’t something you’re going to break with a little abuse. I plan to run it harder over the coming months, but initial impressions are this rail isn’t going anywhere except the range anytime soon.
Final Thoughts
The Midwest Industries MP5 rail is a simple, fast, and relatively affordable addition for those of us blessed enough to own an HK MP5/94 or one of its many clones. My initial impression of the rifle is very favorable. Furthermore, the versatility of the rail system and its friendliness towards the addition of a suppressor are huge wins in my book. Most of all, the price is extremely attractive. In a world of outrageously priced HK accessories, this MP5 rail is a palatable $136.99 from GunMag Warehouse. While it may not give off the British SAS vibes of yesteryear, it certainly is a solid investment to bring this classic well into the 21st century.
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