A bit of new information thanks to Hans-Christian Vortisch - this fixed stock auto/burst configuration was apparently standard issue for FBI Special Agents (as opposed to specialist units like HRT).

The 10mm round is rugged, reliable and ubiquitous making it a popular choice for wastelanders.

A SWAT Team friend of mine questioned a HK rep about the lack of hold open on their 9mm weapons. The response,”We don’t want the adversary knowing you’re out of ammunition.” His quip to that was,”I should think one of us should know.

I saw the community post of an MP5 silhouette with a straight mag and thought "nah, impossible, they can't!" bur you did you madlads! A 10mm MP5!

I think this is the first physical example of a 10mm MP5 I have ever seen after reading about them in the Rainbow Six novel over 20 years ago. I actually didn't know about the bolt catch, I can only imagine the arm twisting that would have been required to get it added as HK is infamously resistant to any attempts to improve their designs for the people who actually use them.

I used to work at an indoor range. We had a regular customer who would bring his 10mm MP5 in along with one in 40 S&W. No idea what department or agency he worked for but he was a nice guy.

You can tell the MP5 is a point of passion for Mr. Jonathan

I’ll be amazed if Jonathan didn’t have the Action Man SAS kit as a child.

I love seeing Jonathan going from this nervousness to talk to the camera with a lot of studders to becoming more and more confident in the way he speaks and presents everything

We were told that when H&K quit making them, the FBI bought up all the parts they had and, as they parts were used up, the weapons were phased out of the field in favor of the M4. I was sad when they took mine away - it was identical to the one displayed here. I could hammer nails with that thing...

1:10 The "10-94" date is in reference to the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban signed into law in September and in effect from October onwards (until it expired in 2004). This writing appears on magazines (with more than 10 rounds capacity) destined for the US market during this era to differentiate those mags destined for law enforcement/military from those for the wider civilian market.

FBI agents had these up till around 2016/2017. It was not just limited to HRT. FBI also had 9 MM variants as well.

I love MP5s, the only full auto SMG I've ever fired was a 9MM MP5 and it was fun as hell. Shockingly easy to control really, I can see why they're so popular cause if I could handle it that easily with no prior training or experience on it a real operator could really do some work.

Jonathan mentioning Rogue Spear made my day, I was thinking of Rainbow Six the whole video and how I would assign teams with kits based off FBI HRT with green uniforms and the MP5/10, SAS with black uniforms and the MP5SD, and USMC with Woodland BDUs and M4A1s

The hood open position was a smart addition. You know as the shooter you’re empty and it also helps with a faster reload because you’re removing an entire step.

I carried an MP5N (Navy model, collapsible stock, 3 lug muzzle, 4 position ambidextrous trigger group) for about 5 years on SWAT during the mid 90s until we transitioned to M4s. A few guys still tended to carry the MP5 and I went to an HK M1 Super 90. When that MP5/10 came out, I drooled over it. In 2005 we transitioned to Sig P226s in 357 Sig and I always thought an MP5 in that caliber would have been awesome.

Ah, fond memories of the MP5 (9mm standard) as an AFO some 20 years ago. Great CQB weapon but not at range, hence going to the G36 5.56mm. The MP5 was a delight to shoot. One drill we had to do was have the weapon stripped at our feet at the point in the range, then on the command assemble the weapon and fire 10 aimed rounds in a timed exercise.

I worked for the US Dept. of Energy for about 5 years, and back in 1993 I went through their SRT School at the DOE Central Training Academy, located at Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque. It was a fantastic month long school, and during the last few days each student was required to do a series of room entries with an instructor so the student could be graded on skills. Our issue entry weapon was the normal MP5A2, which was easy to manage through doorways. As I started my turn at the entry scenarios, I noticed the FI instructor I was going in with was carrying an MP5 with a large, straight, translucent magazine. He didn't tell me he was going in with a 10mm MP5, Hell I didn't even know such a beast existed. But to my extreme surprise, the first room we went into saw me come up off the ground as he rapid fired that thing about 4 feet from me at a 'Kill' target. That room and every other subsequent room we went into, especially the smaller rooms, were literally shaking when he fired that thing. At the time, the DOE's SRT protocal was that if you had to fire, then you *always* fired a 'Failure Drill' (or originally called a Mozambique which is 2 to the body, 1 one to head), so that's six rounds of 10mm in about 1.5 seconds at every hostile target he fired at. After I completed the course (yeah, I passed), I asked him "What the Hell was that??!" He explained it to me, said he wanted to put a bit more unexpected, surprise stress on me so he brought in the big ten... his plan worked very well. He further explained that the MP5/10 had options for both a moderate power bolt and a full power bolt, then asked me which one I thought he used. Duh....no question, I knew. He was running the old WInchester 175 grain Silvertip rounds, which back in the late 80's and early 90's were LOT hotter than they are today. I can confirm that having 6 to 12 rounds of full power 10 coming out of an almost 9" barrel in a 10x12 room will get your attention. If you're not expecting it, it'll get you off your feet. Thanks for the video, brought back a nice memory!

FBI we need more powerful cartridge also FBI: no recoil too bad for our noodle arms

As a fan of the Rainbow Six novel I wanted to thank you for featuring this one and also for clearing the confusion with the MP10 name and it being integrally suppressed in the novel; it's quite rare to find content on this specific firearm. :)

Name a better duo than Jonathan and an MP5. I'll wait. (As I write this I realize there is indeed a better duo. Jonathan and an EM2) Great video again, always love listening to Jonathan talking about whatever he is passionate about. Especially the MP5.

there are lots of magazines on the US market marked for LE/govt use only, 94-04 the federal assault weapons ban prohibited sales of >10rd mags to normal people, so LE mags were marked that way. after it sunset, they went out on the commercial market. I have AR and Glock mags marked similarly.

Fell out of favour in the late 90s when SWAT/STAR teams started toting HK53s and Colt 604s. Turns out 5.56 fragments just fine. Almost every MP5/10 I have seen being waved about in anger is fitted with a flash hider from the Hk53 platform.

Didn't they also put a bolt hold open on the G41 - the Hk33 variant supposed to compete with the M16 that also had an AR style forward assist?

My first introduction to this was R6: Rogue Spear, many moons ago. "The year is 2001. The world is a very dangerous place..." Definitely appreciate the acknowledgement of the game after showcasing the details and differences. An interesting piece of kit, no doubt.

The weapon of choice of Team Rainbow in the original Tom Clancy Rainbow Six novel is an MP5SD in 10mm referred to in the book as the "MP-10". I don't think there ever was an SD version of 10mm MP5, but Clancy did his homework, like with every other book.

The MP5/10 as shown was issued to FBI Agents until around 2018. The fixed stocked guns with safe/semi/2 shot burst trigger groups were issued to regular Agents. FBI SWAT and HRT were issued collapsible stocked versions with safe/semi/2 shot burst/full auto trigger groups. FBI SWAT and HRT made the transition to 5.56mm carbines sooner than the rest of the FBI but the 10mm MP5 was in common usage until fairly recently. One drawback of the bolt hold open was that the sharp corners of the cutout in the left side of the receiver seemed to be a point of stress accumulation and the receivers would develop cracks from these areas. This was not observed in guns issued to Agents but was seen in guns used extensively in the training environment like those used at Quantico for new Agent training.

I've actually fired one of these a few times, back when they were new. Very excellent, handled like the regular MP5, recoil difference was negligible.

Always a good day when I see a new video with Johnathan. I hope to meet him someday!

Wow! That takes me back, I used to spend hours upon hours playing RB6 Raven Shield. At it's time, was probably the most realistic shooter one could get. In my opinion, the height of the RB6 gaming franchise before it went really silly. Thanks for the flashback, Jonathan!

Striborg now makes a straight mag roller 10mm PCC. I wonder if this is what gave them the idea.

the other FBI mp5/10's ive seen have safe-semi-burst-full lowers. great review of a unique firearm. there was also the .40 cal mp5 available to the US gov (irs/wildlife/other LEO).

Yeah, Raven Shield is one of my fav games, and that's where I've seen this gun for the first time. Great video

This has always been a top 3 dream gun for me. Omega made some semi auto 10mm clones, but they are hard to come by. Thanks for covering this gun in detail!

Garand Thumb's latest video shows that 10mm is significantly more powerful and penetrative than 9mm when loaded to its max potential. A lot of commercial 10mm is actually under-powered. The FBI decided 10mm was too much as agents were performing poorly with it under testing. They then went to .40 SW which in theory still had more power than 9mm but less recoil than 10mm. 10mm probably is a bit much out of a handgun for your average shooter to handle, but I'd imagine out of an MP5 the recoil would be fairly managable.

Actually, with progressive stamping, it would most likely be the case of swapping just a few die sets along the original manufacturing line to adapt for the bigger magwells, so the they wouldn't have to develop a completely new set of tooling.

I didn't know the museum have a channel that does this style of videos and I already love Forgotten Weapons so this is perfect

FYI, Jeff Cooper's creation, the 10mm auto round, was meant to be _incredibly spicy._ Only the boutique 'defense' ammo manufacturers make 10mm loaded to the original specs. Another fun fact: the FBI quit using the 10mm because of high disqualification rate of female agents (and the 'armchair agents') using pistols in that caliber...THAT is the dirty little secret about the FBI's brush with a cartridge _meant_ to put down humans with one shot.

Like you, Jonathan, I've been a fan of the MP5/10 since I bought Rainbow Six (the book) all those years ago, as well as watching the Joan lunden FBI HRT documentary you mentioned. I was pleasantly surprised to see it appear in the game Ready or Not, and has been fun to use in that, with 2 shot burst and all. Definitely give it a shot (ha) if you're able!

I had the MP5 (and also G3) as service weapon for many years. And yes NOBODY used the push button mag release. I never used the push button mag release on both these weapons. Always the paddle

Mr Ferguson looks soo happy in the thumbnail 10mm really is the best mm

I was today years old when I learned that H&K was headquartered right down the road from me in the US. Go figure! Love your videos!

This channel is such good therapy. From one Jonathan across the pond to another, we salute you, good sir!

The MP5 is the Submachine Gun that refuses to die or become irrelevant. That said, it’s chief detractor by most who own/use it either in full auto in a military/law enforcement setting or are lucky enough to own one as a civilian (I own a semi auto one) is the lack of the Bolt Hold-open. I’m surprised that when HK introduced the MP5A5 MLI, they didn’t incorporate or improve the Bolt device from the FBI model as part of its “improvements”.

You know, I was watching this while using World of Guns to disassemble an MP5. Very enjoyable game, also get to learn.

We used to call this "the Centimeter" when I did training with it. Sad it never lasted, just like the other 10mm experiments the FBI delved into and then dropped. "Allegedly" because female agents couldn't accurately handle/control the power. Let's just say I never read any kind of official explanation for the end of the 10mm unification project, but that allegation matches what I've witnessed on the range... Hell of it was up to me we'd still be using the Monitor lol

Interesting breakdown of an obscure variant. I remember using this in Raven Shield and being fascinated by it.

HK was like, "What if someone encounters a bear during CQB?"

It would be really cool, if you guys could do the Savage 99. Thank you.

Excellent new camera setup, Jonathan, very nice quality.

"I carry a 10mm because they don't make an 11" -FBI agent in the late 1980's (maybe)

the p-mag makes me think of a PEZ dispenser XD

Wow Hearing someone talk about Raven shield really took me back. i use to play the hell outta that game.

Excellet background, all very visible thanks!

The MP5/10 was first issued to the Bureau in '92 with the priority being HRT and the Regional Office SWAT teams. While it stood into the armories until 2016 as other comment mentioned, it fell on favor of AR carbines circa 2008 for agents in general. Last time I saw the HRT guys running the MP5 operationally was in 2005, by next year, they had fully switched to the M4 already, followed by the other SWAT teams afterward. I remember the Quantico guys running custom muzzle devices to tame the full power 10mm used by these guys. The gun exposed is a "regular" agent version, having only semi and two round burst positions. SWAT and HRT guns had full auto, of course.

I still periodically read Rainbow 6. Wish the later games had the same level of tactical planning.

I carried a 10mm pistol as a police office in the mid-90's. The problem was pistols designed around 9mm and then adapted to fire 10mm were battered apart by the increased pressure round. Additionally, LE were carrying +P+ loaded ammunition which was pretty brutal on the guns. The Miami shooting "lessons learned" centered around the 9mm pistol ammunition used was insufficient to kill/incapacitate as the rounds didn't have enough penetration to reach vital organs. That leads to the FBI penetration standards; the 10mm provided enough power to meet their requirement. What seems good in a pistol must also be good in an SMG, and the rounds definitely had more oomph. The extended length barrel in the MP5 paired with specific ammunition already gave the 9mm sufficient penetration. What you got from 10mm didn't offset the abuse and limited life cycle of the new guns and was not sufficient to reliably penetrate body armor which is an increasing theme in American criminal activity. The MP5 10mm is compact and can maneuver in tight quarters while 5.56mm Rifles are less compact but will reliably defeat armor.

The chambers were fluted. Years ago in the 1990's when I was still living in the PRC, (callie, not the other one). I was shooting my Glock 20, at the San Gabriel Valley range in Duarte. 10 mm brass for reloading, was very hard to come by compared to 9mm. I was amazed to find a pile of 10 brass on the ground at the pistol range. Scoped it up without further ado, and took it home to reload it. When I got it home and started cleaning and depriming it. I was amazed to see strange marks on all the fired brass. Figured it could have only come from the fluted chambers of the FBI's MP 5's in 10 mm. Many LEO's used the range for training outside the normal shooting hours.

A company called liberty civil defense makes a very lightweight projectile , 60 grains, in 10mm auto, from just a 6.5-7” barrel pistol it averages around 2700 fps or 823 meters per second, putting it in high power rifle category in terms of energy. It’s almost like having a full-size 5.45x39 ak74 but in the palm of your hand…..

Brilliant comparison and review!

Fun fact here: On the 9mm Mp5's used by the danish police, the boltgroup and the spring are two seperate units aswell.

The 10mm MP-5 in the FBI was widely used outside of the HRT by Field Agents and SWAT Teams. Additionally, most WERE equipped with 'A2' buttstocks. Interestingly 10mm cases ejected by the MP-5/10mm were frequently split.

Jonathan we already knew that you like the MP5 but seeing the familiarity with which you handle and disassemble it something else comes out. Tell the truth: every now and then, after your lunch break, you take one out and play with it a bit. Be honest!

Why am I not surprised Jonathan is a fellow OG R6 enjoyer. 😁

Whellp! The MP5A2 Was allready my favourite SMG of all time, and now its the MP5A2/10 ! I allways thought submachine guns should have slightly bigger bullets than pistols.

Actually the first Novel/Game release im aware of was with the Star Wars Shadows of the Empire multimedia project in 1996, which was set up as essentially a film release tie in media blitz, without a film. It eas an expirement to see if the Star Wars brand was still active and strong enough to sell merchandise without a major theatrical release. Turns out, it was. Its success led to the start of production of the Prequel trilogy. It also showcased that videogames had come far enough as a market to stand on their own as a story telling medium.

Should be available for the rest of us!

The FBI did extensive testing with 5.56 to make sure it wouldn't overpenetrate during raids. Of course, they're able to use self defense rounds instead of full metal jacket, which reduces overpenetration, because the bullet dumps energy quickly.

10mm Auto is substantially more powerful than 9mm parabellum, so it’s not a hypothetical. As for why the FBI gave up on the 10mm Auto, it generates considerably more recoil than 9mm and .45 ACP, making it far more difficult to control in a handgun. As for why the 10mm MP5 fell out use, the FBI reasoned that if you’re going to complicate logistics by adding multiple calibers to the supply chain, you might as well just issue select fire 5.56mm rifles. Honestly, they weren’t wrong.

I remember reading about the 10mm MP5 in Tom Clancy's novel "Operation Rainbow" back in the 90s. I was surprised by the fact it actually existed(I found out it had been used by the FBI HRT team during the Waco hostage crisis a short time after the novel came out) and it was a good idea at the time. Now, short barreled rifles have rendered most pistol caliber SMGs and carbines obsolete, at least for military purposes. But back in the day, a 10mm SMG bridged the capability gap between 9mm and rifle calibers.

the sliding Stock of the normal MP5 is not interchangable with the Mp5/10 - it needs a special sliding stock with a cutout for the bolt release

Thank you for an interesting video. I still play *Raven Shield* today. It's old, but runs fast and I still love the planning, inventory and maps. As indicated, I usually equip with a rifle, not a sub!

Luv the MP-5 Nice 💯Great Video Jonathan , Thanks for Sharing 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

The HK G41, basically a HK33 that accepts STANAG AR magazine also had a bolt hold open tab.

That mag-release of mister balashnikovs Galil is the same as well. And yes that was his real name haha

10mm still has a subculture of people who just love the cartridge. Some carry it in areas where they may run into bears. Damn hard hitting cartridge. Good episode.

For pop culture, the 10mm MP5 was basically the weapon to wreck the lobby in Modern Warfare 2019.

I'm gonna hazard a guess and say that Clancy didn't want the reader to get hung up on the MP5/10 name, but didn't want to let go of the 10mm. It's a given that his group of super soldiers should have the shiniest new weapons. I believe the marksmen had the Walther WA-2000 and that didn't go very far either.

Ding! You had me at Rogue Spear

Really like how they implemented this gun in Ready or Not.

Very interesting thank you Jonathan

An MP5 with 2 round burst and a bolt hold open? I'm filled with envy. I've always wondered how 2 and 3 round burst works. I saw an MP5K for sale for $3,000. A regular MP5 must be super costly

So neat!! We have an h&k museum here in Virginia

Ah, the old 10mm. A cartridge for the type of guy who drives a pickup with a 15in lift, but has never once taken it off-road.

They should reintroduce these for the public. The 10 mil is a real hammer.

Great video, I was really hoping to see a more detailed explanation of how the bolt catch mechanism works though. We didn't even see how or where it interacts with the bolt. It's a major difference between this gun and the original (or any other roller-delayed firearm), so I think it deserves a closer look. Where does it catch the bolt/carrier? How mechanically is the force from the magazine transferred through the device? This could also have been a good time to explain why BHO mags (mag follower blocks bolt from closing) aren't really a thing for roller-delayed guns, but are for others (like AKs).

Rogue Spear was great it had a lot of MP5 variations. Fell in love with the SD right there, click click click click

A government organization that only has a semi-auto MP5 should be a crime.

The FBI had two different loadings for the 10mm, a full power "old style" 10mm and a reduced power that equals what would become the 40 S&W. There were two different spring assemblies for the MP5 to shoot the two different ammunitions. After the HRT started to transition to M4 carbines, some of the MP5/10 were given to SWAT qualified FBI agents. The agent that would come to the range at work had one identical to the one you have there. Full stock with just the safe/semi/two round burst trigger pack. He stated the two round burst was asked for due to the third round hitting too high in three round bursts or full auto.

Was definitely expecting a Raven Shield/Rogue Spear shout out. Loved those games.

7:20 "magazine hold open device" ;)

The MP5/10 with the famous surefire flashlight handguard will always be peak MP5 to me. It just looks right!!!

Johnathan has THE best job in the world

Makes me happy that B&T carried on the mantle of robust 10mm SMG's by making the APC10. I wish 10mm was more common and not as expensive, I would much rather have a pcc that shoots 10mm than 9mm.

Interesting thing, on the latest civilian SP5 from HK, the return spring is also separate from the bolt carrier group... quite frankly never knew that it was attached as a single unit in the 1st place

"10mm is the best mm" is my mantra in the bedroom.

I squee'd like a schoolgirl at the Rainbow Six mentions, I grew up playing that game with my dad and have read the novel several times over in my life and it is absolutely the reason I am obsessed with the MP5. Fun fact with the novel/game mismatch: the game was originally going to follow an FBI HRT team and at a company outing Red Storm's CEO (a former Royal Navy sub commander) was talking with Tom Clancy (the two were good friends) who mentioned he was writing his own novel about an HRT and over that conversation the concept of Rainbow as an elite, international CT unit was born and so the game and novel were developed alongside one another which is why the stories differ slightly in some parts. Anyways, great video, loved the presentation and exceptional knowledge and I can't wait to see more. Tango down!

And then they made the UMP in .45 , so i want all three of them 😂

I've learned about that on the Surefire Magazine on HKs anniversary. Awesome! A 10mm mp5!

Early wooden furniture MP5s with straight mags looked awesome 👌🏻