Century Arms AP5 Review: MP5 Performance for Less

Images by the author

H&K’s iconic MP5 submachine gun has garnered a sterling reputation among folks who need it. I don’t know many shooters who haven’t heard of it. Unfortunately, with laws the way they are, owning one is an onerous and very expensive proposition. What’s a shooter to do who wants something like that legendary gun?

Enter the Century Arms AP5. Manufactured in Turkey by MKS on original H&K machinery, it is a semi-auto version of the full-auto MP5. 

(Speaking of full auto, don’t let the safety icons fool you…

… only the safe and single-shot functions work. It looks like you also have three-shot-burst and full-auto modes. Not so.)

This AP (“Apparatus Pistol”) is one of a series imported by Century Arms from Turkey. It utilizes the same roller-delayed blowback action as the H&K. This provides a slightly softer-shooting gun, something that was obvious when we shot it. Coming in full-, mid-, and compact-sized 9mm platforms, the family has been expanded to include 5.56 mm and .308. (I will leave those calibers to shooters who enjoy recoil… not moi!)

If you are curious about the AP5 group of firearms, here is a link to the main page. Our review gun is a version of the Naval variant, made popular in the 1980s. Go here for specific information about our sample. 

So what do we have here? Let’s look at some specifications and features.

This is no bargain-bin cheapie. The gun, as I mentioned above, is made on actual H&K machinery and shares some features with the original. We have the classic wide handguard and rear sight, with its rotating “drum” and four apertures. 

Let’s look at some photos…

It comes with a sling. Above is one configuration, and below is another… You can set the sling up to fit your needs. 

The front sight and flash hider with the front sight by itself and the rear sight, below…

If you are so inclined, add a Pic rail (included). It uses wedge nuts and is not the easiest accessory to install, so be warned. I opted to leave it off, but it’s in the case if you want to add it. 

Also note the charging handle above the handguard… on the left side.

Another shot of the flash hider. If you wish, you can remove it and add a 9mm-rated suppressor using its 1/2×28 threads.

Here’s what is in the hard plastic case: an extra magazine, sling, cleaning kit, and a flexible cleaning rod. The Pic rail is not shown. 

Target Time

I grabbed some Black Hills 115-grain FMJ 9mm ammo (I am blessed that they provide ammo for my reviews) and headed to my backyard range after the winds from a recent cold front died down… the target stand kept blowing over… and we proceeded to have some fun. Normally, I will shoot a few different Black Hills loads and bullet styles, ranging from FMJ to JHP to their HoneyBadger load. But I figured that this gun was designed to shoot FMJ, so I stuck with that.

Here is a representative target, from the 20-yard bench, just to get an accuracy baseline. 

As you see, the gun is plenty accurate for its intended usage. It obviously likes this 115-grain FMJ load. If this gun stayed at my house, I would adjust the sights… that’s easily done

It was more fun to shoot offhand, as it was designed to do. It is not exactly a gun set up for competition or precision, but for what it is, it works very well. I used the sling for stability… the old “push-against-the-sling” method that helps hold the sights steady.

I have never shot a “real” MP5, but I got a bit of an idea of what it might be like by shooting the AP5. Without full-auto or burst mode, you can at least see how the gun behaves in recoil in semi-auto mode. This gun weighs just about what the corresponding MP5 weighs, so you can at least get an idea. I know, this is not an MP5, but it’s a decent semi-auto representation of one. The roller-delayed blowback action really helped with recoil… well, as much recoil as a five-and-a-half-pound gun will offer. It was a pleasure to shoot.

Do You Need One?

I like to ask that rhetorical question in my reviews. I tend to offer my standard answer, “Of course you do!” But, in this case, I’ll leave that up to you. This tribute to the iconic MP5 is not for everyone. It’s too large to try to carry unless you have a special place in your truck or car where it would fit. And, unless you are seven-and-a-half feet tall, don’t even think of carrying it on your person. I’m not even sure if it would be a suitable home defense weapon, as its 1970s design does not offer an easy way to add a light, something no home defense gun should be without. That applies as well to adding an optic if you don’t mount the Pic rail.

So why would you want one? The answer to that, for me at least, has to do with the “cool” factor. Like most shooters, I own guns for specific purposes… self-defense, home defense, hunting, target, competition… but this one refuses to be categorized. It has its own niche, its own appeal. 

I’m not one to use guns to impress fellow shooters… I can’t afford to do that. I don’t fantasize about owning a gun that looks like what MP5-toting agencies like the British SAS, US Navy SEALs, or the German GSG-9 use. That’s just not me… I don’t live in that world.

But rest assured that if you show up at the range with this, heads will turn. The gun is well-made, reliable, and it is as accurate as it needs to be. I could see other shooters lining up to put some rounds through it. Maybe it doesn’t need a justification for ownership… it is what it is. Let’s leave it at that.

Links To Items Used In This Review