A Day At S5 Tactical: How a US G36/UMP is Made

A few months back, I had the privilege of having Bo from S5 Tactical on my podcast to talk about his, at the time, new company producing U.S.-made G36 and UMP-style rifles and pistols.

Coming away from that conversation, I knew I needed to learn more. Bo was gracious enough to grant my cohost Kevin and I a tour of the S5 Tactical/ Pacific Plastic Technologies (PPT) facility.

a line of the injection molding machines used at PPT/S5

What’s in a Name?

Bo watching his son Mike assemble a SG36 rifle

S5 Tactical is first and foremost a family company. The “S” stands for Sawyer, and the “5” represents the five members of his family who keep the business running day to day. Staying true to that family theme, Bo is a third-generation plastic molder who has been in the trade his entire life.

From Contract Work to Direct Sales

Bo initially began producing receivers for another company that sold similar clones. After that company left the industry, Bo stepped up to sell firearms and receivers directly, and S5 Tactical was born. S5 Tactical is an offshoot of Pacific Plastic Technologies (PPT) and is run out of the same facilities.

At Pacific Plastic Technology, we’ve been helping businesses solve their toughest manufacturing challenges for over 50 years. As a family-owned company spanning three generations, we’ve built our reputation on delivering custom plastic solutions that meet the unique needs of industries like aerospace, automotive, energy, firearms, and industrial products.

Through a partnership with HK Parts and GSG9, S5 produces the serialized receivers in-house, while GSG9 supplies the metal components. Final assembly is handled by Bo and his son Mike.

How the Receivers Are Made

Every receiver starts life as small plastic pellets. These pellets are fed into a mold and injected under thousands of pounds of pressure.

Pictured is the Injection molding machine right before relinquishing a fresh SMP receiver

While the molds themselves originated with another company, Bo has made numerous modifications and improvements to the tooling. The result is a receiver that is dimensionally and visually identical to an HK-produced G36 or UMP.

After being removed from the mold, the excess polymer, called runners, is clipped, and blocks of aluminum are placed into the receiver to help maintain critical dimensions as the part cools over a 24-hour period.

Assembly, QC, and Test Firing

Once the receiver has fully cooled, it is moved to the production bench.

Every rifle and pistol that ships is assembled in-house and undergoes several quality control checks.

After ensuring the firearm meets several QC standards its off to the range for the final function check.

What’s Next for S5 Tactical?

Looking ahead, Bo is in the final stages of manufacturing an MP7 clone in partnership with GSG9 and HK Parts. In addition, S5 has plans to produce trigger packs and several other polymer components in house to streamline production.

For more information be sure to visit https://s5tactical.com for all of your UMP and G36 needs!