Heckler & Koch UMP

History

The UMP series (Universal Machine Pistol or Universal Machine Pistol) is a series of submachine guns developed by the German company Heckler & Koch in the 1990s and is the successor to the world-renowned and excellent HK MP5 series. The HK UMP went into production in 1999 and is still in production today. It has become an integral part of several professional military organizations around the world, including U.S.

Customs and Border Protection, the Royal Thai Navy SEALs and the Jordanian Special Forces.

HK UMP is available in three different models - UMP9, UMP40 and UMP45. Each UMP designation represents the caliber of the cartridge. Therefore, the UMP is designed to fire the 9x19mm Parabellum, while the UMP40 is designed to fire the .40 Smith and Wesson (.40 S&W). Likewise, the UMP45 is designed to fire .45 ACP cartridges. This differs from the original HK MP5 series, which was limited to firing 9mm Parabellum submachine guns.

Although the cartridges are different, each model is essentially the same Heckler & Koch submachine gun, the magazine being the final identifier. All three versions have the same parts, but require modifications to the barrel, bolt and - of course - the magazine so that the base UMP fires different cartridges.

Due to the different dimensions of each cartridge, the UMP series uses two different magazine lengths - both the UMP40 and UMP9 feed from a 30-round detachable magazine, while the UMP45 is limited to a 25-round detachable magazine. Note that the UMP40 and UMP45 use straight magazines, while the UMP9 uses curved magazines. The operating effect of all three systems is the recoil from the closed breech. The listed rate of fire is 650 rounds per minute, although the UMP45 is closer to 600 rounds per minute.

While perhaps slightly slower than some contemporary weapons, this rate of fire resulted in a significantly greater effective range and provided a weapon that could double as a close-range submachine gun or "assault" rifle. Accessible ranges of up to 100 meters are achieved with the 9x19 Parabellum cartridge, while the .45 ACP deals most damage at 50 yards. The UMP series features semi-automatic, 2-round burst and fully automatic firing modes with HK standard, clearly marked selector switch conveniently placed near the pistol grip on the left side of the receiver. The curved trigger system is housed in a square guard large enough to accommodate a gloved finger. The pull handle is located on the left front of the gun, above the leading edge.

The spent cartridge is ejected through a rectangular opening on the right side of the receiver above the magazine feed. Aiming is integrated through the vertical front post/ring and tailgate assembly.

The UMP supports Picatinny rails and can carry a variety of sights, lights, grips and other accessories on the top and sides of the receiver and under the front end before magazine feed.

UMP is primarily made of polymers to resist environmental corrosion and also help keep the overall system weight at a manageable level. The gun weighs only 4.6 lbs (UMP9, UMP40) and 5 lbs (UMP45) without a magazine, which is lighter than the previous HK MP5 series.

All versions have a barrel length of 27.2 in (690 mm) when the skeletal stock is fully extended, and shrinks to 17.7 in (450 mm) when the stock is folded to the right side of the case. This makes them a relatively compact weapon for any type of light infantry or close combatant.

The barrel is 8 inches (200 mm) long and has a flash suppressor on the muzzle.

Since then, the UMP series has grown in popularity worldwide, with the UMP9 and UMP40 formats appearing to dominate. Notable current fighters include Australian Special Forces, Jordanian Special Forces, Latvian Army, Mexican Navy, Romanian Special Forces, Serbian Special Forces, Slovak Special Forces, Thai SEALs, as well as U.S.

Customs and Border Protection and Pentagon Protection The latter of the two bodies uses the UMP40 model version.

The USC (Universal Self-Loading Carbine) is the commercial version of the UMP series. The sports version of this militarized weapon first appeared after 1994 to comply with the standards imposed by the US "Assault Weapons Ban".

There are only minor differences between the USC and the military UMP, including a semi-automatic trigger action, a significantly longer barrel without a flash suppressor, a modified fixed stock (now skeletal, with an attached pistol) grip and a large open "thumb" hole area) and a straight 10-round magazine. USC is available in a light gray and black mixed color combination or an all-dark black finish to expand the flavor of the commercial market .

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes