TESTED: MAC-5K PDW

Military Armament Corporation’s MAC-5K pistol is a solid 9mm personal defense weapon true in design and function to the H&K original

by Paul G Markel

When the subject of a PDW or Personal Defense Weapon comes up, many might wonder if any concealed carry pistol could be considered a PDW? I mean, a can of pepper spray could be a “personal defense weapon,” right? From a historical aspect, it was the German arms maker, Heckler & Koch, that truly got the ball rolling when they started referring to their MP5K and then the SP5K as “PDW” models.

The term PDW has been used frequently by militaries around the world to describe firearms that are not standard infantry issue but instead are given to other personnel: tank or armored crew members, helicopter crews, support personnel, et cetera. The AKS-74U is designated as a “PDW.”

As could be expected, Hollywood fell in love with the MP5K PDW just as it did the original MP5 submachine gun. That’s all well and good, you say, but genuine HK products can be hard to come by and are rather pricey to boot. Enter Military Armament Corporation, or MAC for short.

MAC-5K PDW

It has been almost a year since I was able to put my hands on a MAC-5K display model at SHOT Show 2024. My friends at MAC informed me that the MAC 5 would come first, likely Q2 or Q3, and then the MAC-5K would follow. By the way, the “K” stands for “kurz” — German for “short.”

While the full-sized MAC 5 was very attractive, it was the 5K that had me all excited like a teenager before a big dance. I waited, as patiently as I could, and finally Brown Santa dropped off the MAC-5K to my FFL guy just before Christmas of 2024.

Before we get into the whole “personal defense weapon” thing, let’s consider the MAC-5K and what the gun has to offer.

First, the MAC-5K is a roller-lock, shot-for-shot clone of the MP5K/SP5K built in Turkey on H&K machines in an IS0 9000 NATO spec manufacturing facility. I’ve been reviewing firearms for various media outlets for over thirty years now and I can honestly say that the guns coming in from Turkey are better than they ever have been. Ten to fifteen years ago, a Turkish import was a crapshoot regarding quality. Such is not the case today.

Regarding manufacturer’s specifications, the MAC-5K is chambered for 9x19mm NATO and the gun ships with two 30-round MP5-style magazines. Overall length is 13.7 inches, and the empty weight is 4.6 pounds. As mentioned, the action is a semi-automatic, roller delayed blowback. Trigger weight is listed by the maker as 4.25 lbs. “approx.” All the controls, to include the ever-so-slappable charging handle, are true HK MP5 style. The 5.8-inch barrel on the MAC-5K does, indeed, extend beyond the forend and is threaded 1/2×28 TPI. A traditional HK flash hider is included and mounts with the tri-lug configuration that is also a mainstay of the MP5 line.

The MAC-5K comes in a padded plastic hard case and, in addition to two magazines, you get a sling with HK clips (there are sling mounting points on the pistol, fore and aft). You also receive a cleaning kit and oil bottle as well as the owner’s manual.

*Note: Roller lock guns are a different animal than your Glock 17 or AR — do yourself a favor and read the manual.

SB Tactical Brace

The MAC-5K is ready to go, right out of the box, although there was one item that I wanted to try out with it and that was a stabilizing pistol brace from SB Tactical.

We have been working with SB Tactical from the very beginning and have always found their products to be top notch and of the best quality. The SB brace that fits directly onto the MAC-5K without any need for special screws or machining is the model SBT5K™. I ordered the brace, and it arrived in less than five days to my front porch. Installation was simple, You merely remove the HK pins from the back plate and swap the factory back plate for the brace.

In addition to adding stability, the SBT5K brace also has the option to fold out of the way for compact storage. The brace folds to the right, away from the charging handle, but it sits lower than the ejection port when folded should the user feel the need to shoot the gun when the brace is in the “closed” position. Ever the innovators, SB Tactical put a QD sling socket on the left side of the brace body so you don’t have to give up your sling or strap it to the brace body.

Range Time

My experience with roller lock G3 rifles and larger MP5 carbines has been that they like to be run wet. Prior to heading to the range, I pulled out the action and put a good amount of Froglube Extreme onto the moving parts. As for ammunition, the MP5 design is considered a late-2nd generation submachine gun. These were originally developed to fire MILSPEC 9mm in full metal jacket or “ball” configuration. My personal experience with MP5 style roller lock firearms is that they are not fans of jacketed hollow point ammunition. Yes, some will run modern expanding ammunition, some won’t. I have yet to find one that runs 100% with JHP projectiles.

For my testing of the MAC-5K, I went to the ammo locker and pulled some MILSPEC M882 9x19mm NATO, some FMJ 115-grain 9mm from Black Hills Ammunition, as well as 115-grain ball from PMC. For clarity, M882 is 124-grain FMJ at +P velocities.

In addition to all the aforementioned, I packed along my AAC TiRant 9mm suppressor with the Nielsen device removed and the solid spacer in place. Remember, if you are running a can with a pistol that has a tilting barrel, you need the Nielsen device or spring “booster.” On fixed-barreled guns, the spring comes out and the fixed spacer goes in.

Also, I own the larger MP5 sized gun and so I already had some compatible 30-round MP5-style magazines on hand as well as the excellent Original SOE “Sub Gun Micro Rig.” I own the Sub Gun, AR, and Shotgun “Micro” rigs from SOE, and they are superior quality gear. These were designed by and for people who actually run their guns.

To my way of thinking, if the gun was going to have an issue, it would likely be with the AAC suppressor in place. Therefore, I mounted the can and put the first two 30-round magazines through the gun in that configuration. My fear, it turned out, was unfounded and the gun cycled shot after shot, quietly, without issue. Despite the fact that I used supersonic ammunition, the gun fire was easily “hearing safe.”

With the suppressor removed, I mounted the included HK-style flash hider and continued to run mag after mag in various shooting drills. Never did I have an issue with the included magazines or the ones I already had on hand, for that matter. Yes, the sights were right on and hits on target were easy enough from 50 yards to bad breath distance.

Readers should take note that the MP5 design is unique and it is not like stuffing magazines into your Glock. Prior to inserting a magazine, the user needs to reach up and lock the bolt open, then insert a loaded magazine. With that accomplished, you can then slap the bolt handle with your support hand like they do in all the movies. The bolt does not lock open on empty. Unless you are a savant counting your shots, after 30 bangs, you’ll get a “click” as the hammer drops on an empty chamber. You now need to lock that bolt open, strip out the empty (there is a paddle release and a button on the right side) and then insert a fresh mag for more rock and roll. Nope, that is not as fast as reloading your Glock or AR, but that’s how it goes.

I arrived at the range with six magazines stuffed full of the various loads mentioned previously. It took me all of thirty minutes or so before those were empty, and I let the gun cool down while I reloaded them. Once during the reloading process, the HK hook on the forward sling mount had flipped up and when I hit the bolt release the hook impeded the travel and the bolt failed to seat completely. I cleared the gun and recharged it — this time making sure that did not happen again — and I was off to the races. So, that was the one and only time I experienced a stoppage, and it really wasn’t the fault of the gun.

Oh, before I forget, I did fold the brace to the “closed” position and shot the gun like that. It ran without issue and the brass ejected over the folded brace just fine. As a side note, pieces, parts, and accessories can be had at HKparts.net. I’ve been shopping with them for a few years now and am always satisfied.

Over the last twenty years or so, I’ve tested out a number of semi-auto versions of submachine guns, such as the Uzi, the Colt 9mm, AK-V, and Sterling models, as well as the full-sized MP5-style guns. Failures or stoppages are almost always an ammunition issue. Lightly loaded ammo or hollow point rounds tend to be the culprits. These guns crave brass-cased, full-powered loads with FMJ projectiles. As I mentioned, the roller lock guns like it wet, so don’t be afraid to lube them up.

Bottom Line

The MAC-5K with the SB Tactical brace in place was a freakin’ hoot to shoot. If you are going to order a MAC-5K, do yourself a favor and order at least a case of 9mm ball to go with it. Once you start, you are not going to want to stop shooting. I did make myself stop after 300-some rounds downrange so I could come home and write this review for you.

You are welcome.

The new Military Armament Corporation has many excellent guns in their inventory. The MAC 1014 shogun, for example, is fantastic!

If you are excited about the MAC-5K, my advice would be to put in your order sooner versus later. The issue with imported guns has always been the threat of bureaucratic chicanery that delays the shipments. As of press time, they are in stock and ready to ship to your FFL guy.

Could you use a PDW for yourself? That is up to you to decide.

Military Armament Corporation MAC-5K PDW SPECIFICATIONS