My first experience with full-auto

[Shear_stress]

On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I had the chance to run a couple of magazines through a genuine, 100% USDA-approved, grade A, H&K MP5. I was hoping to find one with a three-round burst, but all they had were full-auto. Life is tough.

Anyway, the range was all of seven yards. The first magazine I tried to manually maintain bursts of 3-4 shots, while the second magazine was reserved for longer strings. Here are some observations from a full-auto newbie:

1.) Center of mass shots were very easy to achieve for brief bursts at seven yards. Then again, we're talking about handgun rounds fired from something with a full stock and a more or less rifle-length sight radius.
2.) Long bursts, obviously, were a bit harder to keep on target.
3.) Unexpectedly, muzzle rise was minimal. However, the gun wanted to rotate in the direction of the strong hand under sustained fire.
4.) Full auto is fun, but, as the saying goes, money turns into noise all too fast.

Altogether, I left wondering why Class III weapons are so highly regulated. Movies and male empowerment fantasies aside, training and practice are necessary to make the best use of these weapons. The average untrained shooter could probably do just as much damage with a 12 gauge and buckshot at close range.

That said, I know what I'd spring for if I found an extra, say twenty grand, under the cushions of my couch.

 

[Hoppy590]

Altogether, I left wondering why Class III weapons are so highly regulated. Movies and male empowerment fantasies aside, training and practice are necessary to make the best use of these weapons. The average untrained shooter could probably do just as much damage with a 12 gauge and buckshot at close range.

Money, and Power

the .gov wants money from the tax stamps'
the politicians want people afraid of these "terrorist weapons" so they can get reelected.

 

[El Tejon]

1. You probably had a sear gun rather than a true HK54.

2. No such thing as "Class III" weapons. Weapons are termed Title I (not regulated by the NFA) or Title II (regulated by NFA), this distinction is via the SSA of 1968. Important to get the terms correct as you are now one of us.

3. Google "National Firearms Act" and you will discover the answers to your question: governmental power grab in response to a non-existent problem, but it got people used to governmental regulation as the solution to "problems" and put out of work Prohibition Agents (Treasury) to work.

 

[Thin Black Line]

That said, I know what I'd spring for if I found an extra, say twenty grand, under the cushions of my couch.

40 brand new shotguns and a lot of 00.

 

[AK103K]

Play with one a little longer and you'll find...

that you can dump a whole mag (if you want) COM with little trouble.

the long burst thing is just a matter of technique, if you relax, and ride the gun, the rounds will go where ever your looking, if you try and fight the gun down, they tend to go up and in the direction of the strong hand, as you noticed.

full auto doesnt necessarily have to just turn money into noise, it has a place in the scheme of things, and when used properly, can be very effective.

The MP5 is one of the better SMG's, and really very easy to shoot well with. Easy enough, that my kids were shooting mine, with full trigger control and good hits on an IPSC target at 10 yards, at 5 years old. Its also very accurate and on semi, can easily make head shots on a IPSC target all day long with good ammo. On full, holding the same point of aim each time and shooting three round bursts, you will start to get three, separate and tight groups, one right where you were aiming, and the next two, just slightly higher than the last. It will actually look like they were fired independent of each other. You really dont need a "three round bust", once your used to the trigger, its very easy to do them (or two, or four, etc) with using a standard SEF trigger.

I'm selling mine by the way, let you have it for $16,000.

 

[Gunfixr]

I have fired a true MP5 with an attached suppressor. It was a true one as it belonged to the US Navy, the SEALs specifically. They use attached suppressors as they don't like the SD version. Yes they are rather fun, but expensive to feed. I've fire full-auto UZIs, M-11s, a Sten, a Stemple (basically an S&W M-76 but in .45), and a FN MAG-58 ( the M-249, a replacement for the M-60). Some are not nearly so controllable as the MP5 is. Considering I don't own any, and have never been in the military, I've had some fun.

 

[Wayne G.]

I can relate! My first (and only) experience with full auto was with a friend's MP5 with suppressor and tracer rounds. WOW! That was quite an experience.

 

[Shear_stress]

On full, holding the same point of aim each time and shooting three round bursts, you will start to get three, separate and tight groups, one right where you were aiming, and the next two, just slightly higher than the last.

Pretty much my experience to a tee. Piece of cake with short bursts.

I'm selling mine by the way, let you have it for $16,000.

Hmm. Let me check under my couch cushions.

 

[RNB65]

Altogether, I left wondering why Class III weapons are so highly regulated.

I believe Al Capone was involved.

 

[Hoppy590]

Hmm. Let me check under my couch cushions.

do it! we once found 100$ bill in a couch we found on the side of the road! ( woo for college!)

 

[RNB65]

I've fired an FA MP5, Uzi and a couple of M16s in different barrel lengths.

The MP5 was a fantastic subgun which was easy to keep on target at 50yds. It's the only FA gun I would like to own.

The Uzi was clunky, ugly, inaccurate and not much fun to shoot. Yuck.

The M16s were fun, but muzzle rise is hard to control. I'm 6'1" and 250lbs and I could not keep the muzzles under control when firing FA. I had to go with short bursts to stay on target.

 

[spartacus2002]

I fired an M14 full auto once. Given that I weigh 135 pounds, the rifle stayed on target and I bounced all over the place