ATI’s new GSG-522
Last year American Tactical Imports was forced to take their GSG-5, a .22 MP5 patterned pistol and rifle, off the market after they were successfully sued by H&K for trade dress infringement. You can imagine my surprise when I saw them on display at SHOT only a couple of months after the lawsuit.
It turns out H&K had initially sued them over a long list of complaints. Most of these, the trade dress infringement being the sole exception, were thrown out of court. By simply making some design changes to avoid the GSG-5 being confused with the H&K MP5, ATI has been able to bring the gun back into the market under the GSG-522 name. The GSG-522 design was signed off by H&K and no royalties are required to be paid.
The GSG-522 has many subtle design changes. The biggest changes are ...
- Textured pistol grip
- Redesigned selector switch
- Picatinny rail on top
- Square "open" front sight rather than the classic H&K ring front sight.
- Integrated sling bracket (on trigger guard ... looks a bit flimsy to me)
It still retains the MP5 style but is much less likely to mistaken for a real MP5 (although in reality the original GSG-5 would also not have been confused with the real deal).
The joke is that ATI will offer "upgrade" kits that will allow you to retrofit a GSG-522 to look like the original GSG-5.
The GSG-522 will be available in many configurations:
- GSG-522 Carbine with 16.25" barrel
- GSG-522 SD Carbine with 16.25" barrel (MP5-SD style)
- GSG-522 Pistol with 9" barrel
- GSG-522PK Pistol (MP5K style) with 4.25" barrel
The carbines will be available in black, nickel and camo finish. Each model will ship with either a 10 round or 22 round magazine.
One of the coolest features of the new GSG-522 line is the 110 round drum magazine.
The drum does not need to be wound. This is a plus, although I imagine after 75 rounds your fingers are going to be very tired (a mag loader is not yet available). An adapter will be offered at a later time which will allow the magazine to be used with the ATI GSG Kalashnikov.
As soon as this drum goes on sale you can be sure that in no time Youtube will be filled with videos of people dumping 100 rounds as quickly as possible 
I do not yet have pricing info for the drum or GSG-5 firearms.
I bet that “trigger gaurd sling mount” was designed to be flimsey so it could be snapped off easy. Good enough to be sold with, and removed later.
I can’t find it right now, but I remember seeing on ARFCOM some comments from one of the ATI reps saying they essentially settled “”out of court” with H&K.
I’m still waiting to see some pic of the insides of the Umarex ones. $10 says it’s pretty dang close to the GSG.
Hooray for GSG!
110 round drum, hell yeah!
They need to bend the protective front sight wings out towards the sides. Otherwise they turn into potential false front sights.
so will the drum work with the GSG-5?
Whatever keeps you in business and keeps the lawyers off your back. Glad to see they weathered the storm well.
alex, I think so but check with them before you buy it.
I always thought the GSG-5 was neat, but I could never spend the money. I kept asking myself “what can it do that my 10/22 can’t?” and I’m not wealthy enough to buy something just because it looks neat. Now I don’t have a choice if that 110 round magazine works well.
And regarding the upgrade kits, I’m sure someone will eventually offer them even if ATI doesn’t.
The joke of the “upgrade” kit is that it’s actually a retrograde kit. The internals are all the same, all changes are cosmetic. (So yes, the drum will work just fine with the GSG5)
As for what a GSG5 can do that a 10/22 can’t? Look like an MP5.
110 rounds in a semi auto. It’s so… unneccessary! Although I’d love to see a competition where this would be an advantage.
What GSG should do is make a modular system, so that you can take the same “chassis” (consisting of the receiver, barrel, and FCG) and slap it into a different body that will make it look like a different gun. It could probably be done quite cheaply, even with Magpul-quality injection molding for the bodies.
there are numerous mods availible mostly using airsoft products 2 big ones are using evike-navy lower and handgaurds check ar15.com they have a gsg-5. the gsg-5 is a balst to shoot
the 10/22 cant be silenced
So those internally suppressed 10/22 sold for the last decade dont count?
Funny, I thought my AWC suppressed 10/22 was pretty quite….
Of course I did buy a couple GSG-5′s and called AWC and they have a great answer- they cut the bbl down to 11″ and then weld a suppressor on so that it looks like factory new… just quieter! Of course if you want to stamp the gun as an SBR then the suppressor could be thread on.
Why buy two? “Cause I have two boys and they think their new guns are VERY cool!
I am so glad GSG is still making the GSG-5 in the GSG-522 style. I was so disappointed when I heard the news that the GSG-5 would be discontinued.
I plan on getting one or two, maybe the rifle style and the smaller pistol style.
Hi Gang,
I have one of the original GSG5Ps, and I did the paperwork to SBR it. I saw on one of the forums that you can use an original MP5 collapsible stock on it, so I bought one when I went to Knob Creek last weekend. The original stock doesn’t fit, so if someone out there knows how to make it fit, I’d love to hear from them. Until then, I’ll use the stock from Classic Army. The original GSG5 collapsible stock lasted about two weeks before the lever that you use to open or close the stock broke. Fortunately, it broke with the stock extended.
Mike
I’m glade to see the GSG isn’t going away. The 522 looks bad ass with the drum! I will have to buy one for my GSG5. I don’t get the guy who said why do you need a 110 rd drum. Because it looks wicked after dumping 5 22rd mags down range and watching the smoke pour out of it!
hi, these would be the bomb, can you tell me where to buy one. i’ve been looking everywhere and cat seem to find one to buy. plenty of places to talk about them but nowhere to buy to buy onr. if you help me out that would br great, larry allen
First shipment of GSG-522 Guns is in US Customs right now. I expect to have them here this week at our warehouse and off to distributors by early next week. ETA to dealers would then be around May 1.
GSG-522? Um, I hope that noone confuses it for the SIG 522. Yes, I know, and most of you know the difference, but you would be surprised what goes on in some people’s heads. I wonder how many people would go to their FFL dealer to order the SIG 522 and mistakenly order the GSG-522 or vice – versa. 20% restocking fees most dealers I have encountered charge is steep for a simple misunderstanding. If I could give my advice – I would rename them GSG 225 or perhaps GSG 5 A2.
110 round drum mag unneccessary? Yup. Cool as Hell? Yup. Then again, Tacticool .22′s are unneccessary. But they are cool as Hell. Like Mr. Nugent said about owning an Uzi, “People ask what do you need that for deer hunting? You don’t. What do you need an Uzi for? You don’t. What do I need a Corvette for? What do I need sixteen birdlands for? It’s the American dream, it’s what I do” And Tacticool .22′s are what I do.
i have gsg ak nuttin better as far as 22lr goes never jams ………….never………!
where can i get one of these 110rd drum mags. plz anyone, i need one bad, and what do i need to do to it to upgrade to work in my gsg-5.somebody plz help me, larry
YA i really want a drum mag. anyone have one or know where we can order one??!