Several years back, I was strolling around the SAR show in Phoenix, having taken care of my most pressing business, when something caught my eye: an H&K MP5K Briefcase.   I had an MP5K, and had been on the lookout for cases for some time.  Unfortunately, any that I had come across in the past were modified and did not have the STANAG Claw mount.  This one had the correct mount and a good price, so I did not pass up the opportunity.

The outside of the case

How it works:

The MP5 is inserted into the claw mount, with the muzzle connecting to the tube that leads to the firing port.  The Claw mount is then put into the closed position to secure the gun inside the mount. The MP5K must have an endcap installed, as the gun will not fit into the case with a side-folder or other stocks mounted on it.  Loading a magazine and charging the gun is awkward, but can be accomplished when the gun is in the mount.  Straight style 30-rounders are the most difficult to deal with, as the barely clear the bottom of the case when inserting or removing magazines.  The trigger in the handle is connected via linkage to the trigger bar inside the case, which fires the gun.  The knurled button on the handle functions as a sort of an external safety, as you close the case with the gun set on whatever rate of fire you want to employ with the trigger on the handle.  Shells are deflected downward away from the action so the gun does not malfunction due to cases bouncing back into the action.  There is a holder for a spare magazine on the other side of the case.  The case itself is lockable as well.

• Claw mount in open position
• Claw mount in closed position
• Older (pre-2000s) trigger bar.
• Trigger in handle, with safety seen at left.
• “Downrange” printed on the mount above the shell deflector. One would NOT want to have the muzzle pointing in the wrong direction in the mount!
• The magazines sit securely in the holder

• With 15 round magazine
• The 30 round curved magazine works best
• The 30 round straight magazine will work, albeit with some difficulty inserting and removing the magazine

Range time:

The first time I tried firing it, I attempted to get results by holding it one handed with the case oriented vertically.  Results were not good at all.  The axis of recoil caused the rounds to string vertically downward in quite an exaggerated fashion.  I then found that by holding the case horizontally, braced against my chest, I could keep my rounds in a silhouette with practice.  The trigger is not good by any measure, but then again, a minor quibble when one is firing luggage!  The trim around the edge has started to flake off around the firing port, likely due to the plastic strip being brittle in cold temperatures and then broken by the muzzle blast.  Newer versions of this case have a riveted-on black trim that should solve the issue.

The trim has flaked off near the firing port, due to muzzle blast.

Overall impression:

As a range toy, the MP5 Briefcase is the ultimate accessory for the MP5K.  Its original intended use, as a clandestine tool for VIP protection, is outclassed in utility and concealability by such systems as the Glock 18, Steyr TMP, H&K MP7 and so on.  Is it accurate?  Yes, with practice.  All told, however, it is hand luggage that you can fire.  It makes a full-auto MP5K even more fun!  That in itself earns the MP5K briefcase my hearty stamp of approval.

An MP5K is a good thing to have, just in…case!

Note:  If you are in the USA, and thinking of picking up one of these for an SP89 or any other semi auto MP5K clone, you must first register your gun as an AOW before attaching it to the briefcase. 

Thanks to Aaron of Hughston Shooting School (who is also an instructor at Thunder Ranch) for range time and technical assistance.