Heckler & Koch UMP

The Heckler & Koch UMP (Universale Maschinenpistole, German for "Universal Machine Pistol") is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. Heckler & Koch developed the UMP as a lighter and cheaper successor to the MP5, though both remain in production.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The UMP has been adopted for use by various countries, including Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Some of the weapons saw limited service in the early years of the Iraqi insurgency, making them one of the more popular submachine guns being deployed by the U.S. military personnel in recent conflicts around the world.

The UMP can be converted from 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP by changing the barrel, bolt, and magazine. The UMP was previously available in multiple calibres, however with a decline in global use of .40 S&W and .45 ACP, only the 9mm Parabellum variant is in production. Parts are still available for the .40 S&W and .45 ACP calibre variants.<ref name="UMP9"/>

History

The UMP was designed in the 1990s by Heckler & Koch (HK), as a cheaper, lighter alternative to the MP5,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which made heavy use of polymers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The UMP first entered production in 2000.<ref name="UMP9"/> It was designed primarily for use by American military and law enforcement units,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as the MP5 was not available in .45 ACP, a round which was popular in the United States, but not in Europe.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite the UMP's improvements and reduced cost, it did not replace the MP5, which ended up outselling the UMP.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Recall

In 2000, H&K recalled certain UMP and USC serial numbers due to faulty operating handles. The faulty handles, made of polymer, could break off, making the weapons inoperable.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Design details

The UMP is a blowback-operated, magazine-fed submachine gun that fires from a closed bolt.<ref name="Cutshaw2011">Template:Cite book</ref> The closed bolt design increases the accuracy, which is particularly desirable in a law enforcement context.<ref name=":0" /> However, the simple blowback design of the UMP makes it less controllable than the MP5.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The UMP was originally designed for larger cartridges such as the .40 S&W and .45 ACP, to provide more stopping power against unarmoured targets, with slightly lower effectiveness at longer ranges. A larger cartridge produces more recoil and makes it harder to control in fully automatic fire. To mitigate the excessive recoil, Heckler & Koch designed the UMP to have a cyclic rate of around 600 rounds per minute, though the rate of fire increases up to 700 rounds per minute if (+ P) ammunition is used.<ref name="UMP40 and UMP45">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Cutshaw2011"/>

File:Heckler &Koch MP5s and UMP submachineguns.JPG

Heckler & Koch MP5A5 (top), MP5A4 (middle) and UMP9 (bottom), on display at a Navy armoury exhibition

The UMP9 (the 9×19mm variant of the UMP) is almost Template:Convert lighter than the MP5. It has a cyclic rate of around 600–750 rounds per minute.<ref name="UMP9">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Its predominantly polymer construction reduces both its weight and the number of parts susceptible to corrosion.<ref name="Cutshaw2011" /><ref name="Dockery2007">Template:Cite book</ref>

The UMP is available in four trigger group configurations, featuring different combinations of semi-automatic, 2-round burst, fully automatic, and safe settings. It features a side-folding buttstock to reduce its length during transport. When the last round of the UMP is fired, the bolt locks open, and can be released via a catch on the left side. The iron sights consist of an aperture rear sight and a front ring with a vertical post. It can mount four Picatinny rails (one on top of the receiver, and one on the right, left, and bottom of the handguard) for mounting accessories such as optical sights, tactical lights, or laser sights. Vertical foregrips can be attached to the bottom rail for better control during burst and automatic fire.<ref name="Cutshaw2011"/>

Variants

File:II Warsztaty Militarne WAT (01).jpg

UMP9 (top) and MP5 E6 (bottom) on display at Military University of Technology

The UMP is interchangeable between three different calibres:

The UMP9, chambered in 9×19mm Parabellum

The UMP40, chambered in .40 S&W

The UMP45, chambered in .45 ACP

Apart from the different chambering, all versions feature the same design model, the exterior differences being the curved magazine used on the UMP9, while both the UMP40 and UMP45 each use a straight magazine. All three versions of the weapon can be cross-converted to any of the round chamberings by replacing the bolt, barrel, and magazine.<ref name=Cutshaw2011/><ref name=Dockery2007/>

The USC or Universal Self-loading Carbine is a semi-automatic-only variant of the UMP designed for civilian use. It was created following the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 in the United States and was introduced in 2000. Changes from the original UMP include a "thumbhole" type stock/grip instead of the pistol grip of the UMP, a longer barrel without the flash suppressor, a magazine limited to 10 rounds, and a semi-automatic-only trigger group and action.<ref name=Peterson2011> Template:Cite book </ref> Originally available in grey, as of 2008 the USC came only in an all-black finish.<ref name=Ramage2008> Template:Cite book </ref>

Production of the USC was halted in 2013.<ref> {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} </ref> In 2018, H&K announced a limited production run of new USC rifles.

Clones

• Omega Gideon Shadow – American clone of the UMP released in 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Tommy Built Tactical TMP/KSM – American clone of the UMP.
• DefGunz DEF9– American clone of the UMP receiver.

Users

File:Operatori U.O.P.I.jpg

UOPI operator with a UMP9

Country	Organisation name	Model	Date	References
Template:Flag	Victoria Police Critical Incident Response Team	UMP40	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }} |Template:Dead link</ref>
	New South Wales Police Force State Protection Group	UMP40	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Special Operations Command of the Brazilian Army	UMP9	_	<ref name="Brazil">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Amphibious Commandos of the Brazilian Marine Corps	UMP9	_	<ref name="Brazil"/>
Template:Flag	Brantford Police Service Emergency Response Team	UMP40	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	National Gendarmerie	UMP9	2008	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}.</ref>
	Directorate-General of Customs and Indirect Taxes	UMP9	2016	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}.</ref>
	National Police (France)	UMP9	2016	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}.</ref>
Template:Flag	Special Operations Forces	UMP45	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Jordanian Special Operations Forces	_	_	<ref>Shea, Dan (Spring 2009). "SOFEX 2008". Small Arms Defense Journal, p. 29.</ref>
Template:Flag	Latvian Army	UMP9	_	<ref name="Jones">Template:Cite book</ref>
Template:Flag	Special Police Unit	_	_	<ref name="landespolizeili">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Security Corps	_	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="landespolizeili"/>
Template:Flag	Pasukan Khas Laut (PASKAL) counter-terrorism team of the Royal Malaysian Navy	UMP45	2006	<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
	Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Mexican Marines	_	_	<ref name="Montes">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Template:Flag	Regimiento Escolta Presidencial.	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Policja	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Portuguese Armed Forces	_	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Romanian Special Operations Forces	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Romanian Naval Forces special operations group (GNFOS)	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	72nd Brigade for Special Operations and 63rd Parachute Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	5th Special Forces Regiment of the Armed Forces of Slovak Republic	UMP9	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flagicon South Africa	National Intervention Unit - A special operations element of the South African Police Service (SAPS)	UMP9	_	<ref name="The Marikana Commission of Inquiry (Commission)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	Spanish Army	_	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:Flag	U.S. Border Patrol	UMP40	_	<ref name="humanevents">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Pentagon Force Protection Agency	UMP40	_	<ref name="Barry2010">Template:Cite news</ref>
	Henry County Police Department, Georgia	UMP40	_	<ref>Template:CitationTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
	Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department	UMP40	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Baltimore City Police Department	UMP40	_	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

Modern closed-bolt blowback submachine guns

• Beretta Mx4 Storm
• Brügger & Thomet APC
• CS/LS5
• CS/LS7
• PP-19-01 Vityaz
• Taurus SMT
• CZ Scorpion Evo 3
• Floro MK-9
• FAMAE SAF-200

External links

• 2008 Heckler & Koch Military and LE brochure
• Nazarian's Gun Recognition Guide – H&K UMP Demonstration (MOV)
• Modern Firearms: Heckler & Koch UMP