Heckler & Koch UMP9
Heckler & Koch · Submachine Gun · In Production · 1999
Also known as: Universal Machine Pistol, UMP-9, UMP 9mm
Overview
The UMP9 (Universal Machine Pistol, 9mm) is Heckler & Koch's 9x19mm-chambered submachine gun, developed in the late 1990s as a cheaper, lighter, and more modular alternative to the venerable MP5. Where the MP5 uses a precision-machined steel receiver and roller-delayed blowback action, the UMP relies on a polymer lower with a simple straight blowback action operating from a closed bolt, giving up some of the MP5's silky-smooth recoil impulse in exchange for cost, weight, and ease of manufacture.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2295 g (81.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 690 mm (27.17") |
| Folded Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Barrel Length | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Height | 280 mm (11.02") |
| Width | 61 mm (2.40") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 366 m/s (1201 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 500 J (369 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 650 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Polymer Matte |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic, Burst 2
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Ambidextrous Selector, Bolt Catch
- Features: Side Folding Stock, Picatinny Rails, Closed Bolt Operation, Ambidextrous Controls, Polymer Lower Receiver, Modular Caliber Conversion
Variants
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Latvian Army
- Spanish Army
- United States Customs and Border Protection
- Pentagon Force Protection Agency
- Mexican Naval Infantry
- PASKAL
- National Gendarmerie
Conflicts
- Iraq War (early insurgency) (2003-2007)
- Mexican Drug War (2006-present)
- War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
Production
Production years: 1999-present
H&K does not publish production figures; the UMP family has seen broader law-enforcement adoption than military, with the .45 ACP variant most popular in the United States.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Heckler & Koch design team
Notes
Caliber can be converted between 9x19mm, .40 S&W and .45 ACP by swapping barrel, bolt and magazine. Available with either 4-position burst (012D) or 2-position (01) trigger groups.
Background
The UMP was H&K's deliberate move down-market to compete with the FN P90 and other modern PDWs while replacing the MP5's expensive machined-steel construction with cost-effective polymer. Despite the engineering pedigree, the MP5 has stubbornly outsold the UMP in tier-one units, leaving the UMP as something of a 'budget MP5' loved by border police and naval boarding teams.