The Heckler and Koch MP5 is often considered one of the finest submachine guns ever produced. Yet, the FBI sought a more powerful version, which caught attention recently due to a social media post on Monday.
Some police officers in Alaska have been spotted using MP5/10s, and a post by influencer Mrgunsandgear highlighted it. Self-defense attorney Andrew Branca mentioned his experience firing an FBI MP5/10, calling it “great fun.”
Branca shared, “Years ago, I had the chance to shoot one when an FBI Special Agent had it in his trunk. It was a blast, honestly. Sorry to the taxpayers for using up your ammo—kind of, I guess.”
Now that’s a gun you don’t see cops using every day 👀 Reportedly a recent image of Alaska police rocking a rattlecanned 10mm Heckler & Koch MP5 wearing a suppressor, mag coupler, Midwest handguard, and Aimpoint red dot 👌🏽 Do I need a 10mm MP5? Yes. For what? Doesn’t matter. Where are all the MP5 clone factories making 10mm variants with last round bolt hold open? I feel like there’s a business opportunity here now with FRTs and silencers becoming more popular 🤫 #alaska #rural #cops #MP5 #10mm #MidwestIndustries #aimpoint #hecklerkoch #police #silencer #peltor
— Mrgunsngear (@Mrgunsngear) October 19, 2026
This firearm’s roots trace back to a significant shootout on April 11, 1986, between FBI agents and two men linked to several bank robberies. Tragically, agents Jerry Dove and Benjamin Grogan were killed, and five others were injured by one of the suspects, who himself had sustained a severe wound from a 9mm pistol. This was noted by Massad Ayoob, a well-known firearms expert, in an article from 1989.
In the aftermath, the FBI decided to adopt a new semiautomatic pistol: the Smith and Wesson 1076. This pistol fired a less powerful version of the 10mm Auto round, which had gained attention from the show “Miami Vice” thanks to Don Johnson’s character using the Bren Ten. They also requested a submachine gun that could handle the same round, prompting Heckler and Koch to design a new model.
The MP5/10 came into use in the early 1990s, effectively replacing modified Thompson submachine guns within the FBI. It functioned with a detachable thirty-round magazine and was designed to shoot both the reduced-velocity 10mm Auto and full-power loads, simply by changing one part, as per an armorer’s manual from Heckler and Koch.
Eventually, the MP5/10 was overshadowed by other firearms, such as AR-15 carbines. By December 2003, the Department of Justice had inked a five-year deal with Rock River Arms for a DEA/FBI Tactical Carbine, marking the decline of the MP5/10’s usage.
