Suppressing Roller Delayed Guns: The MP5 and Beyond
Travis Pike
The MP5 holds the title of king of the submachine guns. HK struck gold at the right time by releasing a closed bolt, roller delayed SMG. It quickly rose to the top spot with SWAT teams, Special Operations forces, and counter-terrorism teams.
The popularity of the gun cannot be denied. Over time, numerous semi-auto-only rifle and pistol variants have occupied the hands of civilians who want the king of 9mm subguns. One of the big benefits of the MP5 is how well it suppresses. This led me to start hunting for the best MP5 suppressor.
In tracking down the best MP5 suppressor, I had to consider caliber. The standard MP5 is a 9mm gun, but as we know, nothing stays standard. Then, I began to think about all the other roller-delayed guns in the MP5 family and how they remain popular today. Don’t they deserve to be suppressed? I decided they did and expanded my hunt to include other roller-delayed firearms.
In choosing my picks, I weighed three factors. First and arguably most important is how quiet the suppressor can make your MP5 or other roller-delayed gun. Second, the suppressor had to make sense on the weapon. A big, hefty suppressor on a super compact 9mm gun doesn’t make sense. Finally, it had to work well with roller-delayed systems. These systems have their own reliability needs and gas blowback issues, but luckily, they tend to suppress reliably.
Here are my picks for the best MP5 suppressor and the best suppressor picks for all manner of roller-delayed weapons.
The Best Suppressors For Roller Delayed Guns
- Spectre 9
- Omega 45K
- Switchback 22
- Velos LBP 5.56
- Velos LBP 7.62
The Best MP5 Suppressor: SilencerCo Spectre 9
There are lots of different types of MP5s, but the most significant difference one could have is a full auto model or a semi-auto-only gun. Full auto samples exist in civilian hands but are typically in the realm of military and police.
With that ringing around in my head, I went with a suppressor that made sense for both types of MP5. The Spectre 9 is a 9mm titanium suppressor that is fully auto-rated. It’s so tough that it can withstand supersonic .300 Blackout.
The full auto rating is important, but it’s not everything. The Spectre 9 also fits the role of the MP5 well. The MP5 is short, lightweight, and designed for close quarters. The Spectre 9’s titanium construction ensures it is lightweight, and at only 3.9 ounces, it’s barely noticeable. The can measures out to 4.76 inches, so it doesn’t make your short and sweet firearm much longer.
As for sound suppression, the Spectre 9 drives the noise of a 9mm projectile down to 132.7 dB. That’s an impressive degree of performance, especially for a can that’s this short.
One of the other benefits is the three-lug compatibility. The 3-lug is the traditional choice for MP5 muzzle devices, so you can run your gun exactly as the Germans intended you to.
The Best 10mm MP5 Suppressor: Omega 45K
When the FBI adopted 10mm in 1990, they wanted a submachine gun that would match their handgun. They tried a few but settled on the MP5.
This new MP5/10 has remained a popular choice amongst MP5 enthusiasts, and several high-end MP5 makers produce MP5/10 designs. Those guns are powerful, accurate, flat-shooting, and loud. How do we make them a little quieter? With an Omega 45K.
The Omega 45K has 45 in the name, but the suppressor is rated to function with 10mm, and it’s completely safe to do so. If you have one of the fairly rare 10mm MP5s that are fully auto-rated, then the Omega 45K is for you because it’s fully auto-rated.
The second part of the name — K — relates to the suppressor being compact, which makes sense on an MP5. The suppressor is 6.37 inches and weighs 10 ounces. It’s about as short and light as possible for the powerful 10mm cartridge.
The 10mm offers many subsonic options that will work well with the Omega 45K to drive the volume down efficiently. A suppressed 10mm subgun is tough to beat for defensive use and an excellent tool for law enforcement.
The Best MP5 .22LR Suppressor: Switchback 22
Right off the bat, I will be honest: the various .22LR MP5s aren’t real MP5s. They are direct blowback instead of roller delayed. You can’t create a roller delayed .22LR due to the cartridge’s lack of power.
These guns are just so popular that I wanted to include them for the fun they offer. As far as guns go, a suppressed .22LR has to be one of the more enjoyable to shoot. Top your MP5-wannabee .22LR with a Switchback 22, and you’ll have a blast at the range.
The Switchback 22 is a modular suppressor that lets you change the size of the can to make it shorter and lighter or longer and quieter. Mix the right length with the right cartridge, and you can get a quiet and fun gun to shoot.
In my experience, with the right suppressor and ammo, you can get a .22LR MP5 clone as quiet as an air gun. The Switchback 22 drives the volume down to 108 dBs. This is very comfortable and soft shooting.
For new shooters, an MP5 equipped with a Switchback 22 suppressor is the perfect cure for the anxiety new shooters feel.
The Best Roller Delayed 5.56 Suppressor: Velos LBP 5.56
Rifle-caliber roller-delayed guns get a nasty rap. Admittedly, these are very gassy guns. My first time firing the new Zenith ZF-56 wasn’t pleasant due to the choice of suppressor. Getting choked out by gas isn’t enjoyable, and you’ll want to stop shooting before you get through half a magazine. If you have an HK33 clone of some type of the new Zenith ZF-56, do yourself a favor and get the Velos LBP 5.56.
The LBP in Velos LBP stands for low back pressure. This revolutionary suppressor has been specifically designed to reduce the back pressure created by a suppressor. These roller-delayed blowback guns need the power of the LBP to even be remotely pleasant to shoot. Low back pressure isn’t the only thing this can do for you.
It can reduce the noise of your 5.56 rifle to 149.8 dBs. The substantial cut in noise and gas will make your favorite 5.56 caliber roller-dyed weapon a whole heckuva lot more pleasant to shoot.
Don’t forget that it’s less than five inches long and only weighs 12.4 ounces. This makes it a perfect match for a light, intermediate-caliber rifle.
The Best Roller Delayed .308 Suppressor: Velos LBP 7.62
The only roller-delayed gun second to the MP5 in popularity is the .308 caliber gun based on the classic G3 battle rifle. HK made the 91 series as semi-auto rifles, and PTR famously produced the PTR 91 rifles that opened up the roller-delayed .308 rifle market to the masses.
These rifles are big, hefty guns that shoot a full-powered rifle caliber. They are loud. But they don’t have to be. Much like the 5.56 variant, the .308 roller-delayed guns can shoot so much gas in your face that you’ll want to tap out early.
Not only that, but as .308 rifles, they have some hefty recoil, and a suppressor can not only quiet things down but also reduce recoil. To avoid the gas blast to the face, the Velos LBP 7.62 is the way to go. It reduces the gas thrown in your face while reducing the volume of a .308 to 138.5 dBs.
It’s not a small suppressor, but to be fair, the G3-type rifles aren’t small. The rifle is 6.4 inches long and weighs 16.5 ounces in total. Even though it’s a bit longer and heavier than the 5.56 variant, it’s still not overly long or heavy. That size and weight are clearly shown in the suppressor performance.
Roller-Delayed Suppression
Roller-delayed rifles and pistols present an interesting challenge. This challenge can be overcome by smart shopping, which requires a little bit of research.
A good MP5 suppressor is easy to find these days, but it’s not the only roller-delayed platform that benefits from a suppressor. Finding a way to cut noise and recoil while balancing the needs and requirements of the roller-delayed platforms gives you an overall better experience, and any of the suppressors on this list will give you that experience.
Travis Pike
