For those of you that have a ZF-5 or another MP5 clone, congratulations on owning the most prominent roller-delayed blowback firearm the world has yet seen.
They are dependable and smooth-shooting, but firearm maintenance is the better part of platform reliability.
That being the case, keep these MP5 parts on hand if you don’t have them near your bench (or at least bookmark this website so you know where to get them when you need to replace them).
Keep a Spare Firing Pin or Two
There are a number of reasons that firing pins fail, and admittedly, the MP5 is not a failure-prone platform. However, this doesn’t mean parts don’t wear out at all.
Especially a hardworking part like a firing pin that gets slammed into a primer with each pull of the trigger. High-quality, properly tempered firing pins with consistent metallurgical composition can last through thousands if not tens of thousands of rounds, but still, they’re not failure-proof.
Two common breakdowns of firing pins include mushrooming and cracking. The latter is a bigger issue among high-quality components.
Poorly tempered firing pins can flatten out or “mushroom” over time. This increases their striking surface area which can make it impossible for them to fire a primer. Severe mushrooming can also prevent the firing pin from moving back and forth effectively in the bolt.
More often, firing pins develop cracks or just break after the repeated abuses of thousands of impacts catch up with them.
Fortunately, when they do break, the problem is relatively easy to diagnose, affordable to remedy, and even relatively easy to fix. Our ZF-5 firing pin kit, which is compatible with the ZF-5, MP5, and other similar roller-delayed platforms, is made of premium steel with a corrosion-resistant FNC (ferritic nitrocarburized) treatment and features a high-strength chrome silicon spring.
Upgrade Your Guide Rod
After the firing pin (before the firing pin, even, depending on whom you ask) the next failure-prone part just might be the recoil rod.
It contains a spring that is responsible for resetting the action once the spent cartridge has been ejected. Fatigued recoil springs can completely hamper cycling and resetting. In extreme cases, a fatigued recoil rod won’t even be able to return enough energy into the bolt to close it all the way.
Moreover, even for well-maintained guns, a fatigued recoil spring is a matter of “when” and not “if.”
Springs will fatigue sooner the harder you are on the gun and the more rounds you put through it, but if you fire it at all, it is a part you’ll eventually need to replace.
Our ZF-5 guide rod assembly (which is compatible with the ZF-5, MP5, SP5, and other full-size roller-delayed 9mm platforms) is made in the U.S.A., machined from high-quality steel, and is finished with a manganese-phosphate coating for resistance to corrosion and wear. It is a high-cycle spring that is also capable of handling the rigors of full-auto firing and high-pressure loads.
That is, it’s durable, reliable, and strong – exactly the sort of thing you’ll want to replace your factory spring with when it fatigues.
Replace a Shot-Out Barrel
Everyone thinks of replacing springs; not so many shooters think about replacing a barrel. You might think of a barrel as a permanent fixture on a rifle or handgun, but the truth is, it’s not.
Just like a spring, a barrel will wear down over time, albeit by different processes. Whereas springs fatigue and can no longer load with and release energy efficiently, barrels physically wear down.
This occurs over time as each successive bullet in contact with the lands of the rifling literally “scrapes away” some of it. Progressively, the rifling in a barrel will erode, eventually to the point that it affects accuracy. A barrel whose rifling has worn down to this point is called “shot-out.”
Now, this usually takes well over 10,000 rounds before it can become noticeable, and for many recreational shooters of repeaters, they just might never get there.
But with a semi-automatic platform like an MP5 or even potentially a full-auto configuration, it’s easier to hit that number than you think, especially with the general affordability of 9mm ammo. Ten thousand rounds seem like a lot until you get there and your shots start to wander on the target.
Fortunately, our ZF-5 barrel, which is compatible with the ZF-5, MP5, and other similar 9mm roller-delayed platforms, is cold hammer forged from mil-spec 4150 CMV steel. It features a ferritic nitrocarburized treatment (FNC) which is corrosion-resistant and abrasion-resistant as well as long-lasting, and the barrel features a three-lug, threaded muzzle that can accept a wide range of muzzle devices (like an MP5 flash hider).
Solve Ejection Woes
A fatigued ejector spring or a missing ejector can cripple almost any platform, especially autoloaders like the ZF-5. Without an ejector, congrats, you’re firing a fancy repeater that isn’t even easy to cycle!
If your ejector is deformed or the spring is fatigued, get a new ZF-5 ejector kit. The ejector is made from premium steel with a manganese-phosphate coating and comes with a durable chrome silicon wire spring.
They’re also compatible with the MP5, SP5, MP5K, SP-89, SP5LK, MPSSD, and other similar 9mm roller-delayed platforms.
Takedown Pins (Keep Your MP5 Stock and Handguard Secure)
Takedown pins are not exactly exciting MP5 parts, but they do serve a very specific, very important function. They secure the MP5 stock, the handguard, and the lower grips, and if you need them, you need them. You can’t assemble the gun without them.
Whether you need a new large takedown pin to secure your MP5 stock or a smaller one to secure the handguard or lower grip (or both) we carry them. They’re made from premium steel in the United States and are very affordable.
Need Other MP5 Parts?
If you don’t think these MP5 parts will solve whatever issue you’re having with your MP5, ZF-5, or another similar MP5 clone, please feel free to get in touch with us at [email protected] or at 434-202-7790. We’ll help you get to the bottom of it.