Colion Noir is one of the most impassioned and eloquent voices in the fight to preserve our fundamental rights.
You may know him and just not be aware of it. He has prominently spoken on behalf of the NRA and has been featured in several promotional NRA news videos in the past ten years.
He is also a lawyer and an activist and he runs his own YouTube channel. If you’ve never seen it, consider checking it out. He is eye-opening, insightful, and thought-provoking.
He also reviewed our American-made MP5. Here’s what he had to say about it.
The Review: An American-Made MP5 Without the Price Tag
If you watch the video, which hits hard and heavy right out of the gate with the man himself emptying a mag on a target before rushing around the back of a vehicle, dropping the mag, loading a new mag and aggressively charging it with a curt slap of the charging handle, you can get the full scoop.
Here are some of the high level takeaways.
One of his first remarks is that the Zenith ZF-5 looks pretty much just like an HK MP5. Who are we to argue? We designed it that way.
He also gets into the difference between a “poor man’s version of something” and the “real thing.”
He is quick to call out the stipulation. A “poor man’s version” of something implies that, when direct scrutiny is applied, the illusion of similarity breaks down.
Our American-made MP5 looks, feels, and operates like the real thing. Not like an impostor, and certainly not like a “cheap” fake. Affordable it may be, but cheap and affordable are not the same thing.
Also, pretty much everything about our ZF-5 is made in America. That is something else Noir points out – but we’d like to add that this is a bonus for 922r parts and compliance. (Learn more about this code and its implications via the previous link.)
Something that Noir also points out is that many other MP5 clones are completed with what he calls an “ashy finish.” That may be the case, and the HK MP5 itself is nearly 60 years old, but it doesn’t mean new guns that emulate it should look old.
That is to say, a brand new British Land Pattern musket shouldn’t look three hundred years old just because that’s when the model originated. A thing doesn’t need to look old solely because it is designed after something that isn’t new anymore.
Our American-made MP5 has a deep black, glossy finish that gives them a much fresher appearance, making it look much less “dated” than many other clones.
While Noir made a few adjustments to the platform (including a new handguard and stock) he commented that he forgot it wasn’t the real thing pretty quickly.
He also commented that everything about this American-made MP5 is the same as the original HK MP5, with the exception of a few different traits that, he says (and we agree) might even be called better.
Here are some of the main points he noted in his review:
- The extended fire selector switch: Our fire selector switch is easier to access and more ergonomic than the tiny factory selector switch on the original MP5.
- The magazines: Our MP5 magazines feature all-steel construction with a electroplated finish that resists corrosion and are easy to clean. They also have steel followers, high-strength springs, and round count indicator holes at the back.
- How it shoots: Our ZF-5 is made in America, but we’ve captured all of the details and operability faithfully, including (especially) the roller-delayed blowback action that is smooth-shooting, and, as Noir puts it, “has that same magic.” While not covered expressly in the video, the design of the ZF-5 is better at feeding hollow-point ammo than the original MP5, which some might consider a bonus.
- The trigger: Our MP5 trigger group captures the likeness of the original, down to the sponginess, which, even though some shooters hate it, preserves the HK MP5 shooting experience. As Noir notes, some shooters and collectors are willing to pay a premium for originality, and that is something the ZF-5 does well.
- The finish: Noir also comments on the completeness of the finish, which is evident when loading a mag and charging the gun, down to the welding marks, which he calls “extremely minimal.”
This is an MP5 clone that, thanks to its price tag and availability, makes the HK MP5 more available to more people around the country – and that’s something that we here at Zenith Firearms are proud to report.
In sum, Noir calls our American-made MP5 the “MP5 for for people who don’t want to pay MP5 money for an actual HK MP5.”
Amen.
If you’re interested in Colion Noir’s full review of our ZF-5, please check out the previous link.
Pick Up Some MP5 Parts and Accessories
If you’ve got various other parts and MP5 accessories that are not made in America and you’re trying to keep compliant with 922r parts, check out our collection of MP5 parts and accessories.
We carry a wide range of American-made MP5 parts that are 922r compliant and which are compatible with our ZF-5 and variants, as well as with the original HK MP5 and variants, in addition to other 9mm roller-delayed blowback firearms.
Our collection includes polymer handguards, trigger housings, barrels, magazines, rails, stocks, and parts and hardware like extractors, ejectors, pins, and springs. Traditionally all of our parts are black but we now offer some MP5 parts in FDE – check the previous link for details.
If you’re interested in the ZF-5 or any of the parts or accessories we sell but have questions before buying anything, get in touch with us directly. You can reach us via email at [email protected] or by phone at 434-202-7790.
Also, make sure you sign up with us before buying. If you sign up via the link at the bottom left of your screen, you can claim 5% off non-clearance sale purchases.