PSA to Unveil MP5 Line at SHOT Show
If like me, you’re a fan of roller-delayed firearms, there’s reason to be very excited. In an apparent confirmation of industry rumors, Palmetto State Armory revealed Tuesday night on AR15.com that they intend to unveil a new line of MP5-style pistols and rifles at SHOT Show later this month.
There are plenty of interesting angles to this announcement, not the least of which is the fact that PSA chose to drop the news rather unceremoniously on a gun forum. You may recall that roughly two years ago, news started to circle that PTR Industries, also a South Carolina company and well known for their HK91 clones, was working on a 9mm gun. I was able to verify that fact with them while at the 2016 NRA Annual Meetings and followed up again last year at SHOT Show. Since then, there’s been little-to-no news on the development efforts. Given the close proximity of the two companies, it makes sense that they could have partnered for such a release. PTR has formed similar arrangements in the past, particularly with Century Arms, to whom they supplied parts for the C308 line. If I hear anything on this front, I’ll be sure to pass it along.
Update: PSA has stated that PTR did not have any involvement in this project.
Another indicator that this might happen came earlier this year when PSA blew out true German-made MP5 magazines for $40 apiece. It was an unexpected deal that didn’t naturally align with many of their AR-centric sale items.
So what does PSA’s involvement mean for pricing? That’s still to be determined. Some, rather enthusiastic, gun owners feel that we could see sub-$1,000 MP5s. That’s certainly possible, but given the complexity of the firearm, I doubt we will see them too far below that mark. When PTR’s development efforts became public, I had a long conversation with Blaine Bunting, owner of Atlantic Firearms and one of the top sellers of PTR products. At that time, he told me that he did not believe PTR would be able to produce and sell their MP5s at the $1,000 price point and instead indicated that somewhere around $1,300 or $1,400 would be more reasonable. This estimate was largely based on the price of surplus MP5 parts and the fact that PTR would likely use such components in their builds (as they have with the PTR-91 rifles).
If it is indeed true that PSA and PTR have partnered for this release, the above could still hold true, but it may not. When PSA acquired Kalashnikov-maker DDI last year, DDI’s management expressed excitement that they would gain access to PSA’s immense production capacity. The hope was that the arrangement would allow DDI and PSA to jointly release affordable, quality, US-made AKs in strong enough numbers to keep the rifles on shelves. Early teething issues notwithstanding, they’ve mostly kept to their words on this matter. I mean, where else are you going to find a working $575 AK with a proper side folding stock? You simply aren’t. If anyone is capable of bringing the same sort of treatment to the MP5, PSA’s track record speaks for itself.
I’ll be following this news closely over the next two weeks leading up to SHOT and will be certain to check these out at the show.
An information security professional by day and gun blogger by night, Nathan started his firearms journey at 16 years old as a collector of C&R rifles. These days, you’re likely to find him shooting something a bit more modern – and usually equipped with a suppressor – but his passion for firearms with military heritage has never waned. Over the last five years, Nathan has written about a variety of firearms topics, including Second Amendment politics and gun and gear reviews. When he isn’t shooting or writing, Nathan nerds out over computers, 3D printing, and Star Wars.