Heckler & Koch UMP
Encyclopedia
The UMP is a submachine gun
developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch
. The UMP has been adopted by various agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
. Heckler & Koch developed the UMP as a successor to the MP5
, though both remain in production.
submachine gun firing from a closed bolt
. As originally designed, the UMP is chambered for larger cartridge
s than other submachine guns like the MP5
, to provide more stopping power
against unarmored targets (with a slightly lower effective range) than the 9x19mm MP5 provides. A larger cartridge produces more recoil, and makes control more difficult in fully automatic
firing. To mitigate this, the cyclic rate of fire
was reduced to 650 rounds/min (600 rounds/min for the UMP45), which makes it one of the slower firing submachine guns on the market.
The UMP9 (the 9x19mm version of the UMP) is almost 0.45 kg (almost 1 lb) lighter than its MP5 counterpart. Its predominantly polymer
construction reduces both its weight and the number of parts susceptible to corrosion.
The UMP is available in four trigger group configurations, featuring different combinations of semi-automatic
, 2-round burst, fully automatic, and safe settings. It features a side-folding buttstock
to reduce its length during transport. When the last round of the UMP is fired, the bolt locks open, and can be released via a catch on the left side. The standard viewing sights comprise an aperture rear sight and a front ring with a vertical post. It can mount four Picatinny rail
s (one on top of the receiver
, and one on the right, left, and the bottom of the handguard
) for the attachment of accessories such as optical sights, flashlight
s, or laser sights. Vertical foregrips can be attached to the bottom rail for increased controllability during burst and automatic fire.
cartridge; the UMP40, firing a .40 S&W
cartridge; and the UMP9, firing a 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. Apart from the different chambering, all versions feature the same basic design, the most noticeable difference being the curved magazine used on the UMP9 (whereas the UMP40 and UMP45 use a straight magazine). All three versions of the weapon can be converted to any of the available chamberings via replacement of the bolt
, barrel
, and magazine.
The USC or Universal Self-loading Carbine is a semi-automatic version of the UMP that is available to private citizens for sporting purposes. It was designed following the Assault Weapons Ban
of 1994 in the United States and conforms to those standards. Changes from the original UMP include a "thumbhole" type stock and grip (versus the pistol grip of the UMP, though aesthetically there is little difference), longer barrel (no flash suppressor), limited 10-round magazine, and semi-automatic only trigger group and action. Originally available in gray, as of early 2007 the USC comes only in an all-black finish.
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
. The UMP has been adopted by various agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
. Heckler & Koch developed the UMP as a successor to the MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, though both remain in production.
Design details
The UMP is a blowback operated, magazine-fedMagazine (firearm)
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device within or attached to a repeating firearm. Magazines may be integral to the firearm or removable . The magazine functions by moving the cartridges stored in the magazine into a position where they may be loaded into the chamber by the action...
submachine gun firing from a closed bolt
Closed bolt
A semi or full-automatic firearm which is said to fire from a closed bolt is one where, when ready to fire, a round is in the chamber and the bolt and working parts are forward...
. As originally designed, the UMP is chambered for larger cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
s than other submachine guns like the MP5
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....
, to provide more stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
against unarmored targets (with a slightly lower effective range) than the 9x19mm MP5 provides. A larger cartridge produces more recoil, and makes control more difficult in fully automatic
Automatic firearm
An automatic firearm is a firearm that loads another round mechanically after the first round has been fired.The term can be used to refer to semi-automatic firearms, which fire one shot per single pull of the trigger , or fully automatic firearms, which will continue to load and fire ammunition...
firing. To mitigate this, the cyclic rate of fire
Rate of fire
Rate of fire is the frequency at which a specific weapon can fire or launch its projectiles. It is usually measured in rounds per minute , or per second .-Overview:...
was reduced to 650 rounds/min (600 rounds/min for the UMP45), which makes it one of the slower firing submachine guns on the market.
The UMP9 (the 9x19mm version of the UMP) is almost 0.45 kg (almost 1 lb) lighter than its MP5 counterpart. Its predominantly polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
construction reduces both its weight and the number of parts susceptible to corrosion.
The UMP is available in four trigger group configurations, featuring different combinations of semi-automatic
Semi-automatic firearm
A semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a weapon which performs all steps necessary to prepare the weapon to fire again after firing—assuming cartridges remain in the weapon's feed device or magazine...
, 2-round burst, fully automatic, and safe settings. It features a side-folding buttstock
Stock (firearm)
A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, to which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached, that is held against one's shoulder when firing the gun. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a...
to reduce its length during transport. When the last round of the UMP is fired, the bolt locks open, and can be released via a catch on the left side. The standard viewing sights comprise an aperture rear sight and a front ring with a vertical post. It can mount four Picatinny rail
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail or MIL-STD-1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail or a "Tactical Rail" is a bracket used on some firearms in order to provide a standardized mounting platform. A similar system is the Weaver rail mount.-Description:...
s (one on top of the receiver
Receiver (firearms)
In firearms terminology, the receiver is the part of a firearm that houses the operating parts. The receiver usually contains the bolt carrier group, trigger group, and magazine port. In most handguns, the receiver, or frame, holds the magazine well or rotary magazine as well as the trigger mechanism...
, and one on the right, left, and the bottom of the handguard
Forearm (firearm component)
In firearms, the forearm is a section of the weapon between the receiver and the muzzle. It is used to hold the firearm steady and is usually made out of wood or composite material...
) for the attachment of accessories such as optical sights, flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
s, or laser sights. Vertical foregrips can be attached to the bottom rail for increased controllability during burst and automatic fire.
Variants
There are three versions of the UMP: the UMP45, firing a .45 ACP.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
cartridge; the UMP40, firing a .40 S&W
.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
cartridge; and the UMP9, firing a 9x19mm Parabellum cartridge. Apart from the different chambering, all versions feature the same basic design, the most noticeable difference being the curved magazine used on the UMP9 (whereas the UMP40 and UMP45 use a straight magazine). All three versions of the weapon can be converted to any of the available chamberings via replacement of the bolt
Bolt (firearm)
A bolt is a mechanical part of a firearm that blocks the rear of the chamber while the propellant burns.In manually-operated firearms, such as bolt-action, lever-action, and pump-action rifles and shotguns, the bolt is held fixed by its locking lugs during firing, forcing all the expanding gas...
, barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
, and magazine.
The USC or Universal Self-loading Carbine is a semi-automatic version of the UMP that is available to private citizens for sporting purposes. It was designed following the Assault Weapons Ban
Federal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
of 1994 in the United States and conforms to those standards. Changes from the original UMP include a "thumbhole" type stock and grip (versus the pistol grip of the UMP, though aesthetically there is little difference), longer barrel (no flash suppressor), limited 10-round magazine, and semi-automatic only trigger group and action. Originally available in gray, as of early 2007 the USC comes only in an all-black finish.
Users
| Country | Organization name | Model | Quantity | Date | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia |
New South Wales Police Force Tactical Operations Unit | UMP40 | _ | _ | |
| New South Wales Department of Corrective Services Hostage Response Group Hostage Response Group The Hostage Response Group is the tactical and special operations unit of the New South Wales Department of Corrective Services.Across New South Wales Corrective Services facilities have their own Immediate Action Teams , and larger 'on-call' Regional Security Units and the K9 units for major... |
UMP40 | _ | _ | ||
 Georgia (country) |
Georgian Special Forces | UMP-45 | _ | _ | |
 Jordan |
Jordanian Special Operations Forces | _ | _ | _ | |
 Latvia |
Latvian Army | UMP9 | _ | _ | |
 Malaysia |
Special Task And Rescue Special Task And Rescue The Special Task And Rescue or STAR is an elite counter-terrorism and special forces of Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency established to protect a local maritime assets of Malaysia. The team were started operating with minimum memberships with one Malaysian Maritime senior officer and one... counter-terrorism team of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency , the Malaysian Coast Guard version, is the principal government agency tasked with maintaining law and order and coordinating search and rescue operations in the Malaysian Maritime Zone and on the high seas. It is in effect the Coast Guard of Malaysia... |
UMP9 | _ | _ | |
 Mexico |
Mexican Marines Mexican Naval Infantry The Naval Infantry are the marine corps and amphibious infantry force of the Mexican Navy. The main task of the Infantería de Marina is to guarantee the maritime security of the country's ports and external and internal defense of the country, to accomplish these responsibilities the corps is... |
_ | _ | _ | |
 Kingdom of Romania |
Land Forces Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the force.The Romanian Land Forces were founded on... special operations battalions |
UMP9 | _ | _ | |
 Serbia |
Special Brigade Special Brigade The Special Brigade is the main and the most elite special forces unit of the Serbian Land Forces. It consist from counter-terrorist, recon units, commando units, paratroopers and diving units.... of the Serbian Army Serbian Army -Objectives:The Serbian Army is responsible for:* deterring armed threats* defending Serbia's territory* participation in peacekeeping operations* providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief-Personnel:... |
UMP9 | _ | _ | |
 Slovakia |
5th Special Forces Regiment of the Armed Forces of Slovak Republic | _ | _ | _ | |
 Thailand |
Royal Thai Navy SEALs Royal Thai Navy SEALs The Underwater Demolition Assault Unit of the Royal Thai Navy is a 144-man special operations force within the Military of Thailand. The unit is colloquially known as หน่วยซีล, the Thai language word for Seals as in the pinniped animals... |
UMP9 | _ | _ | |
 United States |
U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the... |
UMP40 | _ | _ | |
| Pentagon Force Protection Agency Pentagon Force Protection Agency The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is a civilian Defense Agency within the Department of Defense charged with protecting and safeguarding the occupants, visitors, and infrastructure of the Pentagon, Navy Annex and other assigned Pentagon facilities.This mission is accomplished with law... |
UMP40 | _ | _ |