@@activecamoflage6649 I would argue that a GPMG is still portable. I think we need to get up into M2HB territory or at least Maxim territory before something stops being "portable." :D
Hi Jonathan, I was actually trained on this configuration. The way it is deployed is: left-hand carry with the muzzle pointing BACKWARDS; drop the case; bring the gun up holding the handle whilst swinging it around into muzzle forward position and to eye level; putting your right hand on the pistol grip and trigger, aim and fire.
Underrated comment. This is the right way ^ lefthand carry (for righthanded shooter) but pistol grip forward. Drop the case away and swing up and around into the right hand, transfer left hand to foregrip.
From the point of number of hand transfers both ways are identical - carrying hand lifts, free hand grabs its grip, carrying hand transfer to its grip. You can see that that description applies to both situations. People are more used to hold their gun with one hand only using the pistol grip - not by the front grip - so I think this helps in overall speeding up the initial sight picture acquisition Also you can potentialy start shooting before you transfer your left carrying hand to the front grip if in totally dire situation - thus being even faster. Especially if trained to shoot from the hip as Jonathan claimed the manual proposed.
I was only familiar with the briefcase MP5 that was actually fired inside the briefcase rather than something that quick drops. This design does seem a lot more practical.
It seems like the gun itself is a lot less unwieldy in action, but the accountants can't have been happy about the much-increased chances that operatives would lose their very expensive spy briefcases. :)
One thing I love about channels like this is that there is no rivalry they freely refer and mention each other when someone has done a similar video or breakdown
FINALLY some gun range action!!! 😎 Jonathan, you're the most bad ass gun nut ever 🤣😎 I vote for Jonathan Ferguson as the next Q in the next Bond movie!
Hey, nice to see people giving a shout out to The Armourer's Bench. Criminally underrated content, and if you like this, chances are you'll like some of their stuff too.
"Zerfallkoffer" would be closer to "fall apart suitcase" but "break away case" isn't far off so either would be good. As for pronounciation, the german Z at the start of the word is a hard z - much closer to a [ts]-sound (like in Tsunami or like "the explosive hiss sound of a snake") but aside from that the pronounciation is excellent. The pronounciation of "Schießkoffer" is pretty much flawless.
I took a couple of semesters of German in college, and one day we talked about the spelling reform that got rid of ß. One of the slides showed a probably-unintended consequence of the change, which was that places formerly named things like "Weißstrasse" (White Street) became "Weissstrasse", which is, with the best will in the world, quite silly.
Regarding the transition from carrying to shooting. Without handling the gun, the way of carrying suggested by the manual makes sense to me in way: If there's an immediate danger, you get your hand on the trigger without having to pass the grip at first, enabling quick firing while the other hand is still on the top handle. It's probably not very accurate or comfortable, but could have you spewing fire a tad quicker in the direction of the engagement.
I had a play with one of these once in the very early 1990's and never saw or heard of it again. The RMP had it for CP duties. No idea how many were in service in the UK or if it was just for demo. The drill as I was told, was apparently to carry in left hand, drop case, keep hold of the carrying handle and get off the first burst before swapping to front grip. I do remember you needed a grip of iron to depress the release.
The RMP never used the ops case for the MP5K as they never had any reason to be covertly armed when protecting embassy staff - it's on or its not, if you think you will need a long weapon then let them see you mean business, the MP5K was used because it fitted in a vehicle well but it wasnt liked that well. 14 Int had MP5 PDWs with the folding stock but they just stuck them inside a walkers day sack for concealment. This thing was aimed squarely at European markets where there were concerns with the Red Brigades and the Mafia going after business leaders and judges.
@@zoiders I'm guessing the one I saw was for demo or evaluation then. It was amongst a few other standard MP5Ks and MP5s. Might even have been the one Jonathon had on the video. The RMP bods didn't say when or how it was deployed other than it was for CP.
@@dr_dr HK probably sent it to them for free hoping they might buy more. Being useless yet cool to look at they probably decided to put it on one of the demonstration stands for a giggle. The Hk53 was the preferred bang stick as it just had a lot more poke at close range for getting through car windows and doors while being no bigger than the MP5A3.
0:04 when Bob has stolen from the office fridge for the last time. also, real nice shirt, they should add nother line on the name card, connoisseur of dandy shirts, and cool briefcases.
I knew this existed! I saw a German language documentary on the GSG-9 unit. There was a spot in it where two of their operators in some sort of action demonstration as they sprung into action by deploying this particular MP5K setup and weirdly enough, they grasped the forward grip in an upside-down hold as they fired them. The documentary is here in UA-cam.
Very interesting, thanks - the manual I saw that recommended the left-hand hold showed a conventional grip when deployed. Then again it was military, not police. I'd be grateful if you could send the link to our enquiries address or via FB :)
That comes out so fast, its kind of terrifying. I'm surprised I've only seen this style of concealment in Ghost in the Shell, it's highly cinematic, practical or not.
The MP5K is my favorite submachine gun! I first saw the MP5K when I was eleven years old when I first saw it in "Die Hard 2" and it's been my favorite submachine gun ever since!
I hadn't seen this one before. I knew about the operational briefcase, but this is actually a lot more practical. A semiautomatic version with no foregrip would also be legal to carry for Americans with concealed carry permits, since it would technically be a pistol. The original operational briefcase would be classed as an "Any Other Weapon" because it can be fired in its disguised configuration. This one can only be fired when it is outside the briefcase, meaning the case is just the equivalent of a holster.
@@d.o.g573 I don't see why a judge would even be involved unless you committed a crime with it. It's not illegal to carry a concealed handgun as long as you have a permit, or are in a permitless state.
@@thepenultimateninja5797When it comes to the discussion whether _anything_ is legal it always boils down to whether a judge (or jury) would say it is. Courts decide what the law means. There's of course also the interpretation of the police, which matters a lot in practice, but you can challenge that in court if it's really important for you.
Carrying left makes sense because you can have your shooting hand on the pistol grip the moment the case breakes away, so you can start firing even with your left hand still on the case grip if every second counts. Then you can switch your left hand to the foregrip. You have one less transition before the first shot. So the manual is plausible.
Another reason for the left hand drill, that is the side of the body one would be expected to carry a briefcase (leaves the right hand free for doing more important things like shaking hands) you don't want to be swapping hands or standing out with this kind of weapon
I think that, since your right hand has higher motor function than your left, it would be a slight bit quicker to do it as the manual says, as you can grab it quicker. And you already have a general idea where your right hand wants to hold a gun, whereas the left usually just follows suit. Just my thoughts. This would, obviously, be reversed for left handers.
Carry it left handed but with the muzzle pointing to the rear. Bring it up to fire by dropping the case and bringing it up across your body. Keep hold of the carry handle with your left and then grasp the pistol grip with your right hand and push the safety/change lever all the way down to "A". Lean into it with your weight then have at it.
I actually tried this with an old briefcase (yes I'm that old) minus the internal weapon. Your technique works well, but I found it just as smooth and fast to carry it muzzle forward and bring the case directly across. I also think that this motion would be less noticeable, as it mimics the swing of your arm when checking your wrist watch. Carrying the case in your firing hand and then supporting the weapon with the front grip as you transition is just something I've never done and would be awkward, as the weapon is now supported well forward of its center of gravity.
@@macsandsquid528 If you do it my way you don't break your grip at any stage and you can get your left elbow down and your weight over the muzzle in the old hip assault position. It also replicates the motion of checking the time on your watch while carrying a brief case.
@@zoiders Okay, now I'm understanding your grip. So I just modified my "pistol style" A4 with an old school A4 top mount. It would take some work, but I hate hate hate hip firing (I mean, use a grenade if that's your goal. That's just as accurate and easier to conceal if a little bit messier). I'll take the hand switch for more accuracy and control any day and twice on Sundays.
The example of the fire-inside-case version in the Dutch army museum has a big white dab of tipp-ex in front of the carry handle, as a visual reminder which side is the front. Just figured I’d share that info on a field modification. I dunno how common it was, but hey, it’s not every day I get to be the one sharing info on a firearm…
For stylized variants of this and the Mateba, check the brilliant 1995 anime Ghost In The Shell. Yes, "Fallkoffer" means breakaway case, or literally "drop case". People often ask me what "Heckler and Koch" means and I used to answer "Nothing, they're just two very ordinary family names." That's not right, since family names often refer to a location or a profession. Heckler & Koch means "Lumberjack and Cook".
Ich glaube du hast Jonathan missverstanden.😅 Das gute Stück heißt Zerfallkoffer nicht Fallkoffer. 😊 So oder so keine sonderlich elegante Namenswahl. Dass Heckler sich aufs Holzhacken beziehen kann wusste ich nicht. Wieder was gelernt !
I guess nowadays all these weird guns(briefcase guns, shoot behind the corner guns, guns that collapse into a container, guns that can be concealed in a sleeve, etc.) would still find usage, but they would require updating to either similar PDW rounds to MP7 uses OR to heavy subsonic ammo like VAL or Whisper, depending on if the gun has space for silencer. Besides nowadays for most of them you can get far better sighting equipment that would allow to use them "off hand" or in weird positions like lasers(existed, but were weak, fragile, bulky and too expensive), red dots(existed, but had same trouble) and even direct feed(technically exists nowadays, but we're not on smartgun level yet. But someone like secret service can probably afford and maintain it).
First saw one of these used by the UK Special Police (Firearms Unit SO9?) for when President Reagan went to UK in the 1980s. US Secret Service were not allowed to carry weapons (at least openly) but SO9 carried these along with handguns and rifles (H&K 33 SG1s). Some other special units were involved due to the "Troubles". H&K USA in Arlington and later Chantilly had these in inventory, but the "reach in" style leather case and later Operations Case were demoed to Police and Federal Agencies, and the drop free case was not. Biggest buyer of these was Saudi Arabia. I had two H&K MP5Ka1 fixed sight SMGs in my 24 hour command post with these drop fee cases. I traded the Saudi Security officer in charge a whole bunch of Marlboro hardpack cartons of cigarettes for one. I had a H&K MP5K-Navy SMG with the long barrel, and it worked fine with this case. Sold it to a collector in Indiana years ago for the price of a new Jeep......he had more money and desire for things H&K than I would have thought possible. Still nice to see a H&K rarity documented outside of Germany and the Middle East! Nice content Jonathan!
Love the punchline at the end. 'So if I saw someone with a (hard shell) briefcase 💼 and a shifty pair of eyes 😎 walking around, I might be suspicious.' Same as you would be if you saw some guy walking around in a trenchcoat in Iraq probably.
The public can’t only certain people the police, military and those working in certain jobs such as Jonathan 😔. In the UK guns are strictly controlled. .22 pistols with a fixed on brace, shotguns and .22 rifles are about all you can have and to own those you need a good reason, you have to be okayed by a medical professional, you have to have a secure gun safe and you have to pass a background check by the police. It sucks but it also means firearms deaths are rare. The UK Police in 2022 only shot 3 people dead.
@@nigeh5326 You can have full bore revolvers with long barrels too. The reason the long barreled pistols are limited to .22 is because they are semiautomatic. By the way, I know you mean well, but the term "firearm deaths" is just an anti-gun propaganda term - it doesn't mean anything. Someone who is stabbed to death is not less dead than someone who is shot to death. Focusing on the instrument instead of the actual crime itself is misleading at best. You could argue that the UK has a low murder rate, but it's difficult to tie that directly to firearms legislation.
@@nigeh5326 Kind of true though Sec 5 pistols (more or less anything handgun) can be held as a 'collector' under Sec 7.3 which have to be kept and used only at a range. It's a complex set of rules / laws though not impossible...
@@thepenultimateninja5797 You need to know about Hungerford and Dunblane to know those couldn't have happened to their extents with a knife, and laws that had not yet been tightened in response.
@@Safetytrousers I know about them alright. However, Cumbria was carried out with a bolt-action .22 rifle and a side-by-side shotgun. Those atrocities wouldn't have been carried out in exactly the same manner, but they wouldn't have been stopped either. The worst case of mass murder in modern history was carried out with a truck. It's comforting to think that horrible acts like these can be legislated away, but it's just a dangerous pipe dream.
not a german speaker (not a native english speaker either, so this might be really wrong), but zerfall pretty much means "to fall apart" so "break-away" seems to be a fitting translation.
Left hand carry for right hander makes sense to me, because if the gun is deployed there propably would already be an ongoing life threatening situtation and in that case the priority would be to get the firing hand on the gun first and be ready to fire immediately. Getting the support hand on the gun would be a secondary priority in my eyes.
I would think it meant in the left hand facing behind you so as your swinging it infront of you the case drops and you can reach for the handle with your right hand.
Nice to see this low visability option. I did know a person who used a system like this. he was a courier escort in london. Him and a partner would shadow the carrier if anyone tried it on his job was make them regret it. he was very well paid and retired early.
I wonder if the carrying in the left hand is in order to keep the right hand clear for other stuff, e.g. if you instead needed to draw your handgun (presumably you'd have one)
Seeing Jonathan with a MP5K at a shooting bunker wants me him as a side character in Cyberpunk 2, don't know why. Dont know why the manual would not mention that PROBABLY the best use of this is to carry the gun with your right hand, deploy/disgard the case, grab the front handle, HK slap the handle lever with your right hand and then grab the handle of the gun, the gun is clean of the hood ornament for better sight picture in a short time. Gun aiming evolution in progress I guess.
I would love to see more about the EM-2 rifles in the backgound! most of them have wood furniture that I love but, some have a black material, polimer/plastic I wonder?
Break-away case sounds like a good translation, fall-apart case would work well too; Zerfall can also mean breakdown like in nuclear material but thats not useful here
Hi Jonathan, love the vids, just wanted to chime in regarding the German usage manual, could it be that you start with it in you left hand so that when you then grab with your right you are technically able to fire, even if it isnt advised, step 1. LH deploy, step 2. RH is fully gripping gun with ability to pull trigger, where as if you started right, there's an extra step before you could start firing, 1. RH deploy, 2. LH grip, 3. RH is gripping and ability to pull trigger, obvioulsy you'd want both hands gripping the gun before firing but in an emercency LH holding does allow you to pull the trigger sooner Also it may be possible to release and transfer to right hand in one movement making it even quicker, No idea if any of this is accurate but it seems logical from my amateur POV
if you said a left hander should have it in their left hand after stating what sounded like the opposite. the only reason to sacrifice saftey of passing to the offhand first would be to fire with one hand asap. you could even fire while holding the handle without changing grip if you need to spray some cover fire asap. which speedy shooting would be a purpose of having the gun already in your hand.
Regarding the utility - consider the temperature. If one is in "comfortable," perhaps 10 to 20 degrees C temperatures, having even something as large as an MP-5K under an unbuttoned overcoat is reasonable. But as the temperature climbs, the overcoat becomes a severe hinderance. You overheat quickly, and just as importantly, you stand out because you're overdressed. Even a suit jacket has to become thinner and lighter to deal with warm weather. Wearing body armour would only increase the risk of heat stroke. On the other end of the scale, below 0 to -5C you'll need the jacket buttoned for your own comfort. Below -10 to -15, depending on the wind, you'll need a heavy parka. Trust me, trying to get something out of an inside pocket when it's below -15C is *not* easy, and pulling off your glove isn't a good choice either - at those temperatures, you'll start freezing exposed skin fairly quickly. But - assuming the weapon inside was setup with an oversized trigger guard - I'm pretty confident I could easily operate the Zerfallkoffer with my gloves on. Living in central Alberta, I spend 3 months of the year dressed for -20 or below and another 3 months dressed for +25 or higher. If I was an executive protection sort, I'd be very happy for a discrete weapon that didn't rely on hiding it under my coat!
Someone did a very interesting cased firearms in the 90's. it was a 22 but with thousands of rounds fired very fast, cut right through anything with the weight of rounds going down range very fast firing no recoil to speak of. Saw it once in a demonstration, but never heard of it again.
What if you carry it in your off hand but facing backwards and then rotate it as you bring it forward so that the grip goes straight into your dominant hand? Wouldn't that be the fastest way?
I think that since it is meant to be concealed and you shake hands with your right. I imagine salutes were also a major consideration. Not to mention that these weapons are clearly meant to get close to a target and the assailant may need to quietly use their dominant hand to knife a dude in the neck to get close to whoever their target is. I'm just speculating.
Had to scroll to find the right answer - if the German military operates like the US, then yes, you always carry stuff in your left hand to keep your right free to salute.
I suspect the reasoning behind carrying it in the left hand might be to get your right hand on the trigger more quickly. If you are in an extreme close quarters situation such as being indoors in the same room as your targets then it might be more important to get shots off quickly than to take proper aim. Depending on how sturdy the briefcase handle attachment is perhaps it is even viable to still hold on to that when you fire rather than switching grips?
I do remember you mentioning this in a Game Spot video (or one of the cases). "Zerfall" is close to the German word for decay "Verfall". Do not know if it is related but it is close.
Jonathon there's a HK product video on here showing the one case being fired if you want to look it up! the title is the HK weapon system (full video)!
Could you show us round the shooting range at the museum? How does it work, are rounds counted in and spent rounds counted out for security? Knowing are gun laws are so tight? Be interesting to see i think
The carrying on the left side maybe connected to a thought principle in the German military to keep the "working hand" free. At least that what was thaught in basic training.
There is also protection duty done by the normal police, they get a measly bonus and get to drive around and bodyguard politicians and state officials. Among the embassy personell you might have espionage branches operating as well. GSG9 might do special protection duty. They were formed after the 1970 Munich Olympics desaster. They only had standard MP5s until then, no sniper rifles, and no special counter terrorist training.
When I was on active duty I saw a patrol return from an action where they found 33 empty cases of these in a school. Just imagine what happened to the gun!
Because you asked in German the 'z' isn't voiced. In English 'Zerfallkoffer' would be writen 'Cerfalkofer' or something similar. Translated it means "disintegrating briefcase".
Spectacular video, thanks a lot! 10:55 What use is there for this system in the German military? Dignitary protection? 11:55 Would a folding stock even fit in such a case, given how it operates? 14:50 Wasn't GSG 9 part of BGS at that point, hence the name?
The German Feldjägers who where assigned to the German DoD in Bonn back in the days had a limited number of them for, as you already said, dignitary protection. Regular Feldjäger (Military Police) units didn't have them. But MP5K's were also used by other German state police units for dignitary protection too. GSG9 back in the days was a part of the BGS and it still is albeit the BGS is now called Bundespolizei (Federal Police)
The ejecting case would be "nicer" in the USA since you can't shoot the gun from inside. It wouldn't need to be registered as an AOW if you had it with a SP5K semi pistol. Its just a quick deploying case or "holster".
Forgotten Weapons also did a video about a... well, HK will probably put me on some kind of list for calling it a competing product, but... a similar sort of thing made for one of the Ingram submachine guns, I forget which one. It's... rather less _German_ in its design and execution. :)
Would be interesting to bring it through airport security today, not sure that would fly. Even for high end businessmen! My father would travel to northern Norway in the 80s for hunting. When they did, they handed their shotguns (which they walked onto the plane with!) directly to the stewardess. Not exactly concealed like these are.
This is just for taking it through the airport to your private jet, or escorting your employer through a city without attracting undue attention from people wishing to do them harm, or from the local police. I mean, sure, you have questions to answer if there's trouble and you're suddenly holding an SMG, but that's the LEAST of your worries by then.
Jonathan saw so many cursed guns on game spot so he had to get a portable emotional support mp5 😂
This just has me trying to imagine what Bubba would have done to create a *non* portable MP-5. :)
@@davydatwood3158 proceeds to HK-21-ify an MP-5
@@activecamoflage6649 I would argue that a GPMG is still portable. I think we need to get up into M2HB territory or at least Maxim territory before something stops being "portable." :D
@@davydatwood3158 so you're saying we should make an MP-5 with a water jacket
@@activecamoflage6649 "Should" is a strong word, I think.
Hi Jonathan, I was actually trained on this configuration. The way it is deployed is: left-hand carry with the muzzle pointing BACKWARDS; drop the case; bring the gun up holding the handle whilst swinging it around into muzzle forward position and to eye level; putting your right hand on the pistol grip and trigger, aim and fire.
Underrated comment. This is the right way ^ lefthand carry (for righthanded shooter) but pistol grip forward. Drop the case away and swing up and around into the right hand, transfer left hand to foregrip.
@@johnpmchappell Correct.
From the point of number of hand transfers both ways are identical - carrying hand lifts, free hand grabs its grip, carrying hand transfer to its grip.
You can see that that description applies to both situations.
People are more used to hold their gun with one hand only using the pistol grip - not by the front grip - so I think this helps in overall speeding up the initial sight picture acquisition
Also you can potentialy start shooting before you transfer your left carrying hand to the front grip if in totally dire situation - thus being even faster. Especially if trained to shoot from the hip as Jonathan claimed the manual proposed.
I was only familiar with the briefcase MP5 that was actually fired inside the briefcase rather than something that quick drops. This design does seem a lot more practical.
The Mac 10 one is cool it has a suppressor
It seems like the gun itself is a lot less unwieldy in action, but the accountants can't have been happy about the much-increased chances that operatives would lose their very expensive spy briefcases. :)
One thing I love about channels like this is that there is no rivalry they freely refer and mention each other when someone has done a similar video or breakdown
im sure youve already seen it but you will love there newest video
Still amazes me everytime I hear that the MPK5K was made in '76. It just doesn't feel that old.
the original is from the late 50's!! amazing the K took so long!!
Relatable. I was made in 1973 and I don't feel that old either, except on the increasingly frequent days when my back goes out on me.
FINALLY some gun range action!!! 😎
Jonathan, you're the most bad ass gun nut ever 🤣😎
I vote for Jonathan Ferguson as the next Q in the next Bond movie!
Yeaaaaaasssss!!!!
Good day Bond, i have something here for you, i think you'll like it. Procedes to do a gun breakdown.
We did have some Martini-Henry action a while back as well and there may be another firing bit on the way...
Hey, nice to see people giving a shout out to The Armourer's Bench.
Criminally underrated content, and if you like this, chances are you'll like some of their stuff too.
They've also got the BEST vids on the G11.
Hear, hear!
Now thats a real conceal carry policy
Wow, I've never actually seen the Operational Briefcase used. That was much faster than I was expecting and about as slick. 👍
Much faster*
@@NateTheScot thanks, I was literally struck dumb.
look up a video on here titled the HK weapon system (full video) the other one is fired in that one!
That moment in Ghost in the Shell's first scene is amazing.
Ghost in the Shell vibes… cool.
"Zerfallkoffer" would be closer to "fall apart suitcase" but "break away case" isn't far off so either would be good. As for pronounciation, the german Z at the start of the word is a hard z - much closer to a [ts]-sound (like in Tsunami or like "the explosive hiss sound of a snake") but aside from that the pronounciation is excellent.
The pronounciation of "Schießkoffer" is pretty much flawless.
Masamune Shirow likes that. Ghost in the shell shows a few things very similar.
NGL, the way the case flys open rather dramatically definitely adds to the cool factor.
Everyone: German stuff is overengineered !
Germans: Pushes the button on the Zerfallkoffer
"What is this weapon?"
That absolute weapon is called Jonathan Ferguson
Harsh, but fair.
There is even on the inside of the claw mount a label with an arrow "Schußrichtung" (nowadays "Schussrichtung") which means "Shooting direction"
Yes indeed!
I took a couple of semesters of German in college, and one day we talked about the spelling reform that got rid of ß. One of the slides showed a probably-unintended consequence of the change, which was that places formerly named things like "Weißstrasse" (White Street) became "Weissstrasse", which is, with the best will in the world, quite silly.
The most badass intro in all youtube history
It was for me anyway :D
Regarding the transition from carrying to shooting. Without handling the gun, the way of carrying suggested by the manual makes sense to me in way: If there's an immediate danger, you get your hand on the trigger without having to pass the grip at first, enabling quick firing while the other hand is still on the top handle. It's probably not very accurate or comfortable, but could have you spewing fire a tad quicker in the direction of the engagement.
I had a play with one of these once in the very early 1990's and never saw or heard of it again. The RMP had it for CP duties. No idea how many were in service in the UK or if it was just for demo. The drill as I was told, was apparently to carry in left hand, drop case, keep hold of the carrying handle and get off the first burst before swapping to front grip. I do remember you needed a grip of iron to depress the release.
The RMP never used the ops case for the MP5K as they never had any reason to be covertly armed when protecting embassy staff - it's on or its not, if you think you will need a long weapon then let them see you mean business, the MP5K was used because it fitted in a vehicle well but it wasnt liked that well. 14 Int had MP5 PDWs with the folding stock but they just stuck them inside a walkers day sack for concealment. This thing was aimed squarely at European markets where there were concerns with the Red Brigades and the Mafia going after business leaders and judges.
@@zoiders I'm guessing the one I saw was for demo or evaluation then. It was amongst a few other standard MP5Ks and MP5s. Might even have been the one Jonathon had on the video. The RMP bods didn't say when or how it was deployed other than it was for CP.
@@dr_dr HK probably sent it to them for free hoping they might buy more. Being useless yet cool to look at they probably decided to put it on one of the demonstration stands for a giggle. The Hk53 was the preferred bang stick as it just had a lot more poke at close range for getting through car windows and doors while being no bigger than the MP5A3.
Jonathan 's audition tape for John wick 5 is looking good
This was clearly the inspiration for the bodyguards’ guns from the opening scene of the original Ghost in the Shell.
you comment led me to find out that the movie is free on youtube!!!
That's a nice T-Shirt, Mr. Ferguson👍
If you’d CGI’d Desmond Llewelyn into that opening scene it would’ve been perfect!
0:04 when Bob has stolen from the office fridge for the last time.
also, real nice shirt, they should add nother line on the name card, connoisseur of dandy shirts, and cool briefcases.
I knew this existed! I saw a German language documentary on the GSG-9 unit. There was a spot in it where two of their operators in some sort of action demonstration as they sprung into action by deploying this particular MP5K setup and weirdly enough, they grasped the forward grip in an upside-down hold as they fired them. The documentary is here in UA-cam.
That would make the left-hand grip make sense!
Very interesting, thanks - the manual I saw that recommended the left-hand hold showed a conventional grip when deployed. Then again it was military, not police. I'd be grateful if you could send the link to our enquiries address or via FB :)
@@jonathanferguson1211Zerfallkoffer deployment, see link below.
ua-cam.com/video/nobIwkgapU8/v-deo.htmlsi=CJh79vI16plSVMNC
38:30
Link below, sorry?@@filipvm4096
That comes out so fast, its kind of terrifying. I'm surprised I've only seen this style of concealment in Ghost in the Shell, it's highly cinematic, practical or not.
I have a working Ghost in the Shell guncase. Thinking of making this one as well.
ua-cam.com/users/shortsT5qxxMe4kJE?feature=share
I was right. It was an Mp5. Sweet. You had fun with it, and that is fun to see
Honestly... you have the best job...
I want this for my MP5K. MP5K is one of my favorite firearms that I own.
I just re watched ghost in the shell they have inspired by this the guards in the opening scene
Very very cool to see this version of the "Operational Briefcase"
The MP5K is my favorite submachine gun! I first saw the MP5K when I was eleven years old when I first saw it in "Die Hard 2" and it's been my favorite submachine gun ever since!
I hadn't seen this one before. I knew about the operational briefcase, but this is actually a lot more practical.
A semiautomatic version with no foregrip would also be legal to carry for Americans with concealed carry permits, since it would technically be a pistol.
The original operational briefcase would be classed as an "Any Other Weapon" because it can be fired in its disguised configuration. This one can only be fired when it is outside the briefcase, meaning the case is just the equivalent of a holster.
I wouldn’t bet that the judge is favorable towards your explanation
@@d.o.g573 I don't see why a judge would even be involved unless you committed a crime with it. It's not illegal to carry a concealed handgun as long as you have a permit, or are in a permitless state.
@@thepenultimateninja5797When it comes to the discussion whether _anything_ is legal it always boils down to whether a judge (or jury) would say it is. Courts decide what the law means.
There's of course also the interpretation of the police, which matters a lot in practice, but you can challenge that in court if it's really important for you.
Someone PLEASE make a gif of Jonathan walking in and dropping that briefcase
Ghost in The shell!
Masamune Shirow's the biggest gun nut next to Gun Jesus. 😁
Considering pronounciation - the first two were spot on.
Zerfallskoffer is spoken with a hard "Z".
Like Tsar - Zar in German.
Great gun, as I use it in Far Cry 6 and especially Rainbow Six Extraction!
Carrying left makes sense because you can have your shooting hand on the pistol grip the moment the case breakes away, so you can start firing even with your left hand still on the case grip if every second counts. Then you can switch your left hand to the foregrip. You have one less transition before the first shot. So the manual is plausible.
Another reason for the left hand drill, that is the side of the body one would be expected to carry a briefcase (leaves the right hand free for doing more important things like shaking hands) you don't want to be swapping hands or standing out with this kind of weapon
I think that, since your right hand has higher motor function than your left, it would be a slight bit quicker to do it as the manual says, as you can grab it quicker.
And you already have a general idea where your right hand wants to hold a gun, whereas the left usually just follows suit.
Just my thoughts.
This would, obviously, be reversed for left handers.
Who am I to argue with the Bundeswehr? :D
We had the one that discharged from the case on a job once. Interesting bit of kit to master.
Weaponised luggage....nice! You do have the coolest job in the world BTW.
Carry it left handed but with the muzzle pointing to the rear. Bring it up to fire by dropping the case and bringing it up across your body. Keep hold of the carry handle with your left and then grasp the pistol grip with your right hand and push the safety/change lever all the way down to "A". Lean into it with your weight then have at it.
Not compliant with range rules :D
I actually tried this with an old briefcase (yes I'm that old) minus the internal weapon. Your technique works well, but I found it just as smooth and fast to carry it muzzle forward and bring the case directly across. I also think that this motion would be less noticeable, as it mimics the swing of your arm when checking your wrist watch. Carrying the case in your firing hand and then supporting the weapon with the front grip as you transition is just something I've never done and would be awkward, as the weapon is now supported well forward of its center of gravity.
@@macsandsquid528 If you do it my way you don't break your grip at any stage and you can get your left elbow down and your weight over the muzzle in the old hip assault position. It also replicates the motion of checking the time on your watch while carrying a brief case.
@@zoiders Okay, now I'm understanding your grip. So I just modified my "pistol style" A4 with an old school A4 top mount. It would take some work, but I hate hate hate hip firing (I mean, use a grenade if that's your goal. That's just as accurate and easier to conceal if a little bit messier). I'll take the hand switch for more accuracy and control any day and twice on Sundays.
@@macsandsquid528 The brief case MP5 is effectively a Claymore mine and its used at touching distance.
Great German pronunciation and spot-on translations.
The only thing missing from the intro scene was the Bond theme
The example of the fire-inside-case version in the Dutch army museum has a big white dab of tipp-ex in front of the carry handle, as a visual reminder which side is the front. Just figured I’d share that info on a field modification. I dunno how common it was, but hey, it’s not every day I get to be the one sharing info on a firearm…
Im new to the channel. Im so glad i have some caughting up to do on videos.
For stylized variants of this and the Mateba, check the brilliant 1995 anime Ghost In The Shell. Yes, "Fallkoffer" means breakaway case, or literally "drop case". People often ask me what "Heckler and Koch" means and I used to answer "Nothing, they're just two very ordinary family names." That's not right, since family names often refer to a location or a profession. Heckler & Koch means "Lumberjack and Cook".
Ich glaube du hast Jonathan missverstanden.😅 Das gute Stück heißt Zerfallkoffer nicht Fallkoffer. 😊 So oder so keine sonderlich elegante Namenswahl.
Dass Heckler sich aufs Holzhacken beziehen kann wusste ich nicht. Wieder was gelernt !
I guess nowadays all these weird guns(briefcase guns, shoot behind the corner guns, guns that collapse into a container, guns that can be concealed in a sleeve, etc.) would still find usage, but they would require updating to either similar PDW rounds to MP7 uses OR to heavy subsonic ammo like VAL or Whisper, depending on if the gun has space for silencer.
Besides nowadays for most of them you can get far better sighting equipment that would allow to use them "off hand" or in weird positions like lasers(existed, but were weak, fragile, bulky and too expensive), red dots(existed, but had same trouble) and even direct feed(technically exists nowadays, but we're not on smartgun level yet. But someone like secret service can probably afford and maintain it).
First saw one of these used by the UK Special Police (Firearms Unit SO9?) for when President Reagan went to UK in the 1980s. US Secret Service were not allowed to carry weapons (at least openly) but SO9 carried these along with handguns and rifles (H&K 33 SG1s). Some other special units were involved due to the "Troubles". H&K USA in Arlington and later Chantilly had these in inventory, but the "reach in" style leather case and later Operations Case were demoed to Police and Federal Agencies, and the drop free case was not. Biggest buyer of these was Saudi Arabia. I had two H&K MP5Ka1 fixed sight SMGs in my 24 hour command post with these drop fee cases. I traded the Saudi Security officer in charge a whole bunch of Marlboro hardpack cartons of cigarettes for one. I had a H&K MP5K-Navy SMG with the long barrel, and it worked fine with this case. Sold it to a collector in Indiana years ago for the price of a new Jeep......he had more money and desire for things H&K than I would have thought possible. Still nice to see a H&K rarity documented outside of Germany and the Middle East! Nice content Jonathan!
The left hand operation is probably to get the trigger hand on the weapon first. You could fire while still holding the carry handle
Okay this is the coolest intro I've ever seen on any UA-cam video, ever! 😂
You are too kind, I fear :D
@@jonathanferguson1211 wow you responded that's cool! Only took 5 months for me to notice 🤣
The Royal Military Police close protection teams still had these in inventory in 2017, they may still be using them today.
No they didn't 🤣
ISS Props in SoCal has a newer one for the MP7. I saw it when I toured their facility in 2019.
Love the punchline at the end. 'So if I saw someone with a (hard shell) briefcase 💼 and a shifty pair of eyes 😎 walking around, I might be suspicious.' Same as you would be if you saw some guy walking around in a trenchcoat in Iraq probably.
your sooo lucky to be able to shoot these in the uk
The public can’t only certain people the police, military and those working in certain jobs such as Jonathan 😔.
In the UK guns are strictly controlled.
.22 pistols with a fixed on brace, shotguns and .22 rifles are about all you can have and to own those you need a good reason, you have to be okayed by a medical professional, you have to have a secure gun safe and you have to pass a background check by the police.
It sucks but it also means firearms deaths are rare. The UK Police in 2022 only shot 3 people dead.
@@nigeh5326 You can have full bore revolvers with long barrels too. The reason the long barreled pistols are limited to .22 is because they are semiautomatic.
By the way, I know you mean well, but the term "firearm deaths" is just an anti-gun propaganda term - it doesn't mean anything. Someone who is stabbed to death is not less dead than someone who is shot to death. Focusing on the instrument instead of the actual crime itself is misleading at best.
You could argue that the UK has a low murder rate, but it's difficult to tie that directly to firearms legislation.
@@nigeh5326 Kind of true though Sec 5 pistols (more or less anything handgun) can be held as a 'collector' under Sec 7.3 which have to be kept and used only at a range. It's a complex set of rules / laws though not impossible...
@@thepenultimateninja5797 You need to know about Hungerford and Dunblane to know those couldn't have happened to their extents with a knife, and laws that had not yet been tightened in response.
@@Safetytrousers I know about them alright. However, Cumbria was carried out with a bolt-action .22 rifle and a side-by-side shotgun. Those atrocities wouldn't have been carried out in exactly the same manner, but they wouldn't have been stopped either. The worst case of mass murder in modern history was carried out with a truck.
It's comforting to think that horrible acts like these can be legislated away, but it's just a dangerous pipe dream.
Omg ilove Ferguson. The intro killed me 😂john you are golden 👍
Was used in The movie The Replacement Killers
not a german speaker (not a native english speaker either, so this might be really wrong), but zerfall pretty much means "to fall apart" so "break-away" seems to be a fitting translation.
Left hand carry for right hander makes sense to me, because if the gun is deployed there propably would already be an ongoing life threatening situtation and in that case the priority would be to get the firing hand on the gun first and be ready to fire immediately. Getting the support hand on the gun would be a secondary priority in my eyes.
I would think it meant in the left hand facing behind you so as your swinging it infront of you the case drops and you can reach for the handle with your right hand.
Nice to see this low visability option.
I did know a person who used a system like this. he was a courier escort in london. Him and a partner would shadow the carrier if anyone tried it on his job was make them regret it. he was very well paid and retired early.
I wonder if the carrying in the left hand is in order to keep the right hand clear for other stuff, e.g. if you instead needed to draw your handgun (presumably you'd have one)
Thats such a cool intro
Seeing Jonathan with a MP5K at a shooting bunker wants me him as a side character in Cyberpunk 2, don't know why.
Dont know why the manual would not mention that PROBABLY the best use of this is to carry the gun with your right hand, deploy/disgard the case, grab the front handle, HK slap the handle lever with your right hand and then grab the handle of the gun, the gun is clean of the hood ornament for better sight picture in a short time. Gun aiming evolution in progress I guess.
when you have a very special Business offer
Like hostile takeover?
I would love to see more about the EM-2 rifles in the backgound! most of them have wood furniture that I love but, some have a black material, polimer/plastic I wonder?
These were in the Ghost in the Shell movie. I kind of want one.
Break-away case sounds like a good translation, fall-apart case would work well too; Zerfall can also mean breakdown like in nuclear material but thats not useful here
Hi Jonathan, love the vids, just wanted to chime in regarding the German usage manual, could it be that you start with it in you left hand so that when you then grab with your right you are technically able to fire, even if it isnt advised, step 1. LH deploy, step 2. RH is fully gripping gun with ability to pull trigger, where as if you started right, there's an extra step before you could start firing, 1. RH deploy, 2. LH grip, 3. RH is gripping and ability to pull trigger, obvioulsy you'd want both hands gripping the gun before firing but in an emercency LH holding does allow you to pull the trigger sooner Also it may be possible to release and transfer to right hand in one movement making it even quicker, No idea if any of this is accurate but it seems logical from my amateur POV
Now thats an intro johnathon
if you said a left hander should have it in their left hand after stating what sounded like the opposite. the only reason to sacrifice saftey of passing to the offhand first would be to fire with one hand asap. you could even fire while holding the handle without changing grip if you need to spray some cover fire asap. which speedy shooting would be a purpose of having the gun already in your hand.
Regarding the utility - consider the temperature. If one is in "comfortable," perhaps 10 to 20 degrees C temperatures, having even something as large as an MP-5K under an unbuttoned overcoat is reasonable. But as the temperature climbs, the overcoat becomes a severe hinderance. You overheat quickly, and just as importantly, you stand out because you're overdressed. Even a suit jacket has to become thinner and lighter to deal with warm weather. Wearing body armour would only increase the risk of heat stroke.
On the other end of the scale, below 0 to -5C you'll need the jacket buttoned for your own comfort. Below -10 to -15, depending on the wind, you'll need a heavy parka. Trust me, trying to get something out of an inside pocket when it's below -15C is *not* easy, and pulling off your glove isn't a good choice either - at those temperatures, you'll start freezing exposed skin fairly quickly. But - assuming the weapon inside was setup with an oversized trigger guard - I'm pretty confident I could easily operate the Zerfallkoffer with my gloves on.
Living in central Alberta, I spend 3 months of the year dressed for -20 or below and another 3 months dressed for +25 or higher. If I was an executive protection sort, I'd be very happy for a discrete weapon that didn't rely on hiding it under my coat!
Someone did a very interesting cased firearms in the 90's. it was a 22 but with thousands of rounds fired very fast, cut right through anything with the weight of rounds going down range very fast firing no recoil to speak of. Saw it once in a demonstration, but never heard of it again.
American 180? Forgotten weapons has covered it before, called it a "swarm of angry bees"
What if you carry it in your off hand but facing backwards and then rotate it as you bring it forward so that the grip goes straight into your dominant hand? Wouldn't that be the fastest way?
I think that since it is meant to be concealed and you shake hands with your right. I imagine salutes were also a major consideration.
Not to mention that these weapons are clearly meant to get close to a target and the assailant may need to quietly use their dominant hand to knife a dude in the neck to get close to whoever their target is.
I'm just speculating.
Had to scroll to find the right answer - if the German military operates like the US, then yes, you always carry stuff in your left hand to keep your right free to salute.
I suspect the reasoning behind carrying it in the left hand might be to get your right hand on the trigger more quickly. If you are in an extreme close quarters situation such as being indoors in the same room as your targets then it might be more important to get shots off quickly than to take proper aim. Depending on how sturdy the briefcase handle attachment is perhaps it is even viable to still hold on to that when you fire rather than switching grips?
Nailed it at the end.....who the hell moves with 80s cases anymore....unless they're Moore era Bond villain.
I do remember you mentioning this in a Game Spot video (or one of the cases). "Zerfall" is close to the German word for decay "Verfall". Do not know if it is related but it is close.
Zerfall in this case means - „into parts“ -
Greetings from Germany
@@d.o.g573 Ahh, that makes sense. Thank you for your knowledge!
Jonathon there's a HK product video on here showing the one case being fired if you want to look it up! the title is the HK weapon system (full video)!
Could you show us round the shooting range at the museum? How does it work, are rounds counted in and spent rounds counted out for security? Knowing are gun laws are so tight? Be interesting to see i think
Zerfallkoffer sounds like something from Schrödingers lab. Beautiful word.
The carrying on the left side maybe connected to a thought principle in the German military to keep the "working hand" free. At least that what was thaught in basic training.
I never leave home without one.
I'd love to see the expenses sheet for "60 rounds, 9mm - MP5 briefcase magdump (for posterity) (multiple takes)"
This is so cool 😍
In the briefcase where you fire from inside the case, how are the casings able to have room to eject?
Jonathan is the coolest nerd out there 😎
There is also protection duty done by the normal police, they get a measly bonus and get to drive around and bodyguard politicians and state officials. Among the embassy personell you might have espionage branches operating as well. GSG9 might do special protection duty. They were formed after the 1970 Munich Olympics desaster. They only had standard MP5s until then, no sniper rifles, and no special counter terrorist training.
When I was on active duty I saw a patrol return from an action where they found 33 empty cases of these in a school. Just imagine what happened to the gun!
Because you asked in German the 'z' isn't voiced. In English 'Zerfallkoffer' would be writen 'Cerfalkofer' or something similar. Translated it means "disintegrating briefcase".
Spectacular video, thanks a lot!
10:55 What use is there for this system in the German military? Dignitary protection?
11:55 Would a folding stock even fit in such a case, given how it operates?
14:50 Wasn't GSG 9 part of BGS at that point, hence the name?
BGS got folded into the Bundespolizei. To answer that question. They are now responsible for border protection, smuggling etc.
The German Feldjägers who where assigned to the German DoD in Bonn back in the days had a limited number of them for, as you already said, dignitary protection.
Regular Feldjäger (Military Police) units didn't have them. But MP5K's were also used by other German state police units for dignitary protection too.
GSG9 back in the days was a part of the BGS and it still is albeit the BGS is now called Bundespolizei (Federal Police)
@@GeorgHaeder I see, thank you.
@@F1ghteR41 Glad I could help, have a great weekend.
Why aren't these more popular in American schools?
Clampdown on plastics.
Ah yes, notable firearms expert and vampire hunter Jonathan Ferguson
The ejecting case would be "nicer" in the USA since you can't shoot the gun from inside. It wouldn't need to be registered as an AOW if you had it with a SP5K semi pistol. Its just a quick deploying case or "holster".
There's something wryly amusing following up firing concealed automatic weaponry with a polite, "Hello everyone, Johnathan here."
Forgotten Weapons also did a video about a... well, HK will probably put me on some kind of list for calling it a competing product, but... a similar sort of thing made for one of the Ingram submachine guns, I forget which one. It's... rather less _German_ in its design and execution. :)
Would be interesting to bring it through airport security today, not sure that would fly. Even for high end businessmen!
My father would travel to northern Norway in the 80s for hunting. When they did, they handed their shotguns (which they walked onto the plane with!) directly to the stewardess.
Not exactly concealed like these are.
the TSA guy just looks at the xray and says "...no"
The scanner would easily see though the case even when this was a new thing, even if you were not asked to open your cases for examination.
This is just for taking it through the airport to your private jet, or escorting your employer through a city without attracting undue attention from people wishing to do them harm, or from the local police.
I mean, sure, you have questions to answer if there's trouble and you're suddenly holding an SMG, but that's the LEAST of your worries by then.
@@Safetytrousers #joke
I never knew about this variant of the briefcase. I've seen something just like it in sci-fi; makes sense that was copied from a real thing.