It's strange, when you go to slo-mo...you gain about 40 pounds, hair turns red, gets shorter and you lose the glasses and hat. It's amazing what you see when things are slowed down.
I own no guns, have no knowledge or shooting experience and I am still addicted to watching this channel. The history and tear-downs are always interesting; the presenting style is endearing and holds my attention. Never change and keep the passion for forgotten weapons going strong!
***** Same here. I'm interested in guns as part of the military equation, like tanks or battleships, not as something I aspire to own personally, and also as examples of engineering and design. Ian's presentation, with technical detail, historical perspective, and a touch of humour is much more appealing to me that the "gung ho" style more typical of gun channels.
WVgregWV Well I'm in the UK, so the firarms world is limited, expensive and highly regulated here. Not really worth my time and effort since I have no aspirations to be a marksman or work with guns.
It's a bloody crime the Britons are so restricted in what they can own. Perhaps it's because I grew up around guns (yes, I'm a Yank), but I find shooting to be a very enjoyable sport, a method of help develop focus as fine marksmanship requires discipline, and a useful skill to have in case of emergency. And despite being a Yank, if I could own a proper Holland and Holland double rifle, I would have what is probably my holy grail gun.
I like this channel and I am also quite happy with the gun laws here in the UK. I could not feel safe in a country in which all and sundry can own guns easily.
Fact: The lettering on the saftety means the following: S - Sicher (Safe) D - Dauerfeuer ('continguing fire', full auto) E - Einzelschuss ('one shot', semi auto)
With the Uzi coming out a decade before the MP series, and with the German army adopting the Uzi, I reckon that was probably the largest contributing factor in why this gun didn't see greater initial commercial success. And with the MP5 coming out a few years later, it was pretty much left as a relatively unknown gun. Still a very neat design. Thanks for the video Ian and everyone else on the team.
It had a few years head start on the MP5, but that's kind of how the story goes anyone since 1964: invents a new SMG Every customer in the world: can I get more of that MP5?
@@olisk-jy9rz Ever hold an MP-40? I was shocked when I picked one up, off a gunshow table a few years back, only to realize it was at least as heavy as my Yugo AK/M70-AB2... (bout 12 pounds or so), the folding stock really sucked, and the sights were awful. And yet, all of those German soldiers, in all those war movies, made it look so light and user-friendly, right before they got killed... lol!
If you ever used any other sub-machine gun from the mid-20th century, uncomfortable stock and bad sights is a compliment. The MAC 10 series is a example of a popular gun, but was trash gun all around.
I remember this gun from Call of Duty Black Ops, and it was my go to gun in that game. Always loved the way this gun looked, but never understood why this gun never caught on either? Amazing weapon!
What an awesome little SMG. 10” barrel, simple design, seemingly low maintenance, additional safety feature, runs cheap ammo, comfortable ergonomics, German engineering… only problem is finding magazines. Would love to have one.
I saw some old Delta pics where they were using the Walther MPL. Also, I just read Len Deighton's 'billion Dollar Brain' and on the cover Michael Caine is holding an MPL. Aside from that, one doesn't see them much.
It was my MP as I was on duty by the German Police in West - Berlin during the 80s in the last century. The MP 5 is more effective, the Walther more simple and easy to remove for cleaning up. Nice report👍
Yeah, I know it's an old video, but Special Forces: Berlin used Walther MPs for a while before switching to MP5s. They were intended to slow down a Soviet invasion, but they also were one of the first US counterterror units.
Walther and many other companies including non German ones used much of what was learned with the StG 44 and StG 45 to create a lot of there weapons, hence the G3, AK47, and even the M16 when you look at its bolt dust cover which flips down as opposed to the StG which flips up.
I remember them well from my time in the West Berlin police. I found it extremely controllable and pleasant to shoot. Interestingly West Berlin Police's pistols and submachine guns were made by Manfacture des Machines du Haut Rhin (Manurhin) in France.
A classmate of mine joined the West Berlin police in the late '80s, may be you've met him?His name is Christian Steiof and I gather his career was relatively successful.
As a child I remember the first SMG I saw was an MPL on a police officer in Munich airport in the early seventies. The message was clear....don't fuck with Germany. Of course I was made to feel very welcome in Germany and have spent many happy times there. German guns. German beer. German Cars. German machine tools. German porn. Unbeatable.
@@hanfpeter2822 So it's actually a few German actors with poor boundaries making it for degenerates in English speaking nations? Wouldn't it make more sense for us Anglophones to produce our own scat porn? Could also be that German consumers of scat porn are bashful? It's not like I know of anyone watching it here. I saw "Two girls and a cup". Left me uninspired. I have no doubt that people enjoy this kind of thing. I know - let's blame the Brazilians. They don't seem to mind.
@@hanfpeter2822 I've seen German porn. You have some very attractive ladies. They are athletic, appealing to the eye and passionate. I wonder if they smell and taste as good as they look?
Walther did that safety well. If you look closely at 12:50, the safety catches and holds the bolt even before it was far enough back to strip and feed a round from the magazine. Slick.
It's one of those things, so many cars are very similar in all specs, but some are sold millions some people rarely even see on the road. In this case, it's the comparison between MP5 and other sub-guns. First time I saw the MPL and MPK in a magazine I fell in love with them.
If anyone wants to know, these were made from specifically 1963 up to 1985, so for exactly 22 years, & as well, in case any one else was wondering, here is there list of users copied & pasted STRAIGHT from WikiPedia (with the exception of reference links removed & "citation needed" messages removed). You're welcome. Brazil: MPK variant. Colombia: MPK variant. Germany: Used by various naval units in the 1960s. Also used by various police forces. Mexico: Mexican Navy. Portugal: Portuguese Navy. South Africa: MPK version (SA Police standard submachine gun from 1970-1990). United States: Used by 1st SFOD-D during Operation Eagle Claw. Venezuela: MPK variant. Zimbabwe: MPK variant.
policia militar do Rio de Janeiro utiizou a versão MPK até mais ou menos o inicio dos anos 90 e complementação da Taurus MT12A uma cópia um pouco modificada da Beretta BM 12 e das velhas INA M50 e M53 cópias da Madsen M50.
Not surprised to see the MPL used by naval and special forces. This looks like it was set up by a post- Vietnam war navy special forces warfighter ( I know it was made and issued years before that time ). The design and ergonomics just line up with the way they trained and operated.
We had these in the South African Police. We were not keen as they were not as effective as the Uzi that we were also issued with. Good fun though do they always came out on a range day. To be honest they lacked spares and were pretty well worn so tended not to be carried as most preferred the R1 (FN) or R5 (GALIL SAR).
I did training with this in police college and we also were issued with in the riot unit. We were warned that in event of dropping the weapon with magazine in, and it lands on the stock end could result in accidental discharge including possible runaway auto. So therefore we were not permitted to travel with loaded magazines inserted irrespective of whether safety was on or not. This after a driver was accidentally shot dead when one was dropped inside an armoured vehicle. I found it to be a fantastic weapon, just that the sights needed getting used to.
I served in the South African Police in a Counter Insurgency Unit from 1969 to 1973. Although I wasn't issued with one, I had a personal issue FN FAL 7.62 mm, some members of our unit were issued with them. I have used them on many occasions and learned to strip and clean them. An excellent weapon but it lacks the hitting power of the FN.
Even though most of the SMG's in black ops were largely the same, it is still cool to wield funky and rare Vietnam era weapons in a video game. You don't see to many Vietnam games.
I'm utterly astounded at how that countryside looks completely identical to the UK where I grew up!! I mean... I still live here, visit my home town 90 odd days a year and it's exactly the same down to the grass, the *bird song* and the treeline! How fascinating to see how places so far apart can be so similar.
Wish I could own one now, This is one of the first Subguns I ever shot as a kid. in the 80's i was able to shoot one for a whole day. My sister chose the MP5, I chose this one and we shot for about 4 hours long. I was about 13, my sister was 10.
About why it was not more popular, although this is just a guess, it is because: - Not as easy to hit accurately as a closed bolt. - Too expensive for an open bolt to justify the quality. If hostage rescue accuracy was needed, people would prefer MP5. If the mass of the open bolt clunking back and forth does not matter for the application, then something more cheaper and/or simple in design, like an UZI, can be just as good. I can see how MPL can be a premium quality open bolt submachinegun, but people who would want or need a “premium” in an open bolt would be very limited.
So basically it sits somewhere between UZI and MP5 in the price range without meaningful advantages over the UZI? That could be why the BW never adopted it
When I was a kid considering joining the Army, my recruiter had me go to Ft Lewis and some green berets showed us the Walther MPL and MPK in a display of foreign weapons. We got to handle them unloaded. They were cool then and now in my 50s I still wish I could get ahold of one. I’ve shot many subguns, but these are still unchecked in my bucket list
Fun fact: The standard submachine gun used by the Amestrian forces in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the Walther MPL, while the standard pistol was an FN Model 1910.
I volunteer at a collection resource center cataloging there military artifacts. I'm on there civil war swords right now. Your channel is getting me wormed up for when I move on to there guns. I'm excited!!! Keep it up. Manny thanks!!
Hey Ian, the South African BXP, which is a Mac 10 type SMG, was built to replace the Walther MPL being used by the South African Police. It uses the same magazines and has the same type of sights. I owned one; have you ever fondled one of those? I know there are a few Stateside.
Used one of these as a security guard for a bank in Capetown. Not perfect ,but still superb . Takes practice to do a really quick mag change , but l only had it jam twice on me.
Very nice sub-machine gun. It does not look like it would cost a ton to manufacture ether. The only possible explanation I could hypothesize on why it was not more popular is the sub-machine gun market was well saturated at the time this came out. It might had just gotten caught in the waves of sub-machine gun designs competing for popularity.
I really like this design, and even just from a short video like this you can tell it was a superb firearm. I know if I were in charge of a police agency or was in the market for a vehicle crew weapon back in the 1960s and 70s, I would have given the MPL a pretty serious look. Thanks for sharing, Ian!
I always liked the design of the Walther MP. It is surprising that this weapon never was much of a big hit. Rumors have circulated throughout the years that the Heckler & Koch MP5 stole the thunder of the Walther once it was released and that was one of the reasons this submachine gun ended up getting the raw deal.
Thanks for reviewing this gun I never owned or fired one I remember having this gun in call of duty 1 and there was something I really lived about it. I don't k ow what it was but it was a very fun and an attractive gun to me it's one of my top 10 favourite guns thank you for reviewing it again ☺☺☺😀😀😀
I have always wanted to see the mpl in action you made my day with this video. I'm always excited to see your videos love all the guns and info you have. Keep up the good work.
When I was a boy I saw a picture from Hans Ulrich Lenzlinger on his office with a Walther MPK on his hand. Impressive control in full auto; I use to pay attention to these slow motion movies and this gun fires like the Beretta modelo 12 and the MP40. The MPK version was used in Rio de Janeiro by police for little more than 25 years (now they use rifles, too many criminals with bullet proof vests here). A small question: If the cocking knob escapes from the firer's hand before the sear catches the bolt, will the bolt be intercepted by this secondary safety sear? **a second small question... if the sear fails and the bolt escapes from the sear, will the bolt (again) be intercepted by this secondary safety sear? Open bolts use to be unsafe and, when all safety issues are solved, the entire gun becomes more expensive than a closed bolt version. I suspect the first SMG to use this type of bolt is the italian Armaguerra OG 43 and 44. Or not?
I’m very surprised by the lack of “better than the MP5” comments. This was kinda like the last hoorah for the open bolt subgun as the MP5 started to rule the world. Cool gun, would love to fondle with one someday.
it's really cool to see in the slow motion that the recoil system actually makes the gun tip ever so slightly downwards upon firing instead of recoil. Therefore with a tiny bit of adjustment that thing could fire like a laser pointer.
We shot that gun in the eighties at Berlins Police ... I loved the sound that you heard after the last shot. It was a very fine high sound like a bell.
Looking at these old weapons it's interesting to see how no one seemed to think of integrating modular systems like different stocks or grips. What was on the blueprint is what you got.
imagifyer Oh, you mean the P38 festooned with (mock) silencer, stock, scope, extended mag and all? As wielded by David McCallum as agent Illya Kuryakin?
bigred2989 Wiki says the extended magazine on the "U.N.C.L.E. Gun" P38 was a dummy, but it became so famous that it actually inspired the invention of extended auto pistol magazines--rather than the other way around.
i heard the reason it didn't catch on was because its an open bolt submachine gun that was released around the same time as a lot of companies were releasing closed bolts and people prefered closed to open so the argument is that it was sold at an unoportune time
The recoil is surprisingly light for a 9mm. The recoil system seems very good and the rate of fire is perfect for the gun. The fucking muzzle barely moves at all, its beautiful to watch. Definitely looks easier to handle than the MP5 which I found kicks more that one would think given how common it is and how it fires the 9mm. You'd think from all those games and movies and the fact that its *the sub machine gun* that it wouldn't really kick much, oh but it does. Not far away from a .223 at all despite firing a much inferior pistol cartridge. MPL honestly seems like the better gun here purely from a shooting standpoint. It might not be as reliable and cheap as the MP5 though so I don't know. Too bad more countries didn't adopt it, the MPL is fucking gorgeous! Make a modernized version of it and I'd rob a bank to buy one! I have no doubts a modern version would sell like crack in the hood.
I shot a version of the mp5 in Budapest on a bachelor party and yes, i was suprised of the kick. We shot pistols like the walther ppk used in james bond up to .44 calibre magnum, mp5 m4 and ak47. The muzzle flash from the .44 scared me like hell, and the sound was brutal inside the bunker!! The walther (it didnt really have much recoil, i was just expecting well, not much at all) and mp5 suprised me the most, the rest I was more prepared for since I already expected a pretty big kick
I sure did, additionally it made an appearance in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights (1987) in the hands of Czech police officers., despite them not using them in real life. It is really nice when video games include largely forgotten weapons in them, I have learned quite a bit about many unique firearms from playing various action games.
I've always loved the way these guns look. I used to have some squirt guns that were modeled after these. If I had a chance to own one SMG this would be a top contender 👌😀👍
To Paula Morris: MPL stands for Machinen Pistole Long. There is a shorter version of this SMG called MPK, which stands for Machinen Pistole Kurz. Kurz in German means short. :-)
also Ian, I know that typically your comment for a wire stock is "not very comfortable". Now Out of all automatics you have shot, which wire stock was the just absolute WORST of them?
DFX2KX The Sterling, The Madsen, The Steyr, The Beretta, The Walther...all "forgotten weapons" now. The MP5 is the only one of that generation left standing. Is the Uzi seen outside of Israel much these days?
pinz2022 maybe among gangsters but even at that most of those guys prefer kalashnikovs. honestly I think you have better chances of seeing an old m1928 chicago typewriter than you do seeing an Uzi.
This gun came out first by a good bit of time... but i think they were compared not to mention at the time there were still a ton of leftovers from ww2 and there wasn't much need for a new smg untill the mp5 came about.
it says on the wiki page for the guns that the walther mpl started production in 1963, and that the h&k mp5 started production in 1964. so, not a good bit of time to be honest.
+BigWheel What's funny is that the Bundeswehr already had adopted a submachinegun in the late '50s ...the Uzi (MP2). The MP5 was pretty much always a specialist's weapon, not like the open bolt SMGs which were supposed to be cost effective issue weapons for the rear echelon and vehicle crews. An MP5 is basically as expensive as a rifle.
It's strange, when you go to slo-mo...you gain about 40 pounds, hair turns red, gets shorter and you lose the glasses and hat. It's amazing what you see when things are slowed down.
And he becomes a right-handed shooter too!
@@bigbrowntau That's Patrick R who used to be at TFB TV>
@@KingKiavash I was just being silly, but thanks for the heads up...I recognize him now.
Slo-mo shows a parallel universe which is almost exactly like but no where near own own.
Robert Cordova our own
I own no guns, have no knowledge or shooting experience and I am still addicted to watching this channel. The history and tear-downs are always interesting; the presenting style is endearing and holds my attention.
Never change and keep the passion for forgotten weapons going strong!
***** Thanks!
***** Same here. I'm interested in guns as part of the military equation, like tanks or battleships, not as something I aspire to own personally, and also as examples of engineering and design. Ian's presentation, with technical detail, historical perspective, and a touch of humour is much more appealing to me that the "gung ho" style more typical of gun channels.
WVgregWV Well I'm in the UK, so the firarms world is limited, expensive and highly regulated here. Not really worth my time and effort since I have no aspirations to be a marksman or work with guns.
It's a bloody crime the Britons are so restricted in what they can own. Perhaps it's because I grew up around guns (yes, I'm a Yank), but I find shooting to be a very enjoyable sport, a method of help develop focus as fine marksmanship requires discipline, and a useful skill to have in case of emergency.
And despite being a Yank, if I could own a proper Holland and Holland double rifle, I would have what is probably my holy grail gun.
I like this channel and I am also quite happy with the gun laws here in the UK.
I could not feel safe in a country in which all and sundry can own guns easily.
It may be a stamped 1950s design, but it looks quite modern. I'd love to have one of these.
Same here. Itd look cool with some duracoat, a few rails and a collapsible stock.
@@DieselRamcharger British EM-2 raises its hand
varun009 I think it’s perfect the way it is, maybe one rail on the bottom for a grip
@@caffeinatedinsanity2324 The uzi steps over the non believers as well 👌🤣
Kind of looks like a futuristic mp40, more boxy than round, stick mag, and wire stock
Fact:
The lettering on the saftety means the following:
S - Sicher (Safe)
D - Dauerfeuer ('continguing fire', full auto)
E - Einzelschuss ('one shot', semi auto)
With the Uzi coming out a decade before the MP series, and with the German army adopting the Uzi, I reckon that was probably the largest contributing factor in why this gun didn't see greater initial commercial success. And with the MP5 coming out a few years later, it was pretty much left as a relatively unknown gun.
Still a very neat design.
Thanks for the video Ian and everyone else on the team.
Not sufficiently better, cheaper or different to the Uzi which was a proven performer.
Why didn't the MPL become more popular? Answer: The MP 5.
It had a few years head start on the MP5, but that's kind of how the story goes
anyone since 1964: invents a new SMG
Every customer in the world: can I get more of that MP5?
既生瑜，何生亮。
only recently you are starting to see it be replaced by a lot of it's adopters, it really is a long lasting design
MP Lolz.
@@vmerkwurdigliebe3751 Lol great metaphor
Ngl this badboy saved my ass god-knows how many times during early rounds on Pentagon.
Anyone else disappointed these didn't get more popular? These are my favorite SMGs in terms of aesthetics, both the MPL and the MPK
"I don't know why these didn't catch on"
*5 seconds later*
"The stock is uncomfortable and the sights are hard to use"
@@olisk-jy9rz Ever hold an MP-40? I was shocked when I picked one up, off a gunshow table a few years back, only to realize it was at least as heavy as my Yugo AK/M70-AB2... (bout 12 pounds or so), the folding stock really sucked, and the sights were awful.
And yet, all of those German soldiers, in all those war movies, made it look so light and user-friendly, right before they got killed... lol!
If you ever used any other sub-machine gun from the mid-20th century, uncomfortable stock and bad sights is a compliment. The MAC 10 series is a example of a popular gun, but was trash gun all around.
Well some guy on the comments give a better reason why this didn’t catch on: the MP5
@@sterkriger2572 the video said that too.
As soon as I saw the stock I was gonna say I bet that thing is uncomfortable. I've never heard Ian compliment a skeleton stock before.
I remember this gun from Call of Duty Black Ops, and it was my go to gun in that game. Always loved the way this gun looked, but never understood why this gun never caught on either? Amazing weapon!
i like to think of the MPL as a more modern version of the MP-40
In a way, it is. And the MP5 is also. But even more modern, and one that is still very much around.
This thing would have been the best smg in the world in 1938
too bad it came out in the 50's?
1950 is more modern than 1938. congrats at failing to be a smartass
James Flowers i think of it as like a german uzi, but that makes sense too
this looks so much better than it does in BO1
sAy wHAAt? Yeah
but it was such a beast in bo1
Danish Raven it was, but this thing in real life looks better than the in game model
yes
No i like the metallic version it looks better to me
Most people would know the MPL from video news footage from the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage drama. The German police forces were armed with MPLs.
What an awesome little SMG. 10” barrel, simple design, seemingly low maintenance, additional safety feature, runs cheap ammo, comfortable ergonomics, German engineering… only problem is finding magazines. Would love to have one.
The vents really give it some extra character. This gun made Jagged Alliance 2 cover so much more memmorable.
This was the game that sparked an interest for weapon in me 😀
have you tried JA2 1.13?
That's actually a very attractive design. Clean and simple.
I love your videos so much; this channel is criminally undersubscribed
That One Dude
Still undersubscribed?
@@g.55centaurosimp18 what about now?
I saw some old Delta pics where they were using the Walther MPL. Also, I just read Len Deighton's 'billion Dollar Brain' and on the cover Michael Caine is holding an MPL. Aside from that, one doesn't see them much.
This needs to be produced again with updates as to accessory interface rails etc. Beautiful little SMG.
It was my MP as I was on duty by the German Police in West - Berlin during the 80s in the last century.
The MP 5 is more effective, the Walther more simple and easy to remove for cleaning up.
Nice report👍
Somebody had their head in the game when the MPL was designed - slick. Thanks Ian
Yeah, I know it's an old video, but Special Forces: Berlin used Walther MPs for a while before switching to MP5s. They were intended to slow down a Soviet invasion, but they also were one of the first US counterterror units.
I keep seeing the STG in this sub gun :)
Walther and many other companies including non German ones used much of what was learned with the StG 44 and StG 45 to create a lot of there weapons, hence the G3, AK47, and even the M16 when you look at its bolt dust cover which flips down as opposed to the StG which flips up.
Funny that I see a lot of mp40 in this design
I saw this gun in No one lives forever 1 and it was my favorite ever since.
I remember them well from my time in the West Berlin police. I found it extremely controllable and pleasant to shoot. Interestingly West Berlin Police's pistols and submachine guns were made by Manfacture des Machines du Haut Rhin (Manurhin) in France.
A classmate of mine joined the West Berlin police in the late '80s, may be you've met him?His name is Christian Steiof and I gather his career was relatively successful.
Wow, what a great video. Never knew this existed. Thanks Ian! You are top shelf and a credit to the gun community.
As a child I remember the first SMG I saw was an MPL on a police officer in Munich airport in the early seventies. The message was clear....don't fuck with Germany. Of course I was made to feel very welcome in Germany and have spent many happy times there. German guns. German beer. German Cars. German machine tools. German porn. Unbeatable.
whats so great about German porn if you cant beat to it?
Some German porn...... their schiesse porn is disgusting.
What is it with former Axis nations and their fixation on scat porn?
@@hanfpeter2822 So it's actually a few German actors with poor boundaries making it for degenerates in English speaking nations?
Wouldn't it make more sense for us Anglophones to produce our own scat porn?
Could also be that German consumers of scat porn are bashful?
It's not like I know of anyone watching it here. I saw "Two girls and a cup". Left me uninspired. I have no doubt that people enjoy this kind of thing.
I know - let's blame the Brazilians. They don't seem to mind.
@@hanfpeter2822 I've seen German porn. You have some very attractive ladies. They are athletic, appealing to the eye and passionate.
I wonder if they smell and taste as good as they look?
@@hanfpeter2822 I apologize if you feel that way. It's not polite to behave that way.
I had the pleasure of shooting one of these at a range in Vegas when I was younger. Very smooth shooting and fun gun.
Loved this gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Always wanted one in real life
Walther did that safety well. If you look closely at 12:50, the safety catches and holds the bolt even before it was far enough back to strip and feed a round from the magazine. Slick.
Killed more zombies then a sawed off shotgun
I wouldn't say killed so much as put a lot of holes into em
“Any superlative words of inspiration for our humble troops?
Do not pray for easy lives, pray to be stronger men”
*gun cocking*
The call of duty sound guys did a great job on their in game sound of the real life MPL counterpart.
You should talk about the Jatimatic or the G11 if possible! They are quite underrated!
He talked about the Jatimatic, that's how I first found him
It's one of those things, so many cars are very similar in all specs, but some are sold millions some people rarely even see on the road. In this case, it's the comparison between MP5 and other sub-guns. First time I saw the MPL and MPK in a magazine I fell in love with them.
If anyone wants to know, these were made from specifically 1963 up to 1985, so for exactly 22 years, & as well, in case any one else was wondering, here is there list of users copied & pasted STRAIGHT from WikiPedia (with the exception of reference links removed & "citation needed" messages removed). You're welcome.
Brazil: MPK variant.
Colombia: MPK variant.
Germany: Used by various naval units in the 1960s. Also used by various police forces.
Mexico: Mexican Navy.
Portugal: Portuguese Navy.
South Africa: MPK version (SA Police standard submachine gun from 1970-1990).
United States: Used by 1st SFOD-D during Operation Eagle Claw.
Venezuela: MPK variant.
Zimbabwe: MPK variant.
policia militar do Rio de Janeiro utiizou a versão MPK até mais ou menos o inicio dos anos 90 e complementação da Taurus MT12A uma cópia um pouco modificada da Beretta BM 12 e das velhas INA M50 e M53 cópias da Madsen M50.
Not surprised to see the MPL used by naval and special forces. This looks like it was set up by a post- Vietnam war navy special forces warfighter ( I know it was made and issued years before that time ). The design and ergonomics just line up with the way they trained and operated.
Love Walthers dedication for gun safety. That secondary bolt-lock is pretty clever.
We had these in the South African Police. We were not keen as they were not as effective as the Uzi that we were also issued with. Good fun though do they always came out on a range day. To be honest they lacked spares and were pretty well worn so tended not to be carried as most preferred the R1 (FN) or R5 (GALIL SAR).
"not as effective as the Uzi" Enlighten?
I did training with this in police college and we also were issued with in the riot unit. We were warned that in event of dropping the weapon with magazine in, and it lands on the stock end could result in accidental discharge including possible runaway auto. So therefore we were not permitted to travel with loaded magazines inserted irrespective of whether safety was on or not. This after a driver was accidentally shot dead when one was dropped inside an armoured vehicle.
I found it to be a fantastic weapon, just that the sights needed getting used to.
By the way, this SMG was used by the Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the 80's.
It was used by the South African Police from the 60's to mid 2000 IIRC. They were removed from inventory and destroyed.
Until recently, PMERJ were using the Madsen LMG.
I served in the South African Police in a Counter Insurgency Unit from 1969 to 1973. Although I wasn't issued with one, I had a personal issue FN FAL 7.62 mm, some members of our unit were issued with them. I have used them on many occasions and learned to strip and clean them. An excellent weapon but it lacks the hitting power of the FN.
definitely not forgotten, still use it in black ops 1
lol
same
Even though most of the SMG's in black ops were largely the same, it is still cool to wield funky and rare Vietnam era weapons in a video game. You don't see to many Vietnam games.
This is probably my favourite smg in that game.
I remember this smg from the zombies
No muzzle rise whatsoever! Very impressive.
I'm basically like this gun's charging handle, in the sense that I can be depressed and usually am.
Joke?
Cheer up Sparky.
Possibly the best dad joke ever^
I'm utterly astounded at how that countryside looks completely identical to the UK where I grew up!!
I mean... I still live here, visit my home town 90 odd days a year and it's exactly the same down to the grass, the *bird song* and the treeline!
How fascinating to see how places so far apart can be so similar.
Thanks for the video. I've always liked the look of the gun so it's nice to hear some more about it.
Panimala good grief you're here on Ian's video
starstruck
Wish I could own one now, This is one of the first Subguns I ever shot as a kid. in the 80's i was able to shoot one for a whole day. My sister chose the MP5, I chose this one and we shot for about 4 hours long. I was about 13, my sister was 10.
Ian you look like you can be regularly found at doom metal concerts. And I say that as a compliment
I love your channel, it's perfect mix of history and fps nostalgia.
About why it was not more popular, although this is just a guess, it is because:
- Not as easy to hit accurately as a closed bolt.
- Too expensive for an open bolt to justify the quality.
If hostage rescue accuracy was needed, people would prefer MP5. If the mass of the open bolt clunking back and forth does not matter for the application, then something more cheaper and/or simple in design, like an UZI, can be just as good.
I can see how MPL can be a premium quality open bolt submachinegun, but people who would want or need a “premium” in an open bolt would be very limited.
Conclusion: It should have been designed as a closed bolt system. Or be cheaper, but germans always make quality stuff, so that's hard xd.
So basically it sits somewhere between UZI and MP5 in the price range without meaningful advantages over the UZI? That could be why the BW never adopted it
Uzi was adopted as reparations to Israel.
@@nomadmarauder-dw9re No, it was the mp5 that was adopted. The Uzi is more of a secret service hidden under a suit gun.
When I was a kid considering joining the Army, my recruiter had me go to Ft Lewis and some green berets showed us the Walther MPL and MPK in a display of foreign weapons. We got to handle them unloaded. They were cool then and now in my 50s I still wish I could get ahold of one. I’ve shot many subguns, but these are still unchecked in my bucket list
Fun fact:
The standard submachine gun used by the Amestrian forces in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is the Walther MPL, while the standard pistol was an FN Model 1910.
Is that a reference to Libya and a specific movie?
Good to know weeb.
Kenny Briceno that actually made me laugh really hard, thanks for that! Lol
You are the first Otaku that saw in our rows .
Nice XD
Kenny should know better than to feed the weebs
I volunteer at a collection resource center cataloging there military artifacts. I'm on there civil war swords right now. Your channel is getting me wormed up for when I move on to there guns. I'm excited!!! Keep it up. Manny thanks!!
Hey Ian, the South African BXP, which is a Mac 10 type SMG, was built to replace the Walther MPL being used by the South African Police. It uses the same magazines and has the same type of sights. I owned one; have you ever fondled one of those? I know there are a few Stateside.
He has now done a video on the BxP
Used one of these as a security guard for a bank in Capetown. Not perfect ,but still superb . Takes practice to do a really quick mag change , but l only had it jam twice on me.
Ian keep up the good work. Love seeing you on Gun Stories.with Joe M.[Fat Tony]
Mike Sweeney Thanks!
I've always liked the way,Walter gun company made and revised updated there weapons.Also the quality and simple functional operating parts.
Very nice sub-machine gun. It does not look like it would cost a ton to manufacture ether. The only possible explanation I could hypothesize on why it was not more popular is the sub-machine gun market was well saturated at the time this came out. It might had just gotten caught in the waves of sub-machine gun designs competing for popularity.
1 word UZI. combine an Israeli design and German national guilt trip, and...
I really like this design, and even just from a short video like this you can tell it was a superb firearm. I know if I were in charge of a police agency or was in the market for a vehicle crew weapon back in the 1960s and 70s, I would have given the MPL a pretty serious look. Thanks for sharing, Ian!
Does anyone else remember this from the game "No one lives forever"?
HaakonTheViking The original superspy named Archer!
+HaakonTheViking I stole a parachute with this gun. :^D
Please be full of hay, Please be full of hay!
Just replayed them both! So good, I'm sad there will never be more
HaakonTheViking it's why I clicked
The MPK and MPL are two of my favorite subgun designs. Ian you look like a pro working that excellent piece of German machinery.
I always liked the design of the Walther MP. It is surprising that this weapon never was much of a big hit. Rumors have circulated throughout the years that the Heckler & Koch MP5 stole the thunder of the Walther once it was released and that was one of the reasons this submachine gun ended up getting the raw deal.
Thanks for reviewing this gun I never owned or fired one I remember having this gun in call of duty 1 and there was something I really lived about it. I don't k ow what it was but it was a very fun and an attractive gun to me it's one of my top 10 favourite guns thank you for reviewing it again ☺☺☺😀😀😀
loved this gun in COD : Black Ops, really informative video about The MPL gj.
Sounds like it too
I have always wanted to see the mpl in action you made my day with this video. I'm always excited to see your videos love all the guns and info you have. Keep up the good work.
When I was a boy I saw a picture from Hans Ulrich Lenzlinger on his office with a Walther MPK on his hand. Impressive control in full auto; I use to pay attention to these slow motion movies and this gun fires like the Beretta modelo 12 and the MP40. The MPK version was used in Rio de Janeiro by police for little more than 25 years (now they use rifles, too many criminals with bullet proof vests here).
A small question:
If the cocking knob escapes from the firer's hand before the sear catches the bolt, will the bolt be intercepted by this secondary safety sear?
**a second small question... if the sear fails and the bolt escapes from the sear, will the bolt (again) be intercepted by this secondary safety sear? Open bolts use to be unsafe and, when all safety issues are solved, the entire gun becomes more expensive than a closed bolt version.
I suspect the first SMG to use this type of bolt is the italian Armaguerra OG 43 and 44. Or not?
I’m very surprised by the lack of “better than the MP5” comments. This was kinda like the last hoorah for the open bolt subgun as the MP5 started to rule the world. Cool gun, would love to fondle with one someday.
I feel like this would look so good with a Thompson style wood stock, perhaps polymer black to match the gun, but just that style of stock.
man i love your videos i love old military weapons and just fascinated by the different and clever operating systems they use. you need a tv show!!!
The first go-to gun in "Five" xD
it's really cool to see in the slow motion that the recoil system actually makes the gun tip ever so slightly downwards upon firing instead of recoil. Therefore with a tiny bit of adjustment that thing could fire like a laser pointer.
The Zaku II Kai/fz from Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket uses a giant robot version of this gun. It uses 90 mm rounds.
+NoGoufy It's fairly similar looking, true. Some Doms use it, too, though obviously they're more known for their bazookas.
+NoGoufy
The designer of ZakuⅡFZ(Yutaka Izubuchi), he likes Walther MPL and German firearms.
Hirameki I subscribed to you and I didn't see if you are on Google+ but if you are please message me,, thank you,,,
+NoGoufy In Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz, didn't Heero and Duo use them during the raid on Mariemaia's facility?
Whoaa... finally Walther MPL. Thank you for this awesome video. Love it so much. 😊
I loved this gun in COD Black OPS 1
These are by far my favorite kinds of videos. Keep it up!
It's the LC10 from Cold War
I thought it looked familiar
You impress me as a mechanical genius with all the obscure weapons that you can dissasemble / assemble.
Straight out of Wolfensetein.
Mein leben!
We shot that gun in the eighties at Berlins Police ... I loved the sound that you heard after the last shot. It was a very fine high sound like a bell.
Ian, please use a piece of cloth to protect that beautiful table from that beautiful submachinegun!
+Richardsen I cringed watching him slide the gun parts across that tabletop. Also, the light reflecting off the polished surface is distracting.
*****
Consistency above all.
+Richardsen
Made me cringe too! Green felt would be nice - or you could cover it with glass, so we still would see the table, but it was protected.
"protect a machine gun." dangerous bob would love you , 😄😄😄😄😄.
Looking at these old weapons it's interesting to see how no one seemed to think of integrating modular systems like different stocks or grips. What was on the blueprint is what you got.
This gun was just in the trailer for "The Man From U.N.C.L.E". Good timing.
bigred2989 I noticed that too, although I was more on the lookout for the Uncle carbine (walther P38 carbine), which was also present in the trailer
imagifyer Oh, you mean the P38 festooned with (mock) silencer, stock, scope, extended mag and all? As wielded by David McCallum as agent Illya Kuryakin?
bigred2989 Wiki says the extended magazine on the "U.N.C.L.E. Gun" P38 was a dummy, but it became so famous that it actually inspired the invention of extended auto pistol magazines--rather than the other way around.
pinz2022 yep, that's the one, its also the gun that the Original version of the Transformer vilian Megaton was based on
imagifyer
I thought Megatron was based on a Walher P38 handgun.
I have never even heard of this. Seems like one of the better kept "secrets" of the firearm world.
This smg looks like it could be a prop in starwars with out much dressing up. I would love to shoot it for real.
i heard the reason it didn't catch on was because its an open bolt submachine gun that was released around the same time as a lot of companies were releasing closed bolts and people prefered closed to open so the argument is that it was sold at an unoportune time
The recoil is surprisingly light for a 9mm. The recoil system seems very good and the rate of fire is perfect for the gun. The fucking muzzle barely moves at all, its beautiful to watch.
Definitely looks easier to handle than the MP5 which I found kicks more that one would think given how common it is and how it fires the 9mm. You'd think from all those games and movies and the fact that its *the sub machine gun* that it wouldn't really kick much, oh but it does. Not far away from a .223 at all despite firing a much inferior pistol cartridge.
MPL honestly seems like the better gun here purely from a shooting standpoint. It might not be as reliable and cheap as the MP5 though so I don't know. Too bad more countries didn't adopt it, the MPL is fucking gorgeous!
Make a modernized version of it and I'd rob a bank to buy one! I have no doubts a modern version would sell like crack in the hood.
I shot a version of the mp5 in Budapest on a bachelor party and yes, i was suprised of the kick. We shot pistols like the walther ppk used in james bond up to .44 calibre magnum, mp5 m4 and ak47.
The muzzle flash from the .44 scared me like hell, and the sound was brutal inside the bunker!! The walther (it didnt really have much recoil, i was just expecting well, not much at all) and mp5 suprised me the most, the rest I was more prepared for since I already expected a pretty big kick
Something not pointed out...it probably has one the lowest bore axis of any SMG ever made; as with pistols, this matters in terms of controllability.
I know it's not a precursor to the UMP but this gun is screaming H&K to me. Thanks for all your work Ian
Id love to see you get your hands on a beretta m12
One of my favorite guns from black ops. I love how it sounds when it fires.
Same here. I remember destroying everyone with this gun.
You should do a piece on the Beretta M12/PM12
All that Italian sexiness.
This is why I love your channel. That seems like it was a really great little sub gun.
Anyone else immediately recognize this from Black Ops?
Before Black Ops it appeared on a cover of Jagged Alliance 2 game from 1999, nice looking gun.
I knew about the gun before Black Ops, but the game cemented my love for it.
Yes
How about No One Lives Forever?
I sure did, additionally it made an appearance in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights (1987) in the hands of Czech police officers., despite them not using them in real life. It is really nice when video games include largely forgotten weapons in them, I have learned quite a bit about many unique firearms from playing various action games.
Now i see what the Wolfenstein Maschinenpistole is based on
Is this the LC-10?
Same question
The LC10 is based off this weapon but it is a fictional gun
I've always loved the way these guns look. I used to have some squirt guns that were modeled after these. If I had a chance to own one SMG this would be a top contender 👌😀👍
I’ve been recommended this because of Cold War
Yeah lol
To Paula Morris: MPL stands for Machinen Pistole Long. There is a shorter version of this SMG called MPK, which stands for Machinen Pistole Kurz. Kurz in German means short. :-)
also Ian, I know that typically your comment for a wire stock is "not very comfortable". Now Out of all automatics you have shot, which wire stock was the just absolute WORST of them?
m1994a3jagnew Probably the Sten MkII, or the Streetsweeper.
Forgotten Weapons The wire stock is probably the least of the many awful things about the StreetSweeper, from what I've seen.
yeah no love for the streetsweeper. Always liked the Winchester 97 better anyway
DFX2KX The Sterling, The Madsen, The Steyr, The Beretta, The Walther...all "forgotten weapons" now. The MP5 is the only one of that generation left standing. Is the Uzi seen outside of Israel much these days?
pinz2022 maybe among gangsters but even at that most of those guys prefer kalashnikovs. honestly I think you have better chances of seeing an old m1928 chicago typewriter than you do seeing an Uzi.
Damn Walther needs to get back into the PDW and long gun game. Their pistols are superb and it seems so are their other firearms.
didn't this gun compete with the mp5 at the time? comparing this to the mp5 basically makes the mp5 look like a gun from the future.
This gun came out first by a good bit of time... but i think they were compared
not to mention at the time there were still a ton of leftovers from ww2 and there wasn't much need for a new smg untill the mp5 came about.
it says on the wiki page for the guns that the walther mpl started production in 1963, and that the h&k mp5 started production in 1964. so, not a good bit of time to be honest.
A whole year between releases is a good bit of time when you consider it
Also development started a year prior aswell.
+BigWheel What's funny is that the Bundeswehr already had adopted a submachinegun in the late '50s ...the Uzi (MP2).
The MP5 was pretty much always a specialist's weapon, not like the open bolt SMGs which were supposed to be cost effective issue weapons for the rear echelon and vehicle crews. An MP5 is basically as expensive as a rifle.
That is one heck of a distinctive sounding gun.