Century Arms AP5-L Full-Length Carbine: Full Review

Owning a H&K MP5 will cost you a lot of money. Understanding this plight, Century Arms worked with the Turkish manufacturer, MKE, to bring the AP5 to our shores. For those not familiar, these are dead ringers for the H&K original, right down to the roller-delayed action. Now wearing an elongated launch tube, the Century AP5-L takes the classic 9mm into the realm of PCC, and I’m loving every bit of it.

As the barrel is the primary change, let’s begin there. Being a full 16 inches, this categorizes the AP5-L as a rifle. It’s hammer forged from chromoly steel and finished with 1:9.8 rifling. Capping it off is 1/2x28 threading with a 3-lug mount right behind it, which lead to an interesting last-minute addition. When a group of writers test-drove it late last year, we were happy with the design, but most admitted it looked a little funny. The solution to that became the included barrel shroud, which makes it look more like the classic when it’s outfitted with a suppressor. 

The U.S. is often described as a nation of laws, and owning a firearm easily illustrates this. Aside from the NFA, we have 922r to deal with, which, when simplified, tells us that we need to have enough U.S.-made parts for an imported firearm to remain legal. Turning a negative into a positive, Century upgraded the design with the full complement of Magpul furniture.

The AP5-L comes with the standard HK-style drum rear sight, but it’s zeroed for 25 meters. Century includes a Picatinny rail, so most shooters just slap a red dot on. As this is my first firearm of this kind, I wanted to get the full experience. I began my range session the only logical way, by dumping a full magazine onto a Caldwell 100% IPSC. At 25 yards, the point of impact was fairly consistent with what is noted in the manual. After posting targets at 50 yards, I found that the rounds lost about 7 inches but were still on the paper. I will say, though, that it would benefit from a trigger job, as the factory bang switch takes close to 8 pounds to break. Nonetheless, I made repeatable hits on the IPSC out to 100 yards as long as I remembered to hold for elevation. 

I ended the day by shooting on the move, from compromised positions and behind cover and concealment. Through it all, it didn’t choke once, not even with the hollowpoint ammunition that often seems to challenge classic designs. As I jammed in one last mag and slapped the bolt home, I reveled in the accuracy that the AP5 rendition brought to the platform without upsetting this firearm’s iconic functionality or silhouette. Adding a few inches seemed like an easy trade for a shoulder stock and the ability to more efficiently engage distant targets. In the end, I believe it puts a more effective version of this weapon in civilian hands, which makes me smile, as that is the exact opposite of what the NFA set out to do. 

Century Arms AP5-L

• Type: Roller-delayed, blowback-operated semiauto
• Cartridge: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 30-rd. mag
• Barrel: 16 in.
• Overall Length: 28.25 to 33.5 in.
• Height: 10.5 in.
• Width: 2.17 in.
• Weight: 6.5 lbs.
• Finish: Matte black
• Grip: Magpul SL Grip Module
• Sights: Aperture, fully adjustable; Picatinny rail
• Trigger: Single stage; 7 lbs., 9 oz.
• MSRP: $1,899
• Manufacturer: Century Arms, www.centuryarms.com

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