With the recent deluge of affordable Turkish MP5 clones imported by Century Arms, most shooters have forgotten about the POF 5PK. And that’s unfortunate because these Pakistani pseudo subguns offer unique features and solid build quality – making them desirable for collectors and shooters on a budget. But can they really compete with the new AP5s from Turkey? Let’s take a closer look at the POF 5PK and find out. (On a side note, don’t forget to check out my recent guide to affordable, quality MP5 magazines.)
POF 5PK MP5 in 9mm
Pakistan Ordnance Factory, or POF, is a state-run arms maker from, you guessed it, Pakistan. They manufacture a wide assortment of armaments ranging from MP5s to anti-submarine missiles – though, for this review, we’re regrettably focusing on the MP5. As the name implies, this gun is a de-facto 9mm MP5. Yes, it is a clone. But it’s more than that, the POF 5PK is a licensed clone. Meaning the original machinery, it was built on came from Germany. Does that mean it is equal to its German counterpart? No.
The good news is that it is very much mechanically and dimensionally an MP5. So it uses the same components and accessories as the real deal. But by the same measure, if you handed me the full technical data package and all the machinery to manufacture an AK-47, I most likely could not. Because I would also need countless hours of experience and expertise to build the guns correctly. Thankfully, (at least based on my limited experience) POF has exactly that.
If you’ve never seen Die Hard or simply never bothered looking at the coolest small arms of the 20th century, the MP5 is a roller-delayed, magazine-fed 9mm submachine gun. The model I reviewed is limited to semi-automatic to meet ATF regulations. But it’s unique for more than just that reason.
Affordable Hipster POF MP5?
The POF 5PK I reviewed is what is known as a reverse stretch model. Where all 9mm German MP5s are either of the full-sized or kurz (MP5K) variety, the reverse stretch is a special configuration that combines both. Reverse stretch MP5s utilize the receiver of a full-sized gun and combine it with the short barrel of an MP5K. This might seem pointless, but it actually has a few interesting advantages.
For starters, by utilizing a full-sized receiver, a reverse-stretch gun can use all MP5 stocks and braces, which are vastly more numerous than those available for the k model. It also reduces the severity of the recoil impulse as well as the strain on the internal components. And for shooters with a registered drop-in auto-sear (RDIAS) the reduced impulse also means a slower, more controllable rate of fire. If you’re scratching your head and wondering who would want such a thing, the answer is several shooters. In fact, until recently, the only way to get a reverse-stretch MP5 was to have a custom builder put one together for you. Which would cost thousands of dollars. Thankfully, the POF 5PK is vastly less expensive than that. The POF MP5 Price? Around $1,150. Not cheap by ‘cheap gun’ standards, but very inexpensive when compared to German MP5s or custom-built ones.
POF 5PK Features
Before I get too into it, let’s talk about what the POF MP5 is, what it ships with, and all of its unique features. Like I said earlier, the POF 5PK is a roller-delayed, magazine-fed, stamped-steel, semi-automatic pistol chambered in 9mm. It feeds from stagger-column box-type MP5 magazines and includes one Pakistan-made 30-round steel example in the box – that’s it. It lacks an optics rail but features a recoil stop block that allows it to utilize a standard MP5 optics rail. (I opted for an MFI rail, as I own several, and they have tolerated years of abuse from me.)
But let’s jump back to the muzzle and first walk through every feature on the gun. So to start things out, the 5PK features a 5.51-inch barrel with a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle for attaching muzzle devices like a suppressor. The front sight is your standard hooded MP5 post, while the rear sight is a full-sized MP5 drum diopter. This is noteworthy because MP5Ks normally have a castle-style rear sight with open notches instead of apertures.
Behind the threaded muzzle, the POF 5PK includes a smooth, featureless handguard that works OK. But shooters would be better served with a hand stop of what kind, given how short both the barrel and the handguard are. While it might make HK purists scoff, the new Magpul handguard works fantastically in this regard and covers the barrel trunnion, preventing shooters from burning themselves on it after extended firing sessions.
Behind this, the POF 5PK’s receiver is built from a single piece of folded steel welded together. The magazine well looks perfect and includes a stamped importer mark filled in with white paint that looks pretty good. The magazine well also includes a nice feature: a sling loop for a third-point attachment. While most will never use this, it’s a nice touch that makes the POF look and feel like a legit MP5.
Just behind this, is the other major departure POF took from a classic MP5 design – the lower receiver. While every other MP5 maker utilizes a polymer lower receiver with an integral grip, the POF 5PK includes uses a steel G3-style ‘SEF-marked’ one. This means shooters can utilize HK G3 pistol grips on the gun that are both plentiful and affordable. The only downside is that the use of steel makes the gun a little heavier, but only by a few ounces.
Lastly, the back of the receiver is topped off with a polymer end-cap that features a permanently affixed sling attachment point. I immediately removed this and replaced it with an SB Tactical MP5 folding brace, since it makes the gun infinitely more stable and drastically improves the ergonomics.
POF 5PK Performance
I fired 1,000 rounds of Federal 124gr FMJ American Eagle through my personally owned POF 5PK pistol and encountered only three malfunctions. The first was due to a random .380 ACP round getting mixed into an ammo can, and the second was a failure to extract. The latter was easily cleared by extracting the magazine, charging the action a few times, and reinserting the mag. Overall, a remarkably reliable gun despite the fact that I never cleaned or oiled the gun from the factory.
As for the third, it was a failure to chamber issue stemming from one specific brand of defense ammunition – Winchester 124gr,+P Hex-Vent hollow-points. These rounds simply would not chamber when hand-cycled. Though interesting enough, if a different round were put ahead of a full magazine of these rounds, they would chamber fine. Not a solution, mind you. So be sure to buy just one box of defense ammo for this gun for testing before committing to a full case. That said, other defensive rounds like Federal Hydra-Shok 124gr JHP and Hornady’s Critical Duty 135gr JHP worked flawlessly.
Regarding accuracy, the 5PK grouped around 2 inches at 50 yards when fired from a shooting bench with the magazine resting on the table with nearly every brand of ammo tested. +P rounds shot somewhat higher, but not so much that I would worry about zeroing the gun with them if I committed it to a home defense role.
Downsides
Now that I’ve finished drooling over the gun, let’s talk about the less desirable aspects of the 5PK. While the build quality was excellent, the finish on the gun wasn’t very durable. The outer gloss finish seems to be similar to grill paint and scratches fairly easily.
Another issue I dealt with was the cocking tube. On my test gun, the tube was slightly canted to the left. The sights were still dead on from the factory, and the cant wasn’t significant enough to make zeroing an optic impossible, but it’s certainly something to keep in mind. I recommend inspecting a gun in person before buying it, if possible.
POF 5PK 9mm Verdict
Overall, the POF 5PK is a solid choice for home defense, plinking, or shooters searching for something unusual for their collection. If you’ve always wanted an MP5 but couldn’t spend $3,000 to buy one, this is a very solid option.
About Jim Grant
Jim is one of the elite editors for AmmoLand.com, who can wield a camera with expert finesse in addition to his mastery of prose. He loves anything and everything guns but holds firearms from the Cold War in a special place in his heart.
When he’s not reviewing guns or shooting for fun and competition, Jim can be found hiking and hunting with his wife Kimberly, their son, and their dog Peanut in the South Carolina low country.
