what should i know about them?
i just bought one for a pretty good deal.
other than a few mag couplers and a few cases of 9mm, is there anything i need with it?

HK mags. Mine ran perfect as long as I used HK mags. Everything else is your preference.

Shoot it and see how it runs.


If/when you have issues, check on HKPro.com and they'll diagnose it.


Good luck! I have 2 Todd Bailey products and they run pretty well. Not everyone has such good experience through.

mine runs fine.

I only bought it after I saw it run, and it was a good deal. I wouldnt buy squat from bailey without seeing it run first

i got 8 genuine hk mags with it.

Bobcat Weapons was (allegedly) run by Andy Bonas and they manufactured MP5 clones on the same premises as Todd Bailey/Special Weapons. The company was registered to Andy Bonas, and the company only produced rifles & pistols for a short time before there was falling out between the two personalities.



I do not think there are  ahuge number of BW5s floating around compared to differently branded clones. For the most part, those of us that have them seem to like them. There's always going to be a few people who are not happy.



My rifle ran like a top with all the stock components. I hated the cheesy plastic trigger box; it would not release from the trigger housing. I sold the full trigger group, with full disclosure, then bought a semi-auto converted SEF ambi trigger group and went about my merry way. The cocking tube support was also plastic. I hated that, so I switched it out for a metal one. I eventually switched out the bolt group for RCM components and kept the originals as spare parts. This wasn't necessary, but I wanted the upgraded Action 3 bolt head and a tungsten-filled carrier so I could sleep better knowing I had the best clone I could possibly have.



Legitimate complaints? My rifle's barrel was mounted in such a manner that the rear sight has the windage maxed out in order to be zeroed at 50 yards. It doesn't really bother me, because it is zeroed and iron sights of this type are a "set and forget" type of affair. With the suppressor, my rifle also does not like to feed the flat point 147 gr. subsonic loads, such as American Eagle. My pistols don't really like running that round suppressed either.  The BW5 will run them for a while, then it will have a FTF. Bullets with round profiles feed, fire ad eject just fine. Apparently this is an issue with a lot of MP5s, so I do not attribute it to the manufacturer.



As a complete rifle, they have some cheesy components that you may wish to upgrade as time and money allows. I would look at it as a solid barreled action and go from there.

+1 to the above (barreled action part mainly)
They (Black Market Parts) also do/did sell stripped barreled actions on gunbroker, but as to whether those were rejects or leftovers from the assembly line is anyone's guess.
My "SW5" branded clone had cycling issues right out of the box. I picked it up second-hand (from gunbroker I think) for $1100 in 2005. At that time there was less market saturation, and it seems to me a higher % of users were having trouble with NIB Bailey clones than in later years.
Anyway, my gun was his "newer generation" (at the time) receiver, which is stamped sheet metal (like HK), as opposed to the earlier cast receivers. So mine accepts A3 stocks for sure (most cast ones didn't) and has a HK-profile correct-looking cocking tube and fore end hanger. (And I was checking every seller's photo for those features too. The earlier ones could look really gaudy.)
The problem I had was FTE (ejection). Sometimes the brass would fall down into the trigger pack.





I initially tried a HK extractor spring, but that only reduced the instances of the FTE. Then a carefully-inspected (for bottom-of-bolt-head clearance) HK 9mm ejector failed to solve the problem, so I got a complete used HK action 3 bolt group (I think for $250). Upon comparison, I could instantly see how crappy the SW version was. As was mentioned in the preceding post, no tungsten in the SW.
That seemed to completely solve my FTE. I wasn't done though. Like boricua9mm, I didn't like the factory trigger group and housing (although mine was a welded steel SW repro box in a steel housing), so I bought a $90 G3 polymer SEF which I converted and installed. I fit it precisely (with my Dremel ) onto the semi-auto receiver shelf, so there was no movement. It felt like a new weapon. It's run 100% ever since.
Mine works with any mags, although I avoided whichever mags they said to avoid on here (early Korean unmarked?) and got 6-8 Korean ATI-marked mags that have all been 100%. The SW mag included with it has also been 100%. I have 6 genuine HK mags also (100%) and a Beta C 100rd mag (100%). I did take all my Koreans (with their rough parkerized finish) and drench-scrub them using oil and 0000 steel wool inside and out, (then dried). They became much smoother and nicer-looking (dark black like HK) so I don't know if that helped them any. I saw that tip here.
The mags have some wobble fore-aft in the mag well. I played with a genuine HK, and it was not as sloppy. I will try to TIG weld before a refinish to tighten that.



The Beta C did not want to insert the first few times due to interference on the front side of the mag well. The plastic gave way and it's fine now.
I also replaced my plastic cocking tube support with steel, just due to preference. That also made it feel more "real" and solid.
Mine has a 3-lug barrel, but I've only put a HK flash suppressor on it. That has slight rotational play, which I think is normal even on HK barrels. I have heard the lugs can be out-of-spec. I'm hoping to get an AAC (or JB Tac) TiRant 45 3-lug adapter, but haven't tried a can on it yet. My barrel is not threaded. If a can is wobbly, I'll thread it (either at just the tip , or get a 3-lug to replace mine, threading back to the triple-frame). Probably the 3-lug replacement, as I like QD cans.
I also want to add a paddle mag release, which I think all the BW5's included.
My rear sight isn't dead-centered, but it's not maxed-out either. My stainless SW barrel shoots great.
Mine was run with a select-fire pack a lot (or way more than semi) and has been 100% (since upgrades per above) with no problems.
Here is my buddy SouthernSoldier dumping the Beta.
All-in-all way more problematic than my MKE AT94 K clone, but it was my first MP5 and has been 100% for a long time now, so I love it. It's an attention-getter at the range, and a real crowd-pleaser with the pack installed. The ladies enjoy shooting it due to low recoil + fun = WIN.
So congrats, OP. Enjoy!





 

so, it could go either way?

It certainly could. Do some searching for old threads, and you'll see different issues that popped up. I think FTE was the bulk of them. I also think you have a better % chance of it working correctly with a BW5 vs the older SW5's, but that's just a guess based on reading stuff on the net and hearing a few people talk. I'm the only guy in my area (that I know of) who has an MP5 clone, so it's kinda difficult to compare notes except on the internet.



Also be advised, like all things HK-related in any way, it WILL be a money pit, even if it works 100% out-of-the-box. Like the other guy said, HK forum clone section is a great troubleshooting resource. They can get a little snobby on the main boards there sometimes. "Haters 'gona hate."

as long as it works well, all i really plan on doing to it is changing it to the collapsable stock, and of course sbring it.

Traded for one a few years ago. I had trouble getting it to finish a full mag without jams and was going to sell it. It turned out it had the wrong ejector.
Once I replaced it(around $40) it ran like a sewing machine. It's now my go to 9mm sub gun out of the 6 I own.

any idea what finish they used on these? it looks like that shit they paint ovens with

I think some industrial (and inexpensive) epoxy powder coat. They put it on thick to hide any imperfections. It's a cheap finish. Mine has flaked some around the bottom of the mag well.