Heckler and Koch have been around for a few decades now, producing high-quality German-engineered equipment that has quite the reputation among professional gunfighters. A lot of their weapons are innovative and very capable. To help sell and likely open other forms of revenue, HK formed an international training group focused on teaching shooters how to wield their weapons. HK International, as it was called, provided high-level training to military, law enforcement, and security agencies.
It seems like HK has ditched their training route outside of armorer schools. However, remnants of HK International abound, and I was able to find the HK International MP5 qualification thanks to some HK fanboy friends. I sadly don’t have an MP5 clone. Why? I don’t mind spending money on guns, but spending money on a big 9mm with ancient controls and expensive mags isn’t for me. Even so, the HK International qual could be a great test and qualification for any defensive use PCC.
What We Need
First, assume your best German accent, and let’s pretend to be Klaus from “Die Hard.” We’ll need some form of rifle or subgun. You could shoot this with any PCC or even an intermediate-caliber rifle of any type. I used my bullpup Glock kit from Meta Tactical. It’s short, sweet, and chambers the classic 9mm. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to shoot.
The HK International qual does call for some full auto sections, of which most of us don’t have access to. In these sections, we’ll use double taps or triple taps in its place.
You’ll need at least two magazines and a way to carry a spare magazine. We’ll need only 50 rounds. One box is all we need to rip and roar through the HK International MP5 qual. We’ll need a range that goes out to at least 50 yards. There is a special target HK International used, which seems to be rare enough to command a $29 price tag per copy. It’s a goofy-looking guy with a revolver in full color. We can most certainly get away with using any other silhouette target.
Don’t forget our always mandatory ears and eyes, as well as a shot timer. Gotta preserve your senses somehow.
Scoring
Scoring is very simple. Every hit counts as two points with a potential for 100 points. Hits are defined as just hitting the target. That’s remarkably easy. If you shoot outside of the time allowed, it does count as a miss. You need 80% to pass, also known as 40 hits total.
To the Range
Remember, in the sections where we have to fire full auto, we will do rapid strings of fire. Double, triple, or quadruple taps will take the place of full auto fire. All drills in the standing start in the low ready. We do several repeats of most drills, so remember to read the end of the stage to ensure you are doing the number of drills required.
Stage One: 50 Yards
Stage One has us at 50 yards in a nice comfy prone position. At the go signal, you will fire two rounds in three seconds. You’ll complete this drill three times for a total of six rounds fired.
Stage Two: 50 Yards
Stage Two keeps us at 50 yards, but this time we are assuming a kneeling position. At the beep, aim and fire two rounds into the target in three seconds. You’ll repeat this drill twice for a total of four rounds fired.
Stage Three: 25 Yards
Let’s trot up to 25 yards and, this time, stick to the standing position. At the beep, aim and fire two rounds in two seconds. You’ll repeat this drill three times for a total of six rounds fired.
Stage Four: 25 Yards
At the 25-yard line, we’ll assume a good kneeling position and fire two rounds in two seconds. You’ll repeat this drill two times for a total of four rounds fired.
Stage Five: 25 yards
Lunge back into the standing position and assume a good standing position. Ensure the magazine in your gun has two rounds loaded. Ensure your spare magazine also has two rounds loaded. At the beep, aim and fire two rounds, and now, with an empty gun, reload and fire two more rounds. You have a total of eight seconds to do so.
Stage Six: 15 Yards
Move up to the 15-yard line and get in a good standing position. At the beep, fire two rounds into the target in 1.5 seconds. You’ll repeat this drill three times for a total of six rounds fired.
Stage Seven: 10 Yards
Now we are moving into those fast-firing techniques we discussed earlier. No full auto for us, but we get plenty of fast taps. Assume a standing position, and at the beep, fire three rounds as fast as you can. You have 1.5 seconds. Repeat this drill twice for a total of six rounds.
Stage Eight: Seven Yards
Assume the standing position, and at the beep, fire four rounds as fast as possible. You have two seconds to make it happen. Repeat this drill twice for a total of eight rounds.
Stage Nine: Five Yards
Keeping in that standing position, we are going to finish this qual. At the beep, fire three rounds as fast as you can into the target. You have two seconds to make it happen. You will repeat this drill twice for a total of six rounds fired.
Unload, Show Clear
Well, we did it. We have trained up to the standards of Kalus from “Die Hard.” As HK approved MP5 operators, we can forth into that good day. So what do I think? I think it’s a fairly decent qual. It’s certainly a little dated, but the times are tight, and the range differentials are nice.
I like that you are always firing multiple rounds, which is likely necessary with a pistol-caliber weapon. I would love to see a more modern version that uses cover, multiple target engagements, and more. However, this basic level qual is great for basic gun handling skills. The HK target is huge, and I would use a smaller, harder-to-hit target to stress accuracy standards.
I had a good time shooting it, and I wish I had some 1980s SWAT-style gear to rock now. What do you think? Does anyone else have any other HK quals? I’d love to see them, let us know below.
