Few guns will ever match the iconic visual status of the MP5 family of guns. From legendary SAS and Delta Force raids of the 70’s and 80’s, fictional Hollywood characters one-handing strings of full auto fire at each other, and more recently video games continuing the gun’s legacy, the HK icon won’t be fading soon. Back in the real world, though, recent changes to the NFA have made SBR’ing your guns easier than ever. If you’re looking to swap out your pistol brace for a buttstock, let’s see if the Safety Harbor KES for the MP5k (and clones) is a good option for you.
First, let’s check the tech specs as provided by Safety Harbor.
Tech Specs:
- Guide rods slide into the existing slots present on the receiver
- Rods machined to go underneath the reinforcing piece welded onto the rear of the receiver
- Multi position (3 + closed) rapid pull rods. One button press and a constant rearward motion will fully retract the KES
- 12.5″ Length of pull
- Extends 9.250″ from the rear of the receiver.
- Weighs ~15oz
- Guide rods are 01 steel drill rod, black oxide
- Button is 1018 steel, black oxide
- Main body and tailhook adapter/buttstock are 6061 aluminum, type III hardcoat anodized
- QD mounts on both sides of the KES base.
This is not a complicated product, buttstocks rarely are. There is a little nuance here, so let’s break the KES down before hitting the range.
First, I’m glad to see a version of the “grip-n-rip” feature here. By that I mean you hit the unlock button and yank the stock backwards to the desired length. Other collapsing stocks have needed a constant hold on the button, making it a 2-handed operation that turns the stock’s compact profile into a speed penalty. The KES has no such tradeoff; hit the button once and rip that stock out to where you want it.
Second, the KES is rigid. This is not flimsy, weak, or in any way a compromise in strength. The Safety Harbor KES locks up tighter than a couple of the legit HK collapsing stocks (and aftermarket folding stocks and braces) I’ve owned for my various MP5 clones over the last couple of decades.
Finally, the Safety Harbor KES is very compact. When collapsed, the stock hardly adds to the gun’s overall length, only protruding about 1.5″ past where the featureless endcap does, and adding about the same amount as the folded brace it is replacing (without adding the same thickness the folded brace does). If you want a stock that’s effective at keeping a low profile, this fits the bill.
Range Time:
If you’re looking for reasons to like the Safety Harbor KES, I can easily give you a few.
The install is a ~38-second procedure, assuming you know how to remove the buttcap/brace on an MP5k already. Two pins removed, toss the old cap, put the stock on, two pins back in.
When I say the KES is rigid, I mean that if this were put on an HK G3 (.308), I have no doubt the steel bars would handle the recoil just fine. The 9mm rounds my MP5k clone is shooting are laughably incapable of making this stock wiggle or bend.
The 3 positions for length of pull mean that unless you’re an absolute gorilla, you’re going to be able to find a reasonable stock length, even if you’re wearing a plate carrier.
But if you’re looking for a reason not to like the Safety Harbor KES, there’s the old standby that naysayers will forever trot out for collapsible stocks like this one. “Cheek weld”.
While it’s true that an ideal shooting position will include an excellent cheek weld, the fact is that it is much more geared towards precision shooting than to the more reflexive close quarters shooting an MP5k is designed around. A chin weld is less than comfortable, but if you really need to line up a 100-yard shot with an MP5k, it’s still very doable.
While the Safety Harbor KES isn’t the cheapest option available at $279, it’s actually not too terribly far off. Choate folding stocks are around $200, while JMAC, Woox, Haga Defense, F5, B&T, HK, and Midwest industries all have options coming in more expensive than the Safety Harbor KES. Some are running over $600 for a buttstock…
Bottom Line:
The Safety Harbor KES for the MP5k is simply solid. This is in reference to both construction and execution. Rigid without being stiff, effective without being bulky, and quality without being overpriced. This may not be the fanciest stock on the market, this is the early Toyota Tacoma of stocks. Clean aesthetics meet straightforward performance at a reasonable price. The Safety Harbor KES runs $279, and is worth the money. Check it out!
About Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer
Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer is an Alaskan Expatriate living in Oregon with his wife and kids. Growing up on commercial fishing vessels, he found his next adventure with the 2nd Bn, 75th Ranger Regt. After 5 tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, he adventured about the west coast, becoming a commercial fisheries and salvage SCUBA diver, rated helicopter pilot instructor (CFII), and personal trainer, before becoming a gear reviewer and writer.
