Century Arms AP5-P RAL8000 9mm 5.75″ — Superb Compact Roller-Delayed Pistol

Description

The Century Arms AP5-P RAL8000 combines the shortest barrel in the AP5 range with the tan-brown finish German forces have used on service small arms for decades. Underneath the color it is the same roller-delayed 9mm pistol: stamped steel receiver, 5.75-inch threaded barrel, Navy trigger group and 30+1 capacity.

Compact and Finished in RAL8000

5.75-inch barrel, threaded at the muzzle with the traditional tri-lug collar behind the threads.

RAL8000 applied across the receiver, handguard and grip, so the Century Arms AP5-P RAL8000 reads as one color rather than two-tone.

Shortened handguard matched to the barrel length.

Stamped steel receiver under the finish.

Roller-Delayed Blowback and the Navy Group

Rollers riding in the barrel extension slow the bolt mechanically at the start of its travel, which allows a lighter bolt and a softer spring.

The result is an action that stays flat through a string rather than hammering back and forth the way straight blowback does.

Navy-style trigger group with pictogram markings and a Navy pattern grip.

Picatinny rear cap in place of a stock, giving a mounting point if a brace is fitted separately.

Model number HG6035GB-N.

Century Arms AP5-P RAL8000 Specifications

• Caliber: 9mm Luger
• Capacity: 30+1
• Barrel: 5.75 inch, threaded with tri-lug collar
• Action: roller-delayed blowback, semi-automatic
• Receiver: stamped steel
• Finish: RAL8000
• Rear: Picatinny rail cap
• Grip and trigger group: Navy pattern
• Model: HG6035GB-N
• Country of origin: Turkey, made by MKE
• UPC: 787450985018

RAL8000 is a specific shade in the German RAL color standard, a green-brown that reads as desert tan in most light. It is the finish German forces adopted for small arms, which is why it appears on issued weapons rather than only on commercial variants. On a gun built to the original submachine gun pattern it reads as period-correct rather than as a fashion choice.

Why it is worth considering

• Genuine roller-delayed action in the most compact AP5 configuration.
• Full RAL8000 finish rather than a tan receiver on black furniture.
• Threaded barrel with tri-lug collar.
• Picatinny rear cap already fitted.
• Magazines for this pattern are inexpensive and easy to find.

Who it suits

Anyone choosing between this and the black AP5-P is choosing on appearance alone, since the mechanics are identical. The short barrel makes it the handiest gun in the range, at the cost of more muzzle blast than the 8.9-inch model produces. As with every AP5, this is a pistol rather than a short-barreled rifle: adding a shoulder stock would create an SBR requiring ATF approval, and MAG5 Firearms does not sell NFA items.

AP5 Variants and Feeding It

Century imports the AP5 in several lengths and finishes. The black AP5-P is this same pistol in the traditional finish, while the 8.9-inch RAL8000 model keeps the same color with a full-length barrel. Browse the rest of the Century Arms range or the wider firearms catalog. Century publishes model specifications at Century Arms.

Roller-delayed guns prefer full-power ammunition, and that matters more on a short barrel. Standard-pressure 115-grain and 124-grain loads cycle reliably; very light target ammunition can short-stroke a tight new action. 115-grain brass-cased ball makes a sensible break-in load, with a 124-grain jacketed hollow point for defensive use. All firearm orders ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and MAG5 Firearms will coordinate the paperwork with the dealer of your choice.

On wear: applied coatings on stamped receivers show first at the edges and around the magazine well. On a tan gun that wear appears as dark steel rather than bright metal, which reads differently than it would on a black finish. Some owners call that patina; a light coat of oil on the wear points slows it down if you would rather it did not develop.