Weapons from Heckler and Koch. What's wrong with Heckler&Koch? History of Heckler&Koch

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A Bundeswehr soldier and is designed to defeat enemy personnel.

The G11 Heckler rifle is the development of West German designers, which replaced the G3 rifle. In the mid-60s of the 20th century, the concept of armament of motorized infantry units of NATO armies began to change, incl. and units of the Bundeswehr. According to NATO analysts, the main strike “self-defense forces,” as the arms race businessmen liked to call themselves, are armed with an assault rifle that is not light enough to meet the requirements of modern times.

Development of new standard weapons G11 - this is the name given to the new assault rifle; it was developed by the German company Heckler and Koch in the late 1960s. The German government approved this project and instructed the shortest possible time
manufacture the required type of weapon. During the design and survey work, the designers settled on easy version

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, a small-caliber and compact rifle in the “bullup” version with great accuracy. In this case, the clip is structurally attached above the barrel, the cartridges in it are defined in diameter to the barrel bore. The effectiveness of hitting a target was achieved by hitting it with several shots, so the designers settled on the option of using a 43 mm caseless cartridge in the new weapon (later they chose a 47 mm caliber). The updated rifle could fire single shots and fire in automatic mode, both in long and short bursts of 3 shots. According to the developed concept, the Heckler-Koch company was entrusted with the creation of the new G11, and the Dynamite-Nobel company was responsible for creating a new shot without a shell.
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The automatic circuit of the weapon operates due to the kinetic energy of the powder gases released after the shot and the short stroke of the barrel. The initial placement of cartridges in the clip above the barrel with bullets down. The G11 rifle is equipped with a special rotating breech chamber, where before the start of fire the cartridge is fed vertically downwards. After this, the breech is turned at a right angle, and when the cartridge is aligned with the line of the barrel, a shot is fired, while the cartridge is not fed directly into the barrel. Because the cartridge is without a shell (the capsule burns out when fired), then the operation of the automation is simple: there is no need for the mechanism to throw out the spent cartridge case. After the shot is fired, the breech chamber turns back to receive the next ammunition. If it misfires, the defective cartridge is thrown down under the influence of the feed force of the next ammunition. The mechanism is cocked using the rotary handle located on the left. The handle does not move when shooting.

The barrel part, the trigger (except for the safety flag and trigger), the rotating breech with mechanisms and the clip are assembled on one base, which moves translationally inside the body of the weapon. When firing single shots or automatic non-fixed shooting, the mechanism completes the entire shot cycle, and the recoil becomes less. When firing automatically in fixed bursts, after every third shot the movable system comes to the rearmost position, while the recoil force acts after the end of the shooting, thereby achieving greater accuracy of fire (by analogy with the domestic AN-94 “Abakan” assault rifle).
The first modifications of the G11 were equipped with a fixed, single-magnification optical sight, which is also used when carrying the rifle.

Ammunition

For standard use, shellless cartridges with dimensions of 4.73x33 mm, manufactured by Dynamit Nobel AG, have been developed. The prototype ammunition for the Heckler & Koch G11 had a square-shaped powder charge, coated with a moisture-proof varnish, an igniter primer in the bottom and a bullet recessed in the powder charge. Next, they created a modified version of the ammunition for the Heckler & Koch G11, where the bullet and powder charge are completely encapsulated along with the igniter primer in the bottom part and the lid in the upper part of the capsule.

Modifications

The Bundeswehr has two types of such weapons:
-Rifle Heckler Heckler&Koch G11K2 - an updated version of the G11. The body has been shortened, a bayonet mount and a clip for 45 shots have been developed. The sight is a removable weapon handle; instead it is possible to install standardized sighting devices adopted by NATO troops.

Heckler Heckler&Koch LMG11 - light machine gun based on the Heckler&Koch G11

Caliber: 4.7x33 mm, unjacketed cartridge
Automation: gas-operated, with rotating breech
Length: 0.750 m
Barrel length: 0.540 m
Weight: 3.6 kg without ammunition
Clip: 50(45) shots

Second G11 prototype (circa early 1970s) (HKpro.com)

HK G11 rifle chambered for caseless cartridges, pre-production version (1989)
The rifle is distinguished by the ability to mount two spare magazines on the sides of the main one, above the barrel.

HK G11 rifle chambered for a caseless cartridge, pre-production version (1989). Incomplete disassembly.

HK G11 rifle chambered for a caseless cartridge, a version tested in the USA in 1990 as part of the ACR program

HK G11 rifle chambered for caseless cartridges, ACR variant; view of the partially open mechanisms of the weapon.
Due to the complexity of the device, this rifle received the informal nickname “rapid-firing cuckoo clock.”

Caseless cartridges - early development on the left, final version of the DM11 cartridge on the right (sectional view)

The development of the G11 rifle was started by Heckler and Koch (Germany) at the very end of the 1960s, when the German government decided to create a new, more effective rifle to replace the G3 rifles.

Based on the results of the research, it was decided that the Bundeswehr needed a light, small-caliber rifle with high shooting accuracy. To ensure reliable destruction of the enemy, it was necessary to ensure that several bullets hit the target, so the decision was made to create a rifle chambered for a caseless cartridge of 4.3 mm caliber (later switched to 4.7 mm caliber) with the ability to fire in single, long bursts and with a cut-off bursts of 3 shots. The Heckler-Koch company was supposed to create such a rifle, with the participation of the Dynamite-Nobel company, responsible for the development of a new caseless cartridge.

G11 design.
The rifle's automation operates using the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel. The cartridges are placed in the magazine above the barrel with the bullets facing down. The G11 rifle has a unique rotating breech chamber into which the cartridge is fed vertically downward before firing. Then, the chamber rotates 90 degrees, and when the cartridge aligns with the barrel line, a shot occurs, but the cartridge itself is not fed into the barrel. Since the cartridge is caseless (with a combustible primer), the automatic operation cycle is simplified by eliminating the extraction of the spent cartridge case. In the event of a misfire, the faulty cartridge is pushed down when the next cartridge is fed. The mechanism is cocked using a rotary handle on the left side of the weapon. When shooting, this handle remains motionless.

The barrel, firing mechanism (except for the safety/translator and trigger), rotating breech with mechanics and magazine are mounted on a single base that can move back and forth inside the rifle body. When firing in single or long bursts, the entire mechanism performs a full recoil-recoil cycle after each shot, which ensures reduced recoil (similar to artillery systems). When firing in bursts of three shots, the cartridge is fed and fired immediately after the previous one, at a rate of up to 2000 rounds per minute. In this case, the entire mobile system comes to the extremely rear position already AFTER the third shot, while the recoil begins to affect the weapon and the shooter again after the end of the burst, which ensures extremely high accuracy of fire (a similar solution was used in the Russian AN-94 “Abakan” assault rifle ).

Early G11 prototypes were equipped with a fixed 1X optical sight. The magazines had a capacity of 50 rounds and could be loaded from special clips.

Initially, cartridges for the G11 were a block of compressed special gunpowder, with a primer composition sprayed on it and a glued bullet, coated with a burnable varnish to protect it from damage and moisture. The final version of the cartridge, designated DM11 4.7x33 mm, had a telescopic design in which the bullet was completely recessed into the powder charge block. Development of the DM11 was completed by the mid-1980s, more or less successfully solving the problem of self-ignition of cartridges in the chamber under intense fire that had plagued early prototypes.
The DM11 cartridge accelerated a bullet weighing 3.25 grams to a speed of 930-960 m/s at the muzzle.

In 1988, the first G11 samples were sent to the Bundeswehr for testing. Based on the testing results, a number of changes were made to the G11 design, in particular: the sight was made removable, with the possibility of replacing it with other types of sights; The magazine capacity was reduced from 50 to 45 rounds, but it became possible to attach two spare magazines to the rifle on both sides of the barrel; a mount for a bayonet or bipod appeared under the barrel. New option The rifle, designated G11K2, was provided to the German military for testing in late 1989. Based on the test results, a decision was made to put the G11 into service with the Bundeswehr in 1990, but deliveries were limited to a batch of only a few dozen units, after which the program was closed by decision of the German authorities. The main reasons for the closure of this seemingly technically successful program are most likely, firstly, a lack of money in connection with the unification of the two Germanys, and, secondly, NATO requirements for the unification of ammunition, which resulted in the adoption of the rifle by the Bundeswehr G36.
But in fact, sleeveless systems have several inherent defects that have not been overcome to this day. One of the main problems is the fragility of the propellant block, which is not protected by a sleeve, making the cartridge much less resistant to rough handling and mechanical damage. This, in turn, can give rise to a variety of problems when operating weapons with damaged cartridges.

In 1990, the G11 was also tested in the United States as part of the ACR (Advanced Cobat Rifle) program. The purpose of this program was to test new concepts (caseless ammunition, arrow-shaped sabot bullets etc.) for further analysis and development of requirements for a potential successor for the M16A2 rifle. During these tests, the G11 proved to be a relatively reliable and easy-to-handle weapon, with good firing accuracy in all modes. However, neither the G11 rifle nor its competitors managed to achieve the target hit probability characteristics set in the ACR program.

By the end of the 1990s it became completely clear that in existing form the G11 rifle has no prospects. Attempts by the Americans to revive developments in caseless ammunition within the framework of the LSAT program also led to the conclusion that at present systems for caseless cartridges have serious prospects in army weapons Dont Have.

The Heckler&Koch company is still a fairly young weapons manufacturer, but almost every one of its developments became widely known and spread throughout the world. The G3 automatic rifle was produced in Mexico and Iran. The MP5 submachine gun has surpassed its competitors so much that it has become a kind of “standard” similar weapons. But H&K pistols, despite their high quality and unusual design, could not achieve world fame for some time.

The situation changed in the 1990s. Universelle Selbstladepistole, a USP, entered the scene and proved that Heckler & Koch can achieve leadership in this area as well.

History of creation

The Heckler and Koch company was founded after the Second World War by former engineers from the Mauser plant. Using the equipment that they managed to salvage from the destroyed workshops, they opened their own workshop.

Heckler & Koch began developing and producing weapons in the 50s, and the first pistol, designated P4, appeared in 1967. It was a small pocket pistol, similar in design to the pre-war Mauser HSc. His interesting feature it was possible to easily change the caliber (to one of four) by replacing the barrel and magazine.

In the seventies, H&K released the original VP70 pistol with a polymer frame and the ability to fire automatically.

It was followed by the H&KP7, designed specifically for police and adopted in a dozen countries. But the real popularity of Heckler & Koch personal weapons came from the USP that appeared in the nineties.

It’s not surprising that the “universal self-loading” had to become so famous weapons, No. Unlike its ancestors, H&K created it specifically for the American market.

This weapon, first of all, had to satisfy the desires of the huge mass of US civilian shooters. For the same reason, options were immediately developed not only for the standard 9x19 mm cartridge for Europe, but also for the traditional American .45 ACP, and the new (and promising at that time) .40 S&W.

In the late 80s, a version of the pistol took part in a competition to create a new weapon for American special operations forces. This project eventually gave rise to the famous Mk 23 for special forces, but the experience gained was also useful in fine-tuning the USP. It went into production in .40 caliber in 1993, followed by a nine-millimeter version. Finally, in 1995, the USP 45 model went on sale.

Gun device

Previous USP Heckler & Koch pistols were distinguished by the use of various unconventional design solutions. For example, the P9 used a semi-blowback action, a system similar to that used in the design of the G3 rifle. But the “Heckler&Koch” USP is basically a fairly traditional design, almost like the Browning M1911 and Hi-Power. Automation uses the recoil of the barrel during its short stroke. The trigger mechanism is double action. And here we cannot do without innovations.

A remarkable feature of the USM is the variety of its operating modes.

In a workshop, you can change the position of the safety (or remove it altogether), add or eliminate a safe trigger release, or make the mechanism self-cocking only. The recoil spring buffer mechanism is built into the recoil spring assembly. According to the developers, it reduces perceived recoil by 30%.

At the bottom of the frame there is a device for attaching flashlights or laser pointers. However, this is not a universal Picatinny rail mount, and therefore the USP cannot be equipped with all additional equipment. Thus, only InsightIndustries flashlights distributed through the Heckler & Koch dealer network are allowed. To get around this inconvenience, some companies have launched the production of adapters that allow you to install a standard Picatinny rail.

Options

A wide variety of USP models are available - from compact ones for concealed carry to long-barreled target ones:

1. CustomSport is a target modification for sports and practical shooting.
2. Compact is a variant with a smaller frame and a different recoil mitigation system. Only this pistol is available in .357 SIG caliber.
3. USP Tactical is a pistol equipped with a silencer and an adjustable sight. A kind of “poor man's Mk 23”.
4. Compact Tactical is a small-sized model of a “tactical pistol”. Unlike the full-size one, it is available in only one caliber – .45 ACP.
5. Expert is a pistol similar to a “tactical” one, but is not intended for use with a silencer. But it has an elongated frame and can use increased-capacity magazines.
6. Match is a competition version that uses a special weight to reduce barrel bounce. Currently not produced.
7. USP Elite is the “ultimate” version of the target pistol with a barrel extended to 153 mm.

Characteristics in comparison with analogues from other manufacturers

To compare the characteristics, let's take the USP 45 in standard version and European pistols of the same caliber, which appeared around the same time.

In terms of weight and dimensions, the pistol in question is generally similar to its competitors, reducing the decisive factor of choice to a matter of personal preference. For example, someone may think that the ammunition of the Swiss SIG-Sauer is insufficient. But Glock does not produce long-barreled models in .45ACP caliber. It is worth mentioning that although the production of the P220 series began in the seventies, the production of the large-caliber P227 started only in 2014.

It is interesting that American gunsmiths mainly concentrated on producing revolvers and variations on the classic M1911, rarely pampering the market with new designs.

Application and trace in popular culture

In 1994, the USP nine-millimeter pistol was adopted by the Bundeswehr (under the name P8). USP Compact (also 9mm caliber) became a weapon of the German police, receiving the designation P10. The spread was not limited to this - it was later adopted by the military and police various countries.

It can be found all over the world - in Serbia and Spain, Thailand and Singapore, Australia and South Africa.

In most cases, nine-millimeter versions were adopted, much less often - .45 caliber. Only the US Immigration Service and the US Air Marshals expressed the need to have .40 caliber weapons.

USP has gained significant popularity in the media. With its help, gamers destroyed terrorists in games of the Rainbow 6 series, survived the zombie apocalypse in Resident Evil, and shot back at mutants in STALKER. A “tactical” model with a silencer was present in the arsenal of the most popular online shooter of its time - Counter-Strike.

On the big screen, Heckler and Koch pistols were used by vampires from the Underworld film series, Blade played by Wesley Snipes, Jason Bourne and Lara Croft from 2001. On television, USP received a significant role in the series “24”.

Pistol USP turned out to be a successful example, combining proven traditional solutions with innovative proposals.

High reliability and a variety of options have allowed us to firmly establish ourselves in the market and earn popularity. The USP pistol can hardly be called the “best” type of weapon.

The Mk 23 weapon remains unsurpassed in its combat performance. Among the Heckler & Koch products there are also newer pistols (HK45, VP9). But the “universal self-loading” remains in production, and its popularity has no intention of decreasing. The USP model not only brought H&K pistols to the world level - it allows you to hold on to it.

Video

The development of the G11 rifle was started by Heckler and Koch (Germany) at the very end of the 1960s, when the German government decided to create a new, more effective rifle to replace the 7.62 mm G3 rifles.
Based on the results of the research, it was decided that the Bundeswehr needed a light, small-caliber rifle with high shooting accuracy. To ensure reliable destruction of the enemy, it was necessary to ensure that several bullets hit the target, so the decision was made to create a rifle chambered for a caseless cartridge of 4.3 mm caliber (later switched to 4.7 mm caliber) with the ability to fire in single, long bursts and with a cut-off bursts of 3 shots. The Heckler-Koch company was supposed to create such a rifle, with the participation of the Dynamite-Nobel company, responsible for the development of a new caseless cartridge. (In parentheses, I note that the Heckler-Koch company was not the only West German company that developed weapons for a caseless cartridge - it simply achieved the greatest success in this matter.

For example, the Vollmer Maschinenfabrik company in the early 1980s also developed a number of assault rifles of a very original design chambered for a caseless cartridge, but before serial production I never finished them. Similar developments were also carried out in the USA in the 1980s by the AAI corporation in the early stages of the Advanced Combat Rifle program, as well as in France by the GIAT concern).

The main development of the layout and mechanisms of the new weapon was carried out by Heckler-Koch engineers Dieter Ketterer and Thilo Moller, with the participation of Günther Kastner and Ernst Wossner. Army testing of prototypes of the new rifle began in 1981 at the Meppen training ground. In 1983, 25 experimental rifles were tested at the Hammelburg army training ground. These tests continued for about a year.
In 1988, the first pre-production G11 samples were sent to the Bundeswehr for testing. Based on the results of these tests, a number of changes were made to the G11 design, in particular: the sight was made removable, with the possibility of replacing it with other types of sights; The magazine capacity was reduced from 50 to 45 rounds, but it became possible to mount two spare magazines on the rifle on either side of the main (working) magazine; a mount for a bayonet or bipod appeared under the barrel on the body of the weapon. A new version of the rifle, designated G11K2, in the amount of 50 copies, was provided to the German military for military testing at the end of 1989. As part of these tests, 200,000 rounds of ammunition were used - 4,000 rounds per rifle. Based on the test results, a decision was made to introduce the G11 into service with the Bundeswehr in 1990, but deliveries were limited to an initial batch of only 1,000 units, after which the program was closed by decision of the German authorities. The main reasons for the closure of this technically quite successful program are most likely, firstly, a lack of money in connection with the unification of the two Germanys, and, secondly, NATO requirements for the unification of ammunition, which resulted in the adoption of the G36 rifle by the Bundeswehr for standard 5.56 mm NATO ammunition.

In 1988–1990, the G11 was also tested in the United States as part of the ACR (Advanced Combat Rifle) program. The purpose of this program was to test new concepts (caseless ammunition, arrow-shaped sabot bullets, etc.) to identify a potential successor for the M16A2 rifle. During these tests, the G11 proved to be a reliable and easy-to-handle weapon, with good fire accuracy in all modes, but it could not achieve the 100% excess of combat characteristics over the M16A2 required by the Americans.
As part of the G11 program, not only the rifle itself was developed, but the whole complex weapons chambered for a caseless cartridge, including a magazine-fed light machine gun and a personal defense weapon (PDW) in the dimensions of a compact submachine gun. The light machine gun had a magazine located in the butt with a capacity of 300 rounds.

Such stores were supposed to be equipped only in the factory, and delivered to the troops already equipped and ready for use. Some sources also mention that the CAWS smoothbore combat rifle, created as part of the program of the same name for the US Army by Heckler-Koch in collaboration with American company Olin/Winchester was also based on the G11, but this is not the case. Despite some external similarities with the G11, the HK CAWS shotgun used cartridges with a traditional metal sleeve and had a fundamentally different automatic device (short barrel stroke combined with an auxiliary gas release mechanism).
As a final touch, it can be mentioned that the G11 rifle received an unofficial nickname among its developers as a “rapid-firing cuckoo clock” for its very complex mechanism, which had a large number of swinging and rotating parts.

The rifle's automation operates using the energy of powder gases removed from the barrel. The gas release mechanism is located to the left of the barrel and slightly below it. The cartridges are placed in the magazine above the barrel, bullets down, in one row. The G11 rifle has a unique rotating breech chamber into which the cartridge is fed vertically downward before firing. Then, the chamber rotates 90 degrees, and when the cartridge aligns with the barrel line, a shot occurs, but the cartridge itself is not fed into the barrel. The interface between the chamber and the barrel was one of the most weak points in the design of the rifle, having a survivability of only 3000–4000 rounds. In 1989, Heckler-Koch engineers promised to increase the resource of this unit to 6000 rounds, but it is not known whether they managed to achieve this. Since the cartridge is caseless (with a combustible primer), the automatic operation cycle is simplified by eliminating the extraction of the spent cartridge case. In the event of a misfire, the faulty cartridge is pushed down when the next cartridge is fed. The mechanism is cocked using a rotary handle on the left side of the weapon. When firing, the cocking handle remains motionless. It should be noted that on early prototypes the weapon's cocking handle was located in the front of the weapon, under the forend, and only starting with prototype No. 13 (1981) did it take the form of a rotary “key” on the left wall of the receiver.
Interestingly, the Heckler-Koch engineers made significant efforts to protect the rifle's mechanisms from dust, dirt and moisture. The cutout for the trigger was closed with a special movable membrane; the hole for the magazine receiver was automatically closed with a spring-loaded lid when the magazine was removed.

The barrel, firing mechanism (excluding safety/switch and trigger), rotating breech with mechanics and magazine are mounted on a single base made of stamped steel sheet, which can move back and forth inside the rifle body. When firing single shots or long bursts, the entire mechanism performs a full recoil-recoil cycle after each shot, which ensures a reduction in the recoil felt by the shooter (similar to artillery systems). When firing in bursts of three shots, the next cartridge is fed and fired immediately after the previous one, at a rate of up to 2000 rounds per minute. In this case, the entire mobile system comes to the extremely rear position already AFTER the third shot, so that the recoil begins to affect the weapon and the shooter again after the end of the burst, which ensures high accuracy of fire in short bursts (a similar solution was later used in the Russian Nikonov AN- 94).

Early G11 prototypes were equipped with a fixed 3.5X optical sight. The final (pre-production) version of the G11K2 had a quick-release optical sight 1X magnification as the main one, with a backup open sight made on the upper surface of the optical one. The magazines initially had a capacity of 50 rounds and could be loaded from special plastic clips for 10 (later 15) rounds. In the final version, the magazine capacity was reduced to 45 rounds, and there was a transparent window on the side of the magazine to monitor the remaining cartridges. Two spare magazines could be mounted on the body of the weapon, on the sides of the main (working) magazine, since carrying very long magazines on oneself was difficult.
In the final version of the G11K2, at the request of the military, it became possible to install a standard bayonet, and it was not mounted on a movable barrel, but on special mounts located on the body of the weapon below the muzzle and partially recessed into the body. A lightweight removable bipod could be installed on the same mounts for firing from a rest.

The official version says that the Heckler Koch company owes its birth to... the French army, which destroyed the Mauser arms factory in the town of Oberndorf am Neckar in 1945. Three talented weapons engineers, Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch and Alex Sidel, upset by this fact, “saved what they could from the rubble and laid the foundation for a new weapons company...” Probably official history the French wrote in order to get closer, no matter how sideways, to the success of the most prolific enterprise of our time, producing small arms. Buy Heckler Koch weapons in the online store>

However, despite the fact that the Heckler company is registered und Koch(um... probably “und” was the nickname of Mr. A. Sidel) was already in 1949, and at first it produced peaceful products. For development and release small arms Messrs. Heckler und Koch returned only in 1956, when the newly created German Army needed to arm itself. Using previous developments from Mauser times, the company very quickly produces the Heckler Koch G3 automatic rifle with a semi-blowback. The weapon turned out to be extremely successful - it remained in service with the Bundeswehr for almost 40 years.

An even more successful example was the Heckler Koch MP5 submachine gun developed on the basis of the G3. The semi-blowback bolt used in it in combination with the 9x19 cartridge and firing from the front sear (closed bolt) provided the new PP with very good accuracy at a high rate of fire. The compact, lightweight, convenient MP5 is used by the police, border guards and counter-terrorism units of the Federal Republic of Germany. PP is available in a large number of modifications, incl. in the version with an awkward Heckler Koch MP5 K PDW stock, and is still in service not only with police and special forces in more than forty countries around the world, but also with a large army of airsoft players. Pneumatic MP5 are produced by UMAREX under the Umarex Heckler Koch brand. Buy Heckler Koch weapons in the Okhotnik online store>

In the 60s, the company began a truly revolutionary project - the development of a promising caseless rifle system, the Heckler Koch G11. It is both a new rifle and a completely new cartridge that places the bullet directly into a solid, fully-burning propellant charge. For what? And in order to gain in cartridge case weight and increase the ammunition carried by a fighter five times compared to the 7.62x51 cartridge, and two times compared to the 5.56x45. In the rifle itself it was used great amount radical innovative developments - a bullpup design, the arrangement of cartridges in the magazine perpendicular to the axis of the barrel bore, a breech chamber rotating 90 degrees, into which the next cartridge was fed before firing... The rifle could fire in series of 3 shots in recoil accumulation mode - a movable barrel system the box-magazine-trigger came to the rear position only after the third bullet left the barrel, which ensured accuracy of fire unattainable for other machine guns and submachine guns. But... caseless ammunition itself has given rise to a considerable number of qualitatively new problems. As a result, after military tests of a batch of 1000 rifles, the G11 program was curtailed, the company itself changed owners, and Heckler Koch G36 automatic rifles began to arrive in the Bundeswehr to replace the G3.

In my new automatic rifle for the low-pulse cartridge, the company moved away from the proprietary semi-blowback design; the G36 has a gas-operated automatic system with the bolt locked by rotating 7 lugs. Today this rifle is in service in more than forty countries around the world, produced in various modifications, including the sport-hunting version of the Heckler Koch SL8. Here it must be said that all the main products of the H&K company are for military purposes, but some samples, nevertheless, are quite successfully used in sports shooting and as hunting semi-automatic carbines. The latter include the Heckler Koch MR308 and Heckler Koch MR223 - “civilian” versions of the Heckler Koch 416 assault rifle, also sold in Russia. From my " older sister» semi-automatic MR carbines differ only in the absence of an automatic fire mode and standard army sights.

The Heckler Koch SLB 2000 semi-automatic carbine is a “purely hunting” model. It was developed “from scratch” and is not a clone of any military model. The gas venting mechanism in it is located under the barrel, and the Heckler Koch SLB 2000 carbine itself is made according to a modular design and is produced in various options calibers This weapon appeared in Russia relatively recently, there is little information on it. One of the clear advantages of the SLB over other semi-automatic carbines is the ability to be equipped with a 10-place double-row magazine, which in itself is a rarity for hunting carbines.

Heckler Koch's weapons are not limited to machine guns alone - the company also successfully produces machine guns and, what is more interesting to us, pistols. One of the most famous models became the Heckler Koch P30, put into production in 2006. Today, many consider this pistol to be one of the best combat pistols in the world. It is produced in two calibers - 9x19 and .40 S&W, and its main “zest” besides large quantity Lightweight polymer parts include replaceable grip pads, allowing the P30 to fit the hand of any shooter. Due to its low muzzle flip, low recoil and safety to carry, the P30 pistol is very popular not only among law enforcement units, but also among IPSC athletes, incl. Russian. The pneumatic version of the Umarex Heckler Koch P30 is also in wide demand due to its “omnivorous” nature - it works reliably with both balls and lead bullets.

But that’s not all. The prolific company Heckler Koch produces not only firearms, but also bladed weapons. And not just any, but including one of the best “tactical” knives of our time, Heckler Koch 14205: very comfortable both in the hand and when worn, with excellent balance and blade shape, this knife was developed with the direct participation of the famous knifemaker Alex Sidel . In general, no matter what direction Heckler Koch works in, it always tries to attract the best specialists and use the best practices that already exist.