Heckler & Koch HK433: A new modular assault rifle. Heckler & Koch HK433: new modular assault rifle

The official version says that Heckler Koch owes its birth to ... the French army, which defeated 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, “rescued what they could from the wreckage and laid the foundation for a new weapons company ...” Probably, the French wrote the official history, so that at least in some side, but get closer to the success of the most prolific enterprise of our time, producing small arms. Buy Heckler Koch guns in the online store>

However, despite the fact that the Heckler und Koch company (hmm ... probably, “und” was the nickname of Mr. A. Seidel) was registered already in 1949, it initially produced peaceful products. Messrs. Heckler und Koch returned to the development and production of small arms only in 1956, when the newly created army of the FRG needed to arm itself. Using the past, still Mauser times, developments, the company very quickly issues an automatic rifle Heckler Koch G3 with a semi-free shutter. The weapon turned out to be extremely successful - it stood 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-free shutter used in it, in combination with the 9x19 cartridge and firing from the front sear (closed shutter), provided the new PP with very good accuracy at a high rate of fire. Compact, lightweight, convenient MP5 is adopted by the police, border guards and counter-terrorism units of Germany. PP is produced in a large number of modifications, incl. in the version with the clumsy stock of the Heckler Koch MP5 K PDW, and is still in service not only with the police and special forces of more than forty countries of the world, but also with a large army of airsoft players. Pneumatic MP5s are manufactured by UMAREX under the Umarex Heckler Koch brand. Buy Heckler Koch weapons in the online store "Hunter">

In the 60s, the company begins a truly revolutionary project - the development of a promising caseless rifle complex Heckler Koch G11. It is both a new rifle and a completely new cartridge in which the bullet is placed directly into a solid, completely combustible propellant charge. What for? And in order to win in the weight of the sleeve and increase the ammunition carried by the fighter five times compared to the 7.62x51 cartridge, and twice as compared to 5.56x45. A huge number of radical innovative developments were used in the rifle itself - the bullpup scheme, the location of the cartridges in the magazine perpendicular to the axis of the bore, the breech chamber rotating by 90 degrees, where the next cartridge was fed before the shot ... The rifle could fire in series of 3 shots in the mode recoil accumulation - the movable barrel-box-store-usm system came to the rear position only after the third bullet left the bore, which ensured the accuracy of fire unattainable for other machine guns and submachine guns. But ... caseless ammunition itself gave 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 replace the G3 in the Bundeswehr.

In its new automatic rifle chambered for a low-impulse cartridge, the company has moved away from the proprietary scheme with a semi-free shutter, the G36 has a gas-operated automation system with the shutter locking by turning on 7 lugs. Today, this rifle is in service with more than forty countries around the world, and is available in various modifications, including the Heckler Koch SL8 sports and hunting version. It must be said here that all the main products of H&K are for military purposes, but some samples, nevertheless, are quite successfully used in sports shooting and as hunting semi-automatic carbines. The latter include Heckler Koch MR308 and Heckler Koch MR223 - "civilian" versions of the Heckler Koch 416 assault rifle, also sold in Russia. The semi-automatic MR carbines differ from their "big sister" only in the absence of an automatic fire mode, and regular army sights.

The “purely hunting” model is the Heckler Koch SLB 2000 semi-automatic carbine. It is designed from scratch and is not a clone of any military model. The gas vent mechanism in it is located under the barrel, and the Heckler Koch SLB 2000 carbine itself is made according to a modular scheme and is available in various 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 equip with a 10-place double-row magazine, which in itself is a rarity for hunting carbines.

Weapons Heckler Koch is not limited to machine guns only - the company also successfully produces machine guns and, more interestingly, pistols. One of the most famous models was the Heckler Koch P30, put into production in 2006. Today, this pistol is considered by many to be one of the best combat pistols in the world. It is available in two calibers - 9x19 and .40 S&W, and its main "highlight" in addition to a large number of light polymer parts are interchangeable grip pads that allow you to fit the P30 to the arm of any shooter. Due to its low muzzle rise, low recoil and safety to carry, the P30 pistol is very popular not only with law enforcement units, but also among IPSC athletes, incl. Russian. The pneumatic version of the Umarex Heckler Koch P30 is also in high demand due to its "omnivorous" nature - it works reliably with both balls and lead bullets.

But this is not all. The prolific company Heckler Koch produces not only firearms, but also edged weapons. And not just any, but including one of the best "tactical" knives of our time Heckler Koch 14205: very comfortable both in 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 from existing ones.

Anyone who is interested in arming and equipping the "special operations forces" has noticed how much the "special forces" value personal information. Regardless of the presence of an individual (submachine gun, rifle, machine gun, carbine) or group (light machine gun, grenade launcher) weapon, almost every fighter carries a pistol as an auxiliary weapon. Apparently not satisfied with the "defensive" nature of modern pistols, the US Special Operations Command (US SOCOM) in the late 80s announced a program to create an "offensive personal weapon" (Offensive Handgun).

I must say that the idea of ​​​​turning a pistol into the main "weapon of the last throw" is not new. Even during the First World War, the Germans armed assault teams with powerful long-barreled pistols such as "Parabellum Artillery" or "Parabellum Carbine". The well-known military theorist A. Neznamov wrote in the book "Infantry" (1923): "In the future ... for a "strike" a weapon with a bayonet may be more profitable to replace a pistol with a dagger (a pistol with 20 rounds in the magazine and a range of up to 200 m)". However, in the military, and even in the police area, this task was solved at that time by submachine guns. In the 80s, the idea of ​​a powerful "assault" pistol was revived again, but this time it was associated with the needs of special forces. Bulky models like GA-9, R-95, etc. hit the market. Their appearance, accompanied by noisy advertising, was not accidental.

According to a number of American experts, the 9-mm M9 pistol (Beretta 92, SB-F), which was put into service in 1985 to replace the 11.43-mm M1911A1 Colt, does not fully meet the requirements of close combat in terms of accuracy and effective firing range. With a silencer, the effectiveness of the pistol is markedly reduced. SOCOM wanted to get a compact, holstered melee weapon (up to 25-30 m) in combat. He was supported by the US Army Command. Since among the "consumers" of weapons there should have been combat swimmer teams (SEALS), the main requirements of the program were presented in October 1990 by the center of special methods of warfare of the Navy. It was supposed to receive the first 30 prototypes by March 1992, test full-scale samples in January 1993, and in December 1993 already receive a batch of 9,000 pieces. In military periodicals, the new project was immediately dubbed "Supergun".

As the main options for use were considered: fighting on the street and inside buildings, covert penetration of the object with the removal of sentries, the release of hostages, or vice versa - the kidnapping of military or political figures.

"Supergun" was considered as a complex, including not only a "family" of cartridges and a self-loading pistol, but also a silent and flameless firing device, plus an "aiming unit". The modular scheme allowed the assembly of two main options: "assault" (pistol + aiming block) and "spy" (stalking) with the addition of a silencer. The weight of the latter was limited to 2.5 kg, length - 400 mm.

The main requirements for the pistol were as follows: large caliber, magazine capacity of at least 10 rounds, fast reloading, length no more than 250 mm, height no more than 150, width -35 mm, weight without cartridges - up to 1.3 kg, ease of shooting with one and two hands, high reliability in all conditions. A series of 10 bullets must fit into a circle with a diameter of 2.5 inches (63.5 mm) for 25 m. Accuracy was supposed to ensure the balance of the weapon, the muzzle device - a compensator and ease of holding. The latter, according to many, suggested a large slope and almost sporty design of the handle, a curved trigger guard for imposing the finger of the second hand. It was considered necessary to have two-way controls (fuse, slide delay lever, magazine latch) available to control the hand holding the weapon. The trigger mechanism was supposed to allow adjustment of the trigger force: 3.6-6.4 kg self-cocking and 1.3-2.27 kg with a pre-cocked trigger. Setting the fuse both with the trigger lowered and cocked. A safety trigger lever was desirable in case the shot was not needed. Sights would include a replaceable front sight and a rear sight adjustable in height and lateral displacement. For shooting at dusk, the front sight and rear sight would have luminous points - a device that has become common in personal weapons.

For the "supergun" they chose the good old 11.43 mm cartridge ".45 ACP". The reason is the requirement for a specific defeat of a living target in the minimum time at the maximum distance. The stopping effect of the 9x19 NATO bullet caused a number of dissatisfaction among the military. With a conventional shell bullet, a large caliber, of course, gives more guarantees of defeat from one hit. Even with body armor, the target will be incapacitated by the dynamic impact of an 11.43 mm bullet. The strong and sharp recoil of such cartridges was not considered essential for physically strong guys from the "special forces". Three main types of cartridges were named:

With a shell bullet of an "improved" type - in terms of improving ballistics and increasing penetrating action, with a bullet of increased lethality - for anti-terrorist operations, a training bullet with an easily collapsing bullet and power sufficient only for automation to work. In addition, it was considered likely to create a bullet with increased penetration, guaranteed to hit a target at 25 m, protected by the 3rd (according to NATO classification) class.

The aiming block was conceived as a combination of two illuminators - conventional and laser. The usual one, which creates a stream of light with a narrow but bright beam, served to search for and identify a target at night or indoors. The laser worked in two ranges - visible and IR (to work with night glasses such as AN / PVS-7 A / B) - and could be used for quick aiming both at night and during the day. Its "spot" should have been clearly projected within the silhouette of a person at a distance of 25 m. The block could be turned on with the index finger of the hand holding the weapon.

The PBS was required to fast (up to 15 s) attachment and removal, and maintain balance. In any case, the installation of the PBS should not displace the STP by more than 50 mm by 25 m. If the pistol has automatics with a moving barrel, the silencer should not interfere with its operation.

In general, the requirements for "offensive personal weapons" did not imply anything fundamentally new and were based on the parameters already achieved. This made it possible to count on the implementation of the program within three years.

In early 1993, thirty "demonstration" samples were actually presented to SOCOM. At the same time, the two largest arms firms, Colt Industries and Heckler und Koch, were the clear leaders. During the year, their samples were carefully studied, trying to determine ways for further development.

The Colt Industries sample was generally designed in the style of the M1911 A1 Colt pistols of the Mk-IV - 80 and 90 series with modernized retention elements and a number of improvements in the firing mechanism and automatic operation. The controls are concentrated at the handle. For use by combat swimmers (on land, of course), all elements of the mechanism are made "water-resistant". The muffler and aiming block also looked quite traditional.

The Heckler und Koch pistol was based on a new USP model (universal self-loading pistol). The USP was originally designed in 9mm and 10mm versions, but for the Offensive Handgun program it was chambered in ".45 ACP".

The USP in an "offensive personal weapon" variant with a Red Knightos silencer was presented in October 1993 at an exhibition organized by the American Army Association (AUSA). It can be noted that the total weight of the system is reduced to 2.2 kg, the laconic and convenient design, the aiming block is literally inscribed in the contours of the frame. Its switch is located within the trigger guard. Note that the "demonstration" samples "Colt" and "Heckler und Koch" had a constant sight, more characteristic of pistols. The angle of inclination of the handle of both was less than expected. Another significant feature of the samples is the ability to release them to the market for other purposes if the Offensive Handgun program fails.

The choice of the SOCOM sample was expected in 1995. But even then, the Offensive Handgun program was criticized. A June 1994 editorial in Modern Gun magazine simply called the idea of ​​a large caliber "offensive" pistol "stupid". It is said with enthusiasm, but the idea is really controversial.

Indeed, is it really necessary to hold on to the .45 caliber and endure the overturning effect of the recoil (the .45 ACP recoil force is 0.54 kg) and the increase in the weight of the pistol to the level of a submachine gun? The biggest stopping power is worthless if the bullet misses. Maybe it's better to put two or three bullets into the target with a slightly lower lethality, but better accuracy? With a total weapon length of 250 mm, the barrel length should not exceed 152 mm or 13.1 caliber, which threatens to reduce ballistic data. Reducing the caliber would increase the relative length of the barrel and improve accuracy. A serious competitor to self-loading "offensive personal weapons" remains a small submachine gun with a variable firing mode. This type of weapon is more versatile and, moreover, has already taken its niche in a number of melee weapons.

However, in the fall of 1995, SOCOM still opted for 11.43 mm USP for the implementation of the "third phase of the contract." The third phase involves the release of "Heckler und Koch" 1950 pistols and 10,140 magazines for them with the start of deliveries by May 1, 1996. The pistol has already received the official designation Mk 23 "Mod O US SOCOM Pistol". In total, about 7,500 pistols, 52,500 magazines and 1950 silencers can be ordered.

Let's take a closer look at the USP device. The barrel of the pistol is made by cold forging on a mandrel. In combination with polygonal slicing, this gives it high accuracy and survivability. Cutting the chamber allows you to use the same type of cartridges from different manufacturers and with different types of bullets. The installation of a silencer allows an elongated barrel.

Experts expected Heckler und Koch to use a fixed-bore design similar to their P-7. However, USP automatics work according to the barrel recoil scheme with a short stroke and barrel skew locking. Unlike classic schemes, such as the Browning High Power, here the barrel is lowered not by a rigid frame pin, but by a hook installed by a buffer spring at the rear end of the return spring rod placed under the barrel. The presence of a buffer is designed to make the operation of automation smoother.

The frame of the pistol is made of injection molded plastic, similar to the Glock and Sigma pistols. The four guides of the shutter-casing are reinforced with steel strips to reduce wear. The magazine latch, trigger, trigger box, cover and magazine feeder are also made of reinforced plastic. On the frame of the pistol itself there are guides for attaching a flashlight or laser pointer. The shutter-casing is manufactured as a single piece, milled from chromium-molybdenum steel. Its surfaces are subjected to nitrogas treatment and blued. To all this, a special "NOT" ("aggressive environment") treatment is added, which allows the pistol to withstand immersion in sea water.

The main feature of the USP is its trigger mechanism. At first glance, this is a conventional trigger-type mechanism with a semi-hidden trigger and a two-position flag placed on the frame. However, by replacing a special retainer plate, it is possible to switch it to five different modes of operation. The first mechanism is double action: with the upper position of the flag, firing with a preliminary cocking of the trigger is possible, with the lower position - only by self-cocking, and lowering the flag safely pulls the trigger. The second option: when the flag is moved to the top position - "fuse", to the bottom - "double action", this is just the most typical for service weapons. In the third option, it is possible to fire only with a preliminary cocking of the trigger, there is no fuse, and the flag is used as a lever for safe trigger release. The fourth option is somewhat similar to the third, but shooting is possible only by self-cocking. The fifth and final option sets the "self-cocking" and "safety" modes. I would like to add that in each of the modes the flag is located at your discretion - to the right or to the left. The requirements of the American program are most consistent with the first and second options. Selection can only be made by a qualified master. Trigger force with pre-cocking the trigger is 2.5 kg, self-cocking - 5 kg, that is, they are common for a service pistol. There is also an automatic fuse-latch that fixes the drummer until the moment when the trigger is fully pressed. There is no magazine fuse, so a shot after its removal is not ruled out, the disadvantage is small but still unpleasant.

The double-sided magazine release lever is located behind the trigger guard and is hidden from accidental pressure. The magazine holds 12 cartridges stacked in a checkerboard pattern. In the upper part, the two-row magazine smoothly turns into a single-row one, which gives it a convenient shape for loading and improves the operation of the feed mechanism. A step and a notch at the bottom of the handle make it easy to change the magazine. At the end of firing, the pistol puts the bolt carrier on the bolt delay. Its elongated lever is located on the left side of the frame.

Handle and frame are the same. The front side of the handle is covered with checkerboard, and the back with longitudinal corrugation, the side surfaces are rough. In combination with a well-thought-out balance and a 107-degree angle of inclination of the handle to the axis of the bore, which makes holding the pistol very comfortable. The trigger guard of the pistol is quite large, which makes it possible to shoot with tight gloves. However, in connection with this, the front bend on the bracket is practically not used - for a rare shooter, when shooting from two hands, the index finger of the second hand will stretch so far.

The 11.43mm USP weighs about 850g and is 200mm long. Accuracy of fire allows you to stack five bullets at a distance of 45 m in a circle with a diameter of up to 80 mm. The execution and finish of each detail corresponds to the degree of its importance. According to "Heckler und Koch", the survivability of the barrel is 40,000 rounds.
Interchangeable rear sight with a rectangular slot and a front sight of a rectangular cross section are mounted on the bolt carrier with a dovetail mount. Sights are marked with white plastic inserts or tritium dots.

Also, Heckler und Koch releases the "universal tactical illuminator" UTL for the USP. It operates in the visible light range, has an adjustable beam angle and two switches. The first is a lever protruding inside the trigger guard so that it can be operated with the index finger. The second in the form of a pillow is fastened with Velcro on the handle and turns on when tightly gripping it with the palm of your hand. Food UTL - from two 3-volt batteries.

There is also a new version of the removable muffler. It is still based on an expansion scheme. Expanded and cooled gases are discharged through openings. However, even now it is clear that this weapon will undergo more than one modification and will serve the American army for many years.

Bundeswehr soldier and is designed to defeat enemy manpower.

The G11 Heckler rifle is a development by West German designers that replaced the G3 rifle. In the mid-60s of the XX century, the concept of armament of the motorized infantry units of the NATO armies began to change, incl. and divisions of the Bundeswehr. According to NATO analysts, the main shock “self-defense forces”, as the arms race businessmen liked to call themselves, are armed with an insufficiently light assault rifle that meets the requirements of our time.

Development of new regular weapons

G11 - this is the name given to the new assault rifle, was taken into development by the German company Heckler and Koch in the late 1960s. The German government approved this project and instructed to produce the required type of weapons as soon as possible.
In the course of design and survey work, the designers settled on a variant of a light, small-caliber and small-sized rifle in the “bullup” variant with high hitting accuracy. In this case, the clip is structurally attached above the barrel, the cartridges in it are defined in diameter to the bore. The effectiveness of hitting the target was achieved by hitting it with several shots, so the designers settled on the option of using a 43 mm caliber cartridgeless cartridge in the new weapon (then they chose the 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, Heckler-Koch was entrusted with the creation of a new G11, and Dynamite-Nobel was responsible for creating a new shellless shot.

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Design features G11
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The automatic scheme of the weapon operates due to the kinetic energy of the powder gases that are removed 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 the cartridge is fed vertically down before the start of fire. This is followed by a turn of the breech 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 cartridge without a shell (the primer 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. During a misfire, a defective cartridge is thrown down under the influence of the feed force of the next ammunition. The mechanism becomes cocked using the rotary knob located on the left. When shooting, the handle does not move.

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

Ammunition

For regular use, cartridges without a shell have been developed, with dimensions of 4.73x33 mm, manufactured by Dynamit Nobel AG. The prototype ammunition for the Heckler & Koch G11 had a square-shaped powder charge coated with waterproof varnish, an igniter primer at the bottom and a bullet recessed in the powder charge. Then they created a modified version of the ammunition for the Heckler & Koch G11, where the bullet and the charge of gunpowder are completely encapsulated along with an igniter primer at the bottom and a lid at the top of the capsule.

Modifications

The Bundeswehr is armed with two types of such weapons:
-Rifle Heckler Heckler & Koch G11K2 - an updated version of the G11. The body is shortened, a mount for a bayonet and a clip for 45 shots have been developed. The sight is a removable type 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, uncased cartridge
Automation: gas operated, with a rotating breech
Length: 0.750 m
Barrel length: 0.540 m
Weight: 3.6 kg without ammunition
Clip: 50 (45) shots

The Heckler & Koch family of rifles is extremely large and includes many types of small arms designed to solve a variety of tasks. Sniper rifles have not been overlooked either, but most of these weapons from this company are improved versions of the standard rifle.

They are distinguished by the best workmanship, the addition of some parts and devices, as well as the installation of an optical sight - a necessary thing for aimed shooting at long distances. It is worth noting the traditional reliability and efficiency of the weapons of this company, which is excellent for use in the field.

Typical Heckler & Koch sniper weapons are the G3 A3ZF and G3 SG/1 7.62mm rifles. Both of them were produced for the West German police, model G3.

SG / 1 was equipped with a lightweight bipod. These are undoubtedly good examples, but they are only an upgrade of standard weapons, which, in turn, were created for mass production, and not for special purposes. With this in mind, in the mid-1980s, Heckler & Koch turned its attention to the production of special sniper weapons.

Even before starting work on the creation of a new rifle, which became known as the PSG1, the designers consulted with experts from the special forces, in particular the GHA-9 (German border guard), the British SAS and some anti-terrorist units from Israel.

The PSG1 sniper rifle has a conventional Heckler & Koch rotating bolt and a weighted barrel that features polygonal rifling. The influence of the G3 rifle can be seen in the outline of the receiver, as well as in the nest for 5- and 20-round magazines (you can also manually load one cartridge), although most of the design elements were developed specifically for this model.

A new handguard was made in front of the magazine nest, the barrel was elongated, while the stock was redesigned and could be adjusted so that the weapon fit a particular shooter.

Accuracy

At first, the PSG1 was produced with a 6x Henzoldt optical sight with six divisions for shooting at distances from 100 to 600 m, but then the rifle began to be produced with a special mount that allows you to install various sights. According to the developers, the rifle is distinguished by “accuracy unattainable for other models”, but it is clear that this is nothing more than a publicity stunt.

It is supposed to use a special machine (tripod) to aim this 7.62 mm rifle, but what it is (if it appears at all) is not yet clear. It can be assumed that this machine is a slightly modernized version of a tripod for one of the Heckler and Koch machine guns, just as the stock of the PSG1 rifle is a variation on the butt of the NK-21 machine gun.

Nevertheless, the PSG1 rifle is one of the most expensive modern sniper rifles: its price reaches 9000 US dollars. In 1990, another model of Heckler and Koch sniper rifles appeared - MSG90 (MSG stands for Militaerisch Scharfschuetzen Gewehr, that is, a combat sniper rifle, and the number is the year it was put into service).

This sample was created as a simplified (and therefore cheaper) version of the PSG1 in an attempt to achieve a higher level of sales. The design is based on the G3 model, the PSG1 trigger mechanism is used in combination with a lightweight barrel and a reduced and lightweight stock. Thus, the length of the weapon was reduced to 1165 mm, and the weight was reduced to 6.4 kg.

"Heckler & Koch" characteristics:

• PSG1
• Caliber: 7.62 mm
• Weight: empty - 8.1 kg
• Overall length: 1208 mm
• Barrel length: 650 mm
• Muzzle velocity: about 860 m/s
• Box magazine, 5 or 20 rounds

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 efficient rifle to replace the 7.62 mm G3 rifles.
Based on the results of the survey, it was decided that the Bundeswehr needed a light, small-caliber rifle with high shooting accuracy. To ensure a reliable defeat of the enemy, it was necessary to ensure that several bullets hit the target, therefore it was decided to create a rifle for a caseless cartridge of 4.3 mm caliber (later switched to 4.7 mm caliber) with the ability to fire 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, which was responsible for the development of a new caseless cartridge. (In brackets, I note that Heckler-Koch 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 company Vollmer Maschinenfabrik in the early 1980s also developed a number of samples of assault rifles of a very original design for a caseless cartridge, but they never brought them to mass production. Similar developments were also carried out in the United States 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 Günter Kastner and Ernst Vossner. Army testing of prototypes of the new rifle began in 1981 at the Meppen training ground. In 1983, already 25 experimental samples of the rifle were tested at the Hammelburg army training ground. These tests continued for about a year.
In 1988, the first pre-production samples of the G11 entered the Bundeswehr for testing. Based on the results of these tests, a number of changes were made to the design of the G11, in particular: the sight was made removable, with the possibility of replacing it with other types of sights; magazine capacity was reduced from 50 to 45 rounds, however, 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 as 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 were used up - 4,000 rounds per rifle. Based on the test results, it was decided to put the G11 into service with the Bundeswehr in 1990, however, deliveries were limited to an initial batch of only 1000 pieces, after which the program was closed by the decision of the German authorities. The main reasons for the closure of this technically quite successful program are most likely, firstly, the 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 under the standard ammunition 5.56 mm NATO.

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 sub-caliber bullets, etc.) to identify a potential successor to 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 performance required by the Americans over the M16A2.
As part of the G11 program, not only the rifle itself was developed, but a whole range of weapons 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 placed in the butt, with a capacity of 300 rounds.

Such stores were 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 eponymous program for the US Army by Heckler-Koch in collaboration with the American company Olin / Winchester, was also built on the basis of the G11, but this is not so. Despite some external resemblance to the G11, the HK CAWS shotgun used cartridges with a traditional metal sleeve and had an automatic device of a fundamentally different device (a short barrel stroke in combination with an auxiliary vapor mechanism).
As a final touch, it can be mentioned that the G11 rifle received the unofficial nickname “quick-firing cuckoo clock” among the developers, for a very complex mechanism that had a large number of swinging and rotating parts.

Rifle automation works due to the energy of powder gases discharged from the barrel. The gas outlet 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 down before firing. Then, the chamber is rotated 90 degrees, and when the cartridge stands on the line of the barrel, a shot occurs, while the cartridge itself is not fed into the barrel. The junction of the chamber with the barrel was one of the weakest points in the design of the rifle, having a survivability of only 3000-4000 shots. In 1989, Heckler-Koch engineers promised to raise the resource of this unit to 6000 shots, but it is not known whether they managed to achieve this. Since the cartridge is caseless (with a burning primer), the automation cycle is simplified by refusing to extract the spent cartridge case. In the event of a misfire, the failed cartridge is pushed down when the next cartridge is fed. The cocking of the mechanism is carried out using the rotary knob on the left side of the weapon. When firing, the cocking handle remains stationary. It should be noted that in the early prototypes, the cocking handle of the weapon was located in front of the weapon, under the forearm, and only starting from prototype No. 13 (1981) did it take on the form of a rotary “key” on the left wall of the receiver.
Interestingly, Heckler-Koch engineers made significant efforts to protect the rifle 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 by a spring-loaded cover when the magazine was removed.

The barrel, firing mechanism (except for the fuse/translator and trigger), rotary breech with mechanics and magazine are mounted on a single base, made of stamped steel sheet, which can move back and forth inside the body of the rifle. When firing single shots or long bursts, the entire mechanism performs a full rollback-rollback cycle after each shot, which ensures a decrease 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. At the same time, the entire mobile system comes to the extremely rear position already AFTER the third shot, so that the recoil begins to act on the weapon and the arrow 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 1X quick-detachable optical sight as the main one, with a backup open sight made on the upper surface of the optical sight. Stores originally had a capacity of 50 rounds and could be loaded from special plastic clips for 10 (later 15) rounds. In the final version, the capacity of the magazines 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-knife, while it was attached not to a movable barrel, but to special mounts located on the body of the weapon below the muzzle and partially recessed into the body. A light removable bipod for firing from the stop could be mounted on the same mounts.