Heckler & Koch: Difference between revisions

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Heckler & Koch Logo

Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the extremely precise sniper rifle PSG1, and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. Heckler & Koch are famous for the precision, durability, reliability and accuracy of their firearms. All firearms made by H&K are named by the prefix HK and the official designation.

Heckler & Koch has a history of innovations in small arms, such as the use of polymers. Not all of its technologically ambitious designs have resulted in successful products (for instance, the advanced but now abandoned G11 assault rifle). HK produces the whole range of small arms, from pistols to grenade machine guns. In its extensive product range, HK has used most of the operating systems for small arms: blowback, short-recoil, roller-delayed blowback, gas-delayed blowback, and gas-operated.

HK was founded by Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, and Alex Seidel in 1949 from the remnants of Mauser, and the company was registered in 1950. In the beginning, the company produced sewing machines and other fine mechanics, but this was changed in 1956 when the company constructed a rifle for the German Bundeswehr. In 1991, H&K was bought by British Aerospace/Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems) who resold it to a German group that was created for this purpose in 2002.

The company is located in Oberndorf in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, but also has a subsidiary in the United States. Their slogan is: "In a world of compromise, some don't!" (There is some confusion about the pronunciation of the word "Koch". Some non-German speakers incorrectly say "Kotch" or "Coke", but it rhymes with loch.)

HK has been contracted by the U.S. Army to produce the kinetic energy subsystem (see: kinetic projectiles or kinetic energy penetrator) of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon, a planned replacement for the M-16/M203 grenade launcher combination. OICW will fire both 5.56mm bullets and 20mm grenades. As development has been delayed, this project has spun off the XM8.

HK is also contracted to refurbish the SA80 range of weapons for the British Army.

See also: List of modern armament manufacturers

Selected notable designs or families:

• Pistols: HK USP (variants:P8, P2000), HK UCP, HK P7, Mark 23
• Personal Defense Weapons: MP7, MP5K
• Submachine guns: MP5, UMP
• Assault rifles: G3, G36, HK 53
• Sniper rifles: HK MSG-90, HK PSG-1
• Machine guns: HK 21E, HK MG4
• Grenade guns: AG36, HK GMG
• Other:
  • HK G11: experimental rifle
  • HK P11: underwater pistol

Short List of Heckler & Koch abbreviations

Format: Abbreviation = German Text (English Text)

• UMP = Universal-Maschinenpistole (Universal Submachine Gun)
• SD = Schalldämpfer (Silencer)
• UCP = Ultimate Combat Pistol
• USP = Universal-Selbstladepistole (Universal Autoload Pistol)
• GMG = Granat Maschinengewehr (Grenade Machine Gun)

See also

• List of Heckler & Koch products

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Heckler & Koch G41

External links

• http://www.heckler-koch.de/ - Official homepage (International)
• http://www.hk-usa.com/ - Official homepage (US)
• http://www.hkpro.com/ - very comprehensive fan page
• Remtek - HK Small Arms