HK416

HK416
HK416N of the Norwegian Army with Aimpoint CompM4 red dot sight and assault grip
general information
Civil name:	HK MR223
Military designation:	HK416
Developer / Manufacturer:	Heckler & Koch / Heckler & Koch
Manufacturer country:	Germany
Production time:	since February 2005
Model variants:	see model variants
Weapon Category:	Assault rifle
Technical specifications
Caliber :	5.56 × 45 mm NATO
Possible magazine fillings :	10, 20 or 30 cartridges
Ammunition supply :	Curve magazine
Cadence :	approx. 850 rounds / min
Fire types:	Single , continuous fire , bursts of fire
Number of trains :	6th
Twist :	right; 177.8 mm
Visor :	open sights
Mounting system:	Picatinny rail
Closure :	Turret lock
Charging principle:	Gas pressure charger
Lists on the subject

The HK416 is an assault rifle from the weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch . The variant HK416A7 with 14.5 '' pipe length was introduced in the Bundeswehr under the designation G95K for the special forces. The German customs use the variant HK416A5 with 11 '' pipe under the model name G38 . The rifle is used by the Hessen police and various special forces and was selected by the Norwegian and French armed forces as an orderly weapon .

history

The weapon is a successor to the discontinued XM8 project . It was designed to replace the M16 and M4 rifles.

The idea for this weapon came about at Heckler & Koch after the revision of the British SA80 weapon system of the Royal Small Arms Factory , at a time when both companies were part of the British Aerospace / Royal Ordnance group. The development and testing took place in cooperation with the US special unit Delta Force .

The original name of the weapon was "HK M4" - probably a reference to the M4. After a lawsuit from Colt Defense , the rifle was renamed "HK416" - a renewed allusion to both the M4 and the M16.

technology

How the impulse piston works using the example of an AR-15

The HK 416 is a gas pressure charger with a short stroke and rotating head lock . With this system, the impulse required to unlock the rotary head lock is taken from the gas extraction hole on the barrel and transferred to the lock by a pulse piston. As a result, the mechanics are hardly contaminated by powder gases and combustion residues, which significantly improves the functional reliability compared to systems with direct contact with the bolt carrier such as the M16. The recoil is slightly increased by this piston system and the barrel cannot swing completely freely. The gun has a cold-hammered barrel. The fore-end is free-swinging and equipped with four Picatinny rails arranged all around to accommodate accessories.

The shoulder rest can be pushed in by about 10 centimeters so that the weapon can be adapted to the shooter's arm length or is less of a hindrance in confined spaces.

The magazine well is widened at the bottom to make it easier to insert a magazine.

On the right side there is a dust protection flap, which is tensioned by leg springs and which opens when the shutter moves backwards. The flap can then be closed again manually.

A sleeve deflector is located behind the ejection window . This is to prevent the ejected cartridge cases from hitting the face of left-handed shooters.

Behind the case deflector there is a closing aid that can be operated manually by the shooter ( forward assist ). This is pushed forward if the lock does not move forward by itself.

The magazine release button is on the right hand side in front of the trigger. So that it is not accidentally pressed, it is surrounded by rounded ribs. If the button is pressed, the magazine falls out of the magazine slot by itself when the weapon is in the normal position.

The two-handed cocking slide is located on the weapon housing. This does not move when shooting.

The weapon has a slide catch . The slide catch lever is on the left.

For the weapon, double-sided controls, a pressure point trigger and other barrel lengths are available on request. Under the barrel of the can 40 mm - grenade launcher AG36 be attached.

Heckler & Koch offers an additional economic incentive to procure this weapon with the so-called "Minimum Upgrade Package". Existing components of other assault rifles are integrated here.

reliability

The end of 2007, underwent US military the HK416 an intense dust and sand test. The background to the test was the announcement by the US Army that it would procure the unreliable M4 for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan up to and including 2009 in certain situations . The American House of Representatives then ordered this test, in which the FN SCAR and the HK XM8 also participated, in order to prevent the extension of the M4 procurement.

In the test, the HK416 came in third behind the XM8 (127 jamming) and the SCAR (226 jamming) with a total of 60,000 rounds from 10 identical weapons with 233 jamming . All three rifles thus proved to be far more reliable than the M4 with 882 jamming. The pistonless gas pressure charging system (direct impingement) is cited as the cause of the poor performance of the M4.

Model variants

A Norwegian soldier with the HK416N in Afghanistan

A US Army Asymmetric Warfare Group soldier with a HK416 D14.5RS (foreground) in June 2006, during the Iraq War

A silenced D10RS in service with the Polish unit GROM at a press demonstration in May 2011

There are 9 variants of the HK416:

variant	Total length mm	Barrel length mm	Height mm	Width mm	Weight kg
HK416 D10RS	797 (701)	264	240	78	3.02 (3.64)
HK416 D14.5RS	900 (804)	368			3.49 (4.11)
HK416 D16.5RS	951 (855)	419			3.56 (4.18)
HK416 D20RS	1037 (941)	505			3,855 (4,475)
HK416C	690 (560)	228	236		2.95 (3.57)
HK416 A5 - 11 "	805 (709)	279	240	74	3.12 (3.74)
HK416 A5 - 14.5 "	893 (797)	368			3.49 (4.11)
HK416 A5 - 16.5 "	944 (848)	419			3.56 (4.18)
HK416 A5 - 20 "	1030 (934)	505			3.85 (4.47)
↑ Total length: shoulder rest extended ( shoulder rest pushed in ) ↑ Weight: without magazine ( with full magazine )

The newer HK416-A5 models use a shoulder rest without a storage compartment and without a side cheek rest. This made the weapon 4 mm narrower compared to the HK416D with shoulder rest with lateral cheek rest on both sides.

Changes to the new model series HK416 A5:

• The assembly for the folding front sight on the barrel is independent of the gas consumption, has been moved further forward towards the flash hider and has a bayonet boss .
• The gas take-off has been modified so that it can be adjusted without tools for use with silencers .
• The hand protection was extended beyond the gas take-off. This should improve the fall resistance.
• Fire selector, slide catch and magazine release levers are provided on both sides. This means that the weapon can be used equally well by left-handed and right-handed shooters.
• The upper Picatinny rail is continuous.
• The trigger guard has been enlarged so that the weapon can also be operated with thick gloves.
• The magazine compatibility with the M16 / M4 has been improved.
• The original handle variants V2 (with extended hand rest) and V4 (ergonomic handle with storage compartment for tools) became the handle V7 with extended hand rest and storage compartment.

Changes to the model HK416 A7:

• Slim-line handguards;
• Cerakote coating;
• Safety lever with 45 ° notches.

Licenses

 Turkey : MKEK , Sarsılmaz and Kalekalıp have acquired licenses. Allegedly the Turkish armed forces want to replace the HK G3 with the HK416 or HK417 manufactured under license under the name Mehmetçik-1 . Since its presentation in 2008, there has been no new information on the status of the Mehmetçik-1 project. In 2014 the MKEK Mehmecik MPT-76 was introduced, also a possible G3 replacement.

User states (selection)

•  Germany : Special Forces Command (KSK) and combat swimmers of the Bundeswehr (version HK416 A7 under the designation G95k), as well as under the designation G38C (HK416 A5 - 11 ") from the ZUZ of the German customs . The Special Forces Command receives an Eotech reflex sight EXPS 3 -0 NV with a G33 booster. The combat swimmers use a different aimpoint sight. VTAL from Rheinmetall serves as a laser light module. The Bundeswehr procures a total of 1745 sets. The Hesse police will be using a modified version of the G38 from spring 2020 ( only single fire).
•  Czech Republic : Deployed by Czech special forces .
•  France : The FAMAS has been replaced by the HK416 for the Commandement des opérations spéciales and the French Air Force . In September 2016, the Direction générale de l'armement ( DGA ) announced that Heckler & Koch, with the HK416 A5 in the Arms Individual Future (AIF) ('Individual Rifle Rifle of the Future') procurement program , the tender for the successor to the FAMAS for the entire French Armed forces could decide for themselves. The total volume of the order is 93,080 pieces, which are to be delivered by 2032. As of 2017, the HK416 will replace the FAMAS as the standard weapon for all three branches of the armed forces. The purchase of a weapon that is not made in France sparked a political debate. In the French presidential election campaign, Arnaud Montebourg criticized Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for this and called for the fama to be revised.
•  Norway : In 2007 the government of Norway replaced the AG-3 in all branches with 40,000 HK416s . In January 2019, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense ordered a further 11,000 HK416s, the delivery of which will start in 2019 and has a volume of 22 million euros.
•  Malaysia : Used by PASKAL .
•  Netherlands : The Corps Commandotroepen introduced the HK416.
•  Poland : Used by the GROM unit .
•  United States : The HK416 is used by the Delta Force and is used as an alternative to the M4 Carbine (unit members have personal choice of weapons). In addition, the HK416 is used in the unit network of the United States Special Operations Command ( DEVGRU and US Army's Asymmetric Warfare Group ). Special police forces such as the SWAT also use this weapon. A modified variant is introduced by the United States Marine Corps as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle .

See also

• HK417 , a variant of the HK416 in caliber 7.62 × 51 mm.

literature

• Sören Sünkler: Europe's elite and special units. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-613-02853-1 .

Web links

Commons : Heckler & Koch HK416  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official product website of Heckler & Koch
• HKPro.com: The HK416 (English)
• HK416 at Modern Firearms

Individual evidence

1. ↑ HK416 - Technical data. Archived from the original on July 31, 2012 ; accessed on April 14, 2018 . 
2. ↑ "1,500 assault rifles against terrorism - but continuous fire is taboo" Hessenschau from August 21, 2019
3. ↑ Oberndorf: H&K: Swipe on von der Leyen shouldn't be missing. In: schwarzwaelder-bote.de. Retrieved September 29, 2016 . 
4. ↑ Ryan E. LeBlanc: An Evaluation of Gas Systems for the AR15 / M16 Platform , 2012
5. ↑ The HK416 weapon system. Archived from the original on July 3, 2007 ; accessed on April 14, 2018 . 
6. ↑ M4 to face new rifles in dust-chamber test. Retrieved January 2, 2011 . 
7. ↑ Newer carbines outperform M4 in dust test. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on June 30, 2012 ; Retrieved January 2, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ Results of SCAR / HK416 / M4 / XM8 Dust Tests Released - M4 Loses Badly. thefiringline.com, accessed on July 13, 2019 (English, full quotation of the test report). 
9. ↑ ^{a b c d e} VISIER-Special 67 Infantry today and tomorrow . 1st edition. VS Medien, ISBN 978-3-9813948-9-4 , pp. 21 .
10. ↑ Richard Lloyd Bentz: MKEK introduces the new Turkish infantry rifle "Mehmetcik-1". In: Strategic Eurasia. January 8, 2008, accessed September 10, 2011 . 
11. ↑ Steve Johnson: The new Turkish MKEK Mehmecik MPT-76 National Rifle. In: The Firearm Blog. thefirearmblog.com, May 12, 2014, accessed September 27, 2016 . 
12. ↑ Press release (German). (PDF) In: Eyes straight out. Federal Ministry of Defense, 2017, accessed on October 14, 2012 . 
13. ↑ Jan-Phillipp Weisswange: Handguns and anti-tank handguns of the Bundeswehr: history, tactics, technology . 2nd Edition. Mittler, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 2014, ISBN 978-3-8132-0951-8 .
14. ↑ DokuHDx: The Customs - Fight Against Smuggling (HD DOKU). November 4, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018 . 
15. ↑ Jan-P. Weisswange: Bundeswehr assault rifle special forces light - G95K will join the troops in 2019. STRATEGIE & TECHNIK, December 20, 2018, accessed January 3, 2019 . 
16. ↑ hessenschau de, Frankfurt Germany: 1,500 assault rifles for the police - but continuous fire is taboo. August 9, 2019, accessed on August 9, 2019 (German). 
17. ^ Laurent Lagneau: L'armée de l'Air va remplacer le Famas. In: opex360.com. March 6, 2009, accessed April 10, 2009 (French). 
18. ↑ 101 000 H&K pour l'armée française - Journal Les Sentinelles - Actualité sécurité et défense. Retrieved September 11, 2016 . 
19. ↑ BFM BUSINESS: Quand l'armée française opte pour le «made in Germany». Retrieved September 11, 2016 (French). 
20. ↑ Major order from France. Heckler & Koch provides the future French assault rifle. Heckler & Koch, September 28, 2016, accessed April 7, 2017 . 
21. ↑ De nouveaux fusils d'assaut allemands pour l'armée française. LeMonde, September 23, 2016, accessed April 7, 2017 (French). 
22. ^ The French army buys German rifles. In: n-tv.de. Retrieved September 23, 2016 . 
23. ↑ Montebourg fumeux sur les Famas. Liberation, September 25, 2016, accessed April 7, 2017 (French). 
24. ^ Norwegian Armed Forces buys more HK416 assault rifles. Retrieved January 17, 2019 . 
25. ↑ Marhalim Abas: DSA 2010 Part III . In: Malaysian Defense . August. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
26. ↑ KCT operator krijgt nieuw persoonlijk wapen. Dutch Defense Press, July 16, 2010, accessed April 17, 2018 (Dutch). 
27. ↑ Remigiusz Wilk: Nowe gromy GROM. Wizyta dowódcy US SOCOM w Warszawie stała się pretekstem do prezentacji najnowszego uzbrojenia WFS GROM. Po raz pierwszy publicznie pokazano niektóre Konstrukcje strzeleckie i wyposażenie, o których mówiło się, że znalazły się w arsenale jednostki, lecz do tej pory never były oficjalnie ujawniane. In: altair.com.pl. Archived from the original on March 26, 2010 ; Retrieved April 14, 2018 (Polish). 
28. ↑ Army takes HK416s from special unit. Retrieved January 2, 2011 . 
29. ↑ Andre M. Dall'au: NASA ERT: Spaceport Protectors. Tactical Life, accessed May 23, 2010 . 
30. ^ IAR What IAR: The USMC's SAW Substitution
31. ^ Dan Lamothe: Marines swap firepower for accuracy with IAR. In: marinecorpstimes.com. June 29, 2011, archived from the original on July 2, 2011 ; accessed on April 14, 2018 (English).