Heckler & Koch HK416
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| Heckler & Koch HK416 | |
|---|---|
 The Heckler & Koch HK416 (14.5" Barrel) |
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2005-present |
| Used by | U.S. Army(experimental tests for future procurement) |
| Wars | War in Iraq, War in Afghanistan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Heckler and Koch |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Number built | ? |
| Variants | D10RS (10" barrel), D145RS (14.5" barrel), D165RS (16.5" barrel), D20RS (20" barrel) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.31 kg (10 inch barrel), 3.5 kg (14.5 inch barrel) |
| Length | 686 / 785 mm (10" barrel, stock collapsed/extended), 788 / 886 mm (14.5" barrel, stock collapsed/extended) |
| Barrel length | 267 mm (10.5 in), 368 mm (14.5 in), 419 mm (16.5 in), 508 mm (20 in) |
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| Cartridge | 5.56 x 45 mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt, selective fire (semi-auto, full-auto) |
| Rate of fire | 700-900 rounds/min |
| Feed system | 30 round detachable box magazine |
The HK416 is an assault rifle designed and manufactured in Germany by Heckler & Koch to be an improved version of the M4 carbine pattern firearm. It is available as a complete firearm, or as an upper receiver kit that fits on any AR15 type lower reciever.
The project was originally called the HKM4, but this was changed in response to a trademark infringement suit filed by Colt Defense. It could be speculated that '416' is a reference to the M4 and M16 it's designed to compete with. The HK416 piston system is similar to that found in the HK G36 replacing the direct impingement gas system used by the standard M16/M4. So far the weapon has reportedly been tested by the United States military as well as some law enforcement agencies. It is only available to government and military organizations. The 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta and the Taiwan Coast Guard[1] have been known to use the weapon.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Notable features
Key differences from the M4 carbine include:
- Cold hammer-forged barrel - Longer-lasting.
- Piston-driven action - Much cleaner system. After 30 rounds fired on full automatic the bolt can be handled by the bare hand. [2]
- Free-floating fore-end - Can be removed to clean or alter the gun and reassembled in minutes.
- New iron sight design.
- Comes in four variants (different barrel lengths):
- - D10RS (10" barrel)
- - D145RS (14.5" barrel)
- - D165RS (16.5" barrel)
- - D20RS (20" barrel)
- Environmental survivability - Can be fired immediately after being submerged in water or buried in sand, [2] and testing by Heckler & Koch shows it can also be fired after being buried in mud. [3] This level of durability surpasses or matches that of the AK-47 model assault rifle and its many clones.
[edit] Related Weapons
The HK417 is a larger version of the HK416 chambered for the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO round. The HK417 is currently in the prototype phase. The HK417 and HK416 have a relationship similar to the AR-10 and AR-15.
[edit] See also
[edit] Source
- ^ Cox, Matthew (March 1, 2007). "Better than M4, but you can't have one". Army Times. Retrieved on 2007-03-15.
- ^ a b Futureweapons episode, aired 2007/02/19 (USA)
- ^ HKpro.com website.
