HK 36

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The HK 36 was a rifle developed by Heckler & Koch. Early in the 1970s, small calibres had become more popular thanks to the United States' adoption of the M16 and its 5.56 mm round.

The HK 36 rifle fired a 4.6 mm spoon point ("Loffelspitz") round. Low bullet weight and the straight line layout of the rifle reduced recoil and the high velocity of the round gave it an almost flat trajectory out to 300 metres (1000 feet), which was also the limit of its effective range. Beyond that point, the bullet lost velocity very quickly.

The HK 36 used H&K's delayed blowback system, and reloading was accomplished by inserting a pre-packaged box of rounds into the open rear of the permanently mounted magazine, an unusual departure from modern systems.

Despite never being accepted for military service, the rifle was notable for introducing the three-round burst concept, and gave H&K some interesting ideas for the future, which are now resurfacing in the Heckler & Koch MP7 PDW.