Heckler & Koch HK417

The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a battle rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch in Germany. It is a gas-operated, selective fire rifle with a rotating bolt. It's chambered for the full-power 7.62×51mm NATO round, instead of the less powerful 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge. The HK417 is intended for use in roles where the greater penetrative power and range of the 7.62×51mm NATO round are required. It has been adopted for service by a number of armed forces, special forces, and police organizations.

Design details

The HK417 is similar in internal design to the HK416, but the receiver and working parts are enlarged to suit the larger 7.62×51mm NATO round. The bolt is a seven-lug rotating type, which sits in a bolt carrier and operates in a forged alloy receiver resembling those of the Stoner-designed AR-10, AR-15 and M16 rifle series weapons.

Like the HK416, the HK417 is gas-operated with a short-stroke piston design similar to that of the Heckler & Koch G36. The short-stroke piston is more reliable than the original direct impingement operation of the AR-15 design because, unlike these weapons, it does not vent propellant gases directly into the receiver, which deposits carbon fouling onto the bolt mechanism as well as heating it up.^[1]

The early prototype HK417 used 20-round magazines from the Heckler & Koch G3 rifle family, which did not feature a bolt hold-open device. Later prototypes, however, switched to a polymer magazine with bolt hold-open. The magazine resembles an enlarged version of the G36 series transparent magazine, except without the pins for holding more than one magazine together. In addition, a 50-round, low profile drum magazine developed by HK for the HK21E machine gun can be fitted to the HK417 for use in support and sustained fire applications.

Role

Purchasers of the HK417 have typically intended it to complement lighter assault rifles chambered for less powerful intermediate cartridges (often 5.56×45mm NATO), for the designated marksman's role. The HK417's greater accuracy, effective range, and penetration offset its greater expense, its lower rate of fire, and its smaller ammunition capacity both in magazine and carriage.^[2]

Variants

Military and law enforcement

The HK417 models chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO available to the military and law enforcement market are:

• HK417 12" 'Assaulter': carbine rifle with 304.8 mm (12 in) standard barrel
• HK417 16" 'Recce' or 'Recon': rifle with 406.4 mm (16 in) standard and accurized barrels
• HK417 20" 'Sniper': full size rifle with 508.0 mm (20 in) accurized barrel

As of 2013, the HK417 A2 models chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO available to the military and law enforcement market are:

• HK417 A2 - 13": carbine rifle with 330.2 mm (13 in) barrel
• HK417 A2 - 16.5": rifle with 419.1 mm (16.5 in) barrel
• HK417 A2 - 20": full size rifle with 508.0 mm (20 in) barrel

Accurized barrels provide 1 MOA accuracy (with match grade ammunition). A barrel can be changed in under two minutes with simple tools. All HK417 barrels are cold hammer forged and chrome-lined and use a conventional lands and grooves bore profile with a 279.4 mm (1 in 11 in) twist rate. They are designed to function reliably with bullet weights ranging from less than 9.3 to 11.34 g (147 to 175 grains) and are threaded for flash hider, muzzle compensator, and sound suppressor attachment.^[2][3]

The HK417 A2 is the improved version. The design of the receiver, barrel interface, gas port and the bore axis alignment of the rifle have been further optimised to increase its accuracy and reliability.^[2][4]

Related developments

Civilian

Civilian variants of the HK416 and HK417 introduced in 2007 were known as MR223 and MR308.^[5] Both are semi-automatic rifles with several "sporterized" features. At the 2009 SHOT Show, the two firearms were introduced to the American civilian market renamed respectively MR556 and MR762.^[6] Since then both were replaced by the improved MR556A1 and MR762A1.^[7][8]

G28

A G28 of the German Army

The civilian MR308 was used to develop the G28, a designated marksman rifle for the German Bundeswehr (Federal Army) deployment to the Afghanistan war. The semi-automatic G28 designated marksman rifle is chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO and has a factory warranted accuracy of 45 mm dispersion at 100 meters (1.5 MOA) when fired with 10 rounds using OTM/HPBT/Sierra Match King ammunition. The G28 features STANAG 4694 NATO Accessory Rails that are backwards-compatible with the STANAG 2324 or MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rails. The upper receiver is made from steel instead of HK's aluminium alloy. Approximately 75% of the parts are interchangeable with the HK417. There are two different versions of the G28: G28 E2 (Standard) with a, according to the Bundeswehr's requirements modified, Schmidt & Bender PMII 3–20×50 and the G28 E3 (Patrol) with Schmidt & Bender PMII 1–8×24.^[9]

M110A1

In April 2016 the Heckler & Koch confirmed that a lighter version had won the United States Army's Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System contract to replace the Army's M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper System.^[10] It is designated as the M110A1 and uses an aluminum upper receiver instead of steel to meet weight requirements, weighing 8.4 lb (3.8 kg) unloaded and reaching some 15 lb (6.8 kg) loaded and with accessories; the M110A1 features a Geissele M-LOK rail handguard, Schmidt & Bender 3-20×50 PMII Ultra Short optic, Geissele optic mount, OSS SRM6 suppressor, 6-9 Harris bipod and mount, and a collapsible stock with adjustable comb.^[11][12]

Gallery

• 
  Heckler & Koch HK-417 12" "Assaulter" model on display
• 
  A .338 SAKO TRG-42 (upper), .308 Win H&K MR308 (second), .223 Rem AR-15-M5 and a 9mm AR-15 on display at the 2012 ARMS & Hunting exhibition.
• 
  MR 308 semi-automatic civilian variant
• 
  Australian Army Pvt. Brent Rothwell patrols in Tarin Kowt with a HK417, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2013
• 
  Irish ARW airborne sniper team on a helicopter during the 30th anniversary of the ARW
• 
  A sniper from the Norwegian Home Guard's task force "Bjørn West" armed with a HK417 designated marksman rifle
• 
  Royal Malaysian Navy PASKAL operators on standby during the 59th National Day Parade of Malaysia at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur. One is armed with a 7.62mm HK417 Sniper Rifle.
• 
  A .308 Win Heckler & Koch HK-417 12" Sniper and .223 Rem Heckler & Koch G36E on display at the 82nd Royal Malaysian Navy exhibition.

Users

Country	Organization name	Model	Quantity	Date	Reference
Albania	Special Operations Battalion (Albania)	-	-		[2][13]
Australia	Australian Army (acquired the 16-inch variant paired with 6× ACOG for an interim marksman solution for use in Afghanistan, with permanent fielding expected in future)	-	-	2010	[2][14][15]
Brazil	Brazilian Federal Police	-	-	2012	[16]
Croatia	Croatian Army uses it as a marksman rifle and special forces rifle BSD	D14.5RS Gen. 2	-	-	Image of Croatian Army's ownHK417[17]
Denmark	Danish Army uses it as a marksman rifle.	20" Sniper	-	-	[18]
Estonia	ESTSOF uses it as a marksman rifle.	-	-	-	[19]
France	Commandement des Opérations Spéciales (COS)	-	-	-	[20]
Germany	German Army uses the G28, a modified version of the Heckler & Koch MR308, as a designated marksman rifle. And the standard HK417 A2 with a 13" barrel as "G27".[21]	-	-	-	[2][22]
	GSG-9 sniper teams of the German Federal Police	-	-	-	[23]
Ireland	Defence Forces Army Ranger Wing sniper teams	-	-	2010	[2][24]
Italy	Italian Navy Special Forces, Italian Army Special Forces, Italian Air Force Special Forces, Italian Navy Marine Corps, Italian Army	-	-	-
Japan	Special Forces Group (Japan), Japan Ground Self-Defense Force	-	-	2014	[25]
Malaysia	Pasukan Khas Laut sniper teams of the Royal Malaysian Navy	-	-	2006	[2][26]
Mauritius	Military of Mauritius uses it as a marksman rifle.	-	-	2013
Netherlands	Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) of the Royal Netherlands Army (acquired the 16-inch variant paired with Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 or Aimpoint CompM2)	-	-	2011	[2][27][28]
Norway	Norwegian Armed Forces uses it as a marksman rifle	-	-	-	[2][29][30]
Poland	Policja	-	-	-	[2][31]
Portugal	Special Actions Detachment	HK417	-		[32]
Russia	Spetsnaz snipers of law enforcement agencies	MR308	-	-	[33][34]
	FSB Alpha Group	MR308	-	-	[35]
Sweden	Särskilda operationsgruppen	-	-	-
Turkey	Gendarmerie Special Operations Command	HK417 G28	-
United Kingdom	United Kingdom Special Forces sniper teams of the British Armed Forces	HK417	-	-	[2][36]
	Surrey Police sniper teams		-	-	[37][38]
	West Mercia Police sniper teams		-
United States
	Joint Special Operations Command	_	_	_	[39]
	United States Army	G28 (as M110A1)	3,643 (planned)	_	[40]

See also

• List of battle rifles
• Heckler & Koch G3
• Heckler & Koch HK416

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HK 417.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to HK MR308.

• Heckler & Koch page
• Heckler & Koch HK417 A2 page
• Heckler & Koch HK417 assault rifle at the Modern Firearms & Ammunition site