BACK IN GERMANY

Germany's Heckler & Koch, which has a strong presence in the greater Washington, D.C., area through its Sterling, Va.-based subsidiary, is once again a German-owned company. After operating for 12 years under the umbrella of the United Kingdom's BAE Systems, the company was sold last December to a consortium headed by two senior managers of the Oberndorf/Neckar Germany manufacturing operation.

At this year's Shoot-out, Heckler & Koch put various versions of its G36 rifle/carbine/short carbine/light support weapon (machine gun) family, the latest model of its MP5 submachine gun, and its MP7 Personal Defense Weapon into our evaluators' hands.

The various G36 models fire NATO-standard 5.56-by-45mm ammo, but do so from decidedly different weapons (August 2001 AFJ). The G36 line includes the -K model carbine, which features a 12.5-inch barrel, a folding buttstock and integral iron sights. The sights themselves are an integral part of the weapon's Picatinny rail system, which often carries an Aimpoint reflex sight. There's also an integral mounting system beneath the barrel for affixing a tactical light.

The other configurations - the basic G36 rifle, the MG36 light support weapon and the G36 Compact short carbine - can be mated with a variety of options designed for specialized applications.

Two years ago, when Heckler & Koch unveiled a pre-production model G36C at Shoot-out 2001, the weapon played to very favorable reviews. This time, a production model earned mixed reviews.

"I like the G36," an evaluator said. "It's reliable and has a simple functioning design."

"It's a nice gun," said another. "The only thing I don't like is the trigger pull - it has a tight trigger. It is easy to control on full auto, though, and I enjoyed shooting this gun."

Another also commented that it had a "heavy trigger, but was easy to shoot once I got used to the trigger." He was impressed by its "very light recoil" and gave it high grades for being an "ergonomic package with a solid feel."

In response to earlier assessments about the trigger pull on the G36, Heckler & Koch now has a match trigger available for the weapon.

Another evaluator said he was "very high on the system. Even though it's lighter than I expected, the barrel climb isn't bad."

But another shooter experienced "multiple stovepipe misfeeds" with the suppressor-equipped G36C and felt it had a "poor trigger pull." He also felt that, perhaps, the "front grip [is] too close to the suppressor?"

One of his like-minded colleagues noted that the "safety lever is a bad design," the weapon's "rate of fire [750 rounds per minute] is too fast," and he, too, experienced a feed malfunction.

"LIKE A MERCEDES"

No Heckler & Koch display would be complete without the company's venerable MP5 line of submachine guns, and the Shoot-out was no exception. With more than 120 variants of the 9mm-firing line available, it's no wonder MP5s are found in military and law-enforcement inventories in more than 50 countries. U.S. Navy SEALs are numbered among the MP5's customers.

Summing up the impressions of our evaluators, one wrote: "The essence of the modern machine gun - superb! Very impressive engineering; handled like a Mercedes." He added that one of the weapon's strong points is that it delivers "rifle-like accuracy at close and midranges."

SMALL PACKAGE

Two years ago, Heckler & Koch also used the Shoot-out to introduce the company's MP7 Personal Defense Weapon (PDW) to AFJ readers. The compact (just under 15 inches with the buttstock retracted), lightweight (barely 3½ pounds) weapon fires a 4.6-by-30mm round at a rate of approximately 950 rounds per minute in the full auto mode. The MP7 can also be fired as a semiauto weapon.

Capable of carrying either 20- or 40-round magazines, the MP7 exceeded NATO automatic weapon hit/probability standards during preliminary testing by registering hits against a stationary target at least 50 percent of the time at a distance of 100 yards. No less significant, the 4.6-by-30mm round has proven its ability to defeat Crisat vests, which consist of 1.6mm titanium plates and 20 layers of Kevlar, at a range of 200 meters.

According to Heckler and Koch officials, the MP7 was designed around the 26.2 grain, 4.6-by-30mm round. The goal was to develop a compact weapon with minimal felt recoil - 50 percent of a standard 9mm round - that could penetrate protective vests and helmets with enough punch to take down their wearers. The bullet's design makes this possible. The ball cartridges, made from steel or copper, retain their original weight after penetrating personal protective gear, automobile body panels and other hard barriers.

The MP7, it should be remembered, isn't meant as a battlefield combat weapon. Its specialized applications include use during VIP-protection and other high-visibility missions, perhaps as an issue weapon for tank crews and as a survival weapon for pilots. In those and other roles, it has a lot going for it.
"An excellent design for a concealed weapon with a lot of punch," an evaluator said. But, he added, its "nonstandard caliber will make it a hard sell for the military."

Another echoed concern over the bullet's weight and performance: "Ballistics tests were suspect on earlier models," he said. "We're looking forward to the 50-grain-bullet version," which will be introduced in several varieties this summer. A subsonic, 77-grain slug is in final development. Nonetheless, he added, the "concept is interesting."

"A very light, compact weapon," said another. "Negligible recoil. Easy to shoot, but I'm not sure how effective this ammo is."

Overall, though, his colleagues agreed that this is a weapon worth having. "Very impressive engineering," noted one. "Wow! Assault rifle lethality in a small, portable, handgun-like package. I loved this gun; comfortable, easy to carry and fire."

"The PDW is addictive," another said. "This gun has a narcotic effect when fired on full auto. Terminal ballistics aside, it's a very well-designed and executed firearm that is a ball to shoot."

STAYING IN TOUCH

In addition to the "hands-on" firing opportunities enjoyed by this year's evaluators, AFJ Shoot-out 2003 gave members of the weapons-manufacturing community and an important segment of their customer base a unique opportunity to get to know one another. Plenty of business cards were exchanged, and several contacts made during the gathering at Blackwater already have sparked follow-up discussions.

As a result of Shoot-out 2003, more than two dozen members of the U.S. and Canadian special-operations community, weapons-development and procurement specialists who support them, and guests from the U.S. State Department and Secret Service have a broader grasp and understanding of some of the innovations taking place within industries that produce the basic tools of their trade. During the next year, AFJ will remain on the lookout for even more exciting developments within the worldwide firearms community, with the aim of sharing them after Shoot-out 2004.