The Heckler & Koch G36 Assault Rifle

Heckler & Koch G36 History

Heckler and Koch started to develop what was to become the HK G36 in the early 1990s as the HK50 project. The Bundeweswehr (army of Germany) was using outdated rifles, such as the 7.62 mm G3 automatic rifle, which were not NATO compatible. The German Army wanted modern military weapons.
 
The Bundeweswehr approved the HK G3 in 1995 as part of its military weapons. German Federal Police have also adopted this assault rifle. Other entities using variations of the Heckler & Koch G36 today include:
  • Brazil's Federal Police
  • Ireland's Irish Army Rangers
  • Poland's police and special forces
  • Spain's Spanish Army, Navy and Air Forces
  • the United States' Capitol Police, Los Angeles Police Department and St. Louis Police Department.

The Heckler & Koch G 36 has been used in combat in Afghanistan, Iraq and Yugoslavia.

HK G36 Specifications
Heckler & Koch G36 military weapons use NATO compatible 5.56 X 45 mm cartridges. This assault rifle can fire at a rate of 750 rounds per minute. Other specifications include:

  • barrel length of 33.9 inches
  • effective firing range of roughly 2,620 feet
  • magazine capacity of 30 rounds
  • muzzle velocity of approximately 3,000 feet per second
  • sighting range of about 3,280 feet
  • stock extracted length of 39.3 inches
  • stock folded length of 29.8 inches
  • weight with empty magazine of eight pounds.

Heckler & Koch G36 Features

The HK G36 assault rifle features:
  • a dual sighting device
  • a gas-operated system with self-regulating short stroke pistons (short stroke is the most commonly used gas operation style)
  • a manual safety to prevent the accidental firing of the assault rifle
  • a red dot sight that uses battery power during the night and sunlight during the day
  • an ambidextrous design so that soldiers can use these German guns regardless of whether the soldiers are left-handed or right-handed
  • main parts that are assembled using cross-pins for easy disassembly in the field
  • rotary bolt with seven locking lugs
  • selective fire so that the assault rifle can be fired either semi-automatically or automatically.

Advantages and Disadvantages of HK G36

The advantages of the Heckler & Koch G36 include:
  • a burst mode
  • a number of trigger group combinations available
  • accuracy
  • can be assembled and dismantled in the field without the use of specialized tools
  • easy to maintain
  • high shock tolerance
  • long service life of roughly 100,000 shots
  • low recoil
  • reliability
  • silent when shot.

Disadvantages of the Heckler & Koch G36 include:

  • a high line of sighting
  • the fore grip may overheat when fired on full automatic
  • the inability to attach a grenade launcher under the barrel in the field because of issues related to the fore grip.

Resources

Enemy Forces (n.d.). Automatic rifle Heckler & Koch G. 36. Retrieved on February 19, 2008, from the EnemyForces.com Web site: www.enemyforces.com/firearms/g36.htm.
 
MarvQuin, LLC (2008). HK G36. Retrieved February 20, 2008, from the Gunslot.com Web site: www.gunslot.com/guns/hk-g36.
 
Popenker, Max R. (n.d.). Heckler-Koch HK G36 assault rifle (Germany). Retrieved February 18, 2008, from the WorldGuns.ru Web site: world.guns.ru/assault/as14-e.htm.