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Heckler Und Koch G3The G3 (G3A3) series battle rifle is manufactured by Heckler und Koch since 1958. It has been the standard infantery weapon of the German Bundeswehr until 1997 and is still being used by several national armies around the world (see below for details). The G3 is typical of its day, a battle rifle chambered in 7.62 x 51 mm NATO, capable of semi-automatic or fully automatic fire and using a detachable magazine, like the FN FAL or the M14. It is equipped with a flash hider and can mount a bayonet. It was developed by former Mauser engineers, after having spent some time in Spain working for the arms developers there. These men helped build the CETME rifle and took it back to Germany. Indeed for a time the first G3s had "CETME" stamped on the side. The design was modified however. Construction details All G3 variants have a stamped steel receiver and a pressed in barrel. They also have the trademark H&K selector switch, SEF. The top setting is S, Sicher (sichar) in German meaning "safe." The middle setting is E, Einzelfeuer (Ine-tsell-foyer) which means "single shot" or "semi-auto." And the bottom setting is F, Feuersto (pronounced foyer-shtoss) meaning "burst shot"; this one is sometimes made fun of by referring to it as "Frieden" (pronounced freedon) meaning "peace." It also has the trademark charging handle, which is on the left side near the muzzle. This has caused some criticism as some find it awkward to manipulate, particularly while prone. Another common criticism is the lack of a last round bolt hold open. If the weapon is dry the bolt still closes. Many weapons, indeed most, have a catch of some sort that keeps the bolt locked open after the last round. However, this is looked on as an advantage by some as there are fewer parts to play with. The magazines are made of steel or aluminum, the latter being more popular because it was lighter and still durable. Standard capacity was 20 rounds, though smaller and larger magazine could be found. The magazine was removed via a "flapper" behind the magazine and forward of the trigger guard. This is pushed forward, dropping the magazine. Stripping of the weapon is achieved by pushing two small pins from the buttstock, removing the buttstock, pulling the trigger pack down(it could be removed by pushing out another pin holding it in place), and pulling back the charging handle to push the bolt out of the rifle. Correct H&K manual of arms is to charge the rifle, push the handle upward into a slot, put a magazine in (rocking it slightly from front to back is recommended, though it is not as drastic as with the AK series), and release the bolt. Many people like to perform the "H&K slap" by whacking the handle forward. This was frowned on in most militaries, being seen as an unneeded damaging of government property. However the action did require that you let it fly forward with full power, lest the bolt not fully close. The G3 uses an interesting firing mechanism that is closely related to the MG-42 and StG.44. It is known as "Delayed Roller Locking", a sub-category of delayed blowback. The bolt is not locked into the receiver in the normal static manner. The bolt-head has a small roller on two sides that fit into a recess in the receiver. The bolt-head protrudes slightly from the rest of the bolt, being pushed backward when a round is chambered, locking the rollers into their recesses. When round is fired the intense pressure (upwards of 50,000 PSI) must first overcome the rollers before the bolt pushes backward against the recoil spring, which then hurls it forward to strip another round from the magazine. Variants of the G3 The G3 had, most notably, a wooden buttstock, a steel forearm with large perforations, and a "paddle wheel" sight. The "paddle wheel" consisted of one v notch set for 100 meters and aperture sights set for 200, 300, and 400 meters. The use of the 100 meter notch was discouraged with the 200 meter aperture being favored for both 100 and 200 meters. The 100 meter sight was relegated to volley fire and extreme close ranges. Then came the G3A1, differing only in having a side-folding stock. The G3A2 had the same stock setup but now sported the trademark H&K diopter drum sights. The settings were the same but now the sights were on a slightly tilted drum that was twisted to the left or right for the desired setting. This proved more secure than the paddle. The G3A3 is the version most well known, using the drum sights, a fixed plastic buttstock and a plastic forearm of the slim or wide variety(the latter having provisions to allow a bipod to be attached). The G3A4 uses the drum sights and a retractable, single position, stock. Both versions can also be issued with a scope with the nomenclature G3A3(A4)Z. Z stands for 'Zielfernrohr' or "Telescope." The final variant is the G3KA4, the smallest of the line. It uses the drum sights, a retractable stock and a 12.4 inch (314.96 mm) barrel. Contrary to popular belief the HK51 is not made by H&K, being a creation of the American Class II manufacturers. The HK51 has no real standards but is usually a cut down and modified G3A3 or its semi-automatic clone, the HK91. Usually fitted with a retractable stock, it is a tiny 23.17/30.72 (stock closed and retracted) inches with a 8.31 inch barrel. One final accessory is the HK79 40mm grenade launcher, with forearm, and ladder sight. Advantages and drawbacks The G3 was used by a number of countries, though it could never catch up to the FN FAL. It is/was a reliable weapon system, accurate, and easy to maintain. Some complaints that it was not very ergonomic. One complaint that can readily be made is that the rifle required more complex assembly than, say, an FN FAL. The barrel also has to be pressed into the trunnion, a seemingly unnecessary complexity and various welds had to be made. It is a heavy rifle, nine pounds (four kilograms) without a magazine. On the balance, this is a complaint that can be levied against many weapons. Some also complain that the detail strip is odd or complex. It also has another failing, shared with other rifles of it's kind. Although the G3 is capable of fully automatic fire, in practice this was not extremely useful. The recoil generated by the 7.62 NATO cartridge makes full-auto mostly impractical. It can be done but normally only from a prone position. Technical Details - Caliber: 7.62 x 51 mm NATO
- Function: roller-delayed blowback, select-fire rifle (semi-automatic, full-auto fire)
- Mass: 4.4 kg / 9.70 (with empty magazine)
- Length: 1026 mm / 40.38 inches
- Barrel: 450 mm / 17.71 inches
- Rifling: 4 grooves, rh, 1:12 twist rate
- Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s / 2591 ft/s
- Rate of fire: 600 rds/min
- Sights: paddle wheel/diopter sights
- Maximum effective range: 400 m
- Magazine capacity: 20 rounds
- Manufacturer: Heckler und Koch, Germany.
Countries that use the G3 In the German military, the Bundeswehr, it is being phased out and replaced by the Heckler und Koch G36. External links
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