We offer you a review on the machine gun, assembled for the first time by the German arms enterprise Heckler & Koch in 2004. The assembly of this sample was carried out on the principle of the Colt M4 carbine (Colt), and Ernst Mach constructed this model. Initially, it was developed as a special replaceable module that could be installed on any lower part of the trunk boxes of the M4 and M16, but over time, in the process of working on it, it was decided to build a full-fledged machine gun. The production of the HK416 was aimed exclusively at the US market.
Tests of an assault rifle were conducted in 2005, were successful, and the sample was adopted by many countries around the world. The submachine gun combined the virtues of the legendary M4 and M16, long used in US combat forces, which gave the assault rifle its name - HK416. It is worth noting that it was the aforementioned weapon samples that, despite the many positive qualities, were the least reliable and adapted to combat tactics. In the end, Heckler & Koch presented to the Americans exactly what they wanted - their favorite machine now without unloved, significant shortcomings. The German model is competitive, it can quite indulge with the novelties of the Russian defense industry (AK-12 and A-545) and has every chance of becoming an advanced weapon of NATO.
Overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the HK416
- Excellent modularity and inclusiveness - the machine fits into the different nature of the fighting.
- High purity and accuracy of shooting, which makes it possible to use the HK416 like a sniper rifle.
- The machine perfectly fits in the hands, due to the supply of weapons with a T-shaped handle, and the damper, saved from the American M16 rifle, provides an opportunity to achieve soft recoil.
- The rifle is not subject to rusting.
- Combines ergonomics and convenience.
- Striking ease of construction.
True, the last point is in some way a disadvantage. In the construction of HK416, aluminum alloys are mainly used, which at first gives the machine a certain fragility due to hand sensations. Yes, and the barrel can lead a few from the line of sight when firing long bursts.
Modifications and versions of HK416
In principle, almost all manufacturers of small automatic weapons do not “reinvent the wheel,” but are upgrading the model range already in service. Even in the concept of weapons of the 21st century, a continuity from the previously used automata and rifles can be clearly seen. As regards the introduction of new types of weapons into operation and experiments in the field of modernization of existing weapons, the United States is the first. That is why, in the global arms market, the US market is dynamically developing, promising, and mainly weapons manufacturers around the world rely on it. Heckler & Koch GmbH from Germany, which introduced its development - the hk416 assault rifle, is no exception.
Based on this rifle, the following types of automatic weapons were manufactured:
- hk23 (HK556) - civilian self-loading version of the hk416;
- hk M27 IAR - infantry rifle, developed on the basis of the hk416 D16.5RS and equipped with a weighted barrel;
- hk416A5 - is a more advanced version of the rifle hk416. It was presented to the public in 2013. Distinctive features include a modified stock, pistol grip, shop shaft, trigger guard, controls and a gas regulator;
- an automatic rifle hk417 under a much more powerful cartridge caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO;
- The hk416C is an ultra-compact version with a nine-inch barrel (228mm), a shortened recoil buffer tube and a compact retractable butt;
This list can be continued, however, instead of listing numerous variants of this weapon, we will present a brief overview of what exactly has been improved and modified by the German designers.
Overview of the structure and capabilities of HK416
The trunk box is made of aluminum alloy, the shops of the machine are made of steel. The forend is made in such a manner that the barrel is suspended from the cantilever, and on all four sides of the forend there are Picatinny rail used for mounting different sights. The battlefield assault rifle is a box magazine for two or three dozen rounds of ammunition. There is also an expanded magazine, for a hundred rounds of STANG cartridges. To improve the quality and ease of use, the vapor system used in the M16 has been replaced by a much more reliable, easy-to-use and less sensitive to pollution scheme with a short stroke of the gas piston. Both the return mechanism and the shutter have been improved.
The machine is equipped with a diopter sight and a multi-position telescopic butt similar to that of the M4. The HK416 delivers up to six hundred and forty shots per minute. Problems with excessive overheating when firing bursts, which was typical for M4, were resolved. The highest survivability of the assault rifle barrel is made using the method of so-called. cold forging, which allows him to withstand nearly twenty thousand shots in general.
Today, the HK416 rifle is fairly considered to be one of the best weapon models of the current time and is successfully used in many countries of the world, such as Armenia, Indonesia, Italy, France, Turkey and, of course, the USA. The rifles also participated in such military conflicts as the war in Afghanistan, the Iraq war and the Tuareg rebellion, and a team of sea fur seals of the US military used HK416 during the operation to destroy Osama bin Laden, the creator and manager of the terrorist Islamist organization Al Qaeda.
