HK 417
Postitatud: 29 Nov, 2005 17:47
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/ ... 417_12.jpg
“H&K unveils 7,62 mm weapon system” from Jane’s Defence Weekly , 26 October 2005 by Scott Gourley
Heckler & Koch Defense, the US subsidiary of Heckler & Koch, has unveiled a new 7.62 x 51 mm weapon system building on the company's existing 5,56 mm HK416 product line. In doing so, H&K has assembled a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) family of weapons similar to that being developed under the SOCOM Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) programme.
The weapon was introduced with little fanfare at the recent annual meeting of the Association of the US Army(AUSA).
"What you're seeing here is the second prototype for the HK417," said Jim Schatz, manager of Military Products for Heckler & Koch Defense. "It's the new 'big brother' to the HK416" The HK416 was formerly called the HK enhanced M4 carbine.
"Just like the HK416, the 417 was developed with our own money, working directly with special operations units," he said. "It currently uses the G3 20-round or 50-round drum magazines. It has the same style user-removable free-play rail system as the HK416, with identical operating controls, disassembly and maintenance," he said. The incorporation of Picatinny rail interface options allows the 417 to accept a range of additional modules, including the XM26 12-gauge Modular Accessory Shotgun System and XM320 40 x 46 mm grenade launcher module. The prototype recently underwent two weeks of desert
testing in Prescott, Arizona, that included firing more than 20,000 rounds, Schatz said. "We had 32 different operators there from the US military and federal law-enforcement agencies," he said, "and there was not a single stoppage or parts failure during the firing event."
The 417 prototype unveiled at the AUSA show in October features a l2.5in(31.7cm) barrel.
"Using military match ammunition -M118LR match ammunition - we achieved an average accuracy with the 12,.5 in barrel of 1,3 minutes of accuracy out to 500 m," he added. "It exceeded the accuracy of other rifles of this type from other vendors in a 31,7 cm barrel
configuration, which is an excellent performance."
One new feature that will be added to the 417 in coming months involves a new magazine option.
"We're going to make an additional magazine that will have a device that will lock the bolt to the rear," Schatz explained.
"So the advantage of this system would be that you could use any existing G3 magazines available anywhere in the world: the five-round, 20-round, 30-round, or 50-round drum magazine. They will all work in this gun but they won't lock the bolt to the rear. So we will add a specific HK 417 magazine that will also lock the bolt to the rear."
Along with the 31,7 cm barrel version, the 417 will also be offered in a 41, 9 cm reconnaissance variant and 50 cm sniper variant models.
"The only difference will be the barrels" Schatz said, "and they can be exchanged, just like the HK416, with a simple wrench. Everything else remains the same."
He added that the company is also expanding the full weapon family with both a folding stock variant and a new 6.8 mm version of the 416.
"We're incorporating all the user input that we got two weeks ago in our desert testing into the next prototypes," Schatz said.
"We'll probably build another 15 or 20 prototypes, which we'll have by early February. Some will go to user units for evaluation and some will stay with us, and then, if there aren't any additional changes, in January we will put it into series production."
"We a have 5.56 mm 416, a 7.62 mm 417, a folding stock option, a 6.8 mm option, and a grenade launcher [theXM320] which is alreadyunder contract with the army," he concluded. "So now we have a complete COTS family of weapons
to meet either special operations or conventionalmilitary requirements."
“H&K unveils 7,62 mm weapon system” from Jane’s Defence Weekly , 26 October 2005 by Scott Gourley
Heckler & Koch Defense, the US subsidiary of Heckler & Koch, has unveiled a new 7.62 x 51 mm weapon system building on the company's existing 5,56 mm HK416 product line. In doing so, H&K has assembled a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) family of weapons similar to that being developed under the SOCOM Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) programme.
The weapon was introduced with little fanfare at the recent annual meeting of the Association of the US Army(AUSA).
"What you're seeing here is the second prototype for the HK417," said Jim Schatz, manager of Military Products for Heckler & Koch Defense. "It's the new 'big brother' to the HK416" The HK416 was formerly called the HK enhanced M4 carbine.
"Just like the HK416, the 417 was developed with our own money, working directly with special operations units," he said. "It currently uses the G3 20-round or 50-round drum magazines. It has the same style user-removable free-play rail system as the HK416, with identical operating controls, disassembly and maintenance," he said. The incorporation of Picatinny rail interface options allows the 417 to accept a range of additional modules, including the XM26 12-gauge Modular Accessory Shotgun System and XM320 40 x 46 mm grenade launcher module. The prototype recently underwent two weeks of desert
testing in Prescott, Arizona, that included firing more than 20,000 rounds, Schatz said. "We had 32 different operators there from the US military and federal law-enforcement agencies," he said, "and there was not a single stoppage or parts failure during the firing event."
The 417 prototype unveiled at the AUSA show in October features a l2.5in(31.7cm) barrel.
"Using military match ammunition -M118LR match ammunition - we achieved an average accuracy with the 12,.5 in barrel of 1,3 minutes of accuracy out to 500 m," he added. "It exceeded the accuracy of other rifles of this type from other vendors in a 31,7 cm barrel
configuration, which is an excellent performance."
One new feature that will be added to the 417 in coming months involves a new magazine option.
"We're going to make an additional magazine that will have a device that will lock the bolt to the rear," Schatz explained.
"So the advantage of this system would be that you could use any existing G3 magazines available anywhere in the world: the five-round, 20-round, 30-round, or 50-round drum magazine. They will all work in this gun but they won't lock the bolt to the rear. So we will add a specific HK 417 magazine that will also lock the bolt to the rear."
Along with the 31,7 cm barrel version, the 417 will also be offered in a 41, 9 cm reconnaissance variant and 50 cm sniper variant models.
"The only difference will be the barrels" Schatz said, "and they can be exchanged, just like the HK416, with a simple wrench. Everything else remains the same."
He added that the company is also expanding the full weapon family with both a folding stock variant and a new 6.8 mm version of the 416.
"We're incorporating all the user input that we got two weeks ago in our desert testing into the next prototypes," Schatz said.
"We'll probably build another 15 or 20 prototypes, which we'll have by early February. Some will go to user units for evaluation and some will stay with us, and then, if there aren't any additional changes, in January we will put it into series production."
"We a have 5.56 mm 416, a 7.62 mm 417, a folding stock option, a 6.8 mm option, and a grenade launcher [theXM320] which is alreadyunder contract with the army," he concluded. "So now we have a complete COTS family of weapons
to meet either special operations or conventionalmilitary requirements."
