Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 is an assault rifle designed in the 1990s by Heckler & Koch (H&K) in Germany. The weapon is gas operated and has a standard magazine that holds 30 of the 5.56mm NATO rounds. It can also be used with a 100-round 'drum'. The G36 has a 3x scope and often a red dot sight, too in the carrying handle. The G36 is the main weapon of many special units and the army of Portugal, Spain and Germany (Bundeswehr).
Heckler & Koch G36 | |
---|---|
Type | Assault rifle Carbine Light machine gun Squad automatic weapon |
Place of origin | Germany |
Service history | |
In service | 1997–present |
Wars | Kosovo War Afghan War Iraq War 2008 Russo-Georgian War 2011 Libyan Civil War Mexican Drug War 2013 Lahad Datu standoff Iraqi Civil War 2015 Paris attacks[1] |
Production history | |
Designed | 1991–1995 |
Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Produced | 1996–present |
Specifications | |
Mass | G36: 3.63 kg (8.00 lb) G36V: 3.33 kg (7.3 lb) G36K: 3.30 kg (7.3 lb) G36KV: 3.0 kg (6.6 lb) G36C: 2.82 kg (6.2 lb) MG36: 3.83 kg (8.4 lb) MG36E: 3.50 kg (7.7 lb) |
Length | G36, G36V, MG36, MG36E: 999 mm (39.3 in) stock extracted / 758 mm (29.8 in) stock folded G36K, G36KV: 860 mm (33.9 in) stock extended / 615 mm (24.2 in) stock folded G36C: 720 mm (28.3 in) stock extended / 500 mm (19.7 in) stock folded |
Barrel length | G36, G36V, MG36, MG36E: 480 mm (18.9 in) G36K, G36KV: 318 mm (12.5 in) G36C: 228 mm (9.0 in) |
Width | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
Height | G36, G36K, MG36: 320 mm (12.6 in) G36V, G36KV, MG36E: 285 mm (11.2 in) G36C: 278 mm (10.9 in) |
Cartridge | 5.56×45mm NATO |
Action | Short-stroke piston, rotating bolt |
Rate of fire | 750 rounds/min cyclic |
Muzzle velocity | G36, G36V, MG36, MG36E: 920 m/s (3,018 ft/s) G36K, G36KV: 850 m/s (2,788.7 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 800 metres (870 yd), 200–600 m sight adjustment |
Maximum firing range | 2,860 metres (3,130 yd) |
Feed system | 30-round detachable box magazine or 100-round C-Mag drum magazine |
Sights | Reflex sight with 1× magnification, telescopic sight with 3× magnification (export version has a 1.5× magnified sight) and back-up fixed notch sight |
Before Heckler & Koch started building for Germany, the G36 has had the name "HK50".
Variants
- G36K is 17 cm (7 in) shorter (K=kurz: German for short)
- G36C is 28 cm (11 in) shorter and looks like a submachine gun (C=compact)
- LMG36 is the normal (1 meter long) G36 with a bipod and a 100 rounds magazine (LMG=leichtes Machienen Gewehr: German for light machine gun)
Heckler & Koch G36 Media
A U.S. soldier of the 1st Aviation Regiment holding a G36
Peshmerga Zeravani Commando with the G36 May 2019