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If you follow what’s going on here at TFB you know about the Spuhr accessories for the Heckler & Koch G3.
I shot a prototype of the system a few years ago, mounted on the Swedish Ak4 (HK G3) with an Aimpoint CS as the main optic.
I have little or no experience with the Ak4 (but more with the Ak5 (FN FNC)), but was basically given the firearm just before I set off to shot a timed exercise shooting 2 steel plates at 60 yards (standing) and 2 steel plates at 120 yards and then one falling steel target at 220 yards. Between 60 yards and 120 yards you had to change your shooting position (i.e. standing to kneeling or prone).
The steel plates were chest sized and the falling target was man sized.
I don’t remember the details exactly, but I think my time was around 14 seconds with one hit in each target. The number of rounds were limited, so you couldn’t just fire away and use volume as some kind of accuracy. Also I’m not too used shooting major calibers, I’m more of a match rifle person.
I think the best soldiers shooting the same setup in around 7 seconds, but using the Ak5 in 5,56×45 NATO.
Full auto with the Spuhr HK G3
As I mentioned I haven’t really used the original Heckler & Koch G3, but it was clear that the Spuhr upgrades worked. The parts don’t shave off any weight, it’s still a heavy rifle, but the Ak4 / G3 felt more modern for sure and very usable.
Mr. Håkan Spuhr recently released this video which explains his side of the story. The video ends with some full-auto shooting, so don’t miss it.
Video: Spuhr explains the failed ergonomics of the H&K G3
Heckler Koch G3 have been around for a long time and is truly an amazing gun! Few rifles are that reliable. Sadly the ergonomics sucks big time and here I explain why and how.
In the video Håkan mentions some testing done with a modified wooden stock. This is what that looked like´:
Spuhr HK G3 Upgrades
We made this project for the HK G3 because we thought this weapon has the potential to remain in service and relevancy for years to come. With a few changes the precision is very good. The project goals were to give the user better ergonomics, a new handguard, Picatinny rail on the top, and prepare a standard interface for a new stock.
The HK G3 is one of the western world’s great battle rifles, and it has proven itself to be very reliable and very accurate. Unfortunately most users feel that the G3 is old and has passed its prime. But with many thousand of G3s still in use around the world we wanted to see if we could adapt the G3 for today’s standards. We feel that we have succeeded and in many aspects the G3 with our modifications is as usable and serviceable as the AR10’s or HK 417’s of today, but with a strong favour to the G3 as to reliability and price.
Note the Three Crowns behind the Spuhr logotype.
Stock design
The main disadvantage of the G3 Rifle is the stock design tailored for the low iron sights. Due to the design with the long receiver the low ironsight forced the stock to have a ”hump” just behind the action. This ”hump” is also known as the ”cheek bone chrusher” for reasons that become painfully obvious to most. To prevent a collision betwen the”hump” and the shooter’s face they made the stock terribly long. It’s almost 75mm/3” longer than an M16-A2 stock. This was not a positive thing in the old pre-body armour days, but today it’s a huge problem and it makes the G3 cumbersome, heavy and difficult to control.
We have therefore created our own solution with a buttstock that is much shorter and have the comb about 25mm/1” higher which alligns the shooter with the optics.
The gun feel lighter as it’s closer to the shooter, it’s shorter and is easier and faster to mount to the shoulder, and the recoil is easier to absorb as the boreline is lower – now it’s actually controllable in full auto!
Forend
We made a new forend that have allmost the same outline as the original with the same weight as the HK plastic forend (190 gram/6,7oz). It is very well ventilated so the barrel cools quickly and gives the user the option to add sections of Picatinny where he needs it at 3-6-9 or 12 o’clock. The forend is also very comfortable and gives the advantage of allowing the shooter to grab around the forend with a modern grip to manage the recoil, which is hard to do with a Picatinny forend.
As our forend have Spuhr™ interfaces on 3-6-9 o’clock it offers you the convenience of using the same rail sections as on our scope mount or our G36 forend.
Below: A prototype of the upgrades Ak4 for the Swedish Army, to be used by sharpshooters. The main sight is a fixed Hensholdt which the Swedish Army had stocked, but it did really well against the latest high-end models. The version for the Home Guard uses an Aimpoint CS and will not get the forend in aluminum.
TFB has covered the Spuhr H&K G3 upgrades before, for instance here (2016) and a review of the collapsible stock here by Miles.
Time flies and all of these upgrades are now all available. Our shooting club has a Turkish G3 clone called MKE T41. For an early 2019 delivery we have ordered the following parts to make our own Ak4 clone (albeit semi-automatic). We also have a match trigger from Uhl.
- R-401 G3 Forend
- R-410 G3 Stock Assembly
- R-402 G3 Top Rail (This is needed as the MKE T41 lacks a Picatinny top rail. Attachment is by screwing it on, I understand)
You can check the EU pricing here, and the levels seem reasonable with €260 for the “G3/MP5/HK33/53 Stock Assy”.
The Aimpoint CS is used on the Ak4, but it wasn’t really sold to the public, and it isn’t available any longer (out of production). There is a rumor that the CS was sold in the USA in limited numbers. If you know where we could source one, please let us know in the comments below.
