#Oberndorf

Via a press release published earlier this month, German gunmaker Hecker & Koch announced it had reduced its financial debt to a mere €170 million (~$194 million US), thanks to an equity increase of €50 million via a capital shares increase. With this, the company will issue approximately 6.6 million new shares, backed up by a capital injection of €50 million, and assistance in refinancing its 9.5% Senior Secured Notes at significantly lower debt. According to the release:

Heckler & Koch is building a US factory in Georgia, a welcome surprise for US gun buyers. The German arms manufacturer is building a 23 million dollar facility in Columbus, Georgia to built pistols, sport, and hunting guns. At this time we are unaware of exactly what lines are to be produced in the new stateside facility, I assume that it will be models that were previously affected by import restrictions.

France has just adopted the HK416 as its new standard infantry rifle, replacing the FAMAS, and Germany is on a path to a new weapon, aiming to divest herself of the controversial G36. This raises the question: Will Germany and France adopt a unified arm? These two nations, historically enemies but often partners after the Second World War, could possibly standardize on the excellent Heckler and Koch HK416 rifle, derived from the American AR-15 with the HK-designed male-piston short stroke high strength operating rod. Polish writer Remiguisz Wilk, writing for IHS Jane’s writes a short report:

According to an as of yet uncorroborated report from the French publication RETEX MAG, the next French rifle will be a variant of the German-made Heckler & Koch HK416. The report cites notices sent out to the five participants in the French Army’s AIF (Arme Individuelle du Futur – Future Individual Weapon) program, which allegedly called the contest a win for the Rottweil-based gunmaker. From RETEX’s Facebook page: