#417
CLARIFICATION: Recent Bundeswehr HK417 Purchase Is Supplementary
On Saturday, I reported that the Bundeswehr has purchased 600 HK417/G27P rifles and 600 MG4 machine guns to replace/supplement G36 rifles on the front lines. The initial run of German language-articles, especially when translated, appeared to say that these purchases were the initial buy in a program to replace the G36, which is not the case. Unfortunately, my reporting did nothing to clarify that these purchases are supplementary to the G36 fleet – similar to the purchase of the HK417 by the Australian Army, and 7.62mm LMT MWS rifles by nations like the UK and New Zealand – not the Bundeswehr’s first steps towards an all-7.62 fleet of rifles.
BREAKING: Bundeswehr Accepts HK417 As Temporary Replacement For G36 With Front-Line Troops
In a surprising move, the German Defense Ministry has accepted an order of 600 new rifles and 600 machine guns to replace the troubled HK G36 that was savaged by scandal earlier this year. Their choice? The 7.62x51mm HK 417 rifle. The Local reports:
H&K MR-308 at IWA 2011
We are still waiting for the H&K MR308 (and the MR556) but the civilian version of the H&K 417 has been available for some time. Andrew took a look at it at IWA …