#Hk416

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:

The H&K MR556 rifle is essentially a 416 without select-fire capability, but this video showcases an MR556 that has been brought up to near 416 specs. With a chopped barrel and a few other modifications, the gun could fool all but the most discerning onlookers. So, how does it shoot?

I saw a video promoting the Polish Special Forces. The Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów, commonly called JWK, was formed in 1961 and is the oldest Polish special operations unit.

France, one the world’s first adopters of the bullpup rifle, will officially be abandoning the stockless rifle concept for good, it seems. The competition to replace the venerable FAMAS bullpup rifle has moved forward, and the only competing bullpup design, HS Produkt’s VHS-2, has been eliminated, along with Swiss Arms’ SG 550 and Beretta’s ARX-160. The downselect means that the next French standard rifle, replacing the four-decade old “Bugle”, will be either the Fabrique Nationale SCAR or the Heckler & Koch HK416, two heavyweight competitors on today’s rifle market. Sputnik News reports:

HK has a multi tool for their 416. According to one post on HKpro.com, it costs $863! That is a bit high for what looks like just a castle nut wrench, spanner wrench and muzle device wrench all in one. It does not even have the torque wrench or a socket wrench with it. You must provide you own. I know some H&K accessories are rather pricey but this seems a bit much for hunk of metal.

In October, I traveled out to see my co-writer Alex C. to collect data on the weights of different long guns and some of their components. Over that weekend, I weighed 58 rifles and submachine guns, and numerous magazines, bolts, bolt carriers, and other miscellaneous items. The purpose of this was not only to collate a general list of the weights of different weapons, but to be able to enhance the accuracy of a previous spreadsheet I’d produced showing the loaded “combat” weights of different rifles; that being available at this link.

A report by Janes Defense has highlighted the purchase of 24 additional 5.56x45mm HK416A5 rifles and four 7.62x51mm G28 (HK417) rifles by Portugal for their Rapid Reaction Brigade (SOF). This is in addition to 18 rifles in November of 2014, and 22 HK416s in February of this year. This recent purchase brings the total amount of HK416s to 64 that have been reported to the media, or essentially enough for a reinforced platoon. Now, seeing that these purchases are more or less in sets of 20, I’m assuming that each batch is going to a separate and new team of their SOF, with each team retiring the service rifles they had before, at the rate that they are going with now. The rifles come equipped with a number of goodies, to include bipods, PMags, Aimpoints, AN/PEQ 16s, suppressors with Manta M700 shrouds, and the picture appears to have a high power optic with Accuracy International scope caps (not sure if these are made by AI, because I’ve seen Schmitt & Bender scopes with AI adjustment caps). Barrel lengths are ranging from 14.5 inch barrels for some batches and 16.5 for others. It is interesting to see a number of features on their weapon systems that imitate some American tendencies. Such as the PEQ16s, zip tieing their attachments, and their choice in accessories.

I recently acquired this Umarex H&K 416 pistol. For only $299 from CDNN, it is a bargain for a Pistol AR in 22LR. Originally the HK416 pistol comes with a faux suppressor muzzle device and a rear end cap on the lower receiver that has a QD sling fitting.Aside from the faux suppressor, a lot of the AR style features are not real AR accessories. The trigger is built into a drop in pack so unfortunately it does not use standard AR triggers. The safety selector is proprietary as well. The forward assist and bolt catch/release are also fake but the dust cover is functional.

Russian special forces were spotted recently in the Russian republic of Dagestan, which has been experiencing an insurgency recently. The commandos were equipped with at least two foreign weapons, an HK417 7.62x51mm rifle with an impressively large suppressor, and an Accuracy International Arctic Warfare sniper rifle, caliber unknown, also suppressed. The video from War Clashes is embedded below:

Eddie sent us a photo (above) of his Heckler & Koch HK416 (full auto) loaded up with a Surefire Mini Scout Flashlight, Surefire Suppressor, DBAL I2 and topped off with a EOTech EXPS0. His SIG 553 (also full auto) features a Brugger & Thomet (B&T) scope mount with a RMR red dot.

Strike Industries is a great outfit that really knows how to make use of all the machine tools at their disposal. They produce some truly spectacular pieces of gear for shooters of all types and I have yet to evaluate a piece I have not been thoroughly impressed with.

An old video but an interesting one. HK tests their HK416 with a very specific test. Submerging it under water and then shooting it immediately after coming out of the water. The results for the Colt were surprising.

MNOR sent us this photo of his friend’s service rifle. He did not say which country his friend serves. The HK416 is a popular rifle for special forces around the world, and the standard service rifle for a number of European countries. This rifle features a slim profile stock, Aimpoint Comp M4 and a nifty paintjob.

The folks at 762PR Defence PR Marketing sent us some photos of the H&K HK416A5. The A5 model was unveiled late last year and incorporates some of the features H&K developed for the H&K G28 DMR (which is itself based on the HK417).

A reader from Brazil sent us these photos of the 10.5″ barreled H&K416 used by the Brazilian Federal Police Special Forces (C.O.T). It looks like they are using EO Tech holographic sights and a laser/light designator (which I can’t identify).