I'd totally buy a HK 433 if they ever came to market...
I'd totally buy a HK 433 if they ever came to market...
So they ordered an HK rifle from a cheaper manufacturer? I don’t blame them since the G36 deal. Maybe HK would have gave them a better deal if Germany let them sell guns to foreign countries.
https://soldiersystems.net/2020/10/0...t-infringement
German Military Cancels Contract With CG Haenel for New Rifles After H&K Alleges Patent Infringement
Last month, the German Defense Ministry announced a contract award to CG Haenel for 120,000 of the MK556 carbine to replace the G36 manufactured by Heckler & Koch.
This sent shockwaves through the small arms industry as H&K had provided rifles for the German Army since the 1950s. The win was based primarily on price but as soon as the award was announced, many began to question whether CG Haenel could handle the scope of the contract.
This is partly navies CG Haenel is part of the Merkel Group, which is under Tawazun Holding (United Arab Emirates) (Caracal). That being said, the Haenel plant was once used to manufacture rifles for the East German Army when that country still existed.
The MK556 is quite similar in design to the HK416 and that is because the chief engineer for the 416 project left HK years ago, first for SIG where he worked on the MPX and MCX and later to Caracal where he developed a family of rifles.
Heckler & Koch is suing CG Haenel for alleged Intellectual Property infringement. Consequently, the German government has cancelled the contract in what may well be a case of buyer’s remorse.
Didn't know that all these rifles have been developed by the same engineer. Have looked it up, took a while to find the name (see links):
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAR_816#History
https://www.stern.de/digital/technik...l-9415874.html
http://www.sadefensejournal.com/wp/t...assault-rifle/
https://augengeradeaus.net/2020/09/v...omment-page-1/
Last edited by P30; 10-10-2020 at 06:57 AM.
YT playlist claiming it shows the man in action:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...dUfCFODLG-QX5F
PS:
But G3Kurz (Jim Schatz) wrote (https://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk416-hk...ml#post1667462):
Robert Hirt who was the lead tester for HK during the development of the HK416 (and many other new HK products) left HK like many top performers due to the mismanagement of the company by ownership. He landed at SIG and immediately began work on the "HALO" project which became SIG516. This was a very smart move on SIG's behalf as it gave them not only THE BEST weapon testers in the business today but an M4-style competitor with all the features (and more) of the original SOF "Confined Spaces Carbine" requirement in which the HK416 was spawned, to include the modular stock system HK did not offer on the HK416. Had it not been for Robert Hirt (and some other outside influences and projects) the MCX would not exist. The loss of Hirt from SIG was a big loss. The very talented Kevin Brittingham who founded AAC is now with SIG and brings a wealth of knowledge that SIG has/will benefit from in such programs. They do hire well.
Last edited by P30; 10-10-2020 at 06:59 AM.
I have to say, just as a spectacle, I’m impressed by the full auto mag dumps through the G36 until it literally catches on fire. Then they dump several more hundred rounds through it while it’s on fire to the point that you could use it as a torch. I have no idea how this would compare to a rack M4A1, but I appreciate the bravado. I’m also struck by what a cottage industry HK seems to be — there’s a guy who’s sticking his fingers in his ears during these full auto mag dumps 😂. Get that poor German some ear pro!