H&K G36
For half a century stories in the Bundeswehr, its soldiers have already received the fourth "soldier's bride". Before that, the "girlfriends" of the German recruits were the G98, FAL and G3 rifles. In 1995, the Heckler & KochG36 assault rifle was adopted by the Bundeswehr.
ПThe search for a replacement for the G3 began in 1970, when the tactical and technical requirements for a new assault rifle were formulated. Heckler & Koch received the contract for its development, which in 18 years created the G11 rifle for a caseless cartridge. However, the G11 did not enter service, and in 1992 the Bundeswehr returned to the issue of replacing the G3. There were three reasons for this.
Firstly, by the 90s, the armies of all leading countries had switched to assault rifles chambered for low-impulse cartridges. Only Germany remained committed to the 7,62x51 cartridge, which was already an anachronism by that time. This also contradicted the NATO standardization program, where the 7,62x51 cartridge was recommended for general-purpose machine guns and sniper rifles.
The second reason is the change in the Bundeswehr's tasks. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the military doctrine of the FRG changed radically. The Bundeswehr's primary goals became peacekeeping and counter-terrorist operations, the fight against drug trafficking, smuggling and pirates. This required high reliability weapons in any climate - in the mountains and deserts, in very dusty conditions, in the absence of proper maintenance and lubrication for a long time. The heavy and bulky G3 rifle was ill-suited for these purposes, and the effectiveness of burst firing with such a powerful cartridge left much to be desired.
The third reason was technical. In addition to moral obsolescence, infantry weapon systems (P1, MP2, G3, MG3) had exhausted their service life physically and required replacement. Resuming production of obsolete weapon systems to replace worn-out models would be unwise.
The financial situation of the Bundeswehr in the early 90s was significantly different from that of the 70s and 80s, and so a decision was made not to finance the development of new models of small arms, but to purchase models already on the market. This was envisaged by the new tactical and technical requirements for an assault rifle and a light machine gun developed on September 1, 1993. The selection of rifle models for participation in the competition was carried out by a special working group, which included representatives of the army, air force and navy. The group selected 10 models of assault rifles and 7 models of light machine guns. After the preliminary stage, two systems remained - the Austrian Steyr AUG and the German Heckler & Koch HK50. If the decision was made in favor of the Austrians, it was envisaged to deploy production of AUG rifles in Germany. However, this did not happen: after comparative tests at the WTD91 proving ground in Meppn and military weapons tests at infantry schools, the military opted for the HK50 rifle and the MG50 light machine gun based on it. Another argument that tipped the scales in favor of the company from Oberndorf was that Heckler & Koch was already an official supplier to the Bundeswehr.
On May 8, 1995, an official decision was made to adopt the HK50 assault rifle and the MG50 light machine gun, assigning them the military designations G36 and MG36. In September 1996, the new rifles began to be delivered to the armed forces, special forces and military units operating in crisis regions. They continued to conduct military tests of the G36. Then the remaining units of the Bundeswehr and infantry schools were equipped with the new rifles. The adoption of the G36 rifle was of great importance for the German army. This was evidenced by the holding of a special official ceremony to hand over the new weapon to the army, aviation и the fleet, which took place on December 3, 1997, at the Hammelsburg Infantry School. After that, the troops were to be equipped with the new rifles on a mass scale. In July 1998, the 50th G36 was produced, and in the next five years it was planned to completely replace the G3 with the G36. Despite this, even to this day it has not been possible to re-equip the Bundeswehr with the new assault rifles. A certain number of G3 rifles have been retained in service, where they are used primarily for training purposes, for shooting training of recruits and training of reservists.
Most of the rifle parts (receiver, buttstock, fore-end, grip, magazine) are made of high-strength polymer. These parts have a rough outer surface, which allows you to hold the rifle securely, and in severe frost they do not create problems when touching the weapon with bare hands. Thanks to plastic, the cost of the G36 rifle is low and amounts to 600 euros.
Explosion-scheme rifles G36: 1 -trunk withreceiver a box;
2 -lever for carrying с sights; 3 -gate;
4 -brachial emphasis; 5 -back plate withrefundable spring loaded; 6 -lever c USM в gathering; 7 -shop; 8 -belt for carrying; 9 -fore-end; 10 -bipod
The barrel of the G36 rifle has 6 right-hand grooves of a normal profile with a pitch of 109'' (7 mm), typical for rifles chambered for the SS178 cartridge. The barrel bore is chrome-plated. The barrel is screwed into the insert of the receiver using a special key and is fixed in it with a threaded nut. The insert is cast into the receiver and has cutouts on the inside, into which the bolt lugs enter when locked.
A slot-type flash suppressor is screwed onto the muzzle of the barrel. When firing blank cartridges, the MPG (Manoverpatronengerat) device is installed in its place, ensuring the normal operation of the weapon's automatics. This device also prevents unburned gunpowder particles from being ejected from the barrel, so that the rifle can be used at relatively close ranges during training. If the weapon is accidentally loaded with a live cartridge, the MPG device is able to stop the bullet without causing harm to either the shooter or the weapon. The AGDUS laser shooting simulator can also be mounted on the muzzle of the barrel.
Given the fact that bayonet combat is unlikely in modern conditions, the first series of G36 did not provide for the attachment of a bayonet. However, later the rifle's flash suppressor was modified to provide for the attachment of an AK74 bayonet, a large number of which were inherited from the GDR army. Considering the high price of the new bayonet, this idea saved a lot of money. The original G36 bayonet is only available in the Spanish export version.
At 185 mm from the muzzle there is a gas chamber, secured to the barrel with pins.
The powder gases discharged into it act on a spring-loaded rod with a gas piston (its stroke is 6 mm), which has no rigid connection with the breech. This ensures reliable operation of the automatics with different cartridges.
The bolt group consists of two main parts: a rotating bolt with 6 lugs and a bolt carrier. The spring-loaded extractor mounted in the upper part of the bolt has a wide tooth. Inside the bolt are the firing pin and the spent cartridge case ejector, and in the rear part there is a large round hole. A finger is inserted into it, interacting with a curvilinear groove on the bolt carrier during locking and unlocking and causing the bolt to rotate. The cocking handle has an unusual device. It is located in the upper front part of the bolt carrier and is parallel to the barrel in the idle position. To load, it must be turned 90 degrees, and this can be done either to the right or to the left. The reloading process itself can be performed in two ways. During normal reloading, the bolt handle is pulled back and released - the bolt, under the action of the spring, returns to the extreme forward position. If it is necessary to carry out the reloading process silently, then the bolt is pulled back, but not released completely, but held with the handle.
Why did the G36 designers abandon the roller shutter that had proven itself so well in the G3?
The fact is that the semi-free breechblock starts unlocking immediately after the shot, which is acceptable for a weapon chambered for 7,62x51 cartridges and causes problems with the 5,56x45 cartridge with a less durable case. The problem was complicated by the significant variety of cartridges of this caliber, produced by different NATO countries, and differing in ballistics and case materials. The Germans also do not hide the fact that when creating the G36, they were largely guided by the basic design of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, which they consider the standard of reliability for small arms. The AK74 version for NATO cartridges was even considered at the preliminary stage of the 1993 competition as one of the possible alternatives to replace the G3 rifle.
The receiver connects all the most important parts of the weapon and is made of plastic reinforced with several steel inserts. Two of them act as guides for the bolt, and the rest perform a protective function in the places where the magazine, butt plate and pistol grip are attached. On the right side of the receiver there is a window for ejecting spent cartridges. A 14 mm high cartridge deflector is rigidly attached behind the window. With its help, spent cartridges leave the weapon at an angle of 90-100 degrees, without interfering with the shooter when firing from either the right or left shoulder. Another purpose of this part is that it also serves as a lock for the folded butt.
The magazine receiver is a separate part, attached to the receiver by two trunnions and an axis. The magazine catch is of the Kalashnikov type, located in front of the trigger guard.
Another part separate from the receiver is the carrying handle, on which the rifle's sights are mounted. It is attached to the receiver with three screws and is located near the center of mass of the weapon, making the rifle more convenient to carry.
Carbine G36K с shortened the trunk
Tactical and technical characteristics of the rifle G36
|
Brand name |
HK50 |
|
Manufacturer |
Heckler & Koch, Oberndorf / Neckar |
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Caliber |
5,56x45 mm (.223 Rem) |
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The principle of operation of automation |
removal of powder gases from the barrel |
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Locking |
shutter rotation |
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Length (with folded butt) |
999 (758) mm |
|
Height with store |
320 mm |
|
Height without store |
263 mm |
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Width (with folded butt) |
64 (98) mm |
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Barrel length |
488 mm |
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Bore |
chromium-plated |
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Rifling |
6 right rifling |
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Pitch rifling |
178 mm |
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Initial bullet speed |
about 920 m / s |
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Muzzle Bullet Energy |
1725 J |
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Effective Shooting Range |
500 m |
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Target range |
800 m |
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Maximum firing range |
2860 m |
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Weight without store and bipod |
3,63 kg |
|
Bipod weight |
0,21 kg |
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Empty magazine weight on 30 cartridges |
0,127 kg |
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Shop weight with 30 cartridges |
0,483 kg |
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Kind of fire |
single / automatic |
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Rate of fire |
750 shots / min |
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Pull force |
30...55 N |
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Store capacity |
30 cartridges |
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Bullet weight |
4 g |
|
Sights |
1:1 collimator sight, 3x optical sight ZF 3 x 40 |
|
Application |
Albania, Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, Germany, Georgia, Indonesia, Jordan, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, USA, Thailand, Uruguay, Philippines, Finland, France, Croatia, Chile, Sweden, Estonia |
The butt plate of the receiver is connected to it by an axis, which also attaches the pistol grip. The return spring with the tubular guide is permanently connected to it, as well as a shock absorber made of elastomer 14 mm long and 12 mm in diameter, softening the impact of the bolt in the extreme rear position. The pistol grip of the G36 rifle is practically borrowed from the G3, but with a number of important improvements. It is attached to the receiver by two axis and contains the trigger and safety mechanisms, as well as the bolt catch. Compared to the G3, the trigger mechanism has become simpler and easier to clean. The holes for fixing the translator-safety lever from the outer surface of the grip have been moved to its inner surface. It is believed that in this case there is less risk of dirt getting into these holes and interfering with changing fire modes. The safety selector has three positions: "safety" (white "S"), "single fire" (red "E") and "automatic fire" (red "F"). The safety selector lever is ambidextrous and is easily controlled by the thumb. In addition, the length of the lever is selected in such a way that in the "F" and "S" positions it slightly touches the index finger, so the shooter can determine its condition by touch. The G36 slide stop is very unique. With the help of a small slide in the front part of the trigger guard, it can be turned on and off, depending on the shooter's desire. Disabling the slide stop is recommended in bad weather to reduce the likelihood of dirt getting inside the receiver. The dimensions of the trigger guard provide the ability to shoot both in thick winter army gloves and in neoprene gloves used by combat swimmers.
The G36 rifle stock is a plastic frame with a rubber butt pad measuring 142 mm high and 32 mm wide. It folds onto the right side of the receiver, while maintaining the ability to fire. The design of the stock and the ejection mechanism are designed to ensure unimpeded ejection of cartridges through the folded stock. The only inconvenience in this case is experienced by left-handed shooters, who in this case are forced to use the "foreign" left translator-safety - the right one covers the folded stock. Like the G3, the G36 rifle stock has two pairs of holes into which the extracted axles are inserted to avoid loss during disassembly.
The plastic fore-end is attached to the receiver by means of an axis and is not connected to the barrel. The fore-end is long (330 mm) and can be used as a support. In order to improve the removal of hot air from the barrel, the fore-end has 19 rectangular holes: six on each side (6x20 mm) and seven at the bottom of the fore-end (10x20 mm). The front end of the fore-end also has an axis that simultaneously serves as a sling swivel and a bipod mount.
The rifle's sighting devices are mounted on the carrying handle and consist of an upper collimator sight and a lower optical sight. Both are manufactured by Hensoldt AG. The German military decided to abandon the traditional mechanical sight, since combat experience showed that inexperienced shooters achieve significantly better results when shooting with optics, learn accurate shooting faster, and under stress, optics provide less aiming time. For the first time, such a combined sight (collimator + optical sight) was tested on one of the prototypes of the G11 rifle. It was taken as the basis for the sighting devices of the future G36.
A collimator sight is a simple optical system of lenses that project an image at a scale of 1:1. It is equipped with a photodetector covered by a safety shutter. It captures daylight and forms a light beam with a wavelength of 650 nm from it, directed into the shooter's eye. This beam passes through a light filter and is perceived by the shooter as a red dot (aim mark). The light filter is designed in such a way as to delay the light flux in the spectral range of the aiming mark and allow rays of other spectra to pass unhindered. The lenses of the collimator sight are made of a special type of glass that absorbs the red color reflected by the light filter in the direction of the target, which can give the shooter away to the enemy.
At dusk or at night, you can turn on a battery-powered photodiode that forms a sighting mark. The battery is designed for 60 hours, which is quite enough, since in practice the backlight is turned on only for relatively short periods of time. When using the backlight, a special sensor regulates the brightness of the sighting mark depending on the illumination. In addition, you can press a button to switch the diode to high power mode. After 30 seconds, the normal mode will be automatically restored.
A collimator sight is used at distances up to 200 m; at greater distances, the shooter must use the lower, optical sight.
The Hensoldt ZF 3x40 optical sight is made of fiberglass-reinforced polyamide and weighs only 30 grams. It has a three-fold magnification and is used for aiming at distances from 200 to 800 m. The optical system of the sight includes an objective, a lens with a sighting grid, a reversing lens and an eyepiece. The sighting grid consists of a crosshair and a circle, the center of which is the intersection of the sight threads. The center of the crosshair corresponds to a distance of 200 m, and the rifle is sighted in at this distance. The circle around the crosshair has several purposes. Its diameter corresponds to the height of a human figure 1,75 m high at a distance of 400 m. The lower point of intersection of the circle with the vertical line of the sight corresponds to a shooting range of 400 m. Below it there are two more crosses, for shooting at a range of 600 and 800 m. The points of intersection of the circle with the horizontal line of the sight are used for shooting at moving targets. They correspond to the amount of lead when shooting at a running soldier (target speed 15 km/h) at a distance of 200 m. In addition, there is a rangefinder scale on the sight grid, allowing you to estimate the distance to the target based on the height of a standing human figure.
For shooting at night, the Hensoldt NSA 80 night sight can be mounted on the rifle. It is mounted on the rifle's carrying handle and is used together with the day sight. This saves weight (the NSA 80 with a power source weighs 1,2 kg), and makes the rifle easier to use, since the soldier uses a familiar sight with a familiar scale when shooting at night. The device is equipped with automatic brightness control and receives power from two standard batteries, guaranteeing its continuous operation for 90 hours. The NSA 80 is also the standard night sight for the Panzerfaust 3 grenade launcher and MG 4 machine gun.
The complete rejection of the mechanical sight was a rather bold step on the part of the military, but it gave rise to a number of problems associated with the operation of optics. In the rain or in high humidity, fogging of optical sighting devices is possible; they are very sensitive to dirt and mechanical impacts. Since the manufacturers did not provide protective devices for optics, in Afghanistan, Bundeswehr soldiers themselves made covers for sights from fabric. Now, however, German companies have established the production of such covers from camouflage fabric. Such a cover is attached to the carrying handle with a loop and has a Velcro lock, allowing it to be removed from the sight in lightning speed.
The G36 does have a mechanical sight (or rather, some semblance of one). It is a simple front sight and a primitive slot on the carrying handle, but it is impossible to use it because of the installed collimator sight. It is only necessary for some models of export rifles supplied without a collimator. The presence of this rudimentary sight gave rise to one of the popular jokes about the G36 in the Bundeswehr. The gist of it is that in a combat situation, if the optics break, it is prescribed to knock down the collimator with a handy heavy object in order to use the backup mechanical sight. However, in practice this is impossible - attempts to knock down the optics firmly, glued and secured with screws will not lead to anything except breakage of the handle itself and all three sights.
The G36 rifle magazine holds 30 rounds, 10 more than the G3 magazine. In addition, its body is made of transparent plastic for visual control of cartridge consumption. There are two protrusions on the side of the magazines, allowing them to be connected to each other. In this way, without the use of tape or special connecting clips, you can connect up to three magazines, increasing the ready-to-fire and carried ammunition to 90 rounds. This bundle of magazines is also recommended for use when installing the NSA 80 night sight, since the additional magazines compensate for the change in the position of the weapon's center of mass caused by the installation of the forward-shifted sight. The method of connecting plastic magazines is somewhat reminiscent of the principle of the Lego children's construction set, so the G36, which has a large number of plastic parts, was nicknamed the "Lego-Gewehr" ("Lego rifle").
When performing special tasks, the G36 can also be equipped with a Beta C-Mag drum magazine from the MG36 light machine gun with a capacity of 100 rounds. This magazine consists of two drums of 50 rounds, laid inside in a "snail". Its weight with cartridges is 2 kg.
Also optional for the G36 is a bipod. It is attached to the front of the fore-end. In the stowed position or when shooting from the hands, the bipod legs can be folded, located under the fore-end. The length of the legs is 27,5 cm, weight - 0,21 kg. At the ends of the legs there are thickenings with holes of 10 mm in diameter. These holes are used to attach ski poles when shooting from skis.
Thanks to them, a comfortable and high support for shooting while standing is constructed from ski poles and a bipod.
The G36 rifle sling is a multifunctional design. It is made of high-strength nylon and is doubled, so the rifle can be carried in addition to the classic ways - over the shoulder, across the back or across the chest - also in a biathlon style (like a backpack on the back), on the hip or in a hunting style. The length of the sling is adjustable (maximum 2 m), the width is 2,5 cm, the weight is 110 g. The only detail borrowed from the G3 sling is the steel carabiners. In the front, the sling is attached to the sling swivel in the front part of the fore-end, in the back - depending on the individual characteristics of the shooter. Right-handers can attach the sling to the sling swivel on the left side of the receiver, left-handers have the option of attaching the sling to one of the holes in the buttstock, used to place the axles during disassembly. There is another option for attaching the sling, suitable for both left-handers and right-handers - using another hole located in the rear part of the buttstock.
Versions
MG36 – a light machine gun based on the G36 rifle. The military wanted to have an assault rifle and a light machine gun of the same caliber in the infantry squad. Therefore, the MG36 was supposed to be put into service as an addition to the general-purpose MG3 machine gun, but this did not happen. The light machine gun differed from the basic rifle only in a slightly heavier barrel, a larger-capacity magazine, and the presence of a bipod. The MG36 machine gun could not fire for long periods of time automatically, so after much deliberation, it was decided to equip the troops with a new 4 mm MG5,56 machine gun with a quick-change barrel and belt feed. They abandoned equipping the troops with MG36 machine guns, adopting a compromise solution: a bipod and drum magazine began to be supplied to the G36 as additional accessories. With them, the G36 is used as a light means of infantry fire support.
G36K (Short) – a shortened version with a 318 mm long barrel. Developed for the Bundeswehr KSK special forces. The length of the weapon with the folded buttstock is 615 mm, and the weight, compared to the basic version, is reduced by 0,33 kg. Due to the shortened barrel, a slightly different design of the flame arrester is used. An IR laser can be mounted on the right side of the fore-end, and a tactical flashlight on the left.
G36C (Compact) – an even shorter version with a 228 mm barrel. Equipped with a Picatinny rail. In Germany, it is used by the KSK, combat swimmers and military police.
G36V(previously designated G36E) – an export version in which there is a collimator sight, and the standard optical sight is replaced by a simplified 1,5x one.
Detailsincomplete disassembly G36
G36KV (G36KE) - shortened export version.
G36A1 - a modernized version. Delivered to troops since 2002.
G36A2 – the second modernization of the rifle (2004). It has a new collimator sight and a modified forend with a rail for mounting tactical accessories (usually this is the LLM-01 laser sight).
G36KA1 и G36KA2 - modernized shortened versions. Picatinny rail, accessory rail under the fore-end, silencer installation is possible. Unlike KA2, the KA1 version does not have a built-in optical sight.
SL8 – a civilian version of the G36, developed primarily for reservist associations. In accordance with Article 37 of the German Arms Law, a number of design changes have been made to it that prevent the rifle from being classified as a military weapon: the automatic fire mode and flash suppressor have been removed, the magazine capacity is limited to 10 rounds, the folding buttstock has been replaced by a fixed one with a removable cheek, and the carrying handle has been replaced by an extended rail for mounting various types of sights. Other differences include a thicker and somewhat longer barrel, adjustable buttstock length, and reduced trigger pull, due to the model's sporting focus.
SL9 – a sniper rifle based on the SL8 chambered for 7,62x37 (developed by H&K based on the .300 Whisper cartridge). A silencer is installed on the 33-cm barrel, which not only reduces the noise of the shot, but also modifies it so that it does not resemble a normal shot. It is used in the GSG-9 anti-terrorist rifle.
The G36 rifle turned out to be a very well thought out and respectable design. When accepting rifles by the military at a range of 100 m, the deviation of the STP of a series of 5 shots is allowed to be no more than 6 cm and the dispersion radius is no more than 10 cm. The accuracy and precision of the G36 are significantly better than these standards.
It should be noted that the recoil is extremely low, making shooting even automatic fire very comfortable.
The high impulse of the 7,62x51 cartridge of the G3 rifle led to a strong dispersion of hits in bursts, so the regulations prescribed firing from it in short bursts only "in the event of a sudden appearance of a numerically superior enemy at a short distance." In other cases, it was prescribed to fire single shots. In contrast, the G36 is very controllable when firing automatic fire and allows for aimed shooting in short bursts even from unstable positions. Shooting from the G36 is more acceptable for women, who today make up 15% of the Bundeswehr contingent.
Another advantage of the G36 is its ergonomics. The controls are conveniently located and equally accessible for use with the right and left hand. The cocking handle is foldable and does not interfere with carrying the weapon, and there is no risk of catching it and accidentally pulling the bolt back.
The rifle has very few protruding parts. The optical sight is located low, but is quite convenient for aiming, since shooting with it is mainly done from a prone position. On the contrary, the upper location of the collimator is favorable when shooting standing and from a kneeling position. Thanks to the use of plastics, the G36 is one of the lightest assault rifles.
To date, the G36 has been purchased by a total of 35 countries, with the armed forces of Germany, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Indonesia and Malaysia adopting it as the standard infantry weapon. The G36 and its compact versions are particularly popular with various police services, border guards, commandos and special forces. The G36 has been well received by the German army, although a number of shortcomings have made it the subject of criticism. The most serious of these are low reliability in very dirty conditions and the lack of a mechanical sight. It is possible that these shortcomings will be eliminated in the new assault rifle currently being developed at Heckler & Koch as a replacement for the G36.
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