The HK G36 was produced to fulfill the German Army’s need for a new rifle to replace the aging G3. The new weapon had to be lightweight and fire the NATO standard 5.56 mm cartridge. HK responded with the G36 weapon system. The G36 is a line of weapons that all use the same basic frame and short-stroke gas piston action. This action, borrowed from Eugene Stoner’s AR-18, is a radical departure from the roller-delayed locking action that had dominated HK’s military rifle line for the past forty years. Another departure is the use of a new magazine (incompatible with the standard M16 magazine) that is transparent to allow the shooter to easily see the rounds remaining. The G36K is a compact carbine version, similar in role to the M4 in the U.S. Army. It uses a 30-round magazine.
