Derek Ward

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.

The KAC Master-Key is basically a Colt M4 carbine with a Remington 870 pump-action 12-guage shotgun slung under the barrel. The concept isn’t new, but what KAC brought to the weapon was the use of the Rail Interface System which allows the user to quickly detach the shotgun if necessary. The shotgun is slightly modified in that a Picatinny rail is mounted on the dorsal side, along with a shortened barrel. It holds five shells in a tubular magazine.

Heckler and Koch is known for its line of submachine guns, so it wasn’t surprising when the company delved into the growing Personal Defense Weapon niche. Although it already had a PDW version of its venerable MP5, the 9 mm cartridge was considered a drawback in light of the availibility of personal body armor. HK’s parent company at the time, British Ordnance, developed a new 4.6 mm cartridge that could penetrate basic body armor. Essentially, the bullet was a micronized rifle round rather than a similar pistol cartridge. The MP7 is designed to be fired single-handed (preferably in semi-auto mode) or two-handed using the retractable stock and folding front handle. The MP7 has a long accessory rail along the top for mounting of combat optics or other packages. It can use conformal fifteen round magazines or extended thirty round magazines.

When the Glock line of pistols debuted over twenty years ago, there was a furor over the “plastic gun” that would evade metal detectors and cause all sorts of mayhem. Considering that the slide is a huge chunk of steel, those claims were quickly dismissed. What wasn’t was that the small Austrian firm had produced an ergonomic and rugged line of pistols with an innovative “Safe-Action” trigger system. It integrated what was essentially a double-action only system with a safety built into the trigger. Since the Glock’s initial introduction, the line has grown to every major caliber with full-size, compact, and ultra-compact sizes with models that are compensated for target shooting and even a fully-auto machine pistol.

The KAC Mk. 11 is the current sniper rifle system issued to Navy and Marine units. The Army is currently evaluating the weapon and will probably adopt it as well as the M-110. Before its adoption, the rifle was known by the designation of SR-25. The Mk. 11 is a 7.62 mm precision rifle system designed by the great Eugene Stoner of M16 fame. Looking at the weapon, it is easy to see the parentage, but the Mk. 11 is much more than a rechambered M16. Everything from the free-floating barrel to the enhanced trigger is designed to make the weapon capable of sub-MOA accuracy in battlefield conditions. Perhaps one of the most unique features of the Mk. 11 is that is actually more accurate with its suppressor attached.

The HK Model 417 is part of a pair of new rifles that is based on the M16 shape and action. HK improved on the gas action and basic ergonomics, including the collapsible stock. The dorsal line of the weapons have long Picatinny rail for the ease of mounting scopes or other accessories. Around the foregrip are three other rails. The Model 417 comes in multiple barrel lengths to suit the situation. The Model 417 is chambered in 7.62 mm NATO and uses a new propreitary transluscent magazines that can hold ten or twenty rounds.

The other weapon in the pair is the Model 416 which is chambered in 5.56 mm and uses standard M16 magazines.

The Brugger And Thomet (B+T) MP 9 is a compact sub-machine gun chambered in 9 mm. It is part of the SMG family that lies between the machine pistols (pistols converted for full auto, like the Glock 18) and the full size sub-machineguns like the standard HK MP5 line. B+T purchased the rights and patents to the Steyr TMP, an excellent compact submachine gun that was noted for its ergonomics and control in full automatic. B+T made several changes to the TMP including the addition of a folding stock, a Picatinny accessory rail along the top, and a redesign of the fore grip to allow for the mounting of accessories. The B+T MP 9 should not be confused with the Ruger submachine gun of the same name. The Ruger is an improved Uzi and shares little with the B+T MP 9 beyond caliber. The B+T MP 9 accepts fifteen or thirty round magazines.

The Colt M4 is another member of the M16 family. It is technically called a carbine, having a shortened barrel (15 inches versus 20 inches) than the standard M16. The M4 is slightly larger than the Colt Commando, but shares many of the same features, such as a collapsible stock and full-auto fire. The M4 is often equipped with the Rail Interface System (RIS) from Knights Arms Corporation, which allows the quick attachment of various accessories, such as sights, flashlights, and a shortened version of the M203 40 mm grenade launcher. The U.S. military has taken advantage of this ability and issues SOPMOD kits to its unconventional forces (Special Forces, SEALs, etc.) The M4 is chambered in 5.56 mm NATO and accepts standard M16 magazines.

Heckler and Koch MP5

In the world of the submachine gun, the HK MP5 series reigns supreme. It is the submachine gun of choice for most of the world’s militaries and police forces. There is a very good reason for this – it is perhaps the most accurate and most rugged SMG’s on the market. The MP5 is a 9 mm SMG (there are .40 S&W and 10 mm versions, but they are no longer produced) and is renowned for the innate accuracy of its unique bolt action and its diopter iron sights. It comes in a variety of configurations including fixed stock, collapsible stock, silenced, and micronized. To add even more utility, HK has a variety of trigger assemblies that give the user the ability to make the weapon semi-auto only, or have a two-shot, three-shot, or full-auto burst capability. The most common is for a semi/three-shot/full-auto configuration. The version that Ranger uses the most often is the HK MP5K Personal Defense Weapon (PDW). This variant takes the micronized version of the MP5, adds a folding stock, and adds a little length on the barrel to facilitate the mounting of a silencer. The PDW will take either 15 or 30 round magazines.

The Ruger SP101 is a compact revolver based on the company’s larger Super Redhawk double-action revolver. The SP 101 is noted for its ruggedness and its ability to handle the powerful .357 Magnum rounds. Ranger uses a double-action-only version with a spurless hammer. Ranger uses this weapon primarily as a backup.