German-made products hold a nearly unquestionable reputation for top-notch engineering and impeccable build quality. The same holds true for German-made firearms. Heckler and Koch (H&K) is perhaps the most famous German manufacturer of firearms for both commercial and military customers. The History of Heckler and Koch Heckler and Koch is a post-WWII success story. While most of West Germany was rebuilding after WWII a handful of former Mauser engineers, decided to design their own firearms. They knew the German military would be restored to counter the Eastern Bloc, and would require modern firearms. Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, and Alex Seidel founded their namesake company, Heckler and Koch in 1949 in Oberndorf, Germany. H&K got off to a slow start, and firearms were not their first products due to restrictions imposed upon West Germany. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Allied victors did not allow any West German companies to produce firearms during the years immediately after WWII. So H&K began by making household goods and industrial equipment. While these items weren't firearms, they still benefited from the trio's precision manufacturing know-how. As West Germany created its new armed forces in the mid-1950s, the military started searching for the necessary armaments. Many companies, including H&K, competed to win the contract to provide equipment for the West German army. Due to their popularity in the small arms industry and their past experience at Mauser, H&K secured the contract and began supplying the military with firearms by the end of the 1950s. Some sixty years later, H&K not only continues to outfit the German military but other foreign armed forces as well. H&K's innovation continues to innovate and impress the firearms community, both military and commercial, with some of the best guns money can buy. Notable Products The H&K G3 Rifle When West Germany joined NATO in 1955, the West German army needed a new battle rifle in 7.62 NATO
. While conducting the search for the perfect rifle, the Germans realized they wanted to manufacture the chosen firearm in their own country. Initially, the West German military adopted the Belgian-made Fabrique Nationale (FN) FAL rifle with the intention of relocating production to German territory. However, after Belgium's WWII experience with the German army, FN would not allow manufacturing to be moved. FN's refusal, in addition to West Germany's first-hand look at other rifles in European countries, led them to continue the hunt for a more cutting-edge rifle they could produce themselves. After the conclusion of WWII, German firearms engineers went to Spain to assist the Spanish military in the development of a new service rifle. Known as the CETME, the rifle featured an operating system known as roller delayed blowback. This operating system gave soldiers a simple yet highly reliable rifle that required little maintenance. Upon seeing the CETME rifle, the West German military realized they found the perfect design. Soon, the same engineers that helped Spain with their CETME rifle returned to West Germany to assist H&K with the development of an improved CETME. The West German military adopted this new rifle, the G3, made by H&K, in 1959. The G3 used the same roller delayed blowback operating system as the Spanish CETME. Utterly reliable and famously robust, the G3 rifle served with the West German and, eventually, the unified German military for nearly 40 years before being replaced with a more modern service rifle. In addition to German service, H&K widely exported the G3 and also set up licensing agreements with other nations so they could make G3s. Many of these nations still make G3s for their militaries and export. If the FN FAL was the "Right Arm of the Free World," then the H&K G3, as the second most popular 7.62 caliber rifle, was surely the left arm. With a receiver produced from welded sheet steel stampings, the G3 was relatively economical to produce while still being very sturdy. The G3 developed a reputation for extreme reliability, and it required less maintenance in the field. For these reasons, the G3 is still immensely popular with the militaries of developing nations that still prefer a battle rifle in 7.62 NATO.

The PTR 91 GI in 7.62/.308 is a close recreation of a G3 rifle.

The H&K MP5 Submachine Gun After mastering the roller delayed blowback operating system in the G3, H&K invented the most famous post-WWII submachine gun ever made. The MP5 closely resembled a shrunken down G3 in 9mm
. Using the roller delayed blowback system, the MP5 was much more controllable, refined, and accurate than typical straight blowback submachine guns. These favorable characteristics of the MP5 led to West German police and their military adopting it in the mid-1960s. Since then, countless nations militaries and police have adopted the MP5 for service. Special operations units and anti-terrorism outfits especially favored the MP5. Made famous by elite groups like the US Navy SEALs and the British SAS, the MP5 shined in close-quarter battle. While the MP5 has lost some of its luster to compact AR15-type rifles in recent decades, military and police around the world still use the MP5. Like the G3, numerous nations produce the MP5 under H&K's license. While more modern submachine gun designs exist, the MP5 is likely to be in service for decades to come.

The H&K SPK5 is a semiautomatic pistol version of the MP5K.

The H&K USP Pistol H&K produced several successful pistol designs over the years. However, the Universal Service Pistol (USP) proved to be the most successful of them all. The USP arrived on the scene in the early 1990s as a polymer-framed, hammer-fired double-action pistol. While previous H&K pistol designs used roller delayed blowback or gas delayed blowback operation, this time around H&K engineers decided to use a traditional Browning-type tilting barrel design. Due to its popularity and stability of the platform, H&K produced multiple USP models over the course of many years. The USP was initially available in .40 S&W
, then 9mm, and eventually the classic .45 ACP
cartridge. Later H&K added a .357 Sig option to the USP lineup. In its twenty-plus year production run, the USP developed a near-legendary reputation for reliability and durability. Click here for more information on double-action pistols.

The classic USP Tactical in 9mm.

The H&K 416 Rifle In the mid-2000s, H&K introduced the 416 in hopes that it would replace the long-standing M16 family of rifles used by the US Military. Larry Vickers of Delta Force fame (the US Army's most elite special forces unit) collaborated with H&K to create the 416. The 416 is a premium quality short-stroke piston AR in 5.56 NATO
. It offers advantages over direct-impingement AR-type rifles when used in fully automatic, suppressed, or in short-barreled configurations. As these configurations are often utilized by special operators, the 416 became one of the preferred firearms for units like Delta Force and the Navy SEALs. Legend states that a Navy SEAL operative took down Osama Bin Ladin with an H&K 416 in 2011. Check out more information on AR operating systems.


The MR556A1 is a semiautomatic variant of the 416.

Conclusion Heckler and Koch is a legend in the world of firearms development. From its humble beginnings making sewing machines after WWII to equipping special forces on some of the most famous raids in history, H&K has done it all and continues to innovate. Shop our wide selection H&K handguns and long guns.