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The Heckler & Koch G3 is a battle rifle developed by Heckler & Koch and the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME. It has a 20 rounds magazine, that holds 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
| Heckler & Koch G3 | |
|---|---|
 The Heckler & Koch G3A4 (top) and G3A3 (bottom) | |
| Type | Battle rifle |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Wars | Portuguese Colonial War[1] Rhodesian Bush War Six-Day War Nigerian Civil War Turkish invasion of Cyprus South African Border War Carnation Revolution The Troubles Iranian Revolution Iran–Iraq War Lebanese Civil War Nicaraguan Revolution Salvadoran Civil War Turkey–PKK conflict Ethiopian Civil War Gulf War Yugoslav Wars Sierra Leone Civil War War in North-West Pakistan Operation Enduring Freedom/ISAF—Afghanistan Iraq War War in Afghanistan Colombian conflict Mexican Drug War[2] Syrian Civil War[3] Somali Civil War Iraqi Insurgency Yemeni Civil War (2015)[4] |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1956 |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Produced | 1958–present |
| No. built | 7,000,000[5] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.1 kg (9.04 lb) (G3A3) 4.7 kg (10 lb) (G3A4) 5.54 kg (12.2 lb) with optic (G3SG/1) 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) (G3K) |
| Length | 1,025 mm (40.4 in) (G3A3) 1,025 mm (40.4 in) stock extended / 840 mm (33.1 in) stock collapsed (G3A4) 1,025 mm (40.4 in) (G3SG/1) 895 mm (35.2 in) stock extended / 711 mm (28.0 in) stock collapsed (G3K) |
| Barrel length | 450 mm (17.7 in) 315 mm (12.4 in) (G3K) |
| Cartridge | 7.62×51mm NATO |
| Action | Roller-delayed blowback |
| Rate of fire | 500–600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 500 metres (550 yd), 100–400 m sight adjustments |
| Feed system | 20-round detachable box 30-round detachable box and 50-round drum magazine |
| Sights | Rear: rotary diopter; front: hooded post |
It was invented in the 1950s, and was the main weapon of the German army (Bundeswehr). Now the main weapon is the G36. Many German soldiers want the old G3 back. The G3 is still in service as a sniper rifle,[source?] but they changed to the G28 for "designated marksmen".
The deign of the G3 was so influential that it was the base for making the MP5 and the PSG-1.
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