G-11
Summary
| Country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Category | Bullpup assault rifle |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Technical specifications
| G-11 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 600 - 2000 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 4.77 x 33 mm |
| Magazine | 45 rounds |
| Length | 750 mm (29.5 in) |
| Weight | 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) |
| Range | 400 m (1312 ft) |
Description
The Heckler & Koch G11 is a non-production prototype assault rifle developed from the late 1960s to the 1980s. It was primarily a West German project by Gesellschaft für Hülsenlose Gewehrsysteme (GSHG), a group comprising Heckler & Koch (mechanical engineering and weapon design), Dynamit Nobel (propellant and projectile design), and Hensoldt Wetzlar (optic systems).
Development began around 1967, following a NATO idea for adopting a second standard small-caliber ammunition. Although NATO interest in caseless ammunition faded, the West German government continued the project in 1968–1969 with contracts to Diehl, IWKA Mauser, and Heckler & Koch, seeking improved hit probability.
Numerous prototypes were developed and tested throughout the 1970s and 1980s, solving issues with accuracy and ammunition. In 1990, H&K completed the development of the G11, intended for the Bundeswehr and NATO. Despite being technically successful, it never entered full production due to:
- The political changes of German reunification
- The resulting financial situation
- Cancellation of anticipated procurement contracts
- Issues related to NATO standardization
The rifle is notable for using 4.73×33mm caseless ammunition, which consists of a cuboid block of High Ignition Temperatures Propellant (HITP) containing the projectile. This round was lighter and smaller by volume than the 5.56×45mm NATO round, and designed to meet the same ballistics requirements outlined in NATO document 14.
The design aimed to increase hit probability through high-rate multi-round bursts. The rifle features three firing modes: semi-auto, full-auto at 460 rounds per minute, and three-round burst at over 2100 cyclic rounds per minute. Rounds are fed vertically from a magazine above the barrel into a rotary chamber which rotates 90 degrees to align with the barrel for firing. The firing cycle involves a loading piston and rotation of the chamber, ignition via a firing pin and powder booster, and then acceleration of the projectile. The barrel and operating mechanism recoil rearward within the weapon, dissipating energy and allowing for the delivery of three rounds in a burst before buffering occurs, meaning the user feels recoil only after the burst is complete. Due to caseless ammunition, the system omits extraction and ejection steps.
Several prototypes and configurations were developed, including Prototype 1, Prototype 3 (chambered in 4.75 mm), Prototype 4, Prototype 5, Prototype 6 (chambered in 4.7x21mm), and Prototype 13 which garnered attention as the initial version for the Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) program. The final production model configurations were designated G11 K1, completed in March 1987, and the G11 K2, approved for full scale replacement production in 1992. Specific ACR variants developed for US trials were chambered in 4.92 mm. A handgun concept called Nahbereichswaffe (NBW) using a shortened 4.73×25 mm cartridge was also created as part of the development line.
The G11 participated in preliminary NATO field tests in 1977 and was included in the U.S. Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) program. Field tests and troop trials with the Bundeswehr in Hammelburg took place from June 1988 to January 1989. In these trials, the G11 reportedly achieved a 100% higher hit probability than the G3 rifle.
The weapon was certified for use with the Bundeswehr by the Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement (FODTP) in April 1990, however planned adoption for the Bundeswehr as a replacement for the G3 did not proceed. The ACR program ended in April 1990 without adopting any of the tested rifles. Procurement was ultimately halted due to German reunification, budget issues, recommendations against procurement by the Federal Audit Office, and a stated "lack of possibility for NATO standardization". Only 1000 units were ever produced.
The primary user involved in extensive testing and potential procurement was the Bundeswehr. Versions of the G11 were tested by the U.S. military as part of the Advanced Combat Rifle program. Some of the 1000 produced units reportedly made their way into the hands of the Bundeswehr, despite the fact that they were never formally adopted. The technology developed for the G11's caseless ammunition was licensed in 2004 for the U.S. Army's Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) program.