HK-33
Summary
| Country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Category | Assault rifle |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Technical specifications
| HK-33 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 750 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 5.56 x 45 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | 25 - 30 - 40 rounds |
| Length | 920 mm (36.2 in) |
| Weight | 3.6 kg (7.9 lb) |
| Range | 400 m (1312 ft) |
Description
The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It was designed primarily for export, building on the success of their G3 design. The company developed a family of small arms utilizing the G3 operating principle and basic design concept, including types chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO, 7.62×39mm M43, .223 Remington/5.56×45mm NATO, and 9×19mm Parabellum. The HK33, designed for the 5.56mm rounds, was a commercially successful design but did not achieve the same level of sales as the G3.
The HK33 is a selective fire weapon employing Heckler & Koch's roller-delayed blowback system. It features a two-piece bolt consisting of a bolt head with rollers and a bolt carrier. The rollers interface with inclined surfaces of the barrel extension, delaying the bolt head relative to the bolt carrier during the firing cycle. A fluted chamber assists extraction of spent casings. The mechanism, downsized and revised from the G3, utilizes a geometric relationship for a 3:1 bolt head delay ratio in the 5.56mm chambering. The bolt incorporates an anti-bounce mechanism, a spring extractor, and a buffer; a lever ejector is located in the trigger housing. The rifle features a modular design with butt-stock, fore-stock, and trigger group components changeable via push-pins, disassembling into four main groups for maintenance. It has a hammer-type firing mechanism; standard trigger groups are ambidextrous with S/E/F or 0/1/25 settings, while burst fire, Navy, and four-position options are available. It feeds from 20, 25, 30, or 40-round magazines. The barrel has 6 right-hand grooves and terminates in a slotted flash suppressor that enables rifle grenade use and supports a G3-type bayonet. Sighting utilizes a low iron sight line with a hooded front post and a mechanically adjustable Drehvisier rotary rear drum featuring a V-notch and apertures for various ranges. Receiver recesses accept STANAG claw mounts for optics. Accessories include a detachable bipod, bayonet, sling, cleaning kit, magazine loader, and support for a 40mm under-barrel HK79 grenade launcher or blank-firing adaptor.
Minor improvements resulted in variants sometimes referred to as HK33E.
Variants of the HK33 include:
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HK33A2 (rigid synthetic stock)
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HK33SG/1 (accurized, with scope and improved trigger)
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HK33A3 (telescoping metal stock)
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HK33KA3 carbine (shortened barrel, collapsible stock, no grenade/bayonet capability).
The HK53 is a compact carbine with a short barrel and MP5-style forearm. Light machine gun versions are the HK13 (magazine or drum fed, heavy barrel, bipod) and HK23 (belt fed). Licensed and derivative models include the Harrington & Richardson T223 produced in the US, the Type 11 rifle (and a bullpup variant) manufactured in Thailand, and the MA-11 rifle and MA-12 light machine gun made in Myanmar. Civilian sporting variants like the semi-automatic HK43 (later HK93 series) and the C-93 exist.
The HK33 saw operational use through its various users. The licensed H&R T223 copy was used in small numbers by US Navy SEAL teams during the Vietnam War, particularly noting its available 40-round magazine. HK33s were fielded by Thai government units during the South Thailand insurgency and by the Karen National Liberation Army in Myanmar. Rifles were reportedly seized by groups such as the Patani United Liberation Organisation, Gerakan Mujahidin Islam Patani, and the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
Users of the HK33 and its variants include Brazil, Chile, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mexico, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor Leste, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.