HK-417
Summary
| Country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Category | Assault rifle |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
Technical specifications
| HK-417 | |
|---|---|
| Fire Rate | 600 rounds/min. |
| Caliber | 7.62 x 51 mm OTAN |
| Magazine | 30 rounds |
| Length | 1085 mm (42.7 in) |
| Weight | 4.23 kg (9.3 lb) |
| Range | 600 m (1969 ft) |
Description
The Heckler & Koch HK417 is a gas-operated, select-fire battle rifle designed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. It is the larger caliber version of the Heckler & Koch HK416, chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge, intended for use where the penetrative power, stopping power, and range of the 5.56×45mm NATO HK416 are insufficient.
The HK417 shares a similar internal design to the HK416, but its receiver and working parts are enlarged to accommodate the larger 7.62×51mm cartridge. It employs a seven-lug rotating bolt within a bolt carrier, operating in a forged alloy receiver. Like the HK416, it utilizes a short-stroke piston design, which prevents propellant gases from directly entering the receiver. Early HK417 prototypes used 20-round magazines from the Heckler & Koch G3 rifle family. Later prototypes switched to a polymer magazine with a bolt hold-open device.
The HK417 is produced in several variants for military and law enforcement use:
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HK417 12″ 'Assaulter' carbine
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HK417 16″ 'Recce' rifle with standard or accurized barrels
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HK417 20″ 'Sniper' rifle with an accurized barrel
The HK417A2 is an improved version featuring an optimized receiver, barrel interface, gas port, and bore axis alignment, designed to enhance accuracy and reliability. HK417A2 models chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO are available with 13″, 16.5″, and 20″ barrels, all of which are cold hammer forged and chrome-lined.
The MR308 is a semi-automatic civilian variant introduced in 2007, later released to the American civilian market as the MR762 at the 2009 SHOT Show, and both were later replaced by improved A1 versions. The G28, a semi-automatic designated marksman rifle based on the civilian MR308 for the German Bundeswehr, features a steel upper receiver and shares approximately 75% of parts with the HK417. The U.S. Army utilizes a lighter version of the G28 as the M110A1 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper System (CSASS) with an aluminum upper receiver. A version designated M110A1 Squad Designated Marksman Rifle (SDMR) is also being fielded to US Army infantry squads.
The HK417 has seen operational use in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), the Insurgency in the North Caucasus, the Armed conflict for control of the favelas in Greater Rio de Janeiro, and the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
The HK417 has been adopted by armed forces, special forces, and police organizations worldwide, including the Bundeswehr, United States Joint Special Operations Command, the United States Army, and Russian Spetsnaz forces such as FSB Alpha Group. Purchasers typically use the HK417 to complement lighter assault rifles chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO, often in the designated marksman role, leveraging its superior accuracy, range, and penetration.