Heckler & Koch HK417
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Heckler & Koch HK417 | |
|---|---|
 HK417 'Sniper' Model (20" Barrel) with prototype G3 style magazine, 5 round capacity |
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| Type | Assault rifle |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Variants | Assaulter (12" barrel), Recce (16" barrel), Sniper (20" barrel) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3.87 kg (12 inch barrel), 4.05 kg (16 inch barrel), 4.23 kg (20 inch barrel) |
| Length | 815 / 875 mm (12" barrel, stock collapsed/extended), 917 / 997 mm (16" barrel, stock collapsed/extended), 1019 / 1178 mm (20" barrel, stock collapsed/extended) |
| Barrel length | 305 mm (12 in), 406 mm (16 in), 508 mm (20 in) |
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| Cartridge | 7.62 x 51 mm NATO |
| Action | Gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Feed system | 10 or 20 round detachable box magazine |
The HK417 is an up-scaled version of the HK416, designed to chamber the 7.62 x 51 mm NATO (.308 Winchester) round. Like the HK416, the HK417 is a gas-operated, short-stroke piston design, which is claimed to be more reliable[citation needed] than the original direct impingement operation of the AR-10 design due to less fouling in the receiver. The early prototype HK417 utilized 20-round magazines from the H&K G3 rifle family, which did not feature a bolt hold-open device. Later prototypes, however, switched to a polymer magazine with bolt hold-open. The magazine is similar to the G36 series transparent magazine, except without the pins for holding more than one magazine together.
The HK417 is designed more for use as a "designated marksman" rifle than an assault rifle, with its increased cost, accuracy, decreased rate of fire and magazine capacity.
The HK417 comes in three variants (all in 7.62 x 51 mm NATO):
- HK417 12" 'Assaulter' Model
- HK417 16" 'Recce' Model
- HK417 20" 'Sniper' Model
