Heckler & Koch HK43
| Heckler & Koch HK43 | |
|---|---|
HK43A2
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| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Heckler & Koch |
| Produced | March 1974 - 1989 |
| Variants | KA1, A2 and A3 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 8.4 pounds (3.8 kg) (empty magazine) |
| Length | 36.2 inches (920 mm) |
| Barrel length | 16.975 inches (431.165 mm) |
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| Cartridge | .223 Remington |
| Action | Roller-delayed blowback |
| Rate of fire | Semi-automatic |
| Feed system | 5, 20, 25, 30 or 40-round double column, detachable box magazine |
| Sights | Protected post front, rotating diopter rear sight |
The Heckler and Koch HK43 is a semi-automatic rifle based upon the Heckler & Koch HK33 rifle and is the predecessor of the Heckler & Koch HK93 semi-automatic rifle.
In the mid to late 1960s, Heckler & Koch developed the HK33, which was a scaled-down version of the Heckler & Koch G3, but chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO. The HK33 entered production in 1968. In 1974, a semi-automatic version of the HK33 was introduced by H&K and was designated the HK43. According to H&K’s numbering nomenclature, the “4” indicates that the weapon is a paramilitary rifle, and the “3” indicates that the caliber is .223.
A HK43 version KA1 with a shorter 322 mm barrel was used in 1977 by the German RAF terrorist group to assassinate general attorney Siegfried Buback and two policemen [1].
The HK43, which was the precursor to the HK91 , was for the most part identical in appearance to the HK33. Instead of a “push-pin” grip housing, it came with a clip-on style grip housing marked “SF.” In order to save money, H&K used the same fire control group that went into the HK33 models, but with some modifications. The auto-sear was removed from the fire control group, as well as the trip lever, to prevent automatic fire. Moreover, the grip frame housing was modified to prevent the selector lever from going into the full-auto position. The one other modification H&K made for the HK43s was to mill off the trip ledge on the bolt carrier assembly.
Early HK43s were made from the same barrels used on the HK33 rifles, which were 15.35 inches in length and had a 1 in 12-inch twist. In order to bring the barrels up to the legal length of at least 16 inches in the United States, a flash suppressor, which adds about 1 3/8 inches to the overall length, had to be permanently attached. H&K also omitted the grenade launching snap rings on the barrel, as they had for their HK41 models, because the Gun Control Act of 1968 prohibited such features on imported rifles. The HK43 also lacked the "flapper" or paddle magazine release making the redundant push-button magazine release, located on the right side of the receiver, the only way to eject a magazine.
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Wikipedia