HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mm
Germany
•
16m
Among the large family of roller-delayed rifles produced by Heckler & Koch, one of the rarest and least known is the HK32. This was the select-fire shoulder rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. These rifles appeared in H&K sales literature for a time, but were only made in very small numbers for one or two poor documented contracts. What we have here today is a very early prototype rifle in 7.62x39mm using a regular NATO caliber receiver with a magazine well block to fit a proprietary H&K magazine. The rifle retains many CETME features, including the muzzle brake, metal forehand with integral bipod, carry handle, stock design, and a unique 2-position rear notch sight.
Many thanks to the Royal Armouries for allowing me to film and disassemble this very rare rifle! The NFC collection there - perhaps the best military small arms collection in Western Europe - is available by appointment to researchers.
Up Next in Germany
-
Papers Behind the Pistol: Mauser's Ar...
Courtesy of the Paul Mauser Archive, we have a very cool opportunity to look at the documentation and paperwork behind a production pistol design, from beginning to commercial sales. This sort of documentation is rare for pre-WW1 German small arms in general, and the Mauser Model 1910 pistol is a...
-
Evolution of the Military Mauser HSc ...
Mauser had been at the forefront of military self-loading pistol design with its C96 pistol, but by the 1930s it had lost major market share to Sauer and Walther in police and commercial guns. The Mauser 1910/1914/1934 line of compact pistols was getting a bit old, and the Sauer 38H and Walther P...
-
The WW2 Double-Magazine MP40/I
The MP40/I was an experimental modification of the MP-40 submachine gun developed by the Erma company (we think) in late 1942. It was presumably developed in response to complaints of Soviet fire superiority with SMGs because of their large drum magazines (and also the larger number of SMGs used ...
