Germany - Forgotten Weapons

HK-32 Prototype in 7.62x39mm

February 20, 2019 Ian McCollum 14

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 […]

CETME Modelo A: First Step Towards the G3

February 8, 2019 Ian McCollum 16

The Modelo A was the first series production version of the CETME rifle, following a series of successful trials in Spain. It was developed by a team of ex-Mauser engineers led by Ludwig Vorgrimmler, and […]

Becker Blow-Forward Revolving Shotgun

February 1, 2019 Ian McCollum 19

The Becker shotgun is a very unusual blow-forward, revolving cylinder shotgun made in Germany in the 1920s (although it was originally patented in the late 1890s). Only a very small number were made – allegedly […]

Shooting the HK G41: Like an HK33 But Worse

January 26, 2019 Ian McCollum 51

We took a look at the history and mechanics of the G41 yesterday; now it’s time to actually try it out on the range… It, ah, did not go so well. But I did get […]

H&K G41: The HK33 Meets the M16

January 25, 2019 Ian McCollum 34

The H&K G41 was developed for the NATO trials of the early 1980s, which were set up to look at both rifles and cartridges for NATO standardization (although they did not end up choosing a […]

Walther’s .45ACP MP (P38 Precursor)

January 21, 2019 Ian McCollum 17

During the process of developing the pistol which would become the German army’s P38, the Walther company was also interested in potential export contracts (like the one they actually did get from Sweden). One potential […]

H&K P7 Family: Pistols for Gun Cognoscenti

January 16, 2019 Ian McCollum 69

Developed in the 1980s in response to a need for new West German police sidearms, the H&K P7 is one of the most mechanically unusual pistols to have been commercially successful in recent decades. It […]

H&K P8A1: The Bundeswehr’s USP

January 7, 2019 Ian McCollum 57

Thanks to my friends at Bear Arms in Scottsdale, we have an H&K P8A1 to take a look at today – the current Bundeswehr issue version of the USP. Chambered for 9x19mm and adopted in […]

H&K G36: Germany Adopts the 5.56mm Cartridge

December 28, 2018 Ian McCollum 36

When the G11 program was cancelled and German reunified, the West German military was still using the 7.62mm G3 rifle, while the East German forces had AK-74 variants. Neither of these were suitable for a […]

Kraut Space Magic: the H&K G11

December 25, 2018 Ian McCollum 114

I have been waiting for a long time to have a chance to make this video – the Heckler & Koch G11! Specifically, a G11K2, the final version approved for use by the West German […]