CODE 03-041-985

NAME – G8 (G8A1) – 7.62x51mm

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN – Germany

DATE OF MANUFACTURE – 1985

CALIBER – 7.62x51mm

OVERALL LENGTH – 103 cm (40.55 in)

BARREL LENGTH – 45 cm (17.72 in) without flash hider

RIFLING (TYPE & TWIST) – 4 grooves, Right-hand twist, 1 turn in 30.5 cm (12 in)

LOAD – M80 Spitzer-pointed full jacketed ball

BULLET DIAMETER – 7.82 mm (0.308 in)

BULLET WEIGHT – 9.66 g (149 grains)

MUZZLE VELOCITY – 815 m/s (2674 fps)

MUZZLE ENERGY – 3208 j (2366 ft/lb)

WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 7.55 kg (16 lb 10 oz)

WEIGHT (LOADED) – 9.47 kg (20 lb 14 oz) loaded with drum filled with 50 rounds M80 Ball

WEIGHT (MOUNTED) – 10.07 kg (22 lb 3 oz) with bipod and 50 rounds M80 ball

TYPE OF MOUNT – Folding removable bipod

WEIGHT OF MOUNT – 0.6 kg (1 lb 5 oz)

WEIGHT OF SPARE BARREL – 1.70 kg (3 lb 12 oz) with flash hider

WEIGHT OF CARRYING SLING – 0.17 kg (6 oz)

SIGHTS – Open, iron, adjustable, Front sight – Hooded post, Rear sight – Cam-elevated aperture, adjustable from 100 to 1,000 meters in 100 meter clicks (109 to 1,094 yards in 109 yard clicks)

EFFECTIVE RANGE – 800 m (875 yards)

OPERATION – Blowback, Delayed roller locked bolt system, fires from closed bolt

TYPE OF FIRE – Selective, Semi, 3-round burst, and full automatic

RATE OF FIRE – 40 rpm semi, 120 rpm 3-round burst, 150 rpm full automatic

CYCLIC ROF – 800 rpm

FEED DEVICE – 20-round removable aluminum box magazine, double-column, double feed, or 50-round spring-loaded removable drum, or flexible metallic link belt

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (EMPTY) – 20-rd – 0.28 kg (10 oz), 50-rd drum – 0.69 kg (1 lb 8 oz)

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 0.65 kg (1 lb 7 oz) magazine loaded with 20 rounds M80 Ball

FEED DEVICE WEIGHT (LOADED) – 1.92 kg (4 lb 4 oz) drum loaded with 50 rounds M80 Ball

BASIC AMMUNITION LOAD – One – 50-rd drum and three – 20 rd magazines (110 rounds)

LOAD WEIGHT – 3.87 kg (8 lb 9 oz)

MANUFACTURER – Heckler & Koch GmbH, Oberndorf/Neckar, Germany

STATUS – Production completed

SERVICE – German Law Enforcement, Border Guards, and Counter-terrorist forces

     Originally, this was a modified HK 11E light machine gun but was redesignated a rifle at the request of the West German Border Guards. The modifications to the original weapon make it of particular use to counter-terrorist as well as police and security forces.

     The G8 can accept a belt-feed device that fits in place of the magazine feed. This belt-feed was soon decided to be unnecessary for the Law Enforcement application intended for the weapon and was soon eliminated from the design. The G8A1, which is otherwise identical to the G8, cannot accept the belt feed mechanism.