Germany · founded in 1949
Heckler & Koch
German brand famous for the roller-delayed system and for manufacturing quality.
History
Founded in 1949 in Oberndorf by three former Mauser engineers (Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, Alex Seidel), H&K rose in the 1960s with the G3 rifle, an evolution of the Spanish CETME based on the roller-delayed lockup. From the G3 came the MP5, HK21 and an entire family of military weapons fielded in more than 80 countries.
In the 2000s H&K broke with the roller-delayed tradition, adopting the short-stroke piston on the HK416 and the MG5 machine gun. Today it supplies the Bundeswehr, Royal Marines, USSOCOM and many special-operations units worldwide. The internal motto remains 'No compromise'.
Iconic products
- →G3, MP5, HK21 — the roller-delayed generation.
- →HK416, HK417, MG4, MG5 — the piston generation.
- →USP, P30, VP9 — striker and SA/DA pistols.