The Keefe Report: Don't Leave Home Without It—Heckler & Koch's G36

by
posted on November 17, 2017

"Bring a G36." Those were my instructions to Heckler & Koch Marketing Manager Bill Dermody as he was preparing to come to NRA Headquarters for an ARTV series we are planning for the first quarter of January 2018. 

                        

The G36 is a selective-fire, gas-piston-operated rifle that is currently the standard rifle of the Bundeswehr, at least for now. It's a gun that is in use around the world.

  

And it is a gun that was almost a standard service rifle of the United States military. A G36 variant was selected to be the "Kinetic" component of the OICW, which stands for Objective Infantry Combat Weapon. This was a pairing of a very sophisticated electronic suite with a grenade launcher call the XM25 airburst weapon with a rifle underneath, and a variant of the rifle eventually became the XM8. 

It looked like the XM8 was a shoo-in to become the next service rifle of the United States military. But it wasn't to be. No, the U.S. Army decided to stick with the M-16/M4 platform. But you can see the G36 in the hands of military forces around the world and also on the streets of London in the hands of armed police officers.

We made sure that we got some serious range time with the G36, and you can see American Rifleman's Christopher Olsen fire some full-auto bursts in this short video outtake from our filming. 

 

Latest

Century BFT 01
Century BFT 01

New For 2024: Century Arms BFT74 & BFT556

Century Arms expanded its AK-style BFT rifle line in 2024 with two new models chambered for 5.56 NATO and 5.45x39 mm, respectively.

Preview: Armaspec SRS AR-15 Kit

This Armaspec upgrade to the AR-15’s standard buffer and spring includes a trio of interchangeable buffer weights that allow the user to tune it to his or her rifle/load.

Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive KelTec KS7

Join American Rifleman staff on the range this week with a unique version of KelTec's KS7 bullpup shotgun.

The Armed Citizen® Nov. 1, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Hydra Weaponry Expands To New Facility

Hydra Weaponry—the designer and manufacturer of the modular Marck-15 Hydra Weapon System and Maine’s largest firearm employer—has expanded into a larger facility.

Review: Bushmaster M4A2 Patrolman's Carbine

The M4A2 Patrolman’s Carbine from Bushmaster Firearms is the first in a line of AR-15s designed to bring back the standard, carbine-length firearms that have long been a staple of American shooting enthusiasts.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.