POF G-3 Replacement

[H Khan]

Since POF G-3 is 7.62 mm assualt rifle and NATO and other countries have while back opted for newer and lighter HK-56 which is a G-3 with 5.56 mm assualt rifle, what do you feel that POF should start to look for newer assualt rifle.

Heckler & Kock, which is the maker of G-3, has been given the contract to replace the German Army HK-56 and G-3 with G-36. Below you will find the image of this fantastic assualt rifle.

[H Khan]

The new Assault Rifle G36/G36E is a true modular weapon system in caliber 5.56mm x 45. Constructed almost entirely of a tough, fiber reinforced polymer material and using a simple, self-regulating gas system, the G36/G36E provides the user with a lightweight weapon that delivers high performance with extremely low maintenance.

The barrel of the G36/G36E can be exchanged by unit armourers to create either a rifle or a carbine, using the same common receiver. After passing exhaustive tests with excellent results it became fielded with the German Armed Forces (including the new NATO Rapid Reaction Force).

It is now available to international law enforcement and military customers. G36s operate reliably with frangible training ammunition without special muzzle devices. Blank and safety blank firing devices that use conventional blank ammunition are available as accessories.

[Ammar Bhutta]

I read some where some time back that the smaller diameter for the ammo. has been designed to get more 'injured' casualties rather than 'dead' enemeys as 1 injured takes away more resources from the enemy, i am not sure if this assumption is right but seems logical, any ideas?

[H Khan]

G36/G36E FEATURES:

Chrome-plated, cold hammer forged barrel with 25 in 178 mm twist rifling.

G36 barrels can be easily removed by the unit armourer with a special torque wrench.

Flash hider 22 mm outside diameter.

Front sling and bipod mounting pin.

Detachable folding bipod available as accessory.

Integral mounting rail allows the HK UTL (Universal Tactical Light) to be installed in seconds.

The G36 gas system is insensitive to fouling back into weapons interior. This insures reliable operation even after firing more than 15,000 rounds without cleaning. Polymer components can easily be cleaned with water-based cleaning solutions, or even water.

Tough 30-round translucent polymer magazines lock together without magazine clamp. They are 30% lighter than metal magazines and are corrosion proof.

Ambidextrous cocking lever doubles as forward assist and can be used to silently chamber a round.

Removable magazine well eases cleaning of receiver and chamber areas.

Downward ejection of spent cartridge cases reduces visual signature.

Export sight system with 1.5x optical sight can be detached by user with the carrying handle.

Ambidextrous magazine release lever.

Ambidextrous bolt catch button. The bolt catch holds the bolt to rear on the last round fired and can be disassembled by the shooter without tools, allowing the bolt to close when the magazine is fired empty.

Standard trigger group with safe, semi-automatic, and fully automatic modes of fire and pictogram markings. Optional single-fire trigger group also available.

Ambidextrous safety/selector lever allows easy actuation without adjusting firinggrip. Location and function of G36 operating controls mirror those of roller-locked HK Rifles and MP5
Submachine Guns, reducing training time and cost.

Buttstock release lever.

Locking pin storage holes.

Rear sling attachment points for multi-purpose HK sling.

Emergency backup iron sights on Export sight.

Non-slip rubber buttplate.

100-round dual drum magazine can also be used in G36 Rifle and Carbine.

[H Khan]

Originally posted by Ammar Bhutta
I read some where some time back that the smaller diameter for the ammo. has been designed to get more 'injured' casualties rather than 'dead' enemeys as 1 injured takes away more resources from the enemy, i am not sure if this assumption is right but seems logical, any ideas?

The logic is that is a soldier is killed he will be left to rot at the most before anyone will collect his body. But a soldier is wounded than you will need another two or three men to move him to a safe place or hospital. Therefore, you have three of your enemy soldiers tied up than one killed who is useless.

[Sultan]

Personally, I think the G36 would make a good replacement for the G3. POF already produces a number of H&K products under license, so I wouldnt think getting the G36 with prodn. rights would be a major problem. Another bonus would be to have optical sights as standard issue on the G36. The G3 is a venerable weapon in itself but its major drawback is its limited limited 20 rounds ammo capacity.

Whilst we're on the topic does anybody think that we should be looking for a replacement or phasing out the AK47s. Surely the deployment of a combination of MP5s (close quarter combat), G3s (standard field rifle) and MG3 (Infantry support weapon) in a typical platoon would provide enough fire power without the need for supplementary fire power from the AK47. Any comments??

[Hanoud]

Looks good and it seems like a sophisticated weapon. How long it will take to equip the entire armed forces ?

[Murad]

There was talk of replacing the G-3 with a NATO standard 5.56mm assault rifle in the early 1990s. I wonder what bacame of that programme - did the army drop it for cost considerations or was it just pushed back for the next decade.

[Noman]

Check out this pic of a G36 and G3 side by side. G36 seems a little bigger than the '3. And I always used to feel that the G3 was a tad to large to be handled comfortably.

The cost of re-equipping the Pak Armed forces would go into a few billion (US), but would be worth it if it replaces G3, all AK models, and assorted models in service with one standard rifle. This would take 5-10 years to completely requip the forces so the cost would be spread out, other than the initial cost of setting up new manufacturing facilities.

For detailed info and option on the '36 check out the following URL

http://www.hkpro.com/G36.htm

[Noman]

It depends on the Kinetic Energy transferred into the human body. A small caliber has less mass thus less kinetic energy. Larger bullet, more mass, more kinetic energy.

As smaller bullet with less surface area would pass through a body more easily thus taking away a lot of its energy with it.

A larger bullet with more surface area, would be more prone to tumble inside the body, transferring more KE into the body and do much greater damage and death.

A head or heart shot with either would however be 'killing'

[Saladin]

Originally posted by Ammar Bhutta
I read some where some time back that the smaller diameter for the ammo. has been designed to get more 'injured' casualties rather than 'dead' enemeys as 1 injured takes away more resources from the enemy, i am not sure if this assumption is right but seems logical, any ideas?

I dont believe so, a 5.56 round can definitely kill.Its a question of where you aim the shot at.A round to the head or the chest would definitetly cause life threatening injuries.On the other hand a 5.56 or even 7.62 round is unlikely to kill if it hits a soldier in the lower torso or arms.(unless it cuts a major artery such as the femoral in the leg and causes massive bleeding and shock)

Remember also that the yanks used the M16 which fires 5.56 rounds during the vietnam war and they definitely aimed to kill rather than injure.Anyway most soldiers(at least i was) were taught to fire two rounds each at targets in the distance and if the target was close by to switch to auto and let loose 10 to 15 rounds.We were also always taught to aim for the upper torso and head unless you were dealing with your own citizens in a civil unrest(one would aim for the legs in that case)

What you say however is true as regards mines where they are all designed mainly to maim rather than kill.A seriously injured soldier ties up logistics and manpower in a way that a dead soldier doesn't.You must understand how armies organise their medical support units to appreciate this.The main medical support facility is called a BCS(Battalion Collection Station) which will support each battalion(infantry) in operations.This is in normal circumstances is situated between 1.5 to 3 kilometres behind the front lines.After the battle is completed if there are no vehicles available the casualty has to be carried all the way back by a team of stretcher bearers (minimum 4 in number usually more)
That means those 4 men are out of battle for at least 2 to 4 hours or so.

[Noman]

Wouldn't a smaller 5.56 round with higher velocity, be able to penetrate body armour better ?

[Saladin]

Tamerlane,
I really dont know maybe somebody else does, but i have fired a hell of a lot of 5.56 rounds and i have seen on occassion some of the rounds penetrating steel .At close ranges who knows they may penetrate body armour.

[omar]

While I was in the TA, we were given sevral reasons why the the 5.56mm round replaced the 7.62mm round. The main reason was to do with the fact that normally a 7.62mm rounds will pass straight through a human body, whereas a 5.56mm round is designed to tumble once it penetrates the body thereby causing more internal injuries. A 5.56mm round will still kill if you shoot someone in the right places but, but if you shoot someone in a non-critical place, the 5.56mm round will probably do more internal damage.

[AkramIshaqKhan]

omar got it right.
Main reason for 5.56 is internal ricochet effect.
A 7+ mm caliber will break the bone with minimal deflection and trajectory will remain the same. The bullet will exit in a more or less a straight path.

A 5.56 will easily get deflected by bone and spend more time in the body before getting lodged internally or exiting.

A 5.56 caliber is a more lethal caliber. These rounds are usually what are called HVR. High Velocity Rounds. They tend to even have more effective longer range.

MxV
Mass is reduced however velocity is increased. Never the less in benchmarking test I am certain Momentum is more for 5.56 than for 7+mm.

JK.

[Sultan]

Question:

So I take it that 7.62 mm rounds are full metals, whereas 5.56mm rounds are hollow points.....??

What if u have a 7.62 mm hollow point round, once it penetrates the body, it will still explode, causing the shrapnel to rip up the internal, right??