Of course, this probably has to survive any legal challenges:

https://www.thefirearmblog.com...erman-g36-successor/

The AR15 is the Brown Bess of the modern world.

When we go to Mars mark my words there will be an AR an AK and a 12 gauge there with us.

So after 6 decades the German Government decides to leave HK for Haenel.

I had heard of Haenel in passing but I never really read up on the company..

I found this snippet on their webpage that I thought was interesting.

"Over the years of the GDR until today weapons are produced in Suhl under the quality brand C.G. Haenel – again since 2008 an independent company. The company today is part of the Merkel group which in turn is a part of the Tawazun Holding (UAE)."

I got the chance to check a box off my bucket list when we rotated back to Kandahar from Helmund Province. Our detachment got to participate in the Weapons Proficiency (German: Schützenschnur)competition that a German Communications/Intel unit put on.

I almost didn't go because of a stomach bug or maybe it was nerves but I got to shoot a G36 Compact. I could not believe its overall size and height for a weapon that is considered compact. Which in turn gave me problems transitioning with the dual optic sight.

After reading the link that was provided, I now want to try a Haenel C308.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mrapteam666,

The MK556 looks like a HK416 without HK stamped on the side. Seems like more of a political decision to give the contract to anyone except HK.

Guess now HK knows how it feels when someone thinks you suck and hates you.

Comes full circle. Haenel has a long history of making guns for the German military, starting with the G88 in 1890, then the G98 and K98 of WW1 fame, then the MP28, MP38/MP40, and StG44 of WW2 fame.

Excellent! Now HK will have the time to produce and import the HK 433 for US civilian sale (I dream, I know....)

But if they built it here I bet would sell bigly!

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Excellent! Now HK will have the time to produce and import the HK 433 for US civilian sale (I dream, I know....)

But if they built it here I bet would sell bigly!

Amen to that. Let's go HK

Yeah. The world really needs another $2,000+ poodle shooter.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Comes full circle. Haenel has a long history of making guns for the German military, starting with the G88 in 1890, then the G98 and K98 of WW1 fame, then the MP28, MP38/MP40, and StG44 of WW2 fame.

C.G. Haenel does not have much in common with the historic C.G.Haenel but the name and the location. Todays company is like Merkel, a spin off of the former Ernst Thälmann Werke.

Ah.

We get the same thing over here sometimes too, like with Springfield Armory or Inland Manufacturing, neither of which have actual ties to their original namesakes.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Ah.

We get the same thing over here sometimes too, like with Springfield Armory or Inland Manufacturing, neither of which have actual ties to their original namesakes.

Ernst Thälmann Werke was a consolidation of C.G. Haenler, Merkel, Simpson (Gustloff Werke) and others and was formed as a people owned gun manufacturing conglomerate of the GDR. Ernst Thälmann Werke is best known for it´s Simpson export rifles, the licensed Makarov PM, Haenel BB Rifles and barrels they produced for the East German AKM production. Hugo Schmeisser though, the technical master mind and co-owner of C.G.Haenel, has not been involved in this consolidation. He was assigned to Ishevsk to support Soviet small arms development. How the new C.G Haenel was formed and how much know how from the Ernst Thälmann Werke remained is not known but considering based on the technological know how in gun manufacturing of the region in and around Suhl and the former GDR one can assume very deep knowledge of the trade. There is some historic between C.G Heanel now and then, but non to the historic persons who were involved with the MP28 I/II, MP40, MP41 or MP43/StG44.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
The AR15 is the Brown Bess of the modern world.

When we go to Mars mark my words there will be an AR an AK and a 12 gauge there with us.

Nah... SCARs on Mars.

... And now Haenel has lost the contract, due to patent infringement.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com...er-for-haenel-mk556/

quote:

The German government has withdrawn their order for 120,000 Haenel MK556 rifles. Last month C.G. Haenel were awarded a major contract to replace the Bundeswehr’s G36 service rifle. The Haenel MK556 was selected over the Heckler & Koch HK416 and HK433. Heckler & Koch subsequently filed an appeal of the decision and today it seems the contract has been withdrawn following investigation.
...
The Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency has quoted the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) as saying they “first became aware of a possible patent infringement by the company CG Haenel GmbH in a verifiable manner [therefore] award of the contract to the company CG Haenel” is cancelled.

quote:

Yesterday, BusinessInsider.de also reported that BAAINBw lawyers had found that there was a secret, and apparently unlawful, written agreement between the legal department of the BAAINBw and Haenel after the final round of bids had officially be submitted by the companies. How this relates the reported patent infringement issue is unclear. What is clear, however, is that Germany’s program to select a new service rifle has once again stalled and is mired in controversy.

Wonder what was in that agreement when the lawyers of that BAAINBw agency didn't even know what their legal department--which I would've thought would've been one in the same--were up to.

...and I might have thought the USA was the only nation with small arms procurement drama !

realistically the HK416 (and variants) is such a proven design ... why not just go with that ??

------------------------------------------

Update to this whole clusterf*ck:

German Federal Ministry of Defence Disqualifies Haenel MK 556 From Assault Rifle Competition

quote:

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, BMVg) announced in a press release on 2 March that C G Haenel has been disqualified from the competition to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle after an external law firm found alleged patent infringements. This was followed by a patent law assessment by an external patent law firm. The ministry said that Haenel had been given the opportunity to respond to allegations of patent infringements and that the company’s comments were taken into account. It is now intended to award the contract to Heckler & Koch.

What did HK patent? How to over charge for an M16?

^^^ "([F]or the magazine and water drainage holes)", apparently.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...ifle-tender-debacle/

Well, HK does make a VERY Nice 'Maritime' Magazine for the 416/556...

quote:

Originally posted by Il Cattivo:
^^^ "([F]or the magazine and water drainage holes)", apparently.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/...ifle-tender-debacle/

That’s weak as hell. This has a political stink all over it.