Heckler & Koch HK AG36

History

The breech-loading 40mm single-shot Heckler & Koch HK AG36 ("Anbaugranatwerfer 36") was developed as a possible grenade launcher solution for the next possible US assault rifle. It was further developed and eventually adopted by the Bundeswehr to complement the HK G36 series of assault rifles introduced in 1996. A few decades ago, class grenade firing was largely limited to specialized "grenadier" units, which were forced to carry secondary or secondary weapons as a backup to their primary weapons.

During the latter half of the Cold War, several developments became known, in which grenade launchers could now be fitted to existing offensive weapons with minor modifications - the 40mm M203 series in the US being the prime example. The M203 was actually designed to replace the disposable M79 hand-held grenade launcher used during the Vietnam War.

The AG36 was designed for the same role, although unlike its main American rival, the AG36 has a fixed pistol grip and separate iron sights, allowing the weapon to be used without an assault rifle if necessary.

The design of the AG36 is quite traditional for its character. The weapon is loaded with a 40x46mm grenade and features a folding trapezoidal sight offset to the left for accurate long-range fire on "soft" targets. The firing action consists of inserting a live 40mm grenade into the breech (barrel assembly tilted to the left to open), closing the breech and operating the integrated trigger unit.

Loading is manual and limited to a single shot. The muzzle velocity is about 250 feet per second, and the total weight is 1.5 kg (3.3 lb). The AG36 can accept an optional shoulder rest, which aids the operation of the unit in addition to the traditional assault rifle mount. In addition, optical accessories such as laser sights can be mounted on the launcher, further expanding its tactical value on the battlefield.

The unit's construction conformed to the general Hong Kong practice of the time - lightweight polymer and reliable aluminium - allowing for a lighter overall load, especially when combined with an already heavy assault rifle system. The AG36 has a universal safety pattern near the control thumb area and can be deployed in seconds. The weapon can fire high-explosive (HE) grenades, training grenades, and crowd control measures such as tear gas and white phosphorus. This gives standard infantry (or riot police) the tactical flexibility to use the right type of projectile to deal with the situation.

Combined with the Assault Rifle, Infantry can now use a variety of options to attack targets.

The AG36 is designed as a universal 40mm grenade launcher solution and is not limited to mounting on German G36 assault rifles. As such, the AG36 can be mounted on several current large assault rifle weapons, including the British L85 series, the American M16 and similar weapons. Since then, the grenade launcher has evolved into several notable variants, surpassing its original German military form. These include the British Army's L17A1 AG-C/EGLM ("Enhanced Grenade Launching Module"). It was also commissioned by the US Army as the M320 to replace the aging M203 series.

The AG-NL is a version developed for the Canadian Diemaco C7/C8 assault rifle/carbine system, which is itself based on the American M16/M4 rifle/carbine. The British Army designates their AG36 as the L123A2 when paired with their L85A2 bullpup assault rifle.

Specification

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VARIANTS