Heckler & Koch Introduces Russian 7.62x39mm Calibres

Heckler & Koch Introduces Russian Calibres According to the German Daily Welt, German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch plans to introduce the Soviet-design 7.62x39mm round. Heckler & Koch is considering developing new versions of its firearms in Soviet-designed calibres, such as the AK-47 rifle's 7.62x39mm round. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has been a major motivator, with the country's armed forces continuing to make extensive use of Cold War-era guns and derivatives thereof. A German daily, Welt, published a report on Heckler & Koch's (H&K) future product plans as part of the company's overall quest to grow sales. "H&K is planning to expand its product range to include assault rifles and machine guns for Kalashnikov ammunition and other calibres from the former Warsaw Pact." Welt did not specify the cartridges that H&K is considering rechambering some of its existing firearms to fire. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed the most common rifle and machine gun rounds, the 7.62x39mm and 5.56x39mm. Welt did mention that H&K revealed the HK132E, a 7.62x39mm version of its HK433 assault rifle, the baseline version of which fires the NATO-standard 5.56x45mm bullet, in December. The HK132E appears nearly identical to its parent pistol, except for barrel calibre, magazine well, and magazine. The 7.62x39mm cartridge, with its tapered casing, requires magazines with more prominent curvatures to feed successfully than those for 5.56x45mm ammo. Other H&K rifles could also be rechambered or otherwise modified to shoot 7.62x39mm. This might include variations on the company's popular 5.56x45mm HK416 or 7.62x51mm HK417 rifle designs and MG4 and MG5 belt-fed machine guns chambered in those calibres.