Heckler & Koch HK32A1

History

The Heckler & Koch HK32KA1 carbine was designed for the military market centered around firing the Soviet 7.62x39mm M1943 "short" cartridge - specifically any Soviet-backed or satellite state at the time. This cartridge is the same cartridge that is heavily used in the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle, so deploying the HK system with the same type of ammo appears to be economically feasible.

The short-barreled version was designed to be a melee weapon with a retractable stock, and the carbine was designed to take a 20-, 30- or 40-round detachable magazine.

The HK32KA1 was designed in the early 1960s to make a splash in these markets and hopefully make a profit. In fact, the HK32KA1 is limited to demonstration production models when market demand is not feasible. As a result, the HK32 series 7.62x39mm automatic rifles were withdrawn from the HK line.

Specification

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Changes