Editing Heckler & Koch (section)

==History==
[[File:GERMAN RIFLE G3 7.62MM-1.jpg|thumb|An early-production [[Heckler & Koch G3|G3]] rifle, Heckler & Koch's first firearm, photographed by the [[United States Army]]'s [[United States Army Ordnance Corps|Ordnance Corps]] in January 1961]]

With the fall of [[Nazi Germany]] and the following [[Allied occupation of Germany]], [[Oberndorf am Neckar|Oberndorf]] came under [[French occupation zone in Germany|French control]], and the entire [[Mauser|Waffenfabrik Mauser AG]] factory was dismantled by French occupying forces. All factory records were destroyed on orders of the local [[French Army]] commander. In 1948, three former Mauser engineers, [[Edmund Heckler]], [[Theodor Koch]], and [[Alex Seidel]], saved what they could from the factory and used what they had salvaged to start a machine tool plant in the vacant factory that became known as the Engineering Office Heckler & Co.<ref name="Lee2011">{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Jerry|title=Standard Catalog of Rifles & Shotguns|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QLlG3aX7enAC&pg=PT1143|year=2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-3014-1|page=1143}}</ref><ref name="Lee2013">{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Jerry|title=The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices 2013|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zyYXCAyeBZwC&pg=PA490|year=2013|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-3543-6|page=490}}</ref>

On 28 December 1949, the Engineering Office Heckler & Co. changed its name and was registered officially as Heckler & Koch GmbH. Initially the new company manufactured machine tools, [[bicycle]] and [[sewing machine]] parts, gauges, and other precision parts.<ref>{{cite book|title=Firearms: An Illustrated History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ma0MAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA256|year=2014|publisher=DK Publishing/ Smithsonian Institution|isbn=978-1-4654-3089-2|page=256}}</ref> In 1956, Heckler & Koch responded to the [[West German]] government's tender for a new infantry rifle for the {{lang|de|Bundeswehr}} with the proposal of the [[Heckler & Koch G3|G3]] [[battle rifle]], based on the Spanish [[CETME rifle|CETME Model 58]] rifle and developed in cooperation with [[CETME]].<ref name="Lee2011" /><ref name="Lee2013" /> The German government awarded Heckler & Koch the tender and in 1959 declared the G3 the standard rifle of the {{lang|de|Bundeswehr}}.<ref name="Schwing2005">{{cite book|last=Schwing|first=Ned|title=Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xrmt_KlkvcC&pg=PA174|date=5 November 2005|publisher=Krause Publications|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=0-87349-902-6|page=174}}</ref><ref name="HKG3">{{cite book|last=Tilstra|first=Russell C.|title=The Battle Rifle: Development and Use Since World War II|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_a0zAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45|date=21 March 2014|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-1564-6|pages=38–50|chapter=HK G3}}</ref> Later in 1961, Heckler & Koch developed the 7.62×51mm [[Heckler & Koch HK21|HK21]] [[general-purpose machine gun]], based on the G3.<ref name="Cutshaw2011">{{cite book|last=Cutshaw|first=Charles Q.|title=Tactical Small Arms of the 21st Century: A Complete Guide to Small Arms From Around the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=npHP9aV5rBgC&pg=PA368|date=28 February 2011|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-1-4402-2482-9|page=368}}</ref>

In 1966, Heckler & Koch introduced the HK54 [[machine pistol]], which eventually launched in 1969 as the [[Heckler & Koch MP5|MP5]] [[submachine gun]].<ref name="MusgraveOliver1971">{{cite book|last1=Musgrave|first1=Daniel D.|last2=Oliver|first2=Smith Hempstone|title=German Machineguns|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f_9CAAAAIAAJ|year=1971|publisher=MOR Associates|page=345}}</ref> Two years later, the company introduced the [[Heckler & Koch HK33|HK33]] [[assault rifle]], a smaller version of the G3 chambered in [[5.56×45mm NATO]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Gander|first= Terry J.|editor= Hogg, Ian V. |title=Jane's Infantry Weapons 1995/1996|publisher=Jane's Information Group|edition= 21 |year=1995}}</ref><ref name="Willbanks2004">{{cite book|last=Willbanks|first=James H.|title=Machine Guns: An Illustrated History of Their Impact|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VWkYoAkoMHIC&pg=PA138|date=1 January 2004|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-480-6|page=138}}</ref>

===Diversification===
In 1974, Heckler & Koch diversified into two more areas, HK Defense and Law Enforcement Technology and HK Hunting and Sports Firearms. Since then, HK has designed and manufactured more than 100 different types of firearms and devices for the world's military and law enforcement organizations as well as sports shooters and hunters.<ref name="Shideler2009">{{cite book|last=Shideler|first=Dan|title=The Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values: The Shooter's Guide to Guns 1900–Present|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MWFXRDeFrpsC&pg=PA326|year=2009|publisher=Gun Digest Books|location=Iola, Wisconsin|isbn=978-0-89689-824-0|pages=322–326}}</ref> In 1990, Heckler & Koch completed two decades of development of their caseless weapon system and produced prototypes of the [[Heckler & Koch G11|G11]] rifle. The company also produced prototypes of the [[Heckler & Koch G41|G41]] assault rifle intended for the {{lang|de|Bundeswehr}}. Due to the international political climate at the time (East and West Germany uniting and defense budget cuts) the company was unable to secure funded contracts from the German government to support production of either weapon system and became financially vulnerable. The following year, Heckler & Koch was sold to [[British Aerospace]]'s [[Royal Ordnance]] division.<ref name="homepage" />

During 1994 and 1995, the German government awarded Heckler & Koch contracts for producing an updated standard assault rifle and updated standard sidearm for the {{lang|de|Bundeswehr}}. Heckler & Koch developed and produced the Project HK50, a lightweight carbon fiber [[assault rifle]], which became the [[Heckler & Koch G36|G36]] assault rifle. In addition, Heckler & Koch produced the P8 pistol, derived from its [[Heckler & Koch USP|USP]] handguns produced since 1989. The USP was adopted as the standard sidearm of the {{lang|de|Bundeswehr}} in 1994, and the G36 was adopted as their standard-issue rifle in 1995.<ref name="hk_p8">{{cite web | last = Heckler & Koch Global | title = Pistole P8 | url = http://www.heckler-koch.de/HKWebText/detailProd/1925/121/4/21 | access-date = 2008-07-28 | archive-date = 2008-09-01 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080901200846/http://www.heckler-koch.de/HKWebText/detailProd/1925/121/4/21 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

As the result of a 1999 merger between British Aerospace and [[Marconi Electronic Systems]], Heckler & Koch was owned by the resulting [[BAE Systems]]; it was contracted to refurbish the [[British Army]]'s [[SA80]] rifles (which had been manufactured by Royal Ordnance)<ref name=SA80>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/support-weapons/1458.aspx |title=British Army Website information page on the SA80 A2 rifle |access-date=2008-08-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828040318/http://www.army.mod.uk/equipment/support-weapons/1458.aspx |archive-date=28 August 2008 }}</ref> This contract entailed a modification program to the SA80 series of rifles to address a number of reliability issues with the design. In 2002, BAE Systems restructured and sold Heckler & Koch to a group of private investors, who created the German group holding company HK Beteiligungs GmbH.

In 2003, HK Beteiligungs GmbH's business organization restructured as Heckler & Koch Jagd und Sportwaffen GmbH (HKJS), and its business was separated into the two business areas similar to the 1974 business mission areas: Defense, and Law Enforcement and Sporting Firearms. In 2004, Heckler & Koch was awarded a major handgun contract for the [[United States Department of Homeland Security]], worth a potential $26.2 million for up to 65,000 handguns.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_11_49/ai_n7579143|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707233942/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3197/is_11_49/ai_n7579143|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-07|title=Industry arms Homeland Security|access-date=2008-08-30 | work=Shooting Industry | year=2004}}</ref> This contract ranks as the single largest handgun procurement contract in U.S. law enforcement history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hksystems.com.au/news.htm |title=HK Australia website |access-date=2008-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719173707/http://www.hksystems.com.au/news.htm |archive-date=19 July 2008 }}</ref>

[[File:Heckler & Koch Oberndorf 01.jpg|thumb|left|Heckler & Koch facility in [[Oberndorf am Neckar]], 2008]]
HK was contracted by the [[United States Army]] to produce the [[kinetic energy]] subsystem<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegunsource.com/Heckler-Koch.aspx |title=The Gun Source - HK |access-date=2008-08-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522150520/http://www.thegunsource.com/Heckler-Koch.aspx |archive-date=22 May 2008 }}</ref> (see: [[kinetic projectile]]s or [[kinetic energy penetrator]]) of the [[XM29 OICW|Objective Individual Combat Weapon]], a planned replacement for the [[M16 rifle]]/[[M203 grenade launcher]] combination. The OICW was designed to fire 5.56&nbsp;mm rounds and 25&nbsp;mm grenades. The kinetic energy component was also developed separately as the [[Heckler & Koch XM8|XM8]], though both the OICW and XM8 are now indefinitely suspended.

Heckler & Koch developed an [[AR-15]]/[[M4 carbine|M4]] carbine variant, marketed as the [[Heckler & Koch HK416|HK416]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://world.guns.ru/assault/as75-e.htm|title=Modern Firearms|access-date=2008-08-30|archive-date=2006-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619190113/http://world.guns.ru/assault/as75-e.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> HK replaced the [[direct impingement]] system used by the [[Eugene Stoner|Stoner]] design on the original M16 with a [[Gas-operated#Short-stroke fixed|short-stroke piston]] operating system. The civilian models are named the MR223 and, in the U.S., the MR556A1.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heckler-koch.com/en/products/sport/rifles/mr223-a3/mr223-a3-165/overview.html|title = Heckler & Koch :: Product Overview &#124; MR223A3 - 16.5"}}</ref>

In 2007, [[United States Secretary of the Army]] [[Pete Geren]] agreed to hold a "dust chamber" test pitting the M4 against the [[Heckler & Koch HK416]] and [[Heckler & Koch XM8|XM8]], as well as the rival [[FN SCAR]] design. The Heckler & Koch XM8 and FN SCAR had the fewest failures in the test, closely followed by the HK416, while the M4 had by far the most.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003908.html |title=Defence Technology Website |access-date=2008-08-30 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828125442/http://www.defensetech.org/archives/003908.html |archive-date=2008-08-28 }}</ref> In 2007, the [[Norwegian Army]] became the first to field the HK416 as a standard-issue rifle.<ref name="Norway">{{cite journal|last=Bentzrød |first=Sveinung Berg |date=April 13, 2007 |title=Arvtageren til AG-3 |journal=Aftenposten.no |url=http://www.Aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1733557.ece |access-date=2007-06-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212064123/http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article1733557.ece |archive-date=February 12, 2009 }}</ref> 

HK sells its pistols in the United States to both law enforcement and civilian markets, through its HK USA subsidiary. The company has locations in [[Virginia]], [[New Hampshire]], and [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]].