Heckler & Koch HK43

Heckler & Koch HK43
HK43A2
Type	Semi-automatic rifle
Place of origin	West Germany
Production history
Manufacturer	Heckler & Koch
Produced	March 1974 - 1989
Variants	KA1, A2 and A3
Specifications
Mass	8.4 pounds (3.8 kg) (empty magazine)
Length	36.2 inches (920 mm)
Barrel length	16.975 inches (431.165 mm)
Cartridge	5.56×45mm NATO, .223 Remington
Action	Roller-delayed blowback
Rate of fire	Semi-automatic
Feed system	5, 20, 25, 30 or 40-round double column, detachable box magazine
Sights	Protected post front, rotating diopter rear sight

The Heckler and Koch HK43 is a semi-automatic rifle based upon the Heckler & Koch HK33 rifle and is the predecessor of the Heckler & Koch HK93 semi-automatic rifle.

Overview[]

In the mid to late 1960s, Heckler & Koch developed the HK33, which was a scaled-down version of the Heckler & Koch G3, but chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO. The HK33 entered production in 1968. In 1974, a semi-automatic version of the HK33 was introduced by H&K and was designated the HK43. According to H&K’s numbering nomenclature, the “4” indicates that the weapon is a paramilitary rifle, and the “3” indicates that the caliber is 5.56 mm.

HK43 can sell for anywhere between $5,500 and $9,000 depending on the condition and the economy at the time.

A HK43 version KA1 with a shorter 322 mm barrel was used in 1977 by the German RAF terrorist group to assassinate general attorney Siegfried Buback and two policemen.^[1][2] Verena Becker, a former RAF member, claimed Stefan Wisniewski was the killer.^[2]

References[]

External links[]

• Buddy Hinton Collection / HK
• Semi-automatic rifles banned from importation in 1989
• HK 93 Instruction Manual