From: SADW, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I range-tested the G11 myself in Germany when it was still fairly hush-hush
- ammunition cost H&K $12 a pop and I wasn't even allowed to keep the
targets. I aIso saw it demonstrated many more times.
Something like 300+ trials weapons were made, for field testing by German
alpine troops, but they have since been destroyed.
By the time it was ready for issue (about 58,000 were initially to be
bought) it was pretty well refined, though there were major quirks.
The breech mechanism was not to be soldier-stripped (you were to clean from
the muzzle) and the gymnastics to change magazines were interesting (a
quiver would have been the best solution!).
However, the obturation problem had been solved by means of a booster
charge that fired the bullet into the lede before the main charge ignited,
and the rear was sealed by a separate chamber element that momentarily blew
back to bung up that end.
Cookoff remained a potential problem, particularly if the weapon was to be
fired all the time in 2200rpm three-shot burst mode (giving 15 trigger
pulls per magazine), though eventually cook-off rates were down to around
G3 levels - the powder was changed mid-project from nitrocellulose to High
Ignition Temperature Propellant (HITP), essentially a phlegmatised high
explosive.
Occasionally, in three-shot burst, there would be a build-up of gas in the
system and this would produce a rather interesting flame-out at the muzzle,
though if you slow-mo any tape of a G3 full-auto firing session you will
probably see a not dissimilar effect at some point, albeit much milder.
The project was killed off solely by the cost of German reunification,
though had it gone into service there would have been some logistic
problems supporting it within NATO. But Norway & Denmark were keen to adopt
the G11 if the Bundeswehr had taken it.
As to priming (I spotted an earlier query on this) - ignition was by
friction - the pin was dug into the priming compund at the rear of the
'cartridge' in a rotary motion - in fact everything on the G11 operated by
rotation - the basic principle of the thing was the Geneva movement seen on
steam train wheels.
Its primary novelty (apart from the lack of a cartridge case) was the
ability to fire three rounds in one rearward movement of the mechanism -
hence the high cyclic rate and minimal dispersion within the burst. Normal
full-auto fire, by the way, was at 450rpm. However, as an ACR candidate it
was unable to beat the M16A2.
G11s are now rarer than a wet day in the Sahara - even the Pattern Room
doesn't have one.
As far as I'm aware the Voere caseless rifle is now stone dead.
Nick Steadman
This message is from Nick Steadman Features
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--
What's the name of that big gun rental outfit in California?
Stenbridge or something? They have one of the US trial guns,
you can see it in "Demolition Man". I think H&K sold off
the US trial guns as I saw some ads for them in SGN at the
end of the trials.
Steve.
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