Bundeswehr Rifle Trial to Replace G36 Stalls

The Bundeswehr’s programme to replace the Heckler & Koch G36 by 2020 has stalled. German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag reports that none of the weapons submitted have fulfilled the Bundeswehr’s “individual mandatory requirements.” Die Welt have seen a copy of a confidential report from the German Defense Ministry’s procurement office, the BAAINBw, outlining the failure.

The controversy surrounding the G36 began back in 2012, after concerns over accuracy after sustained full auto fire in Afghanistan were raised. It was not until 2014-15 that the Bundeswehr launched an official investigation. It was found that the rifle could not maintain accuracy after prolonged firing, especially in hot climates, and heating of the trunnion caused the melting of the polymer receiver it sits in.

As a result in the summer of 2015, the German Army made an urgent operational requirement purchase of 600 HK417s to supplement the G36s on the front line, to both extend a platoons effective range and mitigate issues with the G36.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2018/10/15/bundeswehr-rifle-trials-stall/