G3

A roller-delayed blowback battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, adopted by West Germany's Bundeswehr and license-produced in over a dozen countries. Its rugged, low-maintenance design made it one of the most widely exported Cold War-era rifles.

In service since 1959 · 60 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

500

m range

600

rpm

800

m/s

rds

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

German export-licensed

BAFA licensing with strict end-use review; approvals can be politically constrained.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Widely fielded · 60 operators

In service since 1959. Status: legacy · ~8,000,000 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

7.62 NATO

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Effective range Distance at which the weapon reliably hits point targets. Higher extends engagement envelope.: 500 m

Stronger than 52% of rifles
Rate of fire Rounds per minute (cyclic). Higher increases suppression and hit probability.: 600 rpm

Stronger than 12% of rifles
Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration.: 800 m/s

Stronger than 24% of rifles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.: 7.62×51 mm NATO
Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better — ammunition commonality matters.: 7.6 mm
Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity.: 20

Stronger than 18% of rifles

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.: 1.03 m
Empty weight Weight without fuel, ammunition or crew.: 4 kg
Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.: 1
Barrel length Barrel length — longer improves muzzle velocity and accuracy, shorter improves handling.: 450 mm

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.: 8,000,000

Stronger than 87% of rifles
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.: 60

Stronger than 89% of rifles

Specifications compiled from public Heckler & Koch and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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