Ian over at Forgotten Weapons comes back to us again from H&K.
Yes, they still hate Ze Poors. Confirmed. But they still make, and have made, really cool guns.
The SMG (incredibly original) and SMG II were the stepping stone between the MP5 of the 60’s and the more modernized UMP of the 90’s. And it was all kicked off by the US Navy who, in classic United States Department of Defense fashion… didn’t buy any.
I can hear it crying next to the XM8 while the HK416 and M27/38 look on smuggly.
But the later half of the 20th Century firearm development, especially submachine guns and rifles, is always fascinating. It’s interesting that straight blowback was forever after the go to for new 9mm subguns from H&K and yet the roller delays continue to be the user favorites from smooth function and recoil control. I can tell you my EVO3 delivers far more energy to the shoulder than my Zenith, but both are very good at their roles.
It makes me wonder if H&K found the technology, while effective and end user friendly, to expensive to produce? But then looking at the prices on UMPs and other weapons… can’t be that bad.
