Thanks for watching guys, check out our accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2024/09/29/rare-sightings-of-heckler-koch-g36-hk433s-in-ukraine/
433 really interesting to see out in the field. About a year ago we were looking for a new rifle for our patrol car and HK pitched the 433 and G36 to us. Department picked G36 cos they were cheaper but everyone universally thought 433 was a better rifle
The HK443 does not really offer any upsides over the G36KA4, besides the fact that it comes in a 9" barrel carbine version. That however is only a necessity for tactical units in CQB. Why did you think, that it was a better rifle? The shooting profiles and specs are really similar. I always liked the G36K. Really easy to use and maintenance.
@@NeostormXLMAX Because most of weapons given to Ukraine are old And there isn't any county formally adopted hk433 So hk433 isn't produced in significant numbers to be given ...this my opinion tbh I could be wrong
I have served 2 years with the HK G36 and was always happy with it. Modern, light, foldable shoulder support, visible ammo status. And it point the nail if you treat it right.
I was kinda surprised how long it took to see G36s considering latvia(?) Sent their anti drone devices that used G36 or G36 like furniture a long time ago.
Man.... I wonder how well Ukrainian Supply Officers doing? There are soooooo many different types of weapons being used that it must be absolute hell for the Supply Corp.
if you designate the rifle by "rifle, 556" and "rifle, 545" it gets easier. Also, in any modern supply chain, its not unusual to manage couple of thousands of different items, all with multiple batches, best before dates etc. This kind of stuff was harder when you had to track everything with pen and paper. But in any case, not ideal when you try to keep logistics simple.
@@KBKriechbaum You have five major ones 5.45 Soviet, 5.56 NATO, 7.62-Soviet, 7.62-NATO/308 and of course, 7.62-Russian, but as the older Soviet-/Russian equipment cannot easily be replaced there will more of the NATO-standard stuff. The trouble is, there are too many types. The FNC 80 might be the favourite 5.56 example, but realistically any future re-equipment will be around an AR-platform. Interestingly, the PKM is the GPMG of choice and the Polish 7.62-NATO variant UKM is likely to serve as the baseline for a future replacement of 7.62-Russian ones.
@@JinKee in a war like that, yes. For the largest part of the army personnel, the type of rifle they carry is irrelevant. For vehicles it gets more complicated of course.
G36KA4 is what I was issued in Lithuanian armed forces, Ours had standard G36 Stock, B&T quad rail and what looked to be B&T top rail as well. G36KA4 M1 is what Lithuanian armed forces would refer the setup in the video. H&K key mod rails and IDZ adjustable stock. Keep them videos coming lads.
It really surprises me that since day 1 of the european assistance there were not as many g36 shipped as possible. After all, they were supposed to be easy to produce and use by the troops.
Because to produce G36s you need to issue a contract. You can't just hand a IOU to HK and say we're in a war footing so get 100,000 units out the door.
@@ChucksSEADnDEADGermany is switching to the HK416, they should have a shit ton of g36s lying around. If not, they could just order a shit ton more of the 416 and unload old g36s to ukraine. I don't think they fully transitioned yet to the 416.
@@JD96893So far only the special forces of Germany have adapted the M416. Which can be counted on one hand. As of now the German Military is still in the process of testing the Rifle to do minor improvements specifically for the german military. Adaption will start in late 2025. To be fair I thought the same about the situation but then quickly found out that these rifles cant just be ordered but have to go through a lot of testing process to avoid adapting an inadequate rifle.
@@FacitOmniaVoluntas. It wasn't set up for production on that scale, which is why it's only being introduced from next year on. For the german armed forces the 433 would have made more sense in regards to logistics, training, etc. Well, most sense would have been to just upgrade all the G36's to KA4 standard, but hey... politics.
@@patta8388 It being introduced from next year on is mainly because it took so long to make a decision and get the contracts ready, military trials, etc. etc. The 416 is already the service rifle for a number of militaries and branches (French military, US marines, Belgian military etc. etc.) Changing the production from say an HK 416A4 to a 416A8 is much easier than scaling up production for the 433. I agree with what you said about the G36, but unfortunately politicians don’t understand firearms and the smear campaign against the G36 worked well. It has passed countless tests and has beaten the allegations again and again and yet millions of people are still convinced that it’s an unreliable and inaccurate rifle.
@@FacitOmniaVoluntas. Yeah, I had to laugh when that "scandal" went through the media. I went to Afghanistan with two different versions of it and neither me nor any of my comrades had any problems like it was described. Whenever the topic comes up when the guys and me sit around these days we're saying it was probably "Rambö" running the tests.
The issue with the translucent original mags is that the hinges to connect several magazines are a hindrance when drawing the mags out of ammo pouches. That’s is why many German soldiers in mission cut the hinges/filed them down. That is why some prefer their party manufacturer mags over the original ones.
yeah but here are also G36 p Mags,that are just thicker P mags from the optic like on a AR15 platform. Work great. But yeah those latches to connect them are fucking cancer,even when they are sometimes handy when you go into buildings...but still would rather hold it reads in the pouch half drawn then
The G36 variants could be from anywhere. Some Swedish specialist units replaced their G36s recently enough with an AR derivative, so limited quantities might have been available upon Sweden announcing they were joining NATO. But they bear a striking resemblance in layout to Lithuanian guns, the G36KA4M1 😉
Interesting seeing 433 in combat use. About to transfer to 433 (11 inch) going from a mix of Mp5 and AR platform for police use. 433 is very similar but a proper update of G36 with many ergonomic improvements. 416 considered. Would expect to see more in policing when G36 life spans start to expire. Many going to AR platforms, but 433 seems natural successor for current G36 users.
@@patta8388Do you have any source for that statement or do you just assuming things. I live in Germany and haven't heard anything about the HK433 beeing not picked due to price.
@@dungu8180 it's the better weapon of both, less retraining necessary, more adaptable. But...also pricey due to it being relatively new. My sources are half a dozen online forums and little bits of information here and there over the years.
@@patta8388 There are no public statement from the German MoD in regard of this matter. I was hoping for the HK433 too tbh. Just charging handle alone is enough of an argument for me to pick it (can't stand the AR style T charging handle). When it comes to "Why 416 and not 433 ?" like i said above, too much speculation circuling around without any public statement. Priice might be an issue but if we look at other factors: Norway and France have it as their main weapon, the Brits are also transit to AR style and so are other Nato countries like Estonia. It seems the decision made by the Bundeswehr is more about logistics rather than price. Same spare parts and weapon's handling like the other countries. Well, at least KSK got the HK437 version.
@dungu8180 I still have contacts within the army and price is the #1 reason that's being shared at the watercooler. Apparently the choice for the optics was made before the rifle itself and thus the "budget" set for the rifle/optics package was already strained, as the spectre is pretty expensive, especially as the Bundeswehr wanted their own version (with G36 style cross hair), so... Politics played a role but in the end it was money that made the final decision
i always wondered about the G36, germany has vast numbers but those do not really adopt to stanag accessory. means it needs a conversion first. but germany isn't the only producer or country having them in service. they may origin in security company contracts or law enforcement. the versions seen hint that.
I don’t think that Germany has currently surplus G36, the replacement with new G95 (HK416 A8) starts in 2026. Germany had amongst other weapons donated a bunch of G36 and G3 to the Peshmerga fighters in Iraq to help them against ISIS. Afaik Germany sent 8.000 G36 and 12.000 G3 to the Peshmerga fighters in 2014-2016.
The G36s were designed and build to the German conscript army many decades ago, STANAG accessories weren’t a thing back then. However, with a simple handguard and upper rail swap that would be easily fixable. The mass of German G36 have integrated 3 times scope and a red dot on top (total scope fi for a conscript army back then when every other armies had simple crosshairs and only the Steyr AUG had a 1.5 times scope). These optics aren’t fancy nowerdays, but a three times scope is still better than nothing. Spain had the export version G36E that only had a scope (I think it was 1.5x or 2x) and crosshairs on top instead of the red door. The vast majority of G36 was simply bought for German conscripts and will be used for reservists in the future.
Most likely G36s came from Baltic states, since Latvia uses G36KV series, it only makes sense that Lithuanian shipped them cause they are the ones with G36KA series
The 433’s showing up is significant in my view. Maybe for evaluation purposes for a future official service rifle? 🤔 If I were to select 3 contenders for an official Ukrainian service rifle, it would certainly be the the HK-433, the Grot, or the upcoming Bren 3. They need to shift frontline units toward a modern standard platform at some point, although clearly this war will be fought with seemingly every type of fieldable combat arms.
All these rifles are on the same level and which one will become service rifle will just depend on which producer will give the best price and conditions (almost surely if new service rifle is chosen Ukrainians will want it to be manufactured locally on licence)
@@czwarty7878 definitely anywhere they could pick up domestic arms production is a win. However, I somewhat doubt they’ll be building something on the level of an HK factory in country for a single rifle platform.
@@alessandrotestori5396 at least in this case, we are talking about some of the best possible military arms ever made. If you are a soldier issued a cheap or outdated weapon, you have my sympathy.
@@TheRogueElement they have FORT factory which is their national firearms manufacturer, and if foreign rifle is chosen it will surely be manufactured in this factory, they will just get licence and machines (although probably these days not even specific machines are needed as all modern rifles are made with CNC and stampings, so if they have modern machines they can just reprogram for production of whatever blueprints they will receive, with minimal changes to factory machines) They already were producing Tavor rifles on licence as Fort-221 before war, so they have the experience already
One thing is for sure, the UAF is becoming the prototype of a westernized force that is having to evolve on the fly in unimaginable circumstances. Watching them transform is kind of like watching history play out in real time. They’re now the most battle hardened European military.
Awesome video, thanks! We know that UKR Special Forces were training and likely be equipped with Haenel MK556s, are their any information / footage about that?
Azov is 12th terriorial defense not to be confused with 3rd Separate Assault Brigade...although as a late commander of 3rd SaBr put it "Azov is the shield, 3rd is the axe, both wielded by Denys Prokopenko"
I would prefer as an infantryman the HK416 because the French Army and the German Army are slowly replacing their current service rifles of the FAMAS and G-36 series, the British are doing the same with their L85 series. Based on the AR-15 lower using a short stroke gas piston and AR/M16 bolt upper receiver, the entire weapon can use a variety of sights, lasers, and suppressors makes it a great combat platform with a closed and sealed upper and lower receiver which is suited for rainy and muddy combat. The AK-74 is a fine rifle but its not entirely a closed system and very loose tolerances which is subject to mud, dirt, and ice build up behind the bolt and forward of the hammer which it will not fire. Soviet soldiers in Winter operations have to cycle their bolts frequently without loaded magazines to make sure they cycle and the empty chamber has no ice in it to prevent chambering, then ice in the bore to prevent it from blowing up because the bore is obstructed with ice. AK enthusiasts don't know this from Soviet training in cold weather operations. Even the M16A1/A2 in training environments with blank ammunition and blank adaptors, the chamber and bore must be inspected before firing and cleaned because water in the bore can turn into ice and obstruct the bore and the rifle becomes a hand grenade or dynamite injuring or killing the soldier. Cold weather or Arctic condition fighting can render a rifle or weapon system useless when neglected. The Russians and Ukrainians in a few weeks from now can expect Winter fighting conditions.
@Stelomat they haven't started replacing them yet. The G95 isn't in production for the Bundeswehr yet. I expect the G36s might go to Ukraine if they're wanted.
Question: I have seen enough photos of Scar-L MK16s in ukraine, but how about MK17s? is there any info about them being used in the field? Thank you as always!
The whole "G36-gate" was a screw-up by German military, and to cover up poor performance of soldiers they blamed the rifle. Noone was able to replicate the issue, and barely any testing was even done. HK even won a lawsuit against German government over this.
Do you have any plans to do a vid on SKS use in Ukraine? I think so far I’ve only seen one early on used by a Russian. I assume there aren’t much SKS in use due to the 7.62x39 and maybe they were almost all sold to the US or as aid during a proxy war years ago.
they were used in the militia days around 2014-2016 never seen them after that, maybe they are among some LDNR commies sks rifle is very much obsolete at this point and most AKs used are in 5.45 so 7.62x39 ammo isnt as common as you might think
I haven't really seen any SKS use myself, feel free to email me some sources. Currently planning Mosin-Nagant and PM1910 Maxim videos though. Have been tracking those since day 1.
7.62x39 is a common cartridge, AKMs are still in use on the front by both sides. SKS'es are stuck in stockpiles and aren't used because they're simply inferior to AKM in every way.
@@czwarty7878 I totally agree that an AKM is better than an SKS in almost every way possible, but I’ve seen more Mosin’s in use by Russians/its Puppets then SKS. Which is why I think it’s an ammo issue, because why issue mosins when an SKS is available, the 7.62x54r is of course commonly used while my guess is that 7.62x39 isn’t.
How many SKS are there? God knows. The US likely has not even procured 1% of the total stocks of SKS of Europe. There is way more of these rifles than is reported and the SKS is one of the most ubiquitous rifles on Earth, that much is certain. There was a number floating around that there is approximately 20 million SKS in Europe, but it is also known that SKS stocks are vastly undercounted, because there are so many in storage who would even bother to check. Countries in Eastern Europe were producing them for their own armies but also for neighbors. There may be well over 30-40 million produced in the East of Europe and additional vast quantities of SKS in Asia. The rifle is frankly heavy, outdated, but it offers the lowest cost entry point to automatic fire and so it becomes this battle rifle of choice to the poorest of the warring poor in the likes of Asia and Africa. We know the number of SKS produced is underneath the total amount of AK produced in Eastern Europe, because the SKS production was mostly ceased when that design took over, but as far as knowing how many there are, it's like guessing how many jelly beans are in the jar- which gets more complicated when you note how many manufacturers of the SKS there are.
Ooooh, I like H&K, they're sexy. Thanks man. I love your videos. I saw this pop up as I was going to bed last night and I almost watched, but I would have fallen asleep. I'm glad I made myself wait until I was alert and awake before I watched, cos this was really interesting. It's so interesting to see what soldiers are choosing to use, and how.
It’s mainly a simple handguard switch (one bolt without any tool required). Modern G36 all come with a long picantinny rail and integrated emergency crosshairs on top. So that’s how all G36es look nowerdays.
Will be interesting to see if HK put the 433 forward for Project Grayburn though I strongly suspect the 416 will be Hks entry because the army seems to currently favour the AR 15 silhouette at the moment and its won other NATO contracts recently
To any serving Ukrainian or soldier I’m a civi so I wanted to ask this: I keep hearing on old weapons on the front line and shortages. How much of a battlefield dynamic would it be if a large majority of troops were supplied with top range rifles as supposed to what’s being used now? Shipping a bunch of G36s seems logical to me as we want to help Ukraine so why not supply them with modern weapons? Again civilian question so may be ignorant of other factors.
Ukraine is the ultimate test bed for anyhting military right now and I bet companies are very eager to see, how stuff that has never been tested in an actual warzone, performs. On the other hand, Ukrainian soldiers must feel like guinea pigs. As if fighting for your survival isn't hard enough, people expect you to fill in surveys or answer questions about how you're liking your gun. :D
@@TheArmourersBench It´s simple. "Heckler" - like in "heckler". Then go do google translate, "cook" -> "Koch" in German. And let it say the word. "Ch" is not "ck".
I am not into firearms. Could you explain what the 433 does differently compared to the AR15 platform? Maybe if you have some knowledge which is the main selling point of it, compared to the AR15?
I wish our neigborough don't switch at all and just keep the g36Ka4 or an updated version of the L (infantry). The g36 is a very fine rifle. As Spain, we don't know why all this polemic.
@@Neeverseen its not like you could have gotten your hands on one, the european world is strangely anti gun, even with a war going on, they wont sell these things to americans since the German Gov has got a stranglehold of Small Arms production
Not that I'm an expert, but I wanted to share that the outline of the G36's looks like the civilian version. Maybe they donated different trigger packs alongside with them to make them full auto or they use them in a DMR role. Would be interesting to know.
@@colbunkmustthat were very old SL8 versions. The rules that sports weapons in Germany cannot look like war weapons (“Anscheinsparagraph”) was a long long time ago. Most SL8 were upgraded and are basically indistinguishable from the full auto G36es anymore.
I don’t think that Germany announced HK433. Germany so far in terms of assault/battle rifles officially sent 3.125 Haenel MK 556 (1.875 more on order) and 531 CR 308 (319 more on order).
@GrzegorzBrzeczyszczykiewicz420 well actually ive been pronouncing it differently in every video since 2022 since someone commented and argued over multiple replies that I was saying it wrong when I was using the correct pronunciation you mention. All the fun of UA-cam.
Yes, they use shotguns for drones. They have Mossberg 390 (or 590, something like that). They made semi-auto shotguns in Ukraine but don't know what it's called. Recently they signed a contract for a cheap shitty Turkish semi-auto. It seems a real piece of art in terms of "quality" and "reliability" but it costs something like $300 or $400.
Have any XM7 or SIG MCX Spear rifles been seen in Ukraine so far? I've been wondering how the 6.8x51mm (.277 Fury) ammunition that they fire will perform in combat. 👍🇺🇸/🇺🇦
@TheArmourersBench it's been a while but I could have sworn on Abraxas Spa's twitter there were pictures of some kind of MCX Spear alongside an MCX Spear LT in 7.62x39. But it was months (if not over a year) ago and I suspect may have been a 308 semi auto version.
@TheArmourersBench not sure if I wrote it clearly but that was my assumption too. I recall it looking like it had the longer handguard and barrel of the civvie version.
2:19 Well I did Nazi that coming. Jokes, I know there are plenty of nazi-types on both sides of the Ukrainian conflict lol. A war drawing in extreme ethnonationalists? You don't say! The symbol on the top of the left patch is the "Wolfsangel", in case you've never seen it before.
They're Ukrainian, I've spoken to them. Not everything is a conspiracy lol. They're not forcibly mobilised conscripts either, they're Ukrainian SOF, they're highly motivated volunteers. And of course HK would, the German government has already given Ukraine MG5s.
Thanks for watching guys, check out our accompanying article for this video here -
armourersbench.com/2024/09/29/rare-sightings-of-heckler-koch-g36-hk433s-in-ukraine/
433 really interesting to see out in the field. About a year ago we were looking for a new rifle for our patrol car and HK pitched the 433 and G36 to us. Department picked G36 cos they were cheaper but everyone universally thought 433 was a better rifle
What department is this, may I ask?
Im a police officer in an unspecified European country
that wil be fun once they start making migrants police officers like in the US
@@tylerd55555what the fcuk
The HK443 does not really offer any upsides over the G36KA4, besides the fact that it comes in a 9" barrel carbine version. That however is only a necessity for tactical units in CQB. Why did you think, that it was a better rifle? The shooting profiles and specs are really similar.
I always liked the G36K. Really easy to use and maintenance.
Whoa. Never thought I'd see the 433 in Ukraine.
Quite a surprise
Why? Cuz its newer?
@@NeostormXLMAX
Because most of weapons given to Ukraine are old
And there isn't any county formally adopted hk433
So hk433 isn't produced in significant numbers to be given
...this my opinion tbh I could be wrong
@@NeostormXLMAX It's rare. Very rare.
@@chavezchavo I mean - there isn't a better testing ground for new weapons than a near peer war
I have served 2 years with the HK G36 and was always happy with it. Modern, light, foldable shoulder support, visible ammo status. And it point the nail if you treat it right.
Yes, but the trigger was a big weakness
@@Almirante1741 As if you ever will see war. LOL
I was kinda surprised how long it took to see G36s considering latvia(?) Sent their anti drone devices that used G36 or G36 like furniture a long time ago.
Yeah, been expecting them to turn up for quite a while too!
Man.... I wonder how well Ukrainian Supply Officers doing? There are soooooo many different types of weapons being used that it must be absolute hell for the Supply Corp.
An absolute nightmare for sure. 😵💫
if you designate the rifle by "rifle, 556" and "rifle, 545" it gets easier. Also, in any modern supply chain, its not unusual to manage couple of thousands of different items, all with multiple batches, best before dates etc. This kind of stuff was harder when you had to track everything with pen and paper. But in any case, not ideal when you try to keep logistics simple.
@@KBKriechbaum
You have five major ones 5.45 Soviet, 5.56 NATO, 7.62-Soviet, 7.62-NATO/308 and of course, 7.62-Russian, but as the older Soviet-/Russian equipment cannot easily be replaced there will more of the NATO-standard stuff. The trouble is, there are too many types. The FNC 80 might be the favourite 5.56 example, but realistically any future re-equipment will be around an AR-platform. Interestingly, the PKM is the GPMG of choice and the Polish 7.62-NATO variant UKM is likely to serve as the baseline for a future replacement of 7.62-Russian ones.
@@KBKriechbaumi guess no spare parts, you break something you get another random rifle
@@JinKee in a war like that, yes. For the largest part of the army personnel, the type of rifle they carry is irrelevant. For vehicles it gets more complicated of course.
G36KA4 is what I was issued in Lithuanian armed forces, Ours had standard G36 Stock, B&T quad rail and what looked to be B&T top rail as well. G36KA4 M1 is what Lithuanian armed forces would refer the setup in the video. H&K key mod rails and IDZ adjustable stock. Keep them videos coming lads.
It really surprises me that since day 1 of the european assistance there were not as many g36 shipped as possible. After all, they were supposed to be easy to produce and use by the troops.
i was thinking the same thing, theres so many of them
Ak 74
Because to produce G36s you need to issue a contract. You can't just hand a IOU to HK and say we're in a war footing so get 100,000 units out the door.
@@ChucksSEADnDEADGermany is switching to the HK416, they should have a shit ton of g36s lying around. If not, they could just order a shit ton more of the 416 and unload old g36s to ukraine. I don't think they fully transitioned yet to the 416.
@@JD96893So far only the special forces of Germany have adapted the M416. Which can be counted on one hand.
As of now the German Military is still in the process of testing the Rifle to do minor improvements specifically for the german military. Adaption will start in late 2025.
To be fair I thought the same about the situation but then quickly found out that these rifles cant just be ordered but have to go through a lot of testing process to avoid adapting an inadequate rifle.
433 is a SICK rifle.
I still hate that the decision went for the 416 instead of the 433. The 433 combines all the best of both the G36 and the 416.
@@patta8388 Eh, the 416 is also a great rifle and it’s cheaper and already set up for mass production. At least the SOF units got the 437.
@@FacitOmniaVoluntas. It wasn't set up for production on that scale, which is why it's only being introduced from next year on.
For the german armed forces the 433 would have made more sense in regards to logistics, training, etc.
Well, most sense would have been to just upgrade all the G36's to KA4 standard, but hey... politics.
@@patta8388 It being introduced from next year on is mainly because it took so long to make a decision and get the contracts ready, military trials, etc. etc. The 416 is already the service rifle for a number of militaries and branches (French military, US marines, Belgian military etc. etc.) Changing the production from say an HK 416A4 to a 416A8 is much easier than scaling up production for the 433.
I agree with what you said about the G36, but unfortunately politicians don’t understand firearms and the smear campaign against the G36 worked well. It has passed countless tests and has beaten the allegations again and again and yet millions of people are still convinced that it’s an unreliable and inaccurate rifle.
@@FacitOmniaVoluntas. Yeah, I had to laugh when that "scandal" went through the media. I went to Afghanistan with two different versions of it and neither me nor any of my comrades had any problems like it was described. Whenever the topic comes up when the guys and me sit around these days we're saying it was probably "Rambö" running the tests.
Ahh Hk 433, everyone’s favorite Kilo 141 from MW19.
Much awaited, much appreciated excellent insights as always from you.
The issue with the translucent original mags is that the hinges to connect several magazines are a hindrance when drawing the mags out of ammo pouches. That’s is why many German soldiers in mission cut the hinges/filed them down.
That is why some prefer their party manufacturer mags over the original ones.
yeah but here are also G36 p Mags,that are just thicker P mags from the optic like on a AR15 platform. Work great. But yeah those latches to connect them are fucking cancer,even when they are sometimes handy when you go into buildings...but still would rather hold it reads in the pouch half drawn then
@@bosanaz2010 yeah as I said: many prefer their party mags.
However, it’s also not a big deal to simply club those connectors off.
2 of the 433s have EOTechs - one of them has a Thermal or NVG in front of it (but I’d assume it’s a thermal)…
Yeah looks like clip ones.
Thanks again, Matt.
Thank you!
433 is something I would have never expected in the field.
Dude, you’re always trying to expose pictures of people’s Kochs.
Koch Tracker in chief.
No Koch blocking!
@@thechrisandphaedrusshow Those guys are the worst.
@@TheArmourersBench you keep us firmly on the newest, freshest kochs out there. keep it up!
Koch's out, lads!
Good to see modern stuff used in modern war
They're Heckling my Koch again 😢
The G36 variants could be from anywhere. Some Swedish specialist units replaced their G36s recently enough with an AR derivative, so limited quantities might have been available upon Sweden announcing they were joining NATO.
But they bear a striking resemblance in layout to Lithuanian guns, the G36KA4M1 😉
Agree on the Lithuanian possibility!
LOVE YOUR REPORTS!
Thank you!!
@@TheArmourersBench sure thing guvna
I forgot about the 433. Very cool to see them. Super cool rifle!
Interesting seeing 433 in combat use. About to transfer to 433 (11 inch) going from a mix of Mp5 and AR platform for police use. 433 is very similar but a proper update of G36 with many ergonomic improvements. 416 considered. Would expect to see more in policing when G36 life spans start to expire. Many going to AR platforms, but 433 seems natural successor for current G36 users.
The problem is the high price, which is why the German MoD decided for the 416.
@@patta8388Do you have any source for that statement or do you just assuming things. I live in Germany and haven't heard anything about the HK433 beeing not picked due to price.
@@dungu8180 it's the better weapon of both, less retraining necessary, more adaptable. But...also pricey due to it being relatively new.
My sources are half a dozen online forums and little bits of information here and there over the years.
@@patta8388 There are no public statement from the German MoD in regard of this matter. I was hoping for the HK433 too tbh. Just charging handle alone is enough of an argument for me to pick it (can't stand the AR style T charging handle).
When it comes to "Why 416 and not 433 ?" like i said above, too much speculation circuling around without any public statement. Priice might be an issue but if we look at other factors: Norway and France have it as their main weapon, the Brits are also transit to AR style and so are other Nato countries like Estonia. It seems the decision made by the Bundeswehr is more about logistics rather than price. Same spare parts and weapon's handling like the other countries. Well, at least KSK got the HK437 version.
@dungu8180 I still have contacts within the army and price is the #1 reason that's being shared at the watercooler. Apparently the choice for the optics was made before the rifle itself and thus the "budget" set for the rifle/optics package was already strained, as the spectre is pretty expensive, especially as the Bundeswehr wanted their own version (with G36 style cross hair), so...
Politics played a role but in the end it was money that made the final decision
i always wondered about the G36, germany has vast numbers but those do not really adopt to stanag accessory. means it needs a conversion first. but germany isn't the only producer or country having them in service. they may origin in security company contracts or law enforcement. the versions seen hint that.
I don’t think that Germany has currently surplus G36, the replacement with new G95 (HK416 A8) starts in 2026.
Germany had amongst other weapons donated a bunch of G36 and G3 to the Peshmerga fighters in Iraq to help them against ISIS.
Afaik Germany sent 8.000 G36 and 12.000 G3 to the Peshmerga fighters in 2014-2016.
The G36s were designed and build to the German conscript army many decades ago, STANAG accessories weren’t a thing back then. However, with a simple handguard and upper rail swap that would be easily fixable.
The mass of German G36 have integrated 3 times scope and a red dot on top (total scope fi for a conscript army back then when every other armies had simple crosshairs and only the Steyr AUG had a 1.5 times scope).
These optics aren’t fancy nowerdays, but a three times scope is still better than nothing.
Spain had the export version G36E that only had a scope (I think it was 1.5x or 2x) and crosshairs on top instead of the red door.
The vast majority of G36 was simply bought for German conscripts and will be used for reservists in the future.
I appreciate your work and content. Do you have a video on Ukraine DMR's? God bless
@@Diesel-the-Rottweiler I think he has one on the UAR-15
I literally searched 'g36 in ukraine' this morning.
Ha! Well here we go. Thanks for watching!
Thanks to real world testing there now we have the insanely robust Bren 3! Smart move on HK'S part.
Nice Koch bro
The HK433 platform is so damn sexy.
Most likely G36s came from Baltic states, since Latvia uses G36KV series, it only makes sense that Lithuanian shipped them cause they are the ones with G36KA series
The 433’s showing up is significant in my view. Maybe for evaluation purposes for a future official service rifle? 🤔 If I were to select 3 contenders for an official Ukrainian service rifle, it would certainly be the the HK-433, the Grot, or the upcoming Bren 3. They need to shift frontline units toward a modern standard platform at some point, although clearly this war will be fought with seemingly every type of fieldable combat arms.
All these rifles are on the same level and which one will become service rifle will just depend on which producer will give the best price and conditions (almost surely if new service rifle is chosen Ukrainians will want it to be manufactured locally on licence)
@@czwarty7878 definitely anywhere they could pick up domestic arms production is a win. However, I somewhat doubt they’ll be building something on the level of an HK factory in country for a single rifle platform.
@@alessandrotestori5396 at least in this case, we are talking about some of the best possible military arms ever made. If you are a soldier issued a cheap or outdated weapon, you have my sympathy.
@@TheRogueElement they have FORT factory which is their national firearms manufacturer, and if foreign rifle is chosen it will surely be manufactured in this factory, they will just get licence and machines (although probably these days not even specific machines are needed as all modern rifles are made with CNC and stampings, so if they have modern machines they can just reprogram for production of whatever blueprints they will receive, with minimal changes to factory machines)
They already were producing Tavor rifles on licence as Fort-221 before war, so they have the experience already
One thing is for sure, the UAF is becoming the prototype of a westernized force that is having to evolve on the fly in unimaginable circumstances. Watching them transform is kind of like watching history play out in real time. They’re now the most battle hardened European military.
Thanks mate!
2:00 That's a Aseutra dual QM2. Not the BL, that uses borelock mounting system.
Ooh thank you, will double check that.
Awesome video, thanks! We know that UKR Special Forces were training and likely be equipped with Haenel MK556s, are their any information / footage about that?
My impression of the g36 is that the plastic receiver is huge and longer than the m4
Mags too
Can’t wait to see a video about the MATADOR.
Definitely do need to do one!
CAN YOU MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT SIG MCX RIFLE IN UKRAINE?
Sure, have been tracking SIGs. Thanks for watching
got any info on those french 40mm launchers that you mentioned couple months ago
They haven't arrived. The rifles ordered haven't been manufactured and shipped yet sadly. I've reached out to the company but no news as yet.
@@TheArmourersBench oh ok, thanks for answering
@lefunnyN1 always try to. Thanks for watching!
Azov is 12th terriorial defense not to be confused with 3rd Separate Assault Brigade...although as a late commander of 3rd SaBr put it "Azov is the shield, 3rd is the axe, both wielded by Denys Prokopenko"
Cold
@@tenarmurk Prokopenko recently spoke at a military expo. "I am not a military expert. I am a battlefield combat manager"
I would prefer as an infantryman the HK416 because the French Army and the German Army are slowly replacing their current service rifles of the FAMAS and G-36 series, the British are doing the same with their L85 series. Based on the AR-15 lower using a short stroke gas piston and AR/M16 bolt upper receiver, the entire weapon can use a variety of sights, lasers, and suppressors makes it a great combat platform with a closed and sealed upper and lower receiver which is suited for rainy and muddy combat. The AK-74 is a fine rifle but its not entirely a closed system and very loose tolerances which is subject to mud, dirt, and ice build up behind the bolt and forward of the hammer which it will not fire. Soviet soldiers in Winter operations have to cycle their bolts frequently without loaded magazines to make sure they cycle and the empty chamber has no ice in it to prevent chambering, then ice in the bore to prevent it from blowing up because the bore is obstructed with ice. AK enthusiasts don't know this from Soviet training in cold weather operations. Even the M16A1/A2 in training environments with blank ammunition and blank adaptors, the chamber and bore must be inspected before firing and cleaned because water in the bore can turn into ice and obstruct the bore and the rifle becomes a hand grenade or dynamite injuring or killing the soldier. Cold weather or Arctic condition fighting can render a rifle or weapon system useless when neglected. The Russians and Ukrainians in a few weeks from now can expect Winter fighting conditions.
Speaking of Kraken, ever heard of Donaustahl? Might get some Maus footage at some point.
right there 4:37 3.125 ASSAULT RIFLES MK 556* might be the HAENEL MK556 but proofs assault rifles were sent but no HK G36.
I know, that's why I included it. Thanks for watching.
@@TheArmourersBench i wonder what became of all the G36 Rifles the Bundeswehr replaced or is replacing. There were better than their reputation.
@Stelomat they haven't started replacing them yet. The G95 isn't in production for the Bundeswehr yet. I expect the G36s might go to Ukraine if they're wanted.
Good old Heckler & Cock 😂
Laser on the pictured rifle @5:30 is not a Steiner Dbal. Can't tell what it is but looks like a Holosun.
Thanks could be, lasers aren't my strongest area. There is a lot of Holosun out there.
Question: I have seen enough photos of Scar-L MK16s in ukraine, but how about MK17s? is there any info about them being used in the field? Thank you as always!
Great question a friend has been helping me track the SCAR-Hs, they're rarer but definitely in some use. Will do a video on them soon.
The German army has decommissioned the G36, apparently because it wasn't good enough in practice. And what a surprise, it works reliably elsewhere.🤦♂
The whole "G36-gate" was a screw-up by German military, and to cover up poor performance of soldiers they blamed the rifle. Noone was able to replicate the issue, and barely any testing was even done. HK even won a lawsuit against German government over this.
Do you have any plans to do a vid on SKS use in Ukraine?
I think so far I’ve only seen one early on used by a Russian. I assume there aren’t much SKS in use due to the 7.62x39 and maybe they were almost all sold to the US or as aid during a proxy war years ago.
they were used in the militia days around 2014-2016 never seen them after that, maybe they are among some LDNR commies
sks rifle is very much obsolete at this point and most AKs used are in 5.45 so 7.62x39 ammo isnt as common as you might think
I haven't really seen any SKS use myself, feel free to email me some sources. Currently planning Mosin-Nagant and PM1910 Maxim videos though. Have been tracking those since day 1.
7.62x39 is a common cartridge, AKMs are still in use on the front by both sides. SKS'es are stuck in stockpiles and aren't used because they're simply inferior to AKM in every way.
@@czwarty7878 I totally agree that an AKM is better than an SKS in almost every way possible, but I’ve seen more Mosin’s in use by Russians/its Puppets then SKS. Which is why I think it’s an ammo issue, because why issue mosins when an SKS is available, the 7.62x54r is of course commonly used while my guess is that 7.62x39 isn’t.
How many SKS are there? God knows. The US likely has not even procured 1% of the total stocks of SKS of Europe. There is way more of these rifles than is reported and the SKS is one of the most ubiquitous rifles on Earth, that much is certain.
There was a number floating around that there is approximately 20 million SKS in Europe, but it is also known that SKS stocks are vastly undercounted, because there are so many in storage who would even bother to check. Countries in Eastern Europe were producing them for their own armies but also for neighbors. There may be well over 30-40 million produced in the East of Europe and additional vast quantities of SKS in Asia. The rifle is frankly heavy, outdated, but it offers the lowest cost entry point to automatic fire and so it becomes this battle rifle of choice to the poorest of the warring poor in the likes of Asia and Africa.
We know the number of SKS produced is underneath the total amount of AK produced in Eastern Europe, because the SKS production was mostly ceased when that design took over, but as far as knowing how many there are, it's like guessing how many jelly beans are in the jar- which gets more complicated when you note how many manufacturers of the SKS there are.
Good possibility for all weapon manufacturers to test and showcase their products…
Ooooh, I like H&K, they're sexy. Thanks man. I love your videos. I saw this pop up as I was going to bed last night and I almost watched, but I would have fallen asleep. I'm glad I made myself wait until I was alert and awake before I watched, cos this was really interesting. It's so interesting to see what soldiers are choosing to use, and how.
Do you have a link to the kraken Instagram channel you talk about?
Yep, all sources are linked in the accompanying article. Linked in the description. Thanks for watching.
Ammunition management must be hell there, 545s 556s ammo for the DSHKa and the M2 and 762 308
Looks nice but also looks heavy as hell!!!!
Those are not "K's", but regular G36s. Still an update to their current equipment
They're definitely Ks
I was thinking of the Cs, they are easy to mix up 😅
@@countofsif too many suffixes!
not used to seeing all that rails on a g36
It’s mainly a simple handguard switch (one bolt without any tool required).
Modern G36 all come with a long picantinny rail and integrated emergency crosshairs on top. So that’s how all G36es look nowerdays.
Will be interesting to see if HK put the 433 forward for Project Grayburn though I strongly suspect the 416 will be Hks entry because the army seems to currently favour the AR 15 silhouette at the moment and its won other NATO contracts recently
To any serving Ukrainian or soldier I’m a civi so I wanted to ask this:
I keep hearing on old weapons on the front line and shortages. How much of a battlefield dynamic would it be if a large majority of troops were supplied with top range rifles as supposed to what’s being used now? Shipping a bunch of G36s seems logical to me as we want to help Ukraine so why not supply them with modern weapons? Again civilian question so may be ignorant of other factors.
0:26 specially configurated by request of Lithuanian armed forces. It may be our donations idk.
my humor has peaked brain rot that i giiggled at @4:10 cus of the phone notif sound
So there is a way to get your hands on one of these, it’s just somewhat risky
Now do a video on the SCAR
im not shur, but what i know, is thatthe HK433 kost around 9.000€ xO the G36 up to 1.700 - 2.000€
If I were H&K I would try and get some field testing. We probably never know to what extend that is happening.
Cover the SiG 516's seen in a lot of combat footage. There's a UA-camr from Ukraine who posted about it
Holger 26 and killo 141 in kastovia
Ukraine is the ultimate test bed for anyhting military right now and I bet companies are very eager to see, how stuff that has never been tested in an actual warzone, performs. On the other hand, Ukrainian soldiers must feel like guinea pigs. As if fighting for your survival isn't hard enough, people expect you to fill in surveys or answer questions about how you're liking your gun. :D
Wow
5:06 Kraken FOG
If you see a ukie using a G36 those are Freedom stalkers, but be careful, monolith uses them to.
It´s "Heckler and Koch" not "Heckler and Kock"!
Lol my dude I've pronounced it every possible way over the years and every time I've been told I'm wrong.
@@TheArmourersBench It´s simple. "Heckler" - like in "heckler". Then go do google translate, "cook" -> "Koch" in German. And let it say the word. "Ch" is not "ck".
@PeterNichtlustig0815 I'll nail it next time. Thanks.
😑
MSBS GROT WHEN?!?!?!
MSBS Grot promise at the end of the vid 🙏
@@TheArmourersBench
sorry but i witch Jack Daniels - i didnt lasted that long
Tip for non German speakers: if you can't say the German "ch" try saying Kosh instead of Cock sounds closer to the propper pronounciation
I've been told it's closer to 'coke' in the past haha.
@@TheArmourersBench the German ch sound is more a mix of a hissing cat and someone choking. And there's even "Sch" but that's like the English sh
@@painfultruth1846 I heard the ch in German can be said different ways. In the north they say it like “ck” but in the south its said like “sh”
I use Polish pronunciation and a friend from Schleswig Holstein said it's good.
@@TheArmourersBench Whoever told you that was clearly trying to make you sound like a nunce.
Is there any MG5 in ukraine?
As when DVL-10 and AS VAL video
Yep there are MG5s, here's my video on them - ua-cam.com/video/qN3hC2585tc/v-deo.html
@@TheArmourersBench Thanks will have a look!
@@medicmedic2608 watch the video bruh
Germany so far officially confirmed the delivery of 350 MG5.
I wish the Bundeswehr would have chosen the 433.
It's sad that almost the entire West is going for AR15 looking rifles now.
I am not into firearms. Could you explain what the 433 does differently compared to the AR15 platform? Maybe if you have some knowledge which is the main selling point of it, compared to the AR15?
@@mqxle7006 It's not about one platform being better, it's that the small arms world is getting less diverse, which saddens gun nerds.
Everyone is also going for multicam-esque camo, which saddens camo nerds.
I wish our neigborough don't switch at all and just keep the g36Ka4 or an updated version of the L (infantry). The g36 is a very fine rifle. As Spain, we don't know why all this polemic.
@@Neeverseen its not like you could have gotten your hands on one, the european world is strangely anti gun, even with a war going on, they wont sell these things to americans since the German Gov has got a stranglehold of Small Arms production
They are using the bushmaster m4 in Ukraine 556
Wow, impressive data, is this going to win the war?
Half a dozen rifles? Nope.
I wonder how many shovels it can take on at once
Not that I'm an expert, but I wanted to share that the outline of the G36's looks like the civilian version. Maybe they donated different trigger packs alongside with them to make them full auto or they use them in a DMR role. Would be interesting to know.
What? It's just upgrade pack all modernized G36s look like that
The civi models have thumbhole stocks, not the ones pictured. The ones sent to Ukraine are just using newer gen-2 furniture.
@@colbunkmust I think he means HK243 and not SL8. But the new parts from 243 are already standard part of upgrade pack for G36
@@colbunkmustthat were very old SL8 versions. The rules that sports weapons in Germany cannot look like war weapons (“Anscheinsparagraph”) was a long long time ago.
Most SL8 were upgraded and are basically indistinguishable from the full auto G36es anymore.
@@Grimshak81 HK still offers the SL8 with the thumbhole stock, point being the newer iterations are just semi auto versions of the second gen g-36
Le hk 433 sert de test réel avant d être pris par l armée allemande
Slava Ukraine 😊
HK433 was announced by Germany and covered by certain websites.
Got a link? Definitely haven't seen that
I don’t think that Germany announced HK433.
Germany so far in terms of assault/battle rifles officially sent 3.125 Haenel MK 556 (1.875 more on order) and 531 CR 308 (319 more on order).
@@HingerlAloisdefinitely did.
Diese Kommentarsektion ist nun teil der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Ah yes my favoirte german small arms supplier, Heckler & Kock -.-
What's your fave way to pronounce your fave small arms supplier?
@TheArmourersBench the correct way, with a "ch"
@GrzegorzBrzeczyszczykiewicz420 that's no fun.
@@TheArmourersBench or just an inability to pronounce words correctly
@GrzegorzBrzeczyszczykiewicz420 well actually ive been pronouncing it differently in every video since 2022 since someone commented and argued over multiple replies that I was saying it wrong when I was using the correct pronunciation you mention. All the fun of UA-cam.
5:20 thats not a DBAL A2
from mexico ;-)
Im pretty sure a lot of the g36s have the Steyr G62 upgrade kit.
I don't think so no.
Looks like HK original stuff.
That FOG shirt. Always Forward.
🏴
What are the Ukrainians using shotguns for or are they using them at all?
Drones
Yes, they use shotguns for drones. They have Mossberg 390 (or 590, something like that). They made semi-auto shotguns in Ukraine but don't know what it's called. Recently they signed a contract for a cheap shitty Turkish semi-auto. It seems a real piece of art in terms of "quality" and "reliability" but it costs something like $300 or $400.
What's the problem they are just firearms right? Problem is the originality, license, and brand of this firearms.
Kraken uses this
Yes, I mention them in the video. Thanks for watching.
Have any XM7 or SIG MCX Spear rifles been seen in Ukraine so far? I've been wondering how the 6.8x51mm (.277 Fury) ammunition that they fire will perform in combat.
👍🇺🇸/🇺🇦
There's MCXs but no sign of 6.8 rifles yet.
@TheArmourersBench it's been a while but I could have sworn on Abraxas Spa's twitter there were pictures of some kind of MCX Spear alongside an MCX Spear LT in 7.62x39. But it was months (if not over a year) ago and I suspect may have been a 308 semi auto version.
@@5t3v0esque I don't think it was a 6.8 Spear. Probably a civilian gun.
@TheArmourersBench not sure if I wrote it clearly but that was my assumption too.
I recall it looking like it had the longer handguard and barrel of the civvie version.
The soldiers just downloaded Modern Warfare: Ukraine Season 3 weapons that's why.
WTF? There's 433's out there too? 😁
I know, I was surprised too.
not a dbal on the 433
Apparently not, my mistake. Thanks for watching!
best weapon in the world
Which one?
mosin
@@johnsmith-jq1uc🤡
@@maxkraus7063 💀
'Heckler and Cock '
🇺🇦🤝🇩🇪🇪🇺✌🏻
Heckler & Cock?
They got them from the german Bundeswehr stockpilles..germany is the biggest Armsdonator after the USA..🤔
SLAVA UKRAINI!!!!!!!
Heroiem Slava to you sir
2:19 Well I did Nazi that coming.
Jokes, I know there are plenty of nazi-types on both sides of the Ukrainian conflict lol. A war drawing in extreme ethnonationalists? You don't say! The symbol on the top of the left patch is the "Wolfsangel", in case you've never seen it before.
That symbol is ubiquitous in Ukraine
@@Urbanizegaming yeah so is the sonnenrad, doesn't mean either of them are Ukrainian
kilo 141 in ukraine?????
Make no mistake these men are all Nato combatants as Germany would never give these weapons to forcefully mobilised conscripts.
They're Ukrainian, I've spoken to them. Not everything is a conspiracy lol. They're not forcibly mobilised conscripts either, they're Ukrainian SOF, they're highly motivated volunteers. And of course HK would, the German government has already given Ukraine MG5s.
What
What an idiotic comment.