The wealth of small arms in Ukraine, remind me of a Battlefield or Call of Duty entry! It’s truly amazing seeing all these different platforms in use. Everything from Mosins and Maxims through to MG4’s and Bren 2’s!
Yes, it would be cool to make a video game about I think. Because you could make your character be anybody of any nationality using pretty much any weapons, and it would be accurate.
When I heard the MG5 was going to Ukraine, I thought to myself, so we are going to have one of the newest machine guns fighting along side one of the oldest (Maxim) machine guns. What a strange world.
@@PiscatorLager I have never seen it happen to this degree. To be fair though. modern warfare, as in machine guns and air support, has only been around a few hundred years.
Have some personal experience with the gun. Its pretty accurate and reliable (i have seen people firing several hundred rounds through it in one burst)as long as you pour enough oil on it. The scope is a great Addition because now the gunner is able to make his own corrections while firing. The only thing I don’t like is the fact that its extremely hard to clean to a point where the armourer accepts it.
@petemitchell6788 why would any sane person use a 100 pound gun in call of duty where suppression isn't needed. This isn't battlefield its an arena cqb game
free? to whom? you sound a bit "troll-ish" with such an ambiguous "comment"? In any case, it sounds like the weapon is reasonably well-liked, and at least one commenter has real experience, and positive feedback. Sending 7.62 NATO down range seems to be a pretty decent amount of "force", and the good optic means that, with a good operator, the MG is not just spitting out brass!
Yup, Germany does not care about Ukraine, at the start their diplomats told Ukraine they won't last long so why bother. They took so long to 'do the right thing' with all of Europe screaming at them. And Germany was the reason this happened slurping up Russian gas despite warnings and refusing NATO / EU membership.
@@lohikarhu734 I'm not saying the weapon is bad. All I'm saying is that the Rheinmetal or whoever is manufacturing it has gave it for free to Ukranians for them to use it in combat and test it that way. Because you could never do a real combat test in a lab or a flat range
How do you think any system gets tested? It's not just small arms were this happens and you should see the list of dodgy regimes the likes of Hk and BAE Systems have flogged kit to over the decades. At least the weapons are going to the right place for a change. I would rather see these guns in Ukrainian hands than those of say - The Saudis or Myanmar just to name two oppressive tin pot regimes. Hk have particular form when it comes to flogging small arms. There is no western backed military dictator they didn't take money from and a few others no one else liked either. 0:33
@@mysterioanonymous3206 I don't know my guy. NATO is getting more attention, getting new members, more funding and more data. It is also able to indirectly weaken the russian military instead of just preparing and bolstering their defenses. Every dollar NATO and it's members give to ukraine is a 1000x times more effective at protecting NATO than spending it on their own equipment. You don't need to pay for storage or any other additional costs when you give it to ukraine.
@@einehrenmann6156 I mean yeah, but we were never afraid of some drunk Russians rolling in on tanks with their AKs. What we (NATO) worry about is a nuclear exchange... That's a whole different ballgame.
@@einehrenmann6156 Not just data on our weapons, but on Russias domestic defences and AA systems, think about this, we spent tones of money upgradeing ATTCM misiles and it turns out the expired gen 1 models from storage fly right past Russian AA batteries 96% of the time. or how we learned the javalin still manages to penetrate tank hulls even if the primary charge is set off prematurely by a countercharge
@@Mr.Z1989 I’m asking how it’s a waste. You wanna see the economic models for a Russian victory? Have fun with everything being three times as expensive as it is right now.
Everybody is pouring in all manner of kit from all over the world. The anti air and anti tank launchers are crazy. I’ve never seen a lot that stuff from other countries until now.
The finish that HK uses is not FDE. It is a finish called RAL 8000, in the German RAL color standard. It is supposed to be a green brown or gelbbraun in German
I was once told that all those links designed for 7.62x51 NATO are interchangeable. If its true then can use any of the links in the M60, FN MAG (M240), MG3, MG5, etc.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 I’m assuming that’s true due to this MG in the video using both types of link I just thought it was interesting and to be fair it would make sense that all nato MGs can share ammunition
@@MrTangolizard, whoa there, that's not what I meant. Not all NATO machine guns are in 7.62x51mm (.308). I'm just saying that all the ones that are in that caliber can share it's belt or disintegrating link.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 I know for a fact that the MG3 can use both types of belt link. I would assume that all (or most) western 7.62x51 machine guns are compatible with both. It would only make sense considering why common ammunition types were introduced in the first place.
"From industry stocks" Sounds to me like HK is sending them samples so they can get data on how these things actually work in reality and make improvements based on that experience
@@TheArmourersBench True, some argue along the lines of "don't change a running system". Sounds like a bad excuse though. In WW2 this tripod was an incredible piece of equipment. Even back then the its weight and complicated operation was a concern however. For the reason why a new one wasn't developed some state something like "never change a running system", but imho, that's probably just an excuse. The optic on the tripod works, but could as well be described as "antique". Due to far better optics being mounted directly on the gun, some of the tripods "selling features" just aren't competitive anymore and just for weapons stabilization, it is far too heavy. The next evolutionary step of such a tripod, would probably look like and have comparable features to something like a remote weapon station, in a 2 men transportable package. I have no idea about projects developing something like this. I guess HK will release some more light-weight tripod comparable to other nations tripod systems in this decade.
@@rantanplan178 Yes the lafette (it isn't a tripot) is heavy to carry but when you have a transport vehicle that doesn't matter that much. It is mainly meant to be used when you are diged in. An automatic weapon station would have not many advantages but would need a power source. And no it isn't just stabilization. You can pre set boundaries and special fire areas. This way if you see the enemy like crossing an imaginary line they are gone. plus you can operate the lafette while under full cover. The optics are old and would profit from replacing. That is true.
@@Wolfenkuni Yes, it is called a lafette. The english audience is more used to the term tripod, hence why I used it. Are you sure with your statement about remote operation options? Do you follow the war in Ukraine? Remote operations is more or less the hype in weapons development right now. You then mention a bunch of features of the lafette mount. I am well aware of all of them. I know that it is an outstanding piece of equipment by 1930's standards. I am just arguing that something like this, doesn't need to weigh as much in 2024. That's my entire point, and I don't really get why you arguing against it.
@@Hurricane2k8 Apparently the HK421 is how the MG5 would have been made by HK, if HK could have designed the MG5 how they think it would be the best. The MG5 is specifically build to the Bundeswehr's demands.
Ammo boxes holding a few hundred rounds of link sound nice in theory until you have to aim the gun on a bipod and its canting to one side with the dead weight. They dont fit in carrying equipment easily and take up space in patrol packs. Its a faff to change them. They also rattle. If you see the lads here they have gone back to carrying link as bandoliers or in RG boxes with a carry handle. Gamers think its better to have a box on a light role gun. Its not. 8:28
@@TheArmourersBench Correct, it's intended to be used as a standard MG (Bipod or fixed on the Feldlafette), as a coax, and in a lighted “Assault” Variant, it can run 650, 740 or 800 as a max. Cheers Alex
If you look up clips of the gun in the internet you can see that the rate of fire is adjustable. So you can extend barrel life with lower rates or go OG MG3 800 rounds per minute on the high end.
A post war Ukrainian army would probably have some kind of converted 308 pkm as their service MG. Similar to what Poland did. Western MGs are mostly very heavy for infantry.
Bear in mind that both the Polish and Bulgarian 7.62 PKMs are heavier than the normal 54r due to the different feed system. The pull-out belt feed of the original by the cartridge rim kept the receiver extremely short. There is no free lunch. The cartridge conversion is mostly for ease of manufacturing for domestic industry.
@@ericmckinley7985 True, but still, he has a point. Since MG5 was made from ground-up, they could try to at least somewhat reduce the mass of receiver, everyone these days tries to go as low as possible, using abilities of modern polymers and alloys. Yet mass of standard version is still 11.2kg, sure it's not as bad as FN MAG but still. I wish they'd at least reach below 10kg for standard-length version, like the modernized M60 did.
If you can I’d love to see a deep dive on shotguns in Ukraine. Specifically benelli shotguns. I feel there has to be some floating around, though I haven’t seen any and I didn’t see a video from you on this subject. Thank you.
I mean, those packs are amazing - brand new gun, kit, optics, all nicely bundled. Must be nice when compared to trying to piece together something from ancient stocks :D Also I have no knowledge of this MG, but how PRETTY it looks, goddaaamn
Maybe they got a good price on them because they have the old paint job from the last wars. The tanks and trucks near my house are slowly being switched over from Desert Tan to OD Green or Woodland Camo
I just don't know why most western militaries will make our general purpose machine guns (GMPG). A Russian PKM is 7.5kg unloaded while many GMPG used in NATO are 10kg-13kg unloaded.
Guns keep getting fatter and fatter and I don’t get it either it’s like the car and truck world everything is 8 tons and gets like 6 miles per gallon I guess it’s weapons for fat westerners that love their fat ball and other sports
@@baneofbanes What don't you get? Are you a fantasy fatball leaguer and it just doesn't compute? Guns are getting FAT for no discernable reason. Look at the Sig Spear next you're going to tell me its because they want to mount it to vehicles.
@@nucleus691 Only for the american market because they don't want to explain to people how to actually pronounce it. To be fair, the allemanic "ch" sound is not something english speakers know how to do anyway so you might as well just say coke and be done with it. But to an allemanic language speaker it just sounds funny.
I would have found it a lot more interesting to hear how the MG5 differs from the kit already in use and whether or not it is an improvement?!? I don't much care for an endless slideshow of pictures...
I'd argue that there have been some *minor* improvements - as well as stepbacks - since Maxim invented the first fully automatic machine gun and that hence one MG is not necessarily like any other!?! ;-)@@baneofbanes
@@TheArmourersBench Hk seemed to sell the 20s almost exclusively to Latin America. If El Presidente had more medals than Idi Amin and an even worse human rights record the man from Hk was straight round the presidential palace with a sales brochure. Like Avon for despots.
the 20 series was never produced in particularly large numbers and the countries that bought them are themselves phaseing them out on account of a lack of spare parts support
Probably HK wanting Battlefield testing for MG5 so they can make improvements to the current model and take feedback on what works and what doesn't that would be my guess
These aren't gifts from HK, they were paid for by the German government. Quite possibly Ukraine even picked them themselves, as Germany wanted to move to a process where unless it's from actual German Army stocks they just give Ukraine a catalog and say "pick something and we cover the bill".
@@TheArmourersBench Ok, maybe I overexaggerated a bit, but I can easily see them not being too sorry about the exported MG5s as they eventually phase them out for an upgrade per feedback received regarding it's flaws.
@@Urbanizegaming The German Army *just* finished the procurement process for the MG5, which is barely a decade old. Meanwhile, from all I could find the HK421 isn't even being discussed for adoption yet, it simply exists. Are you sure you're not just jumping to conclusions?
Foregrip: mount it to the side rail, not the downside, and you've turned the MG5 into a serious havoc-machine you can use (and actually control) from the move. Put it into the hands of the beefiest dude in your squad and it is almost like an SMG... On speed!
Question? Don't know what the receiver is made from? Yet I'm taking a guess and going to say steel? Is it possible to change to aluminum to reduce the weight?
In not an engineer but i can tell you that on machine guns the bolt moves rapidly and with a lot of force so i dont know how well aluminum can handle this. Also this might be quite costly
@@topkek8671Don't forget that receivers need to have a certain weight to bring up the inertia needed for them to lock and function properly. Weight-reduction: I am sure they could have gone for an alloy, but it's not the receiver but the actual chassis that makes the entire assembly so heavy. I think everyone agrees that the MG5 is too heavy for what it is, and the fact it doesn't "feel" as heavy does not help that fact.
I wonder if the MG5 will become the new standard machine gun of the Ukrainian army, just like how the CZ Bren 2 is slated to become the new service rifle.
I highly doubt that Ukraine will select a gun made in the Czech Republic to be their service rifle, they are using foreign guns to supplement their armaments but countries strive to produce their armaments locally when they can. Its why companies like FN (in Belgium) and HK (in Germany) made factories in the US to sell guns in the US rather than importing them from their native country.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 They are supposedly planning to set up a production line under license, if reports from Ukrainian military media are to be believed.
You might not be judging but that is Norway's flag haha. There's Norwegian members of that team I believe. They look slightly similar but they're different colours.
What I don't get is that as far as I know the main argument for why the MG3 needed replacing was that you could not mount scopes or other modern optics on it because the whole upper side of the gun is the feed tray cover, which rattles around. Now, on the MG5, meant to replace the MG3, they slap the optics on the feed tray cover too? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
The Mg3 has a lot more play in its assembly. My experience with the MG5 is that it pretty much always closes the same precise way no matter if its hot or cold or muddy.
@@EchterOsti The question is whether it wouldn't have made more sense to develop a new, improved version of the MG3 with a tight feed tray cover like that, instead of developing a whole new gun? Of course, Heckler & Koch wouldn't have made the same amount of money then, having to share the deal with whomever has the patents and rights to the MG3.
@@TrangleCThe MG3 has many flaws for a machine gun of the 21st century. That's because it is none. The MG3 is based on a design that was never aimed at excellence, but at minimizing cost during a period of all-out and total war. The MG3 certainly is not bad and far from it. Perhaps the best solution for vehicle-mounted machine guns, but certainly not for post-modern infantry application.
Have experience on Booth. Even though I prefer the MG3 because i just love it the MG5 is the superior gun. Because you can mount a scope to it you are much more precise and are less reliant on your assistant gunner. Also the barrel is easier to change because of the fixed handle. On the other hand the MG3 is far easier to clean. The reason why the MG3 remains on most vehicles is because mounts for the machine gun havent been received yet. But I have seen the MG5 being mounted to e.g. TpZ Fuchs or MOWAG Eagle
@@topkek8671 Thank you for sharing your experiences. I thought about the scope mounting possibility after I posted, but I thought these are basically for suppressive fire? Lol I’m still in the 1990’s and haven’t kept up with the new tactics.Thank you again for your response.
@@timothywood4402i have seen mounting systems for the MG3 and allegedly the german special forces (KSK) succesfuly trialed them at some point many years ago. But I havent seen any military adopting them
The MG3 is very reliable, but it's rather long, front heavy and unwieldy. Also, it has a lot of reciprocating mass which can easily dominate your world while shooting, so it can be quite hard to tell where exactly your rounds are impacting. It's all a bit of a blur. And off course it was never designed with optics in mind, so any optic mount will be a janky modification. Though I am left wondering how the MG5 ended up quite this heavy.
why are americans always saying heckler and "coke", its KOCH not COKE. (just like they misspronounce Porsche all the time, its not porsh its porsche with an hard E in de end)
I can't speak to H&K, but Porsche's own advertisements in the US pronounced Porsche wrong for a long time. Google hasn't served me one in a few years, so they might still be pronouncing it wrong for all I know.
Physics. More material will be able to disperse heat better. The MG5 will retain accuracy and function better than lighter systems under extensive load.
MG3s in long service have problems with recivers warping out of spec over time, cast steel of the correct thickness fixes that problem and lets the same gun be used longer and refurbished more before being totally out of spec
@@Ruhrpottpatriot The M250 is both homeslice. Germany has fallen behind in the arms market. Not to mention the MG 338 which is STILL lighter(21 lbs) AND shoots a round with triple the energy. Just admit you’re wrong dude 😂
@@davidphillips8674Both of the MGs you just mentioned use non standard ammo. They are gimmiky stuff unsuited for a big war, where logistics and interoperability reign supreme. HAve you learned nothing from the Ukraine war?
@@Ruhrpottpatriot That’s not even remotely true. The 6.8x51 uses the same case as standard 7.62 NATO with a bi metal base that is easy to integrate into the manufacturing process. That’s why the US Army chose it. Manufacturing a 25lbs GPMG in 2023 is just…pathetic. Having a dual purpose gun would make Ukrainian trench assaults significantly more effective, particularly with the MG338 having 4 times the energy on target of a 308. It’s like an M2 50 cal you can pick up and carry for assaults. And you get anti material properties at the same time.
Ich sehe mit Stolz den Einsatz dieser Waffe in der Ukraine! Was ich besonders bemerkenswert finde ist, dass diese Waffe auf demselben Dreibein installiert ist wie damals das das MG42. Heute aber in einer völlig anderen Rolle! Meine Ukrainischen Kameraden. Mach was draus! Bitte!
Depends I guess, saying that as a civilian. While the Brits are probably right, the psychological effects of a MG firing at RPMs above 1000 rounds, probably should not be underestimated, according to history e. g. WW II and MG 42 use against allies.
@@KohlieVarak It has completely fuck all psychological effect upon the enemy just by the virtue of being a MG42. Only in the minds of Wehraboos was that actually a thing. What had a psychological effect was Nazi infantry knowing they would be marched to death carrying enough ammunition to feed yet another wunderwaffen that did nothing but over burden the logistical chain to the point of failure. Once the link was all spunked away they tended to surrender or run away.
So? Is it bad? No. NATO doesnt send MASSIVE amounts of not-battletested weapons into Ukraine. They see how they perform and what weakpoints they have, things that you cannot get exclusivly through testing, and maybe send more if the behave without issues. The war is going on, that is a reality. It would be absolutely stupid to say:"Oh no, we are not going to give you weapon system XYZ because it isnt battle tested and using this war to test new weapon systems is immoral and people on the interet will be offended by it." I am actually quite happy that such systems are being used in Ukraine. We get valuable data and information from the operators to make such weapons more efficient and durable which, if you go the full circle, also profits the Bundeswehr because they get a more complete and battletested gun.
The wealth of small arms in Ukraine, remind me of a Battlefield or Call of Duty entry! It’s truly amazing seeing all these different platforms in use. Everything from Mosins and Maxims through to MG4’s and Bren 2’s!
Tbh, it looks more like Borderlands in terms of weapon variety.
Yes, it would be cool to make a video game about I think. Because you could make your character be anybody of any nationality using pretty much any weapons, and it would be accurate.
You can be 110% sure, you will see Call of Duty Ukraine edition
When I heard the MG5 was going to Ukraine, I thought to myself, so we are going to have one of the newest machine guns fighting along side one of the oldest (Maxim) machine guns. What a strange world.
If it works.
@@uwesca6263 It works.
Yes, but from a historical point of view that's what happens in every war, very old technology and state of the art fighting side by side.
@@PiscatorLager I have never seen it happen to this degree. To be fair though. modern warfare, as in machine guns and air support, has only been around a few hundred years.
In the mid roman empire there would've been bronze iron and steel at the same time too
Good old Heckler and Coke. A favourite among others like smurf and wesson, armakite or dessert beagle!
so true, had to stop watching there lol
Dont forget, A.k.A "(7)Save-Aunty (4)For (u)You".
Have some personal experience with the gun. Its pretty accurate and reliable (i have seen people firing several hundred rounds through it in one burst)as long as you pour enough oil on it. The scope is a great Addition because now the gunner is able to make his own corrections while firing. The only thing I don’t like is the fact that its extremely hard to clean to a point where the armourer accepts it.
As a fellow COD Soldier I too have some personal experience with this gun. 😂
Especially when the Gun has to be "TMP-gereinigt" Always a Pain.
@petemitchell6788 why would any sane person use a 100 pound gun in call of duty where suppression isn't needed. This isn't battlefield its an arena cqb game
@@__-xf3iwespecially when „chef noch vorm Urlaub die waka komplett sauber haben will“
@@__-xf3iwthat takes 100k „wattestäbchen“
Heckler and Coke, my favourite producer.
👍...🤣
They are just combat testing the weapons for free
free? to whom?
you sound a bit "troll-ish" with such an ambiguous "comment"?
In any case, it sounds like the weapon is reasonably well-liked, and at least one commenter has real experience, and positive feedback.
Sending 7.62 NATO down range seems to be a pretty decent amount of "force", and the good optic means that, with a good operator, the MG is not just spitting out brass!
Yup, Germany does not care about Ukraine, at the start their diplomats told Ukraine they won't last long so why bother. They took so long to 'do the right thing' with all of Europe screaming at them. And Germany was the reason this happened slurping up Russian gas despite warnings and refusing NATO / EU membership.
It's the Spanish Civil War all over again basically.
@@lohikarhu734 I'm not saying the weapon is bad. All I'm saying is that the Rheinmetal or whoever is manufacturing it has gave it for free to Ukranians for them to use it in combat and test it that way. Because you could never do a real combat test in a lab or a flat range
How do you think any system gets tested? It's not just small arms were this happens and you should see the list of dodgy regimes the likes of Hk and BAE Systems have flogged kit to over the decades. At least the weapons are going to the right place for a change. I would rather see these guns in Ukrainian hands than those of say - The Saudis or Myanmar just to name two oppressive tin pot regimes. Hk have particular form when it comes to flogging small arms. There is no western backed military dictator they didn't take money from and a few others no one else liked either. 0:33
NATO must be stoked on all the battlefield performance data coming out of the conflict.
I don't think they're "stoked" about any of this but they'll take it...
@@mysterioanonymous3206 I don't know my guy. NATO is getting more attention, getting new members, more funding and more data. It is also able to indirectly weaken the russian military instead of just preparing and bolstering their defenses. Every dollar NATO and it's members give to ukraine is a 1000x times more effective at protecting NATO than spending it on their own equipment. You don't need to pay for storage or any other additional costs when you give it to ukraine.
@@einehrenmann6156 I mean yeah, but we were never afraid of some drunk Russians rolling in on tanks with their AKs. What we (NATO) worry about is a nuclear exchange... That's a whole different ballgame.
@@einehrenmann6156 looool
@@einehrenmann6156 Not just data on our weapons, but on Russias domestic defences and AA systems,
think about this, we spent tones of money upgradeing ATTCM misiles and it turns out the expired gen 1 models from storage fly right past Russian AA batteries 96% of the time.
or how we learned the javalin still manages to penetrate tank hulls even if the primary charge is set off prematurely by a countercharge
Great to see that they are getting some of NATO's best small arms.
@@SimplyTheSlothUsername checks out. Please elaborate how it is a waste of tax dollars.
@@FacitOmniaVoluntas. Who else would pay for it you smarta..?
@@Mr.Z1989 I’m asking how it’s a waste. You wanna see the economic models for a Russian victory? Have fun with everything being three times as expensive as it is right now.
Looks a beast and no better place to test than in actual combat
Everybody is pouring in all manner of kit from all over the world. The anti air and anti tank launchers are crazy. I’ve never seen a lot that stuff from other countries until now.
The MG5 can be used on older (MG3, or even older still) tripods. So they probably just mounted them on tripods already in inventory.
There haven't been to my knowledge any Lafette tripods seen in country with MG3 pattern guns prior to this.
Not quite. It does require an adapter set to reliably lock in place with MG3 tripods and mounts.
Great video, thanks again. I really appreciate your use of in country sources and visuals. The veracity of your content is just superb.
Thanks a lot, appreciate it.
HK and the German govt saw an opportunity for some combat testing.
Please create a "weapons in Ukraine" playlist for the future research. It would be very helpful for us.
There already is one, here you go War In Ukraine: ua-cam.com/play/PLt7Io-OQBYSpPwU2o06V67DBI_aKEfeNn.html
The finish that HK uses is not FDE. It is a finish called RAL 8000, in the German RAL color standard. It is supposed to be a green brown or gelbbraun in German
HK FDE ;)
A yellow brown*
The guy from the graft company video has an mg gunner flork patch. Really cool.
Spotted that. Like it.
I noticed it was using both the German link and the UK/USA disintegrating link (5.51 German link) (6.15 UK/USA link)
I was once told that all those links designed for 7.62x51 NATO are interchangeable. If its true then can use any of the links in the M60, FN MAG (M240), MG3, MG5, etc.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 I’m assuming that’s true due to this MG in the video using both types of link I just thought it was interesting and to be fair it would make sense that all nato MGs can share ammunition
@@MrTangolizard, whoa there, that's not what I meant. Not all NATO machine guns are in 7.62x51mm (.308). I'm just saying that all the ones that are in that caliber can share it's belt or disintegrating link.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 I know for a fact that the MG3 can use both types of belt link. I would assume that all (or most) western 7.62x51 machine guns are compatible with both. It would only make sense considering why common ammunition types were introduced in the first place.
"From industry stocks"
Sounds to me like HK is sending them samples so they can get data on how these things actually work in reality and make improvements based on that experience
3:52 that helmet is interesting. Havent seen too many of those around
A Virtus with mandible piece.
Heckler and COKE? it keeps getting better! XD
No one seems to have gotten the joke yet sadly. I say it differently in every video. Does drive the comment section though. Thanks for watching.
The bags are the standard configuration even for the German Army. The Tripod are old MG3 Tripods.
Mhmm yeah, they haven't designed a new tripod for them.
@@TheArmourersBench True, some argue along the lines of "don't change a running system". Sounds like a bad excuse though. In WW2 this tripod was an incredible piece of equipment. Even back then the its weight and complicated operation was a concern however.
For the reason why a new one wasn't developed some state something like "never change a running system", but imho, that's probably just an excuse. The optic on the tripod works, but could as well be described as "antique". Due to far better optics being mounted directly on the gun, some of the tripods "selling features" just aren't competitive anymore and just for weapons stabilization, it is far too heavy. The next evolutionary step of such a tripod, would probably look like and have comparable features to something like a remote weapon station, in a 2 men transportable package. I have no idea about projects developing something like this. I guess HK will release some more light-weight tripod comparable to other nations tripod systems in this decade.
@@rantanplan178 Yes the lafette (it isn't a tripot) is heavy to carry but when you have a transport vehicle that doesn't matter that much. It is mainly meant to be used when you are diged in. An automatic weapon station would have not many advantages but would need a power source. And no it isn't just stabilization. You can pre set boundaries and special fire areas. This way if you see the enemy like crossing an imaginary line they are gone. plus you can operate the lafette while under full cover. The optics are old and would profit from replacing. That is true.
@@Wolfenkuni Yes, it is called a lafette. The english audience is more used to the term tripod, hence why I used it.
Are you sure with your statement about remote operation options? Do you follow the war in Ukraine? Remote operations is more or less the hype in weapons development right now.
You then mention a bunch of features of the lafette mount. I am well aware of all of them. I know that it is an outstanding piece of equipment by 1930's standards. I am just arguing that something like this, doesn't need to weigh as much in 2024. That's my entire point, and I don't really get why you arguing against it.
love that the first frame is of a trench full of MRE trash, in classic UAF style.
@@baneofbanes cool bro, both militaries have horrible discipline.
HK recently presented the successor to the MG5. Forgot what it is called but it looks quite different compared to the MG5.
The HK421, I think it's more an FN Evolys concept rival.
@@TheArmourersBench yes, thats the one.
Looks like it is based on the MG5 or simply a modified MG5. Is this assumption correct?
@@Hurricane2k8 Apparently the HK421 is how the MG5 would have been made by HK, if HK could have designed the MG5 how they think it would be the best. The MG5 is specifically build to the Bundeswehr's demands.
Ammo boxes holding a few hundred rounds of link sound nice in theory until you have to aim the gun on a bipod and its canting to one side with the dead weight. They dont fit in carrying equipment easily and take up space in patrol packs. Its a faff to change them. They also rattle. If you see the lads here they have gone back to carrying link as bandoliers or in RG boxes with a carry handle. Gamers think its better to have a box on a light role gun. Its not. 8:28
4:05 Didn't know its rate of fire was this low. It's much faster in later clips though. What's up with that, variable rate of fire?
Yeah varried for role I believe 650 is the low end
Yes, variable. 640/720/800.
@@TheArmourersBench Correct, it's intended to be used as a standard MG (Bipod or fixed on the Feldlafette), as a coax, and in a lighted “Assault” Variant, it can run 650, 740 or 800 as a max.
Cheers
Alex
If you look up clips of the gun in the internet you can see that the rate of fire is adjustable. So you can extend barrel life with lower rates or go OG MG3 800 rounds per minute on the high end.
@@MrCemicalX MG3 has 1200 rounds/minute. You're probably thinking of the Austrian MG74 with 850round/min.
A post war Ukrainian army would probably have some kind of converted 308 pkm as their service MG. Similar to what Poland did. Western MGs are mostly very heavy for infantry.
Bear in mind that both the Polish and Bulgarian 7.62 PKMs are heavier than the normal 54r due to the different feed system. The pull-out belt feed of the original by the cartridge rim kept the receiver extremely short. There is no free lunch. The cartridge conversion is mostly for ease of manufacturing for domestic industry.
Ukraine would never adopt imperial ammunition with ambitions to join NATO.
@@ericmckinley7985 True, but still, he has a point. Since MG5 was made from ground-up, they could try to at least somewhat reduce the mass of receiver, everyone these days tries to go as low as possible, using abilities of modern polymers and alloys. Yet mass of standard version is still 11.2kg, sure it's not as bad as FN MAG but still. I wish they'd at least reach below 10kg for standard-length version, like the modernized M60 did.
If you can I’d love to see a deep dive on shotguns in Ukraine. Specifically benelli shotguns. I feel there has to be some floating around, though I haven’t seen any and I didn’t see a video from you on this subject. Thank you.
I haven't seen many Benellis around but I have been tracking shotguns where I can. If you see any videos/photos of them in use let me know.
I mean, those packs are amazing - brand new gun, kit, optics, all nicely bundled. Must be nice when compared to trying to piece together something from ancient stocks :D
Also I have no knowledge of this MG, but how PRETTY it looks, goddaaamn
THX for the good Video! Greetings from Germany - Sammelplatz Militaria
Thank you!
Maybe they got a good price on them because they have the old paint job from the last wars. The tanks and trucks near my house are slowly being switched over from Desert Tan to OD Green or Woodland Camo
those guns are mint conditon fresh production models. germany s procuring them in exactly this colors for the regular army
I just don't know why most western militaries will make our general purpose machine guns (GMPG). A Russian PKM is 7.5kg unloaded while many GMPG used in NATO are 10kg-13kg unloaded.
Guns keep getting fatter and fatter and I don’t get it either it’s like the car and truck world everything is 8 tons and gets like 6 miles per gallon
I guess it’s weapons for fat westerners that love their fat ball and other sports
@@baneofbanes What don't you get? Are you a fantasy fatball leaguer and it just doesn't compute? Guns are getting FAT for no discernable reason.
Look at the Sig Spear next you're going to tell me its because they want to mount it to vehicles.
Are they calling that finish FDE? Looks like HK’s signature RAL 8000.
Yeah RAL 8000, that's what HK call it.
Great small arms video!
Thank you!
I wonder if they have gotten any of the smaller 5.56 MG4s?
No evidence of them yet.
Take a shot every time he says mg5
I hate how the brits pronounce "Koch", it is literally the easiest German word to pronounce next to "ja" and "nein"
Will till you see how they say our most beloved national dish Döner. They call it Donner with means Thunder
25 pounds is insanely heavy, Good for static engagements but would be miserable on a long march.
I still refer using the MG3
0:07 - Ah yes, Heckler and Coke, my favourite weapons manufacturer.
Mhmm
Thats how youre supposed to pronounce it according to the actual Heckler und Koch website.
So they say, it's a contentious subject haha
@@nucleus691 Only for the american market because they don't want to explain to people how to actually pronounce it. To be fair, the allemanic "ch" sound is not something english speakers know how to do anyway so you might as well just say coke and be done with it. But to an allemanic language speaker it just sounds funny.
*cough.....google translate speaker symbol....*cough......
Is it possible that the MG5 has less recoil than the MG3? Watching the videos it is my impression. Greetings from a former MG3 gunner.
I think it’s more due to the lower rpm of the MG5.
They have, lower rpm and its gas operated
It is possible that MG5 is such a piece of delirium engineering that it weights more than FN MAG
What kind of links does the mg5 uses for feeding and where do they find them? Though some german machine guns accept m13 links as well.
All NATO standard links, lots of those about.
I would have found it a lot more interesting to hear how the MG5 differs from the kit already in use and whether or not it is an improvement?!?
I don't much care for an endless slideshow of pictures...
I'd argue that there have been some *minor* improvements - as well as stepbacks - since Maxim invented the first fully automatic machine gun and that hence one MG is not necessarily like any other!?! ;-)@@baneofbanes
It's probably about as good as any other full power rifle cartridge machine gun. The optic that comes with the gun is a plus.
Would other Heckler & Koch machine guns such as the HK21/23 and MG4 also be available options for Ukraine?
There are some MG4s in use but not seen any of the 20 series! Not sure if anyone bought enough to transfer them.
@@TheArmourersBench Hk seemed to sell the 20s almost exclusively to Latin America. If El Presidente had more medals than Idi Amin and an even worse human rights record the man from Hk was straight round the presidential palace with a sales brochure. Like Avon for despots.
the 20 series was never produced in particularly large numbers and the countries that bought them are themselves phaseing them out on account of a lack of spare parts support
Where do u finde these type of group Photos or these combat footage i only know about combatfootage or russiaukraine ?
Open sources across tiktok, telegram, IG and personal contacts. Check out the accompanying article for direct links to the sources.
How does it stack up compared to the m250?
not MJi, this is MG5
Probably HK wanting Battlefield testing for MG5 so they can make improvements to the current model and take feedback on what works and what doesn't that would be my guess
These aren't gifts from HK, they were paid for by the German government. Quite possibly Ukraine even picked them themselves, as Germany wanted to move to a process where unless it's from actual German Army stocks they just give Ukraine a catalog and say "pick something and we cover the bill".
The mg5 is pretty old and already being scrapped for the hk421
@Urbanizegaming Not quite yet no.
@@TheArmourersBench Ok, maybe I overexaggerated a bit, but I can easily see them not being too sorry about the exported MG5s as they eventually phase them out for an upgrade per feedback received regarding it's flaws.
@@Urbanizegaming The German Army *just* finished the procurement process for the MG5, which is barely a decade old. Meanwhile, from all I could find the HK421 isn't even being discussed for adoption yet, it simply exists. Are you sure you're not just jumping to conclusions?
Good video, didn't know HK made this weapon.
Thanks for watching!
4:50 GUR with a British flag?
The video briefly mentions international volunteers in some units.
Dachte so gut wäre das MG5 aka MG121 gar nicht? Gab es da nicht haufenweise Beschwerden bei der BW?
Die Kritik ist nicht bei der Waffe an sich, die ist nämlich wirklich gut.
good that we are giving away our best equipement rather then old stock
You "gave away" less than 1% of your MG5s
German charging handle is top tier but the HK dijon mustard FDE is gross
Except on the 11“ 416
at 5:39 what is the man to the right carrying
Minimi or Maximi I think
how am i just finding this youtube channel
Welcome, lots of videos to catch up on!
One, I don't think Brandon Herrera has shot/reviewed yet
What optic is that?
first clip: that is not how you use a mg5
Koch! Not Coke🙄
Ahh a Pepsi man.
Beer! Not Pepsi! 👍
Huh, so that’s the one of the LMGs from MW 2019. Wondering where it was from.
So rad looks like the mg3 and m60 had a baby
Watching this video while drinking an ice cold Koch 😎
Gifts are wonderful
I am offended that nobody seems to know the use of a bipod.
They use it as a foregrip while also having a foregrip bi pod I guess you can never have enough foregrips
Foregrip: mount it to the side rail, not the downside, and you've turned the MG5 into a serious havoc-machine you can use (and actually control) from the move. Put it into the hands of the beefiest dude in your squad and it is almost like an SMG... On speed!
They use it wrong. The barrel grip is open😂
It is similar to PKM
why on earth is that thing yellow, and why dont they paint it green immediately??!!
KOCH like COR or KOR, not COKE
Nah, it's either Cock or Coke depending on how HK want people to pronounce it at the time.
like the one from ARMA3? Burley weapon.
ArmAs predictions of near-future weaponry were all pretty accurate
Question?
Don't know what the receiver is made from? Yet I'm taking a guess and going to say steel? Is it possible to change to aluminum to reduce the weight?
In not an engineer but i can tell you that on machine guns the bolt moves rapidly and with a lot of force so i dont know how well aluminum can handle this. Also this might be quite costly
It's cast steel.
@@topkek8671Don't forget that receivers need to have a certain weight to bring up the inertia needed for them to lock and function properly.
Weight-reduction: I am sure they could have gone for an alloy, but it's not the receiver but the actual chassis that makes the entire assembly so heavy. I think everyone agrees that the MG5 is too heavy for what it is, and the fact it doesn't "feel" as heavy does not help that fact.
not "Coke", it's "Kockh"
It is called Koch, not Coke!
Feels like a big free Field-Test for the Bundeswehr.
😻😻😻😻😻💯💙💛💯😻😻😻😻😻
ВОЛЯ любить коли в неї є "HK MG5" !!!
dudes shooting dirt...
I wonder if the MG5 will become the new standard machine gun of the Ukrainian army, just like how the CZ Bren 2 is slated to become the new service rifle.
Is it? Where did you hear that?
Yeah, i never heard that before...
I highly doubt that Ukraine will select a gun made in the Czech Republic to be their service rifle, they are using foreign guns to supplement their armaments but countries strive to produce their armaments locally when they can. Its why companies like FN (in Belgium) and HK (in Germany) made factories in the US to sell guns in the US rather than importing them from their native country.
@@johnandrewserranogarcia7223 They are supposedly planning to set up a production line under license, if reports from Ukrainian military media are to be believed.
Did he say Greek international team are they in ukraine?
Yes, Greek members of the Ukrainian international legion.
16000 euros per unit !!!
The Germans sure do love there fast firing light machine guns...also that was a nazi cross flag in the knights team....😅
That's the Norwegian flag lol.
@@TheArmourersBench, ya also the nazi cros flag from ww2, like I said
@TheArmourersBench my grandfather had one he........" liberated" from some nazis In France, exactly like that one.
Not judging just saying.
You might not be judging but that is Norway's flag haha. There's Norwegian members of that team I believe. They look slightly similar but they're different colours.
4:20 those gloves on the left hand side are terrible. Makes camouflage really unnecessary. I hope it’s just for training purposes😂
RAD MG5!
What I don't get is that as far as I know the main argument for why the MG3 needed replacing was that you could not mount scopes or other modern optics on it because the whole upper side of the gun is the feed tray cover, which rattles around.
Now, on the MG5, meant to replace the MG3, they slap the optics on the feed tray cover too?
Doesn't that defeat the purpose?
The Mg3 has a lot more play in its assembly. My experience with the MG5 is that it pretty much always closes the same precise way no matter if its hot or cold or muddy.
@@EchterOsti The question is whether it wouldn't have made more sense to develop a new, improved version of the MG3 with a tight feed tray cover like that, instead of developing a whole new gun?
Of course, Heckler & Koch wouldn't have made the same amount of money then, having to share the deal with whomever has the patents and rights to the MG3.
@@TrangleC they (HK) themself have the rights for the MG 3, which sort of makes your stated reason unvalid
I think weight would have been a significant factor. Having a rotating bolt you can make the receiver out of plastic so it's much lighter.
@@TrangleCThe MG3 has many flaws for a machine gun of the 21st century. That's because it is none. The MG3 is based on a design that was never aimed at excellence, but at minimizing cost during a period of all-out and total war. The MG3 certainly is not bad and far from it. Perhaps the best solution for vehicle-mounted machine guns, but certainly not for post-modern infantry application.
Cant understand why the Germans didn't stick with the MG 3 as its in ALL armored vehicles is lighter and higher rates of fire.
Have experience on Booth. Even though I prefer the MG3 because i just love it the MG5 is the superior gun. Because you can mount a scope to it you are much more precise and are less reliant on your assistant gunner. Also the barrel is easier to change because of the fixed handle. On the other hand the MG3 is far easier to clean.
The reason why the MG3 remains on most vehicles is because mounts for the machine gun havent been received yet. But I have seen the MG5 being mounted to e.g. TpZ Fuchs or MOWAG Eagle
@@topkek8671 Thank you for sharing your experiences. I thought about the scope mounting possibility after I posted, but I thought these are basically for suppressive fire? Lol I’m still in the 1990’s and haven’t kept up with the new tactics.Thank you again for your response.
@@timothywood4402i have seen mounting systems for the MG3 and allegedly the german special forces (KSK) succesfuly trialed them at some point many years ago. But I havent seen any military adopting them
The MG3 is very reliable, but it's rather long, front heavy and unwieldy. Also, it has a lot of reciprocating mass which can easily dominate your world while shooting, so it can be quite hard to tell where exactly your rounds are impacting. It's all a bit of a blur. And off course it was never designed with optics in mind, so any optic mount will be a janky modification.
Though I am left wondering how the MG5 ended up quite this heavy.
Because its shit as a light role gun.
Heckler and Coke ?!
und koch
why are they supplying russia with more weapons platforms to put bounties on?
why are americans always saying heckler and "coke", its KOCH not COKE. (just like they misspronounce Porsche all the time, its not porsh its porsche with an hard E in de end)
Well I said it to see who'd comment on it but I can't speak for Americans as I'm not one. Thanks for watching.
I can't speak to H&K, but Porsche's own advertisements in the US pronounced Porsche wrong for a long time. Google hasn't served me one in a few years, so they might still be pronouncing it wrong for all I know.
HK's website says to pronounce it like coke.
@@joebrown8873 because americans are too ignorand to learn foreign words
I hate it when americans prounounce HK as "Heckler and Coke"
Ahhh a Pepsi man.
Looks super heavy
Its not its mostl polymer
MG3 11.5 kg, pkm 9 kg, not sure whats being improved upon?
Or is just a way for a company to make money......
Physics. More material will be able to disperse heat better. The MG5 will retain accuracy and function better than lighter systems under extensive load.
MG3s in long service have problems with recivers warping out of spec over time, cast steel of the correct thickness fixes that problem and lets the same gun be used longer and refurbished more before being totally out of spec
25 pounds for a new machine gun ?! lol wtf that thing is way too heavy. The new SIG machine gun is 12 pounds and shoots a better round 😂
It's a GPMG, not a SAW...
@@Ruhrpottpatriot The M250 is both homeslice. Germany has fallen behind in the arms market. Not to mention the MG 338 which is STILL lighter(21 lbs) AND shoots a round with triple the energy. Just admit you’re wrong dude 😂
@@davidphillips8674Both of the MGs you just mentioned use non standard ammo. They are gimmiky stuff unsuited for a big war, where logistics and interoperability reign supreme. HAve you learned nothing from the Ukraine war?
@@Ruhrpottpatriot That’s not even remotely true. The 6.8x51 uses the same case as standard 7.62 NATO with a bi metal base that is easy to integrate into the manufacturing process. That’s why the US Army chose it. Manufacturing a 25lbs GPMG in 2023 is just…pathetic. Having a dual purpose gun would make Ukrainian trench assaults significantly more effective, particularly with the MG338 having 4 times the energy on target of a 308. It’s like an M2 50 cal you can pick up and carry for assaults. And you get anti material properties at the same time.
@@Ruhrpottpatriot But what do I know. I’m just a Special Operations Veteran with three years of combat experience.
Et une FN Evolys est bien mieux maintenant
shock is in my gt
Ich sehe mit Stolz den Einsatz dieser Waffe in der Ukraine! Was ich besonders bemerkenswert finde ist, dass diese Waffe auf demselben Dreibein installiert ist wie damals das das MG42. Heute aber in einer völlig anderen Rolle! Meine Ukrainischen Kameraden. Mach was draus! Bitte!
looks like a toy compared to the MG3
5:14
Why do people always seem to think high RPM is best? The British found anything over 650 was really not needed or necessary.
The MG 5 have no high RPM. It's configurable between 800 and 620 RPMs. It's no MG3
Wehraboos.
Depends I guess, saying that as a civilian. While the Brits are probably right, the psychological effects of a MG firing at RPMs above 1000 rounds, probably should not be underestimated, according to history e. g. WW II and MG 42 use against allies.
@@KohlieVarak always remember someone has to carry that lot!
@@KohlieVarak It has completely fuck all psychological effect upon the enemy just by the virtue of being a MG42. Only in the minds of Wehraboos was that actually a thing. What had a psychological effect was Nazi infantry knowing they would be marched to death carrying enough ammunition to feed yet another wunderwaffen that did nothing but over burden the logistical chain to the point of failure. Once the link was all spunked away they tended to surrender or run away.
PK series is still better in my opinion
NATO really be using ukraine as combat testing for all their new equipment 💀
Yes - but not really in this case. This weapon is in regular service since 2015; it is not a brand-new-hot-shit-weapon anymore.
It’s the equipment they have been asking for so what’s your point?
Yea but that doesn’t change the fact that they are lol
@@johanmesser9218 yea but active field testing help R&D make cool new modifications
So? Is it bad? No. NATO doesnt send MASSIVE amounts of not-battletested weapons into Ukraine. They see how they perform and what weakpoints they have, things that you cannot get exclusivly through testing, and maybe send more if the behave without issues. The war is going on, that is a reality. It would be absolutely stupid to say:"Oh no, we are not going to give you weapon system XYZ because it isnt battle tested and using this war to test new weapon systems is immoral and people on the interet will be offended by it." I am actually quite happy that such systems are being used in Ukraine. We get valuable data and information from the operators to make such weapons more efficient and durable which, if you go the full circle, also profits the Bundeswehr because they get a more complete and battletested gun.
🎉
Heckler and coke
Heckler & Pepsi
Oldimer hear whats not broken dont fix fuck mg5 mg3 is best