PHOTO FILE: G95K - new KSK assault rifle

Yesterday we were with CONCAMO at Heckler & Koch and had the new assault rifle of the German Special Forces in our hands in the wonderful new camouflage, which you almost couldn't see in the photos - as it should be: HK416 A7 is the name at Heckler & Koch. In Bundeswehr nomenclature, it will be called G95K.

During the papal election, white smoke is used for announcement. This is what the white smoke looks like when the Bundeswehr procures something: On October 10, 2017, the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr commissioned the company Heckler & Koch from Oberndorf to deliver 1,745 weapons of the type H&K 416 A7 and accessories. At that time, January 2019 was mentioned as the delivery date. We do not know if all the goods have arrived, you should ask the KSK.

At trade shows, the weapon can already be seen, giving us the opportunity to take a closer look. HK416 is more or less the standard among international Special Forces and is originally the revision of the AR15 system by the Oberndorf. With the typical HK iconography, we see that the weapon is designed for "peace," single and sustained fire. The special feature is that the fire selector lever functions differently than the classic AR15, it works more like a German rifle: Safe, single fire and sustained fire are only 90 degrees, whereas in the AR15 it is 180 degrees.

The weapon is ambidextrous. Both the mag release and the bolt release are located on the right, as seen in the image above with the large buttons for regular operation. Also very exciting is the sturdy Castle Nut for attaching the stock and the eyelet underneath for the weapon strap. Also new: the grip with an interchangeable back - yes, not all KSK soldiers have huge hands - and an internal compartment. The image also shows the new polymer magazine from HK. We are not sure if this will be the new standard magazine for the KSK.

The whole weapon in its full glory. We are still surprised that they chose a barrel-mounted, flip-up front sight. The rear sight, on the other hand, is an upper-mounted part. Why not both the same way? The gentlemen in Calw must know. The barrel measures 14.5 inches - American counterparts of the KSK generally prefer 10.5 inches on their HK416.

The handguard is provided with HKey for mounting options. It looks like KeyMod, but it is not. Also interesting, as the military standard in the US is currently shifting towards M-LOK.

And here is everything you always wanted to know about the HK416 A7:

The KSK weapon fully kitted out: The G33 set from EOTech with EXPS and 3x Magnifier is supplied to the commandos by I-E-A Mil-Optics. We see the new grip and the HK polymer magazines. The suppressor on the barrel end looks very much like B&T.

Another weapon undergoing a cold test. Several things are interesting here: the handguard is much longer and ends at 14.5 inches. There is a Magpul magazine on the weapon, which has the new grip. And the optics are from Aimpoint. Initially, we thought that one possible reason why this HK416 A7 looks so different - in terms of optics - could be that this is the equipment for the combat divers. They prefer Aimpoint because of its excellent waterproofing.

And there they are, having a secretive game in the US, the KSK gentlemen. Luis Arroyo, head of the Yuma Proving Ground's Training and Exercise Management Office, says: "they are very interested in testing at the hottest time of the year - they really want to challenge their equipment."

Karl-Heinz Rippert from the Bundesministerium der Verteidigung comments to the Firearm Blog: "At the Yuma Proving Ground, we have special conditions for sand and dust...the landscape profile is similar to Afghanistan. The result we achieve should be relevant for our missions, and the main mission in recent years has been in Afghanistan." We would have initially thought the weapon to be a 16-inch DMR variant, if we hadn't accidentally found the above picture with the Aimpoint: it is a 14.5-inch version, however with EOTech. We counted the HKey holes on the side of the rail. And no, it is not a combat diver weapon: the solution to the mystery, as it was revealed to us, is that the G95K has two handguard options, a short one and a long one. But both are for the KSK.