HK G3A4
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.70 kg
- Introduced
- 1974
About
What it is, and why it matters
The HK G3A4 is the retractable-stock variant of Heckler & Koch's G3 battle rifle, the standard 7.62x51mm NATO infantry rifle of the West German Bundeswehr. It replaces the G3A3's fixed synthetic buttstock with a single-position sliding metal stock that collapses to shorten the weapon for paratroopers, vehicle and armoured crews, and other troops needing a more compact arm without sacrificing the full-power cartridge. Mechanically it is identical to the G3A3: a roller-delayed blowback action - derived from the wartime StG 45(M) and the Spanish CETME - feeding from 20-round detachable box magazines, with a fluted chamber to aid extraction, stamped-steel construction, and the characteristic HK drum-type adjustable rear sight. Entering service around 1974, the G3A4 served alongside the fixed-stock G3A3 throughout the Cold War until the G3 family was superseded in German service by the 5.56mm HK G36 around 2000-2001.
When West German paratroopers and tank crews needed the G3's full-power 7.62mm punch in a package that would fit a jump rig or a turret hatch, the answer was the G3A4 - the same rifle, but with the fixed stock swapped for a single-position sliding steel tube that telescoped the weapon down by nearly 20 centimetres.
Empty weight is higher than the fixed-stock G3A3 (~4.4 kg) because of the heavier sliding metal stock; ~4.7 kg is the commonly cited figure for the G3A4. Collapsed length is roughly 840 mm with the stock retracted versus ~1025 mm extended. Mechanically identical to the G3A3 apart from the stock. Many national G3 users (Turkey, Greece, Pakistan, etc.) fielded equivalent retractable-stock versions.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1974 to 2001
- Variant of
- Retractable stock
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Overall length
- 1025 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.70 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Steel
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 800 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 3042 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 3000 m
- Rate of fire
- 550 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Select fire
Roller delayed blowback
Retractable stock
Stamped steel construction
Drum type rear sight
Fluted chamber
Optics mount
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 4.70 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1025 mm | 1025 mm | Near the median |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 450 mm | 458 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the HK G3A4
How much does the HK G3A4 weigh?
The HK G3A4 weighs 4.70 kg (10.36 lb) empty.
What caliber is the HK G3A4?
The HK G3A4 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the HK G3A4 hold?
The HK G3A4 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the HK G3A4?
The HK G3A4 is 1025 mm (40.4 in) long overall, with a 450 mm (17.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the HK G3A4?
The HK G3A4 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by CETME / Heckler & Koch.
When was the HK G3A4 introduced?
The HK G3A4 was introduced in 1974 and discontinued in 2001.
How does the HK G3A4 operate?
The HK G3A4 uses a roller delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- German Bundeswehr
- 1974
- Bundeswehr airborne and vehicle crews
- 1974
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/hk-g3a4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-g3a4", "name": "HK G3A4", "manufacturer": { "id": "heckler-koch", "name": "Heckler & Koch", "countryCode": "DE", "foundedYear": 1949, "website": "https://www.heckler-koch.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "ae60994f5b45d604da21fcd14b728cfa9d2e62000c92e596de4c48c4be768979" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1974, "barrel_length_mm": 450, "weight_empty_g": 4700, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}