HK MG36
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Barrel
- 480 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.25 kg
- Introduced
- 1995
About
What it is, and why it matters
The HK MG36 is a German 5.56x45mm NATO light machine gun developed by Heckler & Koch as the squad automatic weapon variant of the G36 assault rifle system. It pairs the G36's gas-operated rotary-bolt action with a heavier free-floating barrel for sustained fire, a bipod attached to the handguard, an integrated 3.5x optical sight in the carrying handle, and a 100-round dual-drum C-Mag magazine. Unusually for a light machine gun, it fires from a closed bolt. Trialed by the Bundeswehr in the mid-1990s alongside the G36, it was never placed into series production after a standard G36 fitted with a bipod and C-Mag was judged to offer comparable support-weapon capability.
The MG36 emerged from the same HK50 development program that produced the G36. When the Bundeswehr concluded that a regular G36 equipped with a bipod handguard and a 100-round C-Mag delivered effectively the same squad support firepower, the dedicated MG36 was shelved.
Designated under the original HK development program as the MG50, redesignated MG36 on adoption-related decisions in 1995. The closed-bolt operation distinguishes it from most belt-fed light machine guns and limits its sustained-fire ceiling compared to open-bolt designs.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Heckler & Koch
- Category
- Machine Gun
- Country
- Germany
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1995
- Variant of
- Light machine gun
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 480 mm
- Overall length
- 999 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.25 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Gas operated
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Capacity
- 100
- Magazine
- Drum
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 920 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 1693 J
- Effective range
- 600 m
- Maximum range
- 800 m
- Rate of fire
- 750 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.
Bipod
Carrying handle optic
3.5x optical sight
Closed bolt operation
Folding stock
Rotary bolt
Free floating heavy barrel
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 27 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 4.25 kg | 6.35 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 25 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 999 mm | 1020 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 480 mm | 465 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 26 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns | 100 | 200 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the HK MG36
How much does the HK MG36 weigh?
The HK MG36 weighs 4.25 kg (9.37 lb) empty. It is the 2nd lightest of 27 5.56x45mm NATO machine guns in the catalogue.
What caliber is the HK MG36?
The HK MG36 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO.
How many rounds does the HK MG36 hold?
The HK MG36 holds 100 rounds, fed from a drum magazine.
How long is the HK MG36?
The HK MG36 is 999 mm (39.3 in) long overall, with a 480 mm (18.9 in) barrel.
Who makes the HK MG36?
The HK MG36 is made by Heckler & Koch (Germany). It was designed by Heckler & Koch.
When was the HK MG36 introduced?
The HK MG36 was introduced in 1995.
How does the HK MG36 operate?
The HK MG36 uses a gas operated 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 Army (Bundeswehr)
- Germany
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
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-mg36' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "hk-mg36", "name": "HK MG36", "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": "machine-gun", "name": "Machine Gun", "description": "Fully automatic firearms for sustained fire" }, "country_of_origin": "DE", "year_introduced": 1995, "barrel_length_mm": 480, "weight_empty_g": 4250, "action_type": "gas_operated"}