Heckler & Koch

Why Heckler & Koch

Heckler & Koch has been building military rifles and pistols in Oberndorf, Germany since 1949. For AR people it's the HK416 and its civilian twin, the MR556A1.

The 416 takes the AR layout and swaps direct impingement for a short stroke piston, so less gas and carbon end up in the receiver. The gas is adjustable without tools, which helps when you add a suppressor.

It's built for NATO and police buyers first. The military rifle takes standard 5.56 magazines in 10, 20 and 30 round sizes, and HK's pistols and other rifles round out the catalog.

The price is the gap. HK rifles make up about 4% of the complete rifles in builds, at a typical cost near $3,750 against roughly $920 for a complete rifle.

That money buys a piston gun with HK's own parts, so the upper internals aren't the cheap, everywhere AR parts you're used to. Spares cost more and come from fewer places.

We'd buy one if you want the 416 itself. If you only want a reliable 5.56, a good direct impingement rifle does the job for far less.