By: Friedrich Seiltgen

Copyright © 2023

HECKLER & KOCH

The Heckler & Koch Company got its start in post-war Germany in 1948. At the end of WWII, the Mauser factory in Oberdorfer Neckar was in the French sector. The factory was dismantled, and French occupation forces destroyed all design plans, paperwork, and blueprints. Three Mauser engineers, Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, and Alex Seidel, salvaged what they could from the Mauser Factory and formed what is now H&K.

Initially, the trio designed and manufactured bicycles, machine tools, and precision parts. They got their first shot at building weapons again in 1956 when the reformed German army could arm up again, and the Bundeswehr needed a new battle rifle.

The first rifle created by the team in conjunction with the Spanish arms manufacturer CETME was the G3 or Gewehr-3, which German engineer Ludwig Vorgrimler designed.

The H&K motto is “No Compromises.” The founders illustrated their dedication to detail when they were awarded a contract, and production of the G3 began in 1959. Chambered in 7.62 X 51 NATO, the G3 is one robust, reliable rifle that has seen service around the globe. The G3 and its semi-automatic version, the HK 91, are made primarily with plastic furniture, stamped receivers, and a hammer-forged barrel and use the Roller-Delayed Blowback operating system.

In 1966, Heckler & Koch introduced the HK54 machine pistol, which eventually became the legendary MP5 submachine gun in 1969.

In 1990, Heckler & Koch completed two decades of development for their revolutionary caseless weapon system and produced prototypes of the Heckler & Koch G11. The company also had prototypes of the Heckler & Koch G41 intended for the Bundeswehr.

During 1994 and 1995, the German government awarded Heckler & Koch contracts for producing an updated standard assault rifle and updated standard sidearm for the Bundeswehr. Heckler & Koch developed and produced the HKG36 assault rifle.

Heckler & Koch also introduced and produced the Heckler & Koch USP. The P8 was adopted as the standard handgun for the Bundeswehr in 1994 and the G36 in 1995.

In 2004, Heckler & Koch was awarded a significant handgun contract for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security worth $26.2 million for up to 65,000 handguns. This contract ranks as the largest handgun procurement contract in US law enforcement history.

Heckler & Koch developed an AR-15/M4 carbine variant, marketed as the HK416. HK replaced the direct impingement system used by Eugene Stoner on the original M16 with a short-stroke piston operating system.

Today, Heckler & Koch produces various types of weapons for the military and civilian markets and has facilities in Germany, Virginia, New Hampshire, and Georgia.

H&K SFP9CC

The new H&K SFP9CC Micro-Compact pistol is out! Photos of the mystery pistol have been leaked, then an article in the German Magazine Polizei Praxis. Now HK has started marketing the new pistol at Enforce-Tac 2023, the European equivalent of the SHOT Show.

H&K has finally joined other manufacturers and entered the Micro Compact EDC market, although the pistol won’t be available until the end of 2023. Better late than never, I say.

The SFP9cc is a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol based on the HK VP9 that got its start back in 2014. Approximately the size of the SIG P365 or Glock 43, HK states that the SFP9CC far surpasses the options of those competitors.

HK will offer two versions, the standard with ambidextrous controls and optional Picatinny rail, and the “Shape,” which features a contour-optimized slide and frame for better concealment.

FEATURES

  • A 10-round 1.5 stack magazine, with a 13-round version coming. Available flat or with a finger extension
  • Five different backstraps
  • An optics-ready version
  • A modular fire control unit ala SIG
  • Three different optional magazine release types: paddle, push button, or heel.
  • Two trigger options

SPECIFICATIONS

Type: Micro Compact, Striker Fired, Semi-automatic

Caliber: 9mm Parabellum

Magazine capacity: 10 and 13 Rounds

Sights: Optics ready

Barrel Length: 3 Inches

MSRP: $ UNK

URL: www.hk-usa.com

THE VERDICT

The SFP9CC has many options to choose from. I suspect that is why it’s taking so long to produce, as HK wants the product to be perfect before it hits the market.

It’s coming soon to your HK dealer, so keep an eye out.

That’s all for now, folks!   Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There.”

Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism Counterstrategies, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, Soldier of Fortune, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, Off Grid, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected].