The HK 21E Machine Gun

Mission Compatability Second to None

by Stephen Gearinger
Belt-fed machine guns have played an important role in nearly every
major military battle since the "War to End All Wars", World War I.
Across the open fields of France in "no man's land", belt-fed machine
guns commanded the flow of battle and were always the focal point
of attacking forces within the defensive lines of their enemy. The
utter devestation of sustained, full-power rifle caliber automatic fire
against attacking infantry is well-known and still every bit a lethal
today even with all of our many technological advances in individual
weapons and protective equipment.

World War II proved that the belt-fed machine gun had successfully
progressed into the "light machine gun" role allowing the gun to be
carried easily by one "shooter" during the assault. The use of air-
cooled versus water-cooled sustainment methods, lighter yet stronger
materials and designs, more streamlined weapons employing bipods,
assault slings, belt boxes and drums made the belt-fed machine gun
mobile without lessening its lethality.

The frightening target effects of the heavy machine guns of World

War I, like the Vickers, Maxim and Browning guns had not changed.
The weapons designers of the world had simply designed into the
lighter, smaller weapons all of the capabilities of the heavy machine
guns but with new enhancements to make them even more lethal than
their more bulky predecessors.

The world learned very quickly to respect the German MG34 and
MG42 machine guns for their high rates of fire and almost assured
lethality of anyone seen through the gunners sights. The MG34 and
MG42 are generally recognized as the earliest successful exapmles of
a true "General Purpose Machine Gun" (GPMG). GPMG's are
commonly defined as guns that can be used effectively by a lone
gunner in the light assault role from the shoulder, assault firing
position or from the prone position using a light bipod. By placing
these same weapons onto field tripods, fixed or vehicular mounts the
GPMG serves well in the role of a medium machine gun serviced by
a crew for defensive, sustained fire engagement.

During World War 11 the Germans favored high rates of fire in their
machine guns for numerous reasons, not excluding the bone chilling
psychological effects on the enemy. German designers believed, and
it was well proven in actual combat, that a higher rate of fire would
saturate the beaten zone produced by the weapon down range with
more projectiles. On an enemy squad in the open for example, this
would increase the probability that any personnel within this area
would be hit before they could "go to ground" and seek cover after
the initial engagement.

Anyone who has seen the recent film "Saving Private Ryan" can
better appreciate the abilities of a machine gun like the MG42 in
competent hands. Referred to as "Hitler's chain saw", the report of the
MG42 with it's 1,200 - 1,400 cyclic rate of fire was often described
as sounding like the tearing of canvas. That sound, and the guns
immense capability for suppressive fire both in the defensive role and
during the assault, were feared in its day and are still revered in
modern times by many who believe the MG42 to be one of the
worlds best all-around belt-fed machine guns. In fact, the MG42 is
still used by the German Bundeswehr today as the MG3 chambered
for the 7.62x51 mm NATO cartridge. The attributes of all of today's
successful belt-fed GPMG's are similar. Lightweight (generally under
26 pounds), man-portable and sustainable by a single operator with
quick change barrels for sustained fire and a bipod and buttstock for
assault firing. Beyond these common attributes, the designs, features,
accessories, methods of operation, reliability and performance vary
wildly.

Without question, one of the worlds best though severely underrated

GPMG's is the 7.62x511 mm NATO caliber HK21E Machine Gun
from Heckler & Koch. To many, the HK21E is without question the
world's most flexible weapon of its type, offering its users features
and capabilities not available in competing designs. It is for this
reason that the special units in the world that understand and
appreciate the unique capabilities of the HK21E have selected it for
use in both classic machine gun roles and for military and law
enforcement special applications.

The HK21E (E for "Export") is a true lightweight, general-purpose

machine gun in caliber 7.62x51mm NATO. The HK21E can be fired
from a tripod, bipod or from the shoulder. In the belt-fed
configuration fitted with a 22-inch barrel, the weapon weighs just
over 20 pounds with the bipod, unloaded. With the 17.7 inch barrel
installed the HK21E weighs in at 19.40 pounds and at 17.96 pounds
without bipod. Detailed specifications for the HK21E and its many
modular variations are included [below].

Some may remember the less-than stellar long-term performance of

the first belt-fed HK machine gun, the HK21. Little more than an HK
7.62mm G3 assault rifle with a belt feed mechanism added to feed
the weapon, early HK21s and later the improved HK21A1 models
found favor with many Armies around the world. Some of the current
users of the HK21E machine gun and its numerous variants include
the armies of Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Finland, Ecuador and many
others too numerous to mention here. Even special units like the U.S.
Army's elite Delta Force used the early model of the HK21 during the
attempt to rescue the American hostages in Iran in 1980 during
Operation Eagle Claw. Today various U.S. special operations units
and federal law enforcement agencies as well as security elements
within the Department of Energy use HK21Es.

However, early HK21s were not without their problems and in many
ways could be described as immature in their design. The early
prototype 5.56x45mm NATO HK23s, basically HK21s fitted with
5.56mm bolt, barrel and feed unit, submitted to the U.S. Army for
testing as the XM262 candidate for the Army's SAW trials performed
poorly. At the end the Army's testing, the HK gun was surpassed by
the performance of the FN MINIMI which was ultimately selected
and fielded within the U.S. military as the M249.

Exposure of many to "converted" HK21's built by American Class II

manufacturers from semi-automatic HK91 assault rifles or the
inferior HK21s built by HK licensed plants throughout the world did
little to improve the collective admiration of the HK21 design.

Parts breakages, buffer problems and other weak points in the early
HK21 and HK23 models resulted in almost continuous improvements
in the design, throughout the life span of the HK21 and HK21A1 and
finally into the current model today known as the HK21E. In the E
model, the length of the receiver was increased by a full inch to
provide additional recoil length for the bolt group. Reinforcing bars
were added to the receiver to provide additional strength and rigidity.
The bolt head, extractor and locking roller holder were completely
redesigned as were the bolt carrier and recoil spring assembly, belt
feed unit, buffer, barrel and trigger group. Little remains unchanged
in the design or performance of the HK21E from its earlier iterations.

During its 35+ years of life, many variants to the basic weapon have
been produced, primarily due to the HK21's unique modular design,
typical of the HK family of weapons. A simple swap of the barrel,
feed unit and bolt group allows the weapon to be converted in any
one of three calibers to include 7.62x51mm NATO, 5.56x45mm
NATO and even 7.62x39mm Russian in a model never produced
called the HK22A1. This caliber conversion of the HK21 can easily
be accomplished by the operator without tools, in a matter of
seconds. Simple conversion from belt to box magazine or drum feed
is also possible at operator level in the field. There were even plans at
HK for a .50 BMG caliber HK25 machine gun, a gun that by all
accounts never progressed beyond an advertisement that once
appeared in an HK catalog.

HK21Es imported into the U.S. prior to 1995 would function with
disintegrating M13 or DM6 link belts or the continuous German
DM1 belts without adjustment. In 1995 HK redesigned the belt feed
units and bolt heads of the HK21 E to optimize the reliability of the
weapon when using belts assembled with U.S. M13 links. As the
pitch or distance between the M13/DM6 and DM1 links varies,
HK21Es produced after 1995 are no longer designed to work reliably
with continuous, non-disintegrating DM1 belts, though HK21Es can
be special ordered for use with these belts. A true series production
caliber and feed convertible general-purpose machine gun, the
HK21E is unique in the history of the breed. Even today the truly
modern HK2 E machine gun can still be fitted with caliber and feed
conversion kits that allow for flexibility unheard of in competing
designs. The component parts that need to be exchanged to effect
these conversions are listed in the specification table on page 50.

What is it that reputedly makes the HK21E so superior to other

designs? As is often the case with successful products there is no
single feature that reserves its place in the history books. With the
HK21E its unmatched capabilities come from its combination of
unparalleled flexibility, features and uncompromising performance.

The HK21's closed bolt operation and free-floating barrel provide

excellent accuracy like that of a sniper rifle. While many rightly
contend that historically a machine gun has been an area fire,
suppressive weapon, the HK21E with its cyclic rate of fire of 800
rounds per minute (13 rounds per second) can definitely suppress a
target area. However, the superior accuracy, which its design brings
to the user, allows it to be used in ways and in roles never before
envisioned for a machine gun. For example, HK21E's are used by the
German Border Guard in a 7.62mm box magazine-fed version called
the G8 Rifle. Employing a special 50-round drum magazine and
telescopic sight, the G8 is used in a paramilitary/law enforcement
role as a light support weapon when highly accurate, surgical or
suppressive fire is required against vehicular, aircraft or massed
personnel threats.

The HK21E, or its box magazine-fed variants, is often used in

conjunction with or in place of a sniper rifle for precision long-range
engagements across the full target spectrum. Its capabilities allow it
to be used to engage single personnel targets, to accurately mark
targets for other weapons, to disable vehicles or equipment, or for
any task where the capabilities of putting .30 caliber slugs onto or
through a target with repeatable accuracy is required. The HK21E
can easily accomplish this task and, unlike the fully automatic fire
from a conventional machine gun, without creating the liability of
rounds that miss the intended target and could cause unwanted
collateral damage to surrounding personnel or materials.

Even firing belted military ball ammunition using iron sights,

HK21Es regularly will shoot sub-MOA groups at almost any range.
Three-shot groups measuring .75 inches at 100 meters are well within
this machine guns capabilities when fired from a bipod supported
prone firing position. This level of accuracy opens the door for the
users of the HK21E to engage pinpoint targets with accurate,
effective semi-automatic fire precluding the need to waste precious
ammunition in the sustained fire mode. If necessary, as the tactical
situation demands, a simple flick of the safety/selector lever will
allow that same shooter to "hose down" targets with sustainable
automatic fire. This unique capability is not an HK "sales pitch" that
is promoted and never used in the "real world". This capability is
available only in the HK21E and is one that is being used every day
by military and law enforcement units around the world.

An ambidextrous 4-position trigger group with semi-automatic, 3-

round burst and fully automatic modes of fire and "pictogram"
markings (HK's unique and universally understood colored bullet
symbols) for the modes of fire are standard on the HK21E. Few
machineguns offer other than the fully automatic mode of fire or
safety/selector levers for left-hand firing though these features are
often used by the HK21E gunner during normal training and
deployment.

Like the German MG42 and MG3 machine guns, the HK21E
provides the user with a simple, quick-change barrel capability. The
HK design takes the simplicity and ease of the barrel exchange to
new heights of simplicity. To change the barrel of the HK21E the
bolt is locked open, the barrel release lever depressed with the thumb
and the barrel rotated 35 degrees and removed rearward from the
weapon using only one hand. This procedure can be easily
accomplished even after firing 1,000 rounds, as the well-insulated
barrel handle precludes the need for an asbestos glove, as with many
other machine gun designs. A special insulated spare barrel carrier is
offered for the HK machine guns that allows a scalding hot barrel
slung across the shoulder to be safely carried by a member of the gun
crew. The layout of the HK21E allows the gunner the means to easily
change the barrel with one hand, in the prone without the need to
break out of the firing position or expose himself unnecessarily to
unwelcome enemy observation or fire.

Unlike the American M60 and FN MAG58 (known in the U.S. as the
M240) machine guns, only the barrel of the HK21E is removed
during barrel changes. There is no bipod, gas system, carrying handle
or front sight attached to the barrel. This well thought out and
executed arrangement simplifies and speeds barrel changes from all
firing positions and all but eliminates any change in zero of the
weapon from barrel to barrel. This design also reduces the total
weight of the machine gun crew's load as spare barrels are carried
free from attached bipods and gas systems that add to the weight of
competing designs. Without a gas system and its required gas port,
the structural integrity of the cold hammer forged HK21E barrel is
not compromised.

Anyone who has attempted to change a hot barrel on an M60 from a

prone position when firing off the bipod can attest to the complexity
of this procedure. Lift and hold the gun off of the bipod to free the
barrel, disengage the barrel latch, don your asbestos glove, remove
the hot barrel (remember not to lay the hot barrel on the spare barrel
bag or it will melt through the bag), insert the new barrel and align
the gas piston, fully seat the barrel in the receiver and hold it in place
while you engage the barrel latch. None of this is required with the
HK21E.

The HK21E provides the operator with a forward assist for silent
loading or to help chamber a round due to improper loading
procedure, such as riding the cocking lever forward. The receiver of
the HK21E has a guaranteed 60,000 round minimum service life.
Barrels regularly withstand the firing of 40,000 rounds or more with
no sign of accuracy degradation, even after being abused by long
bursts of uninterrupted automatic fire. A removable folding carrying
handle on the receiver, used most often to lift the weapon from the
ground as the gunner rushes forward, is positioned at the weapon's
balance point and folds out of the way when not being used. The
HK21E provides a cook-off rate in excess of 1,000 rounds (cyclic), a
fact proven by extensive testing, despite some claims that this is
impossible from a closed-bolt design like the HK21E.

Removable belt boxes can be used to hold 100 rounds of 7.62x51 mm

NATO on the HK21E for firing from vehicles or during the assault.
Special belt starter tabs allow the weapon to be loaded with the bolt
open or closed and with the belt feed unit locked in the normal firing
position. A quick drag of the belt through the unique ratchet drive
wheel arrangement of the HK21E's belt feed unit using the belt
starter tab places the belt in the position for loading. Retracting and
releasing the cocking lever chambers the first round and prepares the
weapon for firing.

It is possible with the HK21E to actuate the cocking lever and bolt of
the weapon while the safety/selector lever remains in the safe
position, a safety feature not available on many machine guns. "Run
away" firing wherein the gun continues firing after the trigger is
released (dangerous and not uncommon in the M60 due to it's simple
but unreliable sear/operating rod design), is unlikely in the HK21E
due to the unique design of the gun's trigger mechanism.

The weapon is of a closed-bolt design and is delayed blow-back

operated using the classic HK roller-locked bolt to delay the opening
of the breech. With the fluted chamber common in many HK
weapons, the cartridge case actually pushes itself from the chamber,
insuring positive extraction and ejection even under the most
inhospitable environmental conditions. In most gas-operated machine
guns the empty cartridge case is pulled from the chamber by the bolt
as it is driven rearward by the gas system. Should the extractor or
extractor spring of the gas-operated machine gun fail, the spent case
may well remain in the weapon causing a stoppage. Unlike gas-
operated machine guns (such as the FN MAG58) in the HK21E there
is no need for a gas regulator to adjust the gas flow into the system to
account for sluggish operation due to fouling in the weapon. In fact,
there is no gas system in the HK21E at all to be maintained. The
cyclic rate of fire of the HK21E decreases in cadence to 700 rounds
per minute when the weapon is converted to any one of the box
magazine-fed variants.

The HK21E is unique in its modular approach. Each of the assembly

groups of the weapon can be removed in seconds by the operator
without tools. This allows the configuration of the HK21E to be
"tailored" to meet the specific operational needs of the operator.
Maintenance is also simplified with the HK21E, as all of the modular
assembly groups and individual parts of the weapon are 100%
interchangeable without the need for hand fitting. Damaged or
unserviceable assembly groups can simply be exchanged by the
operator with a new one and fixed by an armorer when the
opportunity allows, without having to pull the complete weapon out
of service. Like all HK weapons, the HK21E is simple and quick to
field strip and reassemble and requires no tools to accomplish this.
The removable assembly group construction and accessibility to the
breech area in the HK21E receiver makes for quick and easy
cleaning.

The iron sights of the HK21E are of the classic style found on most
HK long guns. The front sight post is protected by circular hood that
is in fact an integral component of sight alignment with the rear
"peep" aperture. The rear sight offers external knobs for elevation
and windage adjustment to ranges matching the 1,200 meter
maximum effective range of the weapon. The rear sight provides a
means to zero the weapon independent of the external adjustment
knob settings using a simple Philips head screwdriver.

The HK Export model machine guns have a well thought out quick-
detachable sight mounting system that provides 100 percent retum-
to-zero capability for all types of targeting devices including
telescopic and reflex sights and visible or IR laser aimers. This
system is used on HK sniper rifles and provides sub-minute of angle
accuracy, even from the HK21E. It allows various types of targeting
devices to be interchanged on the weapon with the assurance that the
zero will remain unaffected even after repeated mounting and
dismounting. This sight mounting system allows the standard iron
sights and optional targeting devices to be mounted in tandem on the
weapon. The special box magazine-fed light machine gun version of
the HK21E used with a telescopic sight by the German Border Guard
unit GSG-9 as a light support weapon provides excellent accuracy
approaching or even exceeding that of many precision sniper rifles.

As an example of the weapon's incredible performance, many public

live-fire demonstrations have been conducted by HK, each year in
fact at the annual Small Arms Division meeting of the American
Defense Preparedness Association (ADPA, now NDIA). HK
demonstrators prove the reliability of the HK21E by firing a single
continuous 500 or even 1,000-round belt in the fully automatic mode
of fire without interruption. During this firing the unique feed system
of the HK21E drags the 32-foot long, 25 pound 500-round belt along
the ground and up into the weapon without assistance from the
gunner or assistant gunner. Immediately upon completion of firing
the barrel is removed from the weapon and held by the shooter in his
bare hand to illustrate the advantages of the HK21Es quick-change
barrel system. The barrel, hot enough to easily light a cigarette on, is
dunked in water to return it to the ambient temperature and
reinstalled in the weapon. Afterwards, the gun is placed in the semi-
automatic mode of fire and then used to accurately and easily engage
3-inch targets at ranges up to and including 300 meters in rapid-fire
cadence. This same barrel can and will be used time and time again
in other similar demonstrations due to the quality of the materials and
the cold hammer forging production process used during its
manufacture.

The HK21E can also pull a free hanging belt longer than 7 feet in
length into the weapon during firing without assistance, a mark of
excellent belt pull and reliability, a characteristic especially
appreciated in less than ideal environmental conditions.

Often times the demonstrator will convert the weapon from caliber to
caliber and from box feed to belt feed and back in under a minute
without tools as the crowd looks on, finishing each manipulation by
firing a box, drum or belt of ammunition to demonstrate the weapon's
proper function. This kind of performance is typical of that which has
made the HK21E appreciated by those who know machine guns. The
standard U.S. military published price for the HK21E complete with
22.0 or 17.7 inch barrel, detachable bipod with adjustable folding
legs, assault grip, carrying handle, pistol grip cleaning kit, plastic
muzzle cap, a combat carrying sling and operators manual is @
$4,600 U.S. This price is comparable to or less than many competing
designs that offer far less in the way of performance and features than
those offered as standard on the HK21E.

Accessories and mounts for the HK21E are endless and are listed
within the enclosed specification table. New accessories being
developed for the HK21E include adapters to allow for the use of
ammunition packaged in cloth U.S. M60 100-round bandoleers, belt
box carrying pouches, multiple MIL-STND-1913 (Picatinny) Rail
sections for attachment to the weapon's scope mount and receiver, a
special helicopter firing platform, a cartridge case deflector with
detachable collection bag, extended safety/selector levers and even
screw-on sound suppressors for the weapon.

The preceding leads to the obvious question "If the HK21E is so

good, so superior to other machine guns, then why is it not used by
the American military in other than a few select special units?" This
question is actually quite easy to address. A common phrase "The
logistical tail wags the operational dog" applies in this case. Often
times throughout history the infantry has asked for proven, superior
weapons available off the shelf to carry the fight to the enemy yet
were denied them due to the intervention of influential factors
associated with the logistical support for the weapon. Through the
last half of the 1800's the single-shot U.S. Springfield Trapdoor rifle
remained in service with American infantry even though the
superiority of repeating weapons like the Henry, Spencer, Winchester
and other rifles had been proven, demonstrated in battle and
requested by unit commanders, and even approved by the U.S.
President himself. Managers of the armories where the Trapdoor
rifles were made, seemingly more concerned with their positions and
jobs than the lives of the combat soldiers carrying the weapons into
battle, used their political influence from within the logistical system
to delay and even prevent the issue of superior weapons available in
that day. This is only one example; there were many others.

In the United States, the M60 was developed within our national
armory system. American armory designers made use of existing
design features from various weapons, many of them WWII German
machine guns, and combined these features into what should have
been a superior weapon. In the eyes of many, however, the M60 was
and still is today disturbingly inferior in countless ways to the
German guns that had come decades before the M60, and in the case
of the HK21E decades after. Yet with all of its shortcomings the M60
and its E3 variant remain in service today within the U.S. Navy and
Air Force. However, the U.S. Army, the Marine Corps and various
special operations groups have seen the light and within the past five
years have replaced almost all of their M60s with a ground model of
the FN M240 machine gun (called the M240G in the Marine Corps,
the M240B in the U.S. Army). While this gun is far superior to the
M60 in the minds of many informed individuals, its selection to
replace the tired old M60 was not made simply on its own merit.

For many years the Marine Corps was dissatisfied with the reliability
of the M60. During the 1980's it became aware that the Army had in
its war stock a large surplus of new, unissued M240 machine guns
that had been purchased for use on the M1A1 tank. These guns were
made available to the Marines who, with the help of FNMI, quickly
developed a ground modification kit to allow the weapons to be used
as a GPMG in place of the M60E3s then fielded in the Corps.
Though weighing nearly 26 pounds, some three or more pounds
heavier than the new improved M60E4, test sample of the M240E4
proved to be far more reliable than those of the M60E4 in extensive
firing tests and was thus selected for issue within the Marine Corps.

Based on the finding of the Marine Corps tests, the U.S. Army has
since replaced all of the M60s within units like the 82nd Airborne
Division, the Ranger Regiment and other conventional infantry and
special operations units with the M240B. The Army's version of the
M240 differs slightly from the Corps version and weighs
approximately 28 pounds. In the case of the Army's decision to field
the M240B to replace the M60, they did for a short time consider
conducting a side-by-side comparative test that was also to include
the lighter HK21E. This was the point where the logistical tail
wagged the operational dog. The HK21E was never tested by the
U.S. Army against the M60E4 and M240E4 because "it was not in or
supported by the U.S. Government supply system". Try explaining
this to the grunt carrying the M240B or G model, an admittedly
excellent 26 to 28 pound weapon but one designed in 1958 and
without any of the many desirable features found on the HK21E.
With all of the equipment that makes up the infantryman's current
minimum combat load which can often exceed 100 pounds or more,
instead of issuing a new machine gun that was lighter than the 23
pound M60E3, we issued him one that was actually three to five
pounds heavier. (This was done without considering the fact that
there are lighter machine guns available off the shelf with a proven
record of performance that would preclude the need to spend
precious R&D dollars, like the 18 pound HK21E). Eight full pounds,
the difference in weight between the M240G and the HK21E, nearly
one tenth of his total 100-pound combat load, or 125 rounds of belted
7.62x51 mm NATO ammunition is a significant difference one that
could decide mission success or failure. For those special units who
can afford to and are able to buy the best available weapons to get the
job done, the HK21E is very often their first choice.

What is it like to shoot the HK21E? From the classic light machine
gun, bipod supported position the weapon handles like a slightly
bulky semi-automatic rifle on a bipod. The weapon is normally
loaded in the "cleared" condition: safety on, bolt locked open. The
belt is laid across the belt feed unit against the cartridge stop with the
open side of the links facing up. Unlike the M60 where the bolt
travels below the feed cover, the bolt of the HK21E rides over the
belt feed unit and thus the open side of the links must face the bolt so
that the cartridges can be stripped from it. The cover to the belt feed
unit is then locked in place to secure the belt. The belt feed unit is
then pivoted up and locked in place on the receiver. If belt starter tabs
are available, the belt can simply be pulled through the belt feed unit
with it in the normal firing position. Of course, the HK21E fires
standard 7.62x51 mm NATO ammunition assembled with American
M13 or German DM6 disintegrating links.

The HK21E is also compatible with special purpose ammunition to

include match, special ball, armor piercing, visible and IR tracer.
From this point once the belt is inserted the cocking lever is then
released with a practiced slap of the non-firing hand and a round is
chambered.
The actuation of the firing controls of the HK21E, the use of the
sights and firing are just like that of most other HK weapons, a
distinct advantage from the training aspect of the operator. In the
small arms currently in the U.S. inventory with the exception of the
M16 rifle and M4 carbine there is no similarity between the operating
controls of the weapons; each one is different. The HK weapons
"system" reduces training time and increases the familiarity of the
operator with all of the weapons in the inventory, whether it be a
rifle, submachine gun, sniper rifle or machine gun.

A good firing position from the bipod can be improved by placing the
feet of the bipod well into the ground or against support, such as the
edge of a pavement, windowsill or fighting position. With the rubber
buttstock of the weapon in his shoulder the gunner slides his body
forward against the fixed bipod.

This creates a rock solid and stable firing position that is undisturbed
by even prolonged bursts of automatic fire. Even inexperienced
gunners find it easy to get two or even three hits on an E-type
kneeling silhouette at 100 yards when firing in the three-round burst
mode from this position. The gunner's non-firing hand grasps the toe
of the buttstock and holds it securely into his shoulder pocket. The
design of the bipod allows for a limited amount of left to right
traverse of the weapon without moving the placement of the bipod's
feet. The elevation adjustment required to get the sights on target
requires only a slight shift forward or backward of the shooters body.
The gunner makes firm contact with his or her cheek against the
comb of the buttstock. This brings the rear and front sights into easy
alignment. Centering the circle created by the front sight hood within
the rear sight aperture, by intended design a skill almost naturally
accomplished by the eye and brain, automatically aligns the sights.
The front sight post is then simply placed on the target at the desired
point-of-impact. A quick adjustment of the non-firing hand (always
free to manipulate the controls of the weapon while in a firing
position, an HK trademark) to the elevation adjustment knob corrects
the sight setting for the estimated range to the target. The gunner is
now ready to "smoke" the target. Rotate the combined safety/selector
lever into one of three available modes of fire. 7 to 11 pounds of
constant rearward pressure applied to the trigger will release the
hammer from the sear and fire the weapon. The design of the
HK21E's trigger group insures that the hammer will not release if the
weapon is handled roughly or dropped from a height of up to 2
meters with safety/selector set in the safe or fire positions. Recoil of
the HK21E is most often described as mild, less than that of HK
assault rifles of the same caliber, mainly due to the weight of the
weapon in comparison to that of a rifle, its enhanced spring buffer
and the solid, bipod-supported position described above.

In the 3-round burst mode, the three rounds are fired quickly enough
that a clear vision of the sight picture as seen before the first round is
fired is still visible to the shooter when the weapon stops firing.
Unlike the 3-round burst mode of the M16A2 rifle, there is no
memory in the HK burst device so the weapon wiII always respond
with a full three rounds each time the trigger is pulled and held to the
rear, regardless of how many rounds were fired during the previous
burst.

It is in the fully automatic mode of fire, represented on the HK21E

trigger group as seven little red bullets in a red box with an open-end
meaning "infinite", that you know you are firing a belt-fed weapon.
Short six to nine round bursts are most effective from the bipod-
supported position. As is the case in most machine guns fired from
the ground, after the second or third shot the gunners view through
the sights is obscured by the smoke and dust created from the muzzle
blast of the weapon. This is where the eyes of the assistant gunner to
help direct the gunner's aim pays large dividends in hits on target.

There are the telltale signatures, sounds and sights common in all
guns and unique to each specific model. Like the sound of the buffer
recoiling through the buffer spring and housing in the buttstock of an
M1/AR15, the HK21E is not without its own unique character. The
high rate of fire is felt in the shoulder as a mild whack as the bolt
group meets the waiting spring buffer in the buttstock. At 800 rounds
per minute, the visual signature of the weapon comes mainly from
the brass colored "stream" of empty cartridge cases being ejected
from the weapon to the right and forward of the firing position.
Expended links form a tidy pile below and to the right of the belt feed
unit. Violent is one word often used to describe the ejection pattern of
the HK21E. Cases are thrown 25 feet or more from the weapon due
to the blow-back operating principle unique to the HK weapon. The
always-unpopular police call of empty brass on the range can be
reduced or even eliminated by an experienced gunner by the careful
selection of a firing point for the HK21E so that the empty cases land
in an area not included in the clean up! A cartridge case deflector
with detachable collection bag is available for the HK21E and is
popular in roles where ejected cases pose a serious threat to the well
being of the shooter, especially a shooter firing from a helicopter in
flight. 7.62mm brass does not mix well with rotor and turbine blades
common in today's modern helicopters.

The gunner can make barrel changes while still in the prone position
and without the burns often received from less user-friendly
weapons. Barrel changes in the HK21E can only be made with the
bolt locked rearward and thus the weapon in a "cleared" condition, an
additional safety feature of the gun.

When firing in the assault mode from a standing or hip firing

position, a few select accessories are desirable and in fact come with
the weapon. The detachable assault grip can be fitted without tools in
seconds to one of the many slots in the barrel casing. Right handed
gunners usually prefer it positioned at about the 7 o'clock position
midway along the barrel casing below the cocking lever's "rest"
position. The adjustable cotton web sling attaches to the sling
mounting points on the left side of the weapon and is slung over the
shooter's head and under his firing ann. The gunner may then adjust
the size of the loop so that the sling is pulled tightjust as the elbow of
the non-firing arm is locked out.

With the gunner assuming an aggressive "fighter's" stance, the

control of this relatively lightweight 18 pound 7.62mm machine gun,
even in long sustained fire bursts at 800 rounds per minute, is
impressive, especially in the hands of an experienced HK21E gunner.
For more accurate aimed fire, the HK21E can be raised to and fired
from the shoulder using the sights of the weapon as a rifle might be.

Firing the HK21E from one of the many available tripod or fixed
mounts is generally just a matter of aligning the sights and pulling the
trigger. The unique buffered mounts offered for HK machine guns
remove most of the vibration and recoil from the weapon normally
imparted to the shooter, improving hit probability. "Soft mounts"
with integral recoil buffers are relatively new developments in U.S.
military mounts more common within the past 5 to 10 years. HK
mounts have always included this useful feature, like the WWI and
WWII German mounts that came before them. The HK mounts
designed for anti-aircraft use include the unique "free-aiming" feature
wherein the weight of the gun is supported by the mount itself to ease
aiming and firing at fast moving targets. After firing, the gun is
"cleared", the last link or two is removed from the belt feed unit and
the hits on the target can be assessed. If everything was done
correctly the target should be showing signs of the serious damage
that only a belt-fed machine gun can inflict.

There is a great deal more to the HK21E machine gun than meets the
eye. It is certainly a machine gun that, when compared to even more
modern designs, has a lot going for it. Users who have experienced
the HK21E know that it offers unmatched tactical flexibility in a
lightweight, reliable design, with mission capability second to none.

HK 21E Technical Specifications

Caliber 7.62x51mm (.308 Win)

Belt or staggered magazines;
Ammunition Feed
20- or 50-round capacity
Cyclic rate 800 RPM
Sight Radius 26.97 inches
Weight: with empty
20.50 pounds
magazine
Barrel length 22.05 inches
Overall length 44.88 inches
Width 5.24 inches
Height 8.26 inches