Thanks for the further input. I was hoping you had access to some of the testing; that would be interesting to see. Often the scope of testing is more of a factor in determining the outcome than anything else. And as I'm sure you know, the scope is frequently not objective even though that's the purpose. Case in point, the M-16 and M4. The vast popularity of a rifle that jams 19% of the time in modern combat is due more to politics than anything else. Hundreds of "successful" tests and comparisons have been completed which show it as the "best." In the end, Americans like the M-16 because it's what our government has given us to use and what we have experience with.
While comparing older German roller locked designs with modernized gas designs obviously puts them at a disadvantage, especially regarding cost, maintenance, and materials, the question is, how would a modernized roller locked design perform? Surely the same modern materials, manufacturing, and tech improvements could be made, i.e. polymers, CAD, and manufacturing technology. Also, how much of an advantage are such improvements to the operator anyway? In some cases the differences would be practically negligible, i.e. 8lb HK33 vs 8.05lb G36. Yet in others significant, mainly due to technology, i.e. sights. Factors that might be more important to operators than those in charge of logistics are things like accuracy, which German roller locked designs are famous for. How much was accuracy a consideration of the tests you are aware of? Differences in testing and comparisons might not be as significant as any results imply. It really does depend upon having objective and scientific testing. Further, if new technologies were applied to the German designs bringing them up to speed rather than just patching up the old ones, any results would surely be even more favorable. I think your mentioning of the MP5 vs UMP9 is a good example, where operators had a chance to say, "hey, wait a minute, there's a reason we like the accurate MP5 roller locked weapon."
Yes, the costs would still likely be higher manufacturing modern roller locked rifles and world wide acceptance would still be lower, which would result in less profits for HK in the short term, but now that we are living in the information age people are becoming less and less susceptible to propaganda. In the long term, customers prefer paying more up front for things of higher precision, quality and performance, and this is especially the case with critical items like weapons - HK was built on quality, performance and precision, and so is Germany for that matter. I can't help but think that HK may have played the, "if we can't beat them, join them" card too soon.
Of course, if that's the only thing that saved HK financially in the short term, then I guess not. Anyway, I hope to see more innovative designs come from HK in the future.
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Bob's Super HK powers for HKPROFEST again... 
