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| The 25th Annual SHOT Show
comes to beautiful Orlando, Florida, and HK is present with booths in both
the main and and law enforcement section. Though
the show did not start until Thursday, on Wednesday, HK held a demonstration of
their latest products that they plan to aggressively market in 2003.
The demonstration was held at Reed Knight's facility in Titusville, very
near Kennedy Space Center. It was a chore, but I forced myself to get some trigger time on the various weapons platforms, including the MG43 and the GMG. For the media, a packet was provided that outlines the new products and included a press release dated February 1 that had some particularly interesting information for the HKPRO member and visitor. Comments by company co-owner Keith Halsey finally put to rest what many had been hoping for, myself included. Halsey said, "Buying the company from BAE Systems provides the leadership with the opportunity to focus on strengthening our premier market position. We plan to expand in the U.S. and look for HK to establish a design and manufacturing facility here very soon. In fact, we are actively seeking candidate locations." Halsey added, "Heckler & Koch will become a much more American-focused company and we could not ask for a better mix of innovative new products or a more talented team of employees to to ensure the continued success of HK-both here in the U.S. and overseas." This is great news! The main new products being debuted at the 2003 show are the USP9 SD, the 9mm and .45 Elite, the 9mm Expert, the MG43 and the P2000. A number of new FABARM shotguns are also to be unveiled. The show is well attended and huge, and there has been no shortage of traffic at either HK booth. Though the photos show open booths, the fact is that these were rare openings in the booth space that allowed for unobstructed viewing of the featured firearms. The GMG was heavily scrutinized, as was the MG43. Also, a must handle was the MP7, now in final production status. I will be posting news on the show as time allows, as well as images from the event, in an effort to keep you updated on the latest from HK. |
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| 9mm USP SD, a 9mm version of the .45 tactical with Brügger & Thomet suppressor. The only difference will be the threaded barrel and high adjustable sights for suppressor clearance. Indications are also that the slide will not be marked any differently than the standard USP9. |
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| Main firing line with most of the new products that HK manufactures. |
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| MG43 getting a workout on the standard M122 U.S. tripod. |
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| The AG-C 40mm grenade launcher is fired. The AG-C is very versatile, given that it can be quickly removed from a host rifle without tools, and a buttstock added to make it a stand alone launcher. Reflex sight in use. Mount is fully ambidextrous. |
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| The GMG gets put through its paces. It is fully ambidextrous for feed direction. |
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| There are two booths for displaying HK products. The law enforcement main wall is shown here. The GMG in the foreground is a big crowd draw, and the ammo feed can was filled with candy,. The main modern law enforcement line of firearms is displayed. |
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| The HK Commercial booth showing the large selection of FABARM shotguns. |
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| Suppressed G36C. |