"at least a GBE" - yeah it's not like GBE is the highest class within the Order and there are currently only 30ish knighted people in that class. Such work is usually an MBE "only"
I have seen two interviews where one Delta operator did NOT like the HK 416 because of the extra weight and then another Delta operator loved the HK 416 because it never jammed in combat. Be careful who you listen to.
Hey this is Johnathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearm and artillery of the Royal Armories Museum that houses a collection of hundred of weapons from throughout history
One Delta operator, fought in Blackhawk Down, did not like the 416 due to the “snappy” recoil. To each their own. I would love own if I did not have to sell a child into slavery to afford it.
GBRS touched on the 416 briefly and how problematic it was for them. they immediately scarped it and stuck with mk18’s and mp7’s the entirety of their time on the teams. 416 has always been a problematic platform I don’t understand why so many people defend it. No weapons system will ever beat the reliability of a standard DI rifles.
As a combat vet, your nightmare begins when your weapon doesn't work. You want 100% reliability, even over capability even over the minor weight penalty of the gas piston.
Deltas use it because they don’t have to lubricate it and there’s less cleaning while getting out of helicopters. Seals have said the 416 and scar have special uses and are not better rifles and that both have reliability issues with strange malfunctions and the 416 hyper cycling after suppressor usage causes springs for the firing pin to wear out. Mk18 and m4a1 is still the weapon of choice by DEVGRU in the noveske n6. And the Marines have issues firing the m855a1 with the m27. Every SF guy on TH-cam still use DI guns almost exclusively check out slade, GBRS, John lovell, garand thumb, etc. if you see short stroke gas it’s going to be an LMT, PWS or LWRCI. The 416 is all hype.
@@aljohnston453 I agree, in my opinion H&K did not hit the mark with the 416, they make a bunch of different weapon systems kinda like a Jack of all trades thing. Essentially they made the G36 AR-15 like. Special Forces had issues with the Mk18 not so much the M4, if Knights would of made the MK18 from the jump I doubt Special Forces would of had much issues with it.
@@aljohnston453 “all hype” lol it’s Norway’s and Frances main service rifle for a reason, it may not be the best rifle you can get but it’s certainly a very good rifle, trust me I use it
The Mk18 was abandoned because the barrel length had something to do with causing premature wear and tear, and both the Seals and Delta went back to direct impingement because it was lighter and the fact that 11.5 shows more lethality in a short barrel and mot as much wear and tear, and less concussive and gassy than a Mk18 10.3 barrel. It isn't the piston that makes the difference, it's keeping it lubed and getting rid of old magazines to keep it being operational. However the USMC really seems to love their M27 and have issued carbines to their SF MOS's. But Delta and Seal Team 6 went back to direct impingement with Geissele and not Colt or Daniel Defense.
The Mk18 variants *are* DI though? Unless I'm misunderstanding your post... but yeah, too short a barrel usually gives inadequate dwell time for fully cycling the action, even with the substantially larger ports. Hence why they have to make the cycling as violent as possible with weak buffers to allow for full cycling. If you're running a super short barrel, you kind of have to use a piston for reliable cycling, otherwise DI seems to be better in most other areas (ignoring suppression).
As far as I can remember based off what Larry Vickers explained (who helped develop the 416) its entire purpose was for use with short barrels such as 10 inch approx where a DI system would not be as reliable, also to be used realiably with suppressed use. So in short, a 14.5 or 16 inch 416 with no suppressor is largely redundant. Still good but the benefits of it are not then better than 14.5 or 16 inch mid length gas system DI gun. The standard M4 or MK18 was found to double its reliability and double its service life length just by moving to a mid length gas system from carbine length, but that can't really be done with a short 10.5 barrel. The 416 is designed to be a shorty and suppressed and shot an extreme amount. Otherwise the DI AR-15 systems (if set up the right way) is almost always the best option.
@@The_Conspiracy_Analyst That was never the claim, nor the point. You can argue the SA80 is an AR18, another Stoner design. So it is redundant. Plus there is a lot more put into the guns than just their operating system. Some come out good, some come out bad. SA80 came out bad despite the operating system coming from a God of design. The whole point of the 416 was as a direct result of what could not be capable with a short AR.
416 has actually been around a long time, and is there really anything new? 416 is taking best aspects of different systems and making a damn good platform. It's not wiz bang, just reliable under worst case conditions. @@The_Conspiracy_Analyst
I'll take the KAC KS-1 all day. I love HK (my EDC is a vp9sk), however the knight's rifles will be 99.9% as durable, but much smoother shooting and lighter. I have a KAC SR15 (e3 mod 2 14.5) and there's no universe where I trade it for a 416, even if I was doing lots of full auto shooting. High end DI rifles are extremely durable, you Brits really got it right by choosing the KS-1 as your new service rifle. Knight's makes the best AR15s on the planet by far. Earlier this year I shot a real 416 on both semi and full auto and in all honesty it was not that great. A very cool gun with a great history, but outdated at this point.
Agree on the point that HK 416 might be getting a bit old, but for that there are SIG 516 and Caracal CAR 816, which are basically "HK 416, but better".
Jonathan Ferguson - Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England!!!! Man's everywhere. Knows his stuff and translates his passion for firearms to viewers!
The L85 a2/3 is a good service rifle. Why swap a for a similar weapon in terms of 5.56mm Total waste of money if you’re going to punch the same bullet down range.
@@olilastname8844 L85 is an ergonomic nightmare, not ambidextrous and way too heavy. Practically no one else adopted it. Even UK special forces have avoided it and the Royal Marines are moving to what is a quality direct gas impingement AR clone.
@@nickgood8166 Well, no one else adopting it isn't really a problem. The UK is a whole ass country, they literally asked H&K to redesign most of the parts on the L85 and ended up with the A2, they don't need to necessarily shop for stuff off the shelf. That said there is pretty good off the shelf stuff from US development so its probably not necessary to get hyper specific anything.
@@olilastname8844 I say this without knowing anything about the state of them but it could also be a service life thing. The L85s might just be starting to wear out and they might not be being built anymore. The only reason France replaced the Famas was because they closed their factory and weren't building any more of them and they just got too old and worn out, wasn't really anything about performance.
@@olilastname8844The entire concept of bullpups seems ridiculous to me. Almost no military in the world uses bullpus as a standard issue and ethe ones that do typically only issue them to conventional units while direct action special operations units run some varient or version of the M4 or HK416.
The Knight made kS-1 purchased by the UK is listed at 6.9 pounds, the KS-416 is listed at between 6.88 pounds (No magazine) to 8.45 pounds with a full 30 round magazine. So the weight difference will depend on the kind of butt, and furniture and magazine that particular gun has dressed on it. The gas system only weighs a few ounces.
Also depends on what barrel length 416 you're comparing. The KS-1 I think is a 13.7 inch barrel. I suspect that 6.88 lb weight you're listing for the 416 is might be something like an 11-inch variant. The piston system doesn't weigh too much, and has its obvious benefits. That said, where the extra weight is, which is towards the front of the gun, is also relevant.
Having done this professionally, I would want the most reliable system. The 416 is far and away the best man portable 5.56 weapon platform in the world right now.
I’m Marine Recon retired, I’ve shot the HK416, I’ve obviously shot the M4, but my go to rifle is the M14 with leupold scope, this is a tried and true , super accurate rifle, a bit heavy, but well balanced , and with 308 round, one shot, one kill
Respect your input and thank you for your service, but how many rounds did you put through the 416 and what were your takeaways? I agree. I love the M14 as well and have one because the .30 cal just has more punch and ... well, it's just a helluva gun. Super versatile cartridge & platform for almost anything you would want to do (by adding / subtracting parts). cheers 🍻
Does it matter? The KS1 is only going to be used by a few thousand British Soldiers. Its not the general SA80 replacement. We won't know what that will be until about 2026/27.
Honestly, having used this weapons system and several different systems over the years, I find that it comes down to your personal preference and the mission at hand. If you're given a good, well-maintained DI weapon system, you can keep it up and functioning just as well as any piston system. The pistons have their benefits when it comes to not needing lubrication, as well as waterproofing benefits that can get a DI gun. DI, on the other hand, has very few serious malfunctions with the gas system that can't be fixed in the field. Most of the malfunctions with the DI system boils down to field cleaning and taking care of your weapon in the field. Piston systems on the AR platform that start having issues with the gas system can cause a catastrophic malfunction that can only be fixed in the rear, or you have to carry multiple piston systems in case of some kind of malfunction. Some of the marines I know that use the new rifle have a spare piston system in their rucks to swap out if there's a failure. There are also problems with wear on the bolt. Like I said, it comes down to personal preference, and you just knowing your weapons system. I was jumping on the piston bandwagon for a while, but then slowly went back into the DI systems after realizing that I really wasn't gaining much that I couldn't already have by simple user maintenance.
I loved my Daewoo had the same system. Used a AR15 bolt, receiver and lower end. Never ever jammed in all the 20 years I owned it. Very reliable with gas piston instead of direct impingement. Had four gas piston settings. Used it in AR matches at my rod and gun club matches.
Got to agree with his take on the KS-1. The HK416 no longer has the advantage it had in the early 2000s with just bomb proof ruggedness and reliability, especially while suppressed. The DI system has been refined and improved over the years and suppressor technology has gotten way better than the early 2000s. The only thing the HK416 has over the KS-1 is barrel life and probably a more durable springs. In all other categories of performance the KS-1 and HK416 are about equal. The KS-1 make more sense for the UKMOD in this case.
Iam not, by far an expert in weapons, by really far, so dont quote me on this. My 2 cents are that the hk416 a5 is still more reliable than any other AR. But they are used for different things. When you have a few hundreds of thousands of men fighting with a weapon, having the "second most reliable" gun is fine. But when you are operating in really small spec ops groups u cant afford to have a malfunction in one gun, and the most reliable gun is needed. 1 malfunction in a group of 1000 it is ok. 1 malfunction in a group of 8 is a catastrophe, that's why spec ops will continue using the hk416 and regular units will use anything else, from m4, m16s, up.
@@fernandoferraz3527 You need to ask yourself why the SAS, SBS and other special operations units in the UK kept the DI L119A1/L119A2 AR15 variant. Colt Canada solved the reliability problem of short barreled AR15s by having the weapons being heavily over gassed but SOCOM did it better with the MK18. The MK18 was not finalised before the HK416 when into service with Delta and by the time it was, SOCOM saw no need to get a new weapon because although the MK18 is less reliable than the HK416 and wears out parts faster, it was good enough for SOCOM. The KAC KS-1 is a heavily modifief AR 15 that is very reliable and does not suffer as much from most problems the AR 15 has which are broken bolts, extractors and firing pin breakage.
you wont have the same sustain of fire with DI against gas piston. KS-1 is essentially an AR-15 clone. I remember a test being done about rate of fire(i think it was from weapon selection for US Marines, in which they chose iar m27) and i think m4s were able to fire 13 rounds per minute while keeping heat neutral while hk416 did it for 36 rounds per minute. Difference is almost 3 times. Volume of fire is fire superiority.
@@fistan5447 The L403A1 isn't a machinegun or a machinegun replacement as the marines intended the M27 to be. The L403A1 is an assault rifle specially designed for special operations. If the barrel profile is too thin for sustained fire, get an HBAR profile barrel from KAC to solve the problem. The weapon only weighs about 6.83 pounds unloaded and without accessories. A heavy barrel will probably bring it to about 7.5 pounds at most which is about the weigh of a 14.5 hk 416 with slim handguard a normal profile barrel.
@@FDCNC dude, special ops units are the kind of guys who need greater sustained fire unlike regular infantry. Have you never watched any compound assaults. They are generally on a timer hence the faster tempo. Also dont think M27IAR as machinegunner replacement. Its not exactly. What that ability gives you is tactical flexibility, that is irreplacable especially for spec ops units. You can be whatever the situation demands which gives your team faster reaction time to events as a unit.
Agreed. Went to a class with some LE dudes who brought their department Sig MCX’s. Select fire and everything. They’re super cool but I definitely wouldn’t want to carry that much weight for an extended period of time lol
SOCOM units still use the 416 but not as much as they did 10-12 years ago. The Rangers and Green Berets are using the URGI CAG uses the MCX now a lot DEVGRU uses the MCX and the Noveske shorty The Raiders never really used the 416 to begin with and always used the Mk18 instead.
Its actually a descendant of the M-1 Carbine system. SA-80 uses the similar derivative as the Steyr. G36 and 416 use the same system. Sullivan used a piston similar when designing the AR18.
US SOCOM whom commissioned and issue the SPEER are using the LT with titanium parts..we might sell the base model to the Redcoats as they cant make their own rifles or any proper military equipment for that matter 😅
Anyone who has had to go and clean a direct impingement armalite every month at the armory when you haven't been shooting it knows DI armalites do get dirty, and they're not easy to clean.
This should be the rifle to replace the SA80 for the British military, that’s just my opinion . It’s made by H&K which also produces the SA80, it’s 5.56mm same as the SA80 and the fact that other armies like the French and the New Zealanders have adopted it , that’s a vote of confidence to say it’s a brilliant rifle
The Norwegians use it too as their standard assult rifle for the entire Norwegian army. Norway = Icy, cold, rugged terrain. And rocky/dusty in the summer.
Delta had the 416 built to begin with. Larry Vickers set the parameters for the AR they needed and took them to HK to build. It was needed for the short barreled, suppressed and full auto performance required on so many CAG/Devgru missions. In no way is it a copy of the SA-80 system, rather the SA-80 was a copy of the G-36 system which was a further development of the AR-18 which developed from Carbine Williams M-1/2 Carbine short stroke gas operating system.
I heard a Ukrainian guy say this the only 556 rifle he's come across that can take a beating ,and get as dirty nearly as the ak and still fire with no cleaning,he said if you maintain it will never fail, I've picked it up from a puddle and it fired and cycled fine,dude swore by his rifle said he basically paid off the armourer to make sure the HK is his more or less lol
As an American, these are available to us and semi automatic however they are extremely expensive for what the rifle is compared to least dozen top quality A.R. 15 manufacturers in America.
No actual soldier in a combat environment would choose weight over reliability. There's a reason why the fn mag is so loved and hated for decades and still serves, it's heavy and everyone hates to carry it until your in contact and that beast just keeps firing
@@RR-us2kp I've a lot more service and experience than the likes of you sweetie. Hope you enjoy military videos as you will never serve a day in your life
@@desertrat5565 idf gets m4s for free is why they use them, tavor has a gas piston. and is the weapon fielded by front line troops. Plus the idf has spent the last few decades shooting women and children. Stick to Wikipedia clown
DEV dropped the 416 a few years ago for Noveske. CAG is most likely dropping it as well for the SPEAR-LT(Still speculation). Everybody else is mk18, block IIs, or URGI. Marine Corps still uses it(calling it the M27 IAR) but MARSOC primarily uses the mk18.
SPEAR-LT isn't replacing the 416. CAG has a ton of weapons in their armories, the SPEAR is probably still being T&E'd to be the successor to their MCX LVAW.
@@DJ-fd4qk LVAW will still be a thing, but now Gen. Miller works at Sig and dropped a subtle hint about titanium LTs being tested. I did mention in my comment that it's "speculation" that it may be replacing the 416. Either way, CAG has been looking for a replacement for their 416s for awhile now.
@@travis3063yeah apparently they've been eyeing DI guns. Like you said though it's all speculation, I don't work for jsoc and neither does 99.999% of ARFCOM so until we see them ITW, we'll never know
From what have been hearing lately in SOF community is that its has been falling out favour with a good number now prefering mk18s n some the newer sig spears n so on though the marines adopted the hk416 based IAR m27.
Marine Corp Force recon uses the 10.5 416d as well. Its a g36 gas system and the reason the sa80 uses it is they had to give it to hk to re engineer to make the pos work
MR556 (imo) is overpriced as hell, if you need an HK clone for the "vibe's sake", better go with stuff like BRN 4 which is far cheaper, and there are also derivative designs like SIG 516 and CAR 816, both being improved versions from the same engineer.
The last great English battle rifle was the Enfield. If your life depends on a battle rifle the HK416 is your tool. US move to the sig which has a major flaw will cost lives...Dang.
The hk mr556/416 is not any better when suppressed but it is that much more reliable and cleaner then the regular m4 when unsupressed. I know this because I own one of these rifles and I only shoot suppressed. When suppressed I would still get blowback to the face and the bolt would be extremely dirty. The issue is from the increase pressure from the suppressor. I've never used the KS1 but I think that is going to be a better, more modern, and refined system compared to the older hk.
Just asking you a question if you don't mind. What are the differences between the HK MR556 and the HK416, I'm interested in the MR556, Just want to know how it compares to each other.
What he doesnt mention is that the KS1 comes with Knights new QDC MCQ PRT flow through suppressor which reduces the gas to the face by a lot. KAC rifles are bomb proof. They will shoot in whatever condition. HK416s are super heavy making them not an ideal for special recon missions where the operator will need long range optics.
@@Rubeless What? Im talking about hiking extremly long distances with a heavy rifle and 80lbs of gear. That is why the HK416 is not ideal for that mission set.
A more ergonomic bullpup would be nice. I personally like short length and a 20inch barrel. Makes for a very accurate rifle with the weight close. Smaller size as with the m4 makes getting in and out of vehicles easier. Still issues with firing from the wrong shoulder. And more awkward mag change. Both can get some training to get around, but they are there. The ejector is very close, I have seen someone have hot brass go down their shirt while firing from a land-rover on the move. Yes, wind might do that with any rifle. But thats the only one I have seen it happen.
There’s a reason why even in militaries that use bullpups for their service rifles, the more elite units, the ones actually expected to shoot at people regularly, still use conventional rifles Bull pups are great to stand around with but if you plan to be shooting most of conventional
@SodaPrezsing they are not great, but then again most military issue rifles tend to be abused things. A civilian version trends to be more crisp. Even without the best trigger the sa80 best a number of other rifle's at inter military competitions.
A modern fully ambidextrous bull pup is the best all round option. Anyone who has fought in the desert does not want the shorter barrel length and effective range that a carbine suffers.
@@jonny2954 Not according to the only pictures to come out of that organization this year. While there are still some, its no longer the main choice. There are also still a few floating around in dam neck but the noveske gen 3 upper on a gen 1 lower is the primary choice there
@@jakerrush No, we didn't hear "bud". All we have is outsiders overanalyzing after _seeing_ something on photos. CAG has been seen with LVAWs since 2016, but that's not their main blaster. It's to complement the 416. After all everyone here would be suprised if they replace the 416 with a gun that can't hold zero on a laser in 2023 LMAO
"This weapon is for hard charging, special forces"...the Norwegian military has it as it's standard weapon, weekend warriors like the "7 days a year" Home Guard soldiers use it lol.
The flow through suppressors that England equips with their new rifles weren't around when the 416 was invented. With the flow through suppressors, the advantages of the 416 have been reduced. The French are only replacing their horrible famas with the 416 over European pride.
I would love to have the semi auto version in the states but they are expensive and H&K hates civilians. I'd rather have a normal flat top ar15 with a few thousand rounds for practice/training.
Is it just me or should Jonathan Ferguson be given at least a GBE if not up to a MBE for his work & promotion of history & firearms in the UK?
Yup
A GBE is far higher than an MBE. But yes he should.
"at least a GBE" - yeah it's not like GBE is the highest class within the Order and there are currently only 30ish knighted people in that class. Such work is usually an MBE "only"
Don’t know what those two things mean, but they should definitely give him a better camera. Always so low quality 😄
@@atfjacknz Yeah I messed up, was tired & not thinking properly.
I have seen two interviews where one Delta operator did NOT like the HK 416 because of the extra weight and then another Delta operator loved the HK 416 because it never jammed in combat. Be careful who you listen to.
It ultimately is a matter of opinion
Hey this is Johnathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearm and artillery of the Royal Armories Museum that houses a collection of hundred of weapons from throughout history
everyone have different preferance
One Delta operator, fought in Blackhawk Down, did not like the 416 due to the “snappy” recoil. To each their own. I would love own if I did not have to sell a child into slavery to afford it.
GBRS touched on the 416 briefly and how problematic it was for them. they immediately scarped it and stuck with mk18’s and mp7’s the entirety of their time on the teams. 416 has always been a problematic platform I don’t understand why so many people defend it. No weapons system will ever beat the reliability of a standard DI rifles.
As a combat vet, your nightmare begins when your weapon doesn't work. You want 100% reliability, even over capability even over the minor weight penalty of the gas piston.
Deltas use it because they don’t have to lubricate it and there’s less cleaning while getting out of helicopters. Seals have said the 416 and scar have special uses and are not better rifles and that both have reliability issues with strange malfunctions and the 416 hyper cycling after suppressor usage causes springs for the firing pin to wear out. Mk18 and m4a1 is still the weapon of choice by DEVGRU in the noveske n6. And the Marines have issues firing the m855a1 with the m27. Every SF guy on TH-cam still use DI guns almost exclusively check out slade, GBRS, John lovell, garand thumb, etc. if you see short stroke gas it’s going to be an LMT, PWS or LWRCI. The 416 is all hype.
@@aljohnston453 I agree, in my opinion H&K did not hit the mark with the 416, they make a bunch of different weapon systems kinda like a Jack of all trades thing. Essentially they made the G36 AR-15 like. Special Forces had issues with the Mk18 not so much the M4, if Knights would of made the MK18 from the jump I doubt Special Forces would of had much issues with it.
@@aljohnston453 “all hype” lol it’s Norway’s and Frances main service rifle for a reason, it may not be the best rifle you can get but it’s certainly a very good rifle, trust me I use it
@@anders3871it’s all hype because they fail after hard use like any other rifle. It’s 4 times the price and it’s not any better than an AR-15.
You refer to yourself as a combat veteran…that’s cheesy
Heckler and Koch…..thank goodness for German weapon excellence over the past 50 years.
Cartels sure love them
german overrated weapons like their leopard burning in ukraine
around a dozen burning compared to 2000+ lost T-72,T-80, T-90s 😉@@frankrenda2519
@@frankrenda2519 Just like our Challenger 2; burning and destroyed as well. I liked my HK MP5K when I was serving…..🇬🇧
fair enough ok@@mikewinston8709
L’Armée de terre (French land army) near completion of changing from FAMAS to HK416.
“Once you go H&K, you don’t go back”
The Mk18 was abandoned because the barrel length had something to do with causing premature wear and tear, and both the Seals and Delta went back to direct impingement because it was lighter and the fact that 11.5 shows more lethality in a short barrel and mot as much wear and tear, and less concussive and gassy than a Mk18 10.3 barrel.
It isn't the piston that makes the difference, it's keeping it lubed and getting rid of old magazines to keep it being operational.
However the USMC really seems to love their M27 and have issued carbines to their SF MOS's. But Delta and Seal Team 6 went back to direct impingement with Geissele and not Colt or Daniel Defense.
The Mk18 variants *are* DI though? Unless I'm misunderstanding your post... but yeah, too short a barrel usually gives inadequate dwell time for fully cycling the action, even with the substantially larger ports. Hence why they have to make the cycling as violent as possible with weak buffers to allow for full cycling. If you're running a super short barrel, you kind of have to use a piston for reliable cycling, otherwise DI seems to be better in most other areas (ignoring suppression).
@@bilbonob548he doesn’t know what he’s on about….
Think he’s smoking somethin?
As far as I can remember based off what Larry Vickers explained (who helped develop the 416) its entire purpose was for use with short barrels such as 10 inch approx where a DI system would not be as reliable, also to be used realiably with suppressed use. So in short, a 14.5 or 16 inch 416 with no suppressor is largely redundant. Still good but the benefits of it are not then better than 14.5 or 16 inch mid length gas system DI gun. The standard M4 or MK18 was found to double its reliability and double its service life length just by moving to a mid length gas system from carbine length, but that can't really be done with a short 10.5 barrel. The 416 is designed to be a shorty and suppressed and shot an extreme amount. Otherwise the DI AR-15 systems (if set up the right way) is almost always the best option.
Speaking of Larry Vickers, will he being going to prison for his admission to violating import/export restrictions❓🤔
Neither HK nor Vickers invented or did anything new here. There were short stroke piston version of the AR around for a LOOOONG time.
@@The_Conspiracy_Analyst That was never the claim, nor the point. You can argue the SA80 is an AR18, another Stoner design. So it is redundant. Plus there is a lot more put into the guns than just their operating system. Some come out good, some come out bad. SA80 came out bad despite the operating system coming from a God of design. The whole point of the 416 was as a direct result of what could not be capable with a short AR.
416 has actually been around a long time, and is there really anything new? 416 is taking best aspects of different systems and making a damn good platform. It's not wiz bang, just reliable under worst case conditions. @@The_Conspiracy_Analyst
I'll take the KAC KS-1 all day. I love HK (my EDC is a vp9sk), however the knight's rifles will be 99.9% as durable, but much smoother shooting and lighter. I have a KAC SR15 (e3 mod 2 14.5) and there's no universe where I trade it for a 416, even if I was doing lots of full auto shooting. High end DI rifles are extremely durable, you Brits really got it right by choosing the KS-1 as your new service rifle. Knight's makes the best AR15s on the planet by far. Earlier this year I shot a real 416 on both semi and full auto and in all honesty it was not that great. A very cool gun with a great history, but outdated at this point.
Well said. I was looking for this comment.
It should be noted Stoner himself considered the KAC the next evolution of the AR he'd designed.
Agree on the point that HK 416 might be getting a bit old, but for that there are SIG 516 and Caracal CAR 816, which are basically "HK 416, but better".
Jonathan Ferguson - Keeper of Firearms & Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England!!!! Man's everywhere. Knows his stuff and translates his passion for firearms to viewers!
The L403a1 looks a fantastic bit of kit and is probably a good indicator of the way the Army is thinking regarding a replacement for the L85.
The L85 a2/3 is a good service rifle. Why swap a for a similar weapon in terms of 5.56mm
Total waste of money if you’re going to punch the same bullet down range.
@@olilastname8844 L85 is an ergonomic nightmare, not ambidextrous and way too heavy. Practically no one else adopted it. Even UK special forces have avoided it and the Royal Marines are moving to what is a quality direct gas impingement AR clone.
@@nickgood8166 Well, no one else adopting it isn't really a problem. The UK is a whole ass country, they literally asked H&K to redesign most of the parts on the L85 and ended up with the A2, they don't need to necessarily shop for stuff off the shelf. That said there is pretty good off the shelf stuff from US development so its probably not necessary to get hyper specific anything.
@@olilastname8844 I say this without knowing anything about the state of them but it could also be a service life thing. The L85s might just be starting to wear out and they might not be being built anymore. The only reason France replaced the Famas was because they closed their factory and weren't building any more of them and they just got too old and worn out, wasn't really anything about performance.
@@olilastname8844The entire concept of bullpups seems ridiculous to me. Almost no military in the world uses bullpus as a standard issue and ethe ones that do typically only issue them to conventional units while direct action special operations units run some varient or version of the M4 or HK416.
"If you go H&K you're probably fine." They should put that in the ads.
The probably scares me...
@@braccereve9271Honesty in advertising, in military situations, "probably" is as good as it gets.
Do you want that crummy dusty rifle or this cool ice pick.
The Knight made kS-1 purchased by the UK is listed at 6.9 pounds, the KS-416 is listed at between 6.88 pounds (No magazine) to 8.45 pounds with a full 30 round magazine. So the weight difference will depend on the kind of butt, and furniture and magazine that particular gun has dressed on it. The gas system only weighs a few ounces.
Also depends on what barrel length 416 you're comparing. The KS-1 I think is a 13.7 inch barrel. I suspect that 6.88 lb weight you're listing for the 416 is might be something like an 11-inch variant. The piston system doesn't weigh too much, and has its obvious benefits. That said, where the extra weight is, which is towards the front of the gun, is also relevant.
Buffer Tube?
Having done this professionally, I would want the most reliable system. The 416 is far and away the best man portable 5.56 weapon platform in the world right now.
Gamers are professionals?
@@Rubeless He's probably never even used either platform in concert let alone in battle lmao
The funky hip music played loudly in the background really helped me understand the content of this video much better.
By far the best and clearest dissemination of information regarding developments Thanks for sharing 👍
I’m Marine Recon retired, I’ve shot the HK416, I’ve obviously shot the M4, but my go to rifle is the M14 with leupold scope, this is a tried and true , super accurate rifle, a bit heavy, but well balanced , and with 308 round, one shot, one kill
Respect your input and thank you for your service, but how many rounds did you put through the 416 and what were your takeaways?
I agree. I love the M14 as well and have one because the .30 cal just has more punch and ... well, it's just a helluva gun. Super versatile cartridge & platform for almost anything you would want to do (by adding / subtracting parts).
cheers
🍻
Does it matter? The KS1 is only going to be used by a few thousand British Soldiers. Its not the general SA80 replacement. We won't know what that will be until about 2026/27.
Best description for the 416 I have heard is "Yeah. That thing shoots."
It was one of the first rifles I liked. The excellent kit makes it look good and function very well
Have that as my Service rifle in the Norwegian reserves. Amazing rifle
Honestly, having used this weapons system and several different systems over the years, I find that it comes down to your personal preference and the mission at hand. If you're given a good, well-maintained DI weapon system, you can keep it up and functioning just as well as any piston system. The pistons have their benefits when it comes to not needing lubrication, as well as waterproofing benefits that can get a DI gun. DI, on the other hand, has very few serious malfunctions with the gas system that can't be fixed in the field. Most of the malfunctions with the DI system boils down to field cleaning and taking care of your weapon in the field. Piston systems on the AR platform that start having issues with the gas system can cause a catastrophic malfunction that can only be fixed in the rear, or you have to carry multiple piston systems in case of some kind of malfunction. Some of the marines I know that use the new rifle have a spare piston system in their rucks to swap out if there's a failure. There are also problems with wear on the bolt. Like I said, it comes down to personal preference, and you just knowing your weapons system. I was jumping on the piston bandwagon for a while, but then slowly went back into the DI systems after realizing that I really wasn't gaining much that I couldn't already have by simple user maintenance.
I loved my Daewoo had the same system. Used a AR15 bolt, receiver and lower end. Never ever jammed in all the 20 years I owned it. Very reliable with gas piston instead of direct impingement. Had four gas piston settings. Used it in AR matches at my rod and gun club matches.
Got to agree with his take on the KS-1. The HK416 no longer has the advantage it had in the early 2000s with just bomb proof ruggedness and reliability, especially while suppressed. The DI system has been refined and improved over the years and suppressor technology has gotten way better than the early 2000s. The only thing the HK416 has over the KS-1 is barrel life and probably a more durable springs. In all other categories of performance the KS-1 and HK416 are about equal. The KS-1 make more sense for the UKMOD in this case.
Iam not, by far an expert in weapons, by really far, so dont quote me on this. My 2 cents are that the hk416 a5 is still more reliable than any other AR. But they are used for different things. When you have a few hundreds of thousands of men fighting with a weapon, having the "second most reliable" gun is fine. But when you are operating in really small spec ops groups u cant afford to have a malfunction in one gun, and the most reliable gun is needed. 1 malfunction in a group of 1000 it is ok. 1 malfunction in a group of 8 is a catastrophe, that's why spec ops will continue using the hk416 and regular units will use anything else, from m4, m16s, up.
@@fernandoferraz3527 You need to ask yourself why the SAS, SBS and other special operations units in the UK kept the DI L119A1/L119A2 AR15 variant. Colt Canada solved the reliability problem of short barreled AR15s by having the weapons being heavily over gassed but SOCOM did it better with the MK18. The MK18 was not finalised before the HK416 when into service with Delta and by the time it was, SOCOM saw no need to get a new weapon because although the MK18 is less reliable than the HK416 and wears out parts faster, it was good enough for SOCOM. The KAC KS-1 is a heavily modifief AR 15 that is very reliable and does not suffer as much from most problems the AR 15 has which are broken bolts, extractors and firing pin breakage.
you wont have the same sustain of fire with DI against gas piston. KS-1 is essentially an AR-15 clone. I remember a test being done about rate of fire(i think it was from weapon selection for US Marines, in which they chose iar m27) and i think m4s were able to fire 13 rounds per minute while keeping heat neutral while hk416 did it for 36 rounds per minute. Difference is almost 3 times. Volume of fire is fire superiority.
@@fistan5447 The L403A1 isn't a machinegun or a machinegun replacement as the marines intended the M27 to be. The L403A1 is an assault rifle specially designed for special operations. If the barrel profile is too thin for sustained fire, get an HBAR profile barrel from KAC to solve the problem. The weapon only weighs about 6.83 pounds unloaded and without accessories. A heavy barrel will probably bring it to about 7.5 pounds at most which is about the weigh of a 14.5 hk 416 with slim handguard a normal profile barrel.
@@FDCNC dude, special ops units are the kind of guys who need greater sustained fire unlike regular infantry. Have you never watched any compound assaults. They are generally on a timer hence the faster tempo. Also dont think M27IAR as machinegunner replacement. Its not exactly. What that ability gives you is tactical flexibility, that is irreplacable especially for spec ops units. You can be whatever the situation demands which gives your team faster reaction time to events as a unit.
Much better rifle. Never did like the Bullpup configuration. Always liked the mag in front of trigger. Not under your armpit.
It doesn't blow up when used in water. Outside that, in most situations you may as well use the much lighter M4.
Agreed. Went to a class with some LE dudes who brought their department Sig MCX’s. Select fire and everything. They’re super cool but I definitely wouldn’t want to carry that much weight for an extended period of time lol
SOCOM units still use the 416 but not as much as they did 10-12 years ago.
The Rangers and Green Berets are using the URGI
CAG uses the MCX now a lot
DEVGRU uses the MCX and the Noveske shorty
The Raiders never really used the 416 to begin with and always used the Mk18 instead.
Sadly end of an era
Its actually a descendant of the M-1 Carbine system. SA-80 uses the similar derivative as the Steyr. G36 and 416 use the same system. Sullivan used a piston similar when designing the AR18.
Love this rifle ❤from Canada 🇨🇦
The HK416 is dramatically more reliable than the KS1 or any other direct impingement version of the AR platform
The HK416 is just another AR18 derivative cheech 😅
Used by all French Armed Forces since 2020.
Replacing the Femas rifle.
Norwegian armed forces has used it since 2007 i think
U.S Marines as well are fielding 416's with Trijicon's excellent VCOG LPVO.
@@thepatriotsrage661 They are fielding the old 416 with the thick buttstock. Like in this video
@@Krytech420 Yes they are. It seems the Marines don't customize their rifles much, they all look like stock 416's.
@@thepatriotsrage661 might not be allowed
More modern designs - Flow through suppressors from OSS/HW for example - don't do "gas in face" thing BTW.
US and UK SOCOM are buying Sig Sauer Spear LTs
US SOCOM whom commissioned and issue the SPEER are using the LT with titanium parts..we might sell the base model to the Redcoats as they cant make their own rifles or any proper military equipment for that matter 😅
Anyone who has had to go and clean a direct impingement armalite every month at the armory when you haven't been shooting it knows DI armalites do get dirty, and they're not easy to clean.
Save Larry Vickers, a G.O.A.T. at HK.
This fella looks like a black market weapons dealer
This should be the rifle to replace the SA80 for the British military, that’s just my opinion . It’s made by H&K which also produces the SA80, it’s 5.56mm same as the SA80 and the fact that other armies like the French and the New Zealanders have adopted it , that’s a vote of confidence to say it’s a brilliant rifle
Why though, the new A3 is a great weapon and its home grown
The kiwis don’t use the HK416. They use the LMT MARS-L which is a direct impingement AR.
Cheaper to buy an M16
Buy the Canadian one higher quality
The Norwegians use it too as their standard assult rifle for the entire Norwegian army. Norway = Icy, cold, rugged terrain. And rocky/dusty in the summer.
@@kaospilot2774 But their SOF doesnt use it. Go figure.
Delta had the 416 built to begin with. Larry Vickers set the parameters for the AR they needed and took them to HK to build. It was needed for the short barreled, suppressed and full auto performance required on so many CAG/Devgru missions. In no way is it a copy of the SA-80 system, rather the SA-80 was a copy of the G-36 system which was a further development of the AR-18 which developed from Carbine Williams M-1/2 Carbine short stroke gas operating system.
I heard a Ukrainian guy say this the only 556 rifle he's come across that can take a beating ,and get as dirty nearly as the ak and still fire with no cleaning,he said if you maintain it will never fail, I've picked it up from a puddle and it fired and cycled fine,dude swore by his rifle said he basically paid off the armourer to make sure the HK is his more or less lol
I like the gas piston return system.
There is only one crucial question ... which weapon would John Wick choose?
Rifles and pistols aren’t the problem.
When you’re lugging 3-700 rounds with you. Plus loaded mags. It weighs a ton
As an American, these are available to us and semi automatic however they are extremely expensive for what the rifle is compared to least dozen top quality A.R. 15 manufacturers in America.
🤣👉🏻🇺🇸
It is the standard rifle of the french army, replacing the FAMAS.
No actual soldier in a combat environment would choose weight over reliability. There's a reason why the fn mag is so loved and hated for decades and still serves, it's heavy and everyone hates to carry it until your in contact and that beast just keeps firing
And you're not an actual soldier. So take it easy
@@RR-us2kp I've a lot more service and experience than the likes of you sweetie. Hope you enjoy military videos as you will never serve a day in your life
@@Truthbomb918 of course Mr keyboard operator 🤣
@@RR-us2kp not everyone is a useless coward like you sweetheart
@@desertrat5565 idf gets m4s for free is why they use them, tavor has a gas piston. and is the weapon fielded by front line troops. Plus the idf has spent the last few decades shooting women and children. Stick to Wikipedia clown
it is SEAL not Seal, it is an acronym much like Nato is NATO
DEV dropped the 416 a few years ago for Noveske. CAG is most likely dropping it as well for the SPEAR-LT(Still speculation). Everybody else is mk18, block IIs, or URGI. Marine Corps still uses it(calling it the M27 IAR) but MARSOC primarily uses the mk18.
Marine Recon adopted the 416A5 and uses the 10.5" uppers interchangeably on M27 lowers. They love them compared to their M4A1s
SPEAR-LT isn't replacing the 416. CAG has a ton of weapons in their armories, the SPEAR is probably still being T&E'd to be the successor to their MCX LVAW.
@@DJ-fd4qk LVAW will still be a thing, but now Gen. Miller works at Sig and dropped a subtle hint about titanium LTs being tested. I did mention in my comment that it's "speculation" that it may be replacing the 416. Either way, CAG has been looking for a replacement for their 416s for awhile now.
@@travis3063yeah apparently they've been eyeing DI guns. Like you said though it's all speculation, I don't work for jsoc and neither does 99.999% of ARFCOM so until we see them ITW, we'll never know
That fella seems to know a bit. Groovy.
That video is like 10 years late, since modern M4s and Sig Spear LTs are mostly in use now
I really thought the C8 was being brought in
That gas system is the AR-18/180's lasting legacy
Did you mention if 416HK piston more or less accurate than Stoner D.I. system ??
Hasn’t the US military changed its rifle of choice to a Sig Sauer MCX spear or by military name MX5 chambered in a newly developed 6.8x51mm round ?
I think they are Experimenting with that gun for now … So they might Use that gun
This is pretty old news. Noveske has the tier 1 contract now
What's the rifle that the middle soldier is carrying at 1:09. I don't recognise it.
FAMAS, French standard issue before they switched to the 416.
If I'm not mistaken, this is very similar to the M27 IAR in use by the USMC but I've never had a chance to test one of these so I'm not sure.
Jupp, the M27 is the MC's designation for the 416.
A version of HK 416 (the M27) is the USMC service rifle.
What a beautiful rifle
As a Australian I will go with the Steyr F88 Assault Rifle
Why? Just why?
@@ironstarofmordian7098 with the F88 Austeyr being the primary weapon in the ADF will be my pick and tied with is Hk416 and M4A1
Some AUG love never hurts, the rifle's a legend
From what have been hearing lately in SOF community is that its has been falling out favour with a good number now prefering mk18s n some the newer sig spears n so on though the marines adopted the hk416 based IAR m27.
Not a single person calls it special ops. It is special operations units.
I have a VHS 2S. I like the bulpup design. Made in Croatia, and it has the same gas system.
Hk416 11" or 14" or 16" ?
Marine Corp Force recon uses the 10.5 416d as well. Its a g36 gas system and the reason the sa80 uses it is they had to give it to hk to re engineer to make the pos work
What are the main differences between the HK416 and the HK MR556, are they worth the cost. Anyone got any suggestions?
MR556 (imo) is overpriced as hell, if you need an HK clone for the "vibe's sake", better go with stuff like BRN 4 which is far cheaper, and there are also derivative designs like SIG 516 and CAR 816, both being improved versions from the same engineer.
I Very like it❤
The last great English battle rifle was the Enfield. If your life depends on a battle rifle the HK416 is your tool. US move to the sig which has a major flaw will cost lives...Dang.
🇩🇪🦅
Lets just be happy they are replacing that abomination called the L85!
They aren't. Its only going to UK SOF like the Royal Marines, SAS, SBS, and the Ranger Regiment.
I'm curious to know how the HK416 is better than the AKM, which is already proven to be reliable in any condition
Ask usama.
Mk18 never fails 😅
Nice gloves
Stick to Stoner's design, or end up with a $6000 anvil.
I've used Stoner's design in combat, it sucks.
@@dalecrummie5818doubt.
@@dalecrummie5818ok bot
The hk mr556/416 is not any better when suppressed but it is that much more reliable and cleaner then the regular m4 when unsupressed. I know this because I own one of these rifles and I only shoot suppressed. When suppressed I would still get blowback to the face and the bolt would be extremely dirty. The issue is from the increase pressure from the suppressor. I've never used the KS1 but I think that is going to be a better, more modern, and refined system compared to the older hk.
Just asking you a question if you don't mind. What are the differences between the HK MR556 and the HK416, I'm interested in the MR556, Just want to know how it compares to each other.
I would want a H&k rifle for ks1 if it doesn’t have gases coming back at you
"If you're in any doubt, ask Osama Bin Laden": Barack Obama.
What he doesnt mention is that the KS1 comes with Knights new QDC MCQ PRT flow through suppressor which reduces the gas to the face by a lot. KAC rifles are bomb proof. They will shoot in whatever condition. HK416s are super heavy making them not an ideal for special recon missions where the operator will need long range optics.
The last thing you do on a recon op is get in a gun fight. You watch to many movies
@@Rubeless What? Im talking about hiking extremly long distances with a heavy rifle and 80lbs of gear. That is why the HK416 is not ideal for that mission set.
8.5 lbs is “super heavy” to you?
Go play some more CoD, bud.
For all the blokes who trained on the bullpup, what would you prefer, a more reliable bullpup replacement for the SA80 or a AR style rifle?
A more ergonomic bullpup would be nice. I personally like short length and a 20inch barrel. Makes for a very accurate rifle with the weight close. Smaller size as with the m4 makes getting in and out of vehicles easier.
Still issues with firing from the wrong shoulder. And more awkward mag change. Both can get some training to get around, but they are there.
The ejector is very close, I have seen someone have hot brass go down their shirt while firing from a land-rover on the move.
Yes, wind might do that with any rifle. But thats the only one I have seen it happen.
There’s a reason why even in militaries that use bullpups for their service rifles, the more elite units, the ones actually expected to shoot at people regularly, still use conventional rifles
Bull pups are great to stand around with but if you plan to be shooting most of conventional
@@jb76489 what if the brass ejected sideways away from the face? Also are the triggers really as bad as they say?
@SodaPrezsing they are not great, but then again most military issue rifles tend to be abused things. A civilian version trends to be more crisp.
Even without the best trigger the sa80 best a number of other rifle's at inter military competitions.
A modern fully ambidextrous bull pup is the best all round option. Anyone who has fought in the desert does not want the shorter barrel length and effective range that a carbine suffers.
New smart optuc sights fire control.
Cgeaoer training and shorter vs cost.
Then anti mini drone fpvs possibly
It's M16/M4 family of weapon systems, and there is no such thing as an AR-15 in the US military or any foreign military.
Isnt delta force using mk17 scar? Im not american, just wondering. Grateful for any answers, thanks.
So weird seeing Johnathan here
EXPENSIVE
Great but ungodly overpriced for the civilian models.
The 416 is no longer used by CAG or DEVGRU. They're using the spear LT and noveske gen 3 respectively.
CAG is still using it. Though it has been complemented by a few other systems the 416 is still their main blaster.
@@jonny2954 Not according to the only pictures to come out of that organization this year. While there are still some, its no longer the main choice. There are also still a few floating around in dam neck but the noveske gen 3 upper on a gen 1 lower is the primary choice there
@@jakerrush No, still the main. We will hear when they adopt a new standard buddy.
@@jonny2954 Lol, ok bud. "we will hear" implies we haven't already heard, we have. But believe whatever your little heart desires.
@@jakerrush No, we didn't hear "bud". All we have is outsiders overanalyzing after _seeing_ something on photos. CAG has been seen with LVAWs since 2016, but that's not their main blaster. It's to complement the 416.
After all everyone here would be suprised if they replace the 416 with a gun that can't hold zero on a laser in 2023 LMAO
Should have a side charger, not rear charger handle.
All this fretting, when any AR with dimensionally correct parts with good metallurgy will be just fine for anything
Please ask His Highness if he is willing to grant His subjects the right to have and bear arms, i.e. to have such wonderful and life-saving tools.
Ukrainians have HK416? Yep they are using it.
"This weapon is for hard charging, special forces"...the Norwegian military has it as it's standard weapon, weekend warriors like the "7 days a year" Home Guard soldiers use it lol.
that WAS used
I want a G95
The flow through suppressors that England equips with their new rifles weren't around when the 416 was invented. With the flow through suppressors, the advantages of the 416 have been reduced. The French are only replacing their horrible famas with the 416 over European pride.
Spend much munition
I would love to have the semi auto version in the states but they are expensive and H&K hates civilians.
I'd rather have a normal flat top ar15 with a few thousand rounds for practice/training.
Yet both gas systems are basically Stoner’s design.
I wonder if Jonathan Ferguson has gun powder replacement for sugar in his cereal?? The man's knowledge is just brilliant
Dont they use MK18 Mod 0?
Yo ivelisse princesa de gerobeba y Austria vivo en puerto rico y tengo mi ejército el army
Buffer Tube on a DI Stoner?
About time uk military has decided wpn systems I did 20years with the rubbish sa80