Another rifle that saw limited service with Special Forces was the Heckler & Koch
HK33. This German designed, selective fire assault rifle used a unique roller locking bolt and was composed of mostly stamped steel parts.
At the conclusion of a series of destructive field tests by the Golani Brigade involving the M1B, Stoner 63,
HK33, AK47 and a design by Uziel Gal, the AK-47 was still considered the best of the lot.
HK subsequently brought us the
HK33 assault rifle, the MP5 submachine gun and the HK21 belt-fed machinegun.
It features a 12-inch barrel, and is is based on the
HK33 carbine, although it requires more than just American-made parts for shooters to legally add a stock.
Early experiments found that a 4.9mm cartridge might be suitable, so HK redesigned an
HK33, serial number 0252, to discharge a prototype round with dual ignition to best disintegrate the propellant body and control combustion.
Some 2,700 Heckler & Koch
HK33 assault rifles have been distributed over the past two months to volunteers in the region, according to a spokesman for the Internal Operations Security Command (ISOC).
It is there that we searched an Indica car, from which we recovered two
HK33 (Heckler and Koch) rifles and around 950 ammunitions.
In June 2006 HK announced that it would end production of the
HK33 and HK53 5.56 mm assault rifles and concentrate solely on the marketing of the G36.
The roller-locked delayed-blowback action is both time-tested and combat-proven in legacy HK weapons like the MP5,
HK33, and G3.
This design eventually came home to the German firm of Heckler & Koch and went on to be incorporated into the G3,
HK33, and MP5 families of weapons.
They eventually settled back into postwar Germany and expanded the basic system to drive the G3,
HK33 and MP5 families of weapons.
These included Colt M16Als for use by the Navy and Marines, Army Special LForces and police while the Brazilian.Air Force adopted the Heckler & Koch
HK33 and HK33A1 rifles.