It's official: HK416 and 417 on civilian market in late 2009

[NetJunkie]

Personally I'm not in the market for a MR556. I'd rather get a SCAR or stick with my XCR

*nod*

I'm very mixed. I'm an HK guy...but I'm just not sold. Outside of the "It's an HK" factory I don't see what this offers me over my LMT Piston and I'm sure the HK will be a 50% premium over it. If I want a piston based gun on a proprietary lower I'll get a XCR. I get multi-caliber and quick barrel changes plus, I'm sure, better customer service. I've had no problem getting fast answers from Robinson this week when looking at an XCR.

Having said that...I'm sure if they are available in quantity enough to keep pricing "reasonable" I'll have one in the safe next to my 91 and 93. I really wish they'd do a US made USC. I sold my USC due to the compromises they made to import that gun. Give me a hicap version with a more comfortable grip and stock and I'm all over it. 9mm too, please.

[1SFG]

I lugged around a 10.5" 416 for most of my tour in Iraq and was amazed at how heavy that carbine was. Easily the same weight as a 16" LMT rifle I've got at home in the safe. I was hoping they would knock the weight down myself, but never did weigh the 416 so I'm not sure what the difference is. I'll have to pick one up at SHOT to see if I guestimate the difference.

As for the lower receiver issue, I notice the German export law issue isn't mentioned in the 417 variant.

[decodeddiesel]

What would possibly make you equate the MR556 with the completely disgusting mis-managment SIG has showed with the 556?

This...

Dear Heckler and Koch,

Thank you for the half-assed attempt at bringing such an interesting design to the U.S consumer market. Apparently you guys are asleep at the wheel and aren't paying attention to the desires of those who will purchase your stuff. You could have easily produced the weapon in the U.S thereby by-passing the stupid gun laws of the Vaterland but choose not to. Please keep those pieces of crap over there and send us a real H/K 416 that will allow us to put them on any other compatible AR lower. Thank you.

Have a nice day.

[Iraqgunz]

Though I understand what you are saying my feelings are that someone who purchases a high quailty upper will not put one on a DPMS or Oly Arms lower. If they do then that is their dumb luck. But, if these lowers are truly being made in Germany and then down the road some type of ban were put in place those who bought the MR556 will be screwed if their lower ever gets damaged. To me it's just not worth it, but I am only one person.

Good for them. Saves me from running into a bunch of 416 uppers on half-ass lowers. My problem with this whole thing isn't the upper/lower crap, but the late 2009 availability. This gun should have been on the commercial market here at least a year ago.

[Cohibra45]

*nod*

Outside of the "It's an HK" factory I don't see what this offers me over my LMT Piston and I'm sure the HK will be a 50% premium over it. If I want a piston based gun on a proprietary lower I'll get a XCR.

I'm right there with you...I really like my LMT Piston!!! If I want to go back to DI, it is just a barrel/BCG swap and there you have it!!! I'm sure there will be a 6.8 Piston in the future.

Gotta love LMT and all the other Piston manufactures here in the good ol' USA...they all will fit any AR lower!!!

[WS6]

..
Have to ask myself why, too. If it's made in the USA why not just machine the receivers there too to avoid the laws? It's just a receiver, machine it to specs, doesn't matter where you make it.. Seems like a weak excuse to me.


Too late! They might be 'obaminated' before that time..

I think the crap SIG is currently rolling out of their factory is a good reason. Their pistols used to have world-class reliability when they were all made in Germany. Now that production split, they are trash.
Yeah, I owned a $1200 SIG Elite ST and speak from experience. All I can say is that SIG always shipped it back and forth promptly and on their dime. The fact that it wouldn't extract Ranger T and Speer GD kinda ruined it for me though. I sold it after it's second trip back to SIG. I just couldn't trust it. (The first trip was due to a broken take-down lever at 500 rounds). Lest you think my experience was isolated, go look at www.sigforum.com. All they do over there it seems is complain about their broken/mis-machined stuff.

[mmike87]

It's nice to have options, but I'll pass. A quality DI AR rifle works just fine for me and meets my needs. An HK made AR is not likely to be any "better" in quality than a quality AR from a US company. It will probably just cost more. Knowing HK, a lot more.

[caporider]

As for the lower receiver issue, I notice the German export law issue isn't mentioned in the 417 variant.

I'll bet this is because the 417 upper was never compatible with anything else, whereas the 416 uppers are drop-in replacements on a number of different AR lowers. I am definitely much more interested in the 417.

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

This is great news! I guess some folks won't be happy because they can't put their "pigtail" gas tubes in the gun. I really wanted to use my old Olympic Arms cast lower on my 416 upper.

Anyway, I am all about that 417. I can't believe they are making that too.

[NetJunkie]

This is great news! I guess some folks won't be happy because they can't put their "pigtail" gas tubes in the gun. I really wanted to use my old Olympic Arms cast lower on my 416 upper.

Anyway, I am all about that 417. I can't believe they are making that too.

Or maybe it's because we already have well built lowers. What if I want just an upper to put on my lower that has a 2-stage trigger and UBR stock? Sure..I can add that to the MR556 (let's assume) but that's what, another $400? I'd rather buy an upper and not have to get the matching lower...and save on excise tax.