Place of origin West Germany Used by See Users Designed 1970s | In service 1985–present Designer Heckler & Koch GmbH | |
Type Semi-automatic sniper rifle | ||
The PSG1 (Präzisionsschützengewehr, German for "precision shooting rifle") is a semi-automatic sniper rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.
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Development
This rifle is said to have been developed in response to the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The West German police units could not engage the terrorists quickly enough to prevent them from killing their hostages. H&K was then commissioned to create a high accuracy, large magazine capacity, semi-automatic rifle for police and military use.
In addition, the rifle has been licensed for local production in Pakistan by Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) as the PSR-90 and Mexico by SEDENA as the Morelos Bicentenario.
Design details
The PSG1 is mechanically based on the G3 rifle and features a low-noise bolt closing device (similar to the forward assist on many M16 rifles). Its shot-to-shot variation is expected to be better than 1 minute of angle (MOA) with match ammunition. This level of accuracy is only average compared to most modern sniper rifles, but is still exceptional for a semi-automatic rifle and at one time was claimed to be "one of the most accurate semi-automatic sniper rifles in the world."
PSG1s are not supplied with iron sights but come equipped with the Hensoldt ZF 6×42 PSG1 scope with an illuminated reticle. The scope has a built-in Bullet Drop Compensation range adjustment feature which can be adjusted from 100 to 600 m.
It has a heavy free-floating barrel with polygonal rifling and an adjustable stock. The stock is of high impact matte black plastic and has a high degree of adjustment. It is adjustable for length, and includes a pivoting butt cap and a vertically-adjustable cheekpiece. The forend is fitted with a T-way rail for sling swivel or tripod.
The rifle also features a removable and adjustable trigger unit, for further individual fitting of the rifle. The trigger pull can be modified and the whole assembly is removable from the pistol grip. The pistol grip is of a target-style with an adjustable palm shelf.
The PSG-1's official suppressor is from Brügger & Thomet (B and T).
PSG1A1
The PSG1A1 variant was introduced by Heckler & Koch in 2006, and features two major improvements. First, the cocking handle was relocated a couple of degrees counter-clockwise. This was due to the fact that when locked rearward, it could physically interfere with the long scopes often used on the rifles. The second modification involved the replacement of the outdated Hensoldt scope. Non-police users often found the scope's 600 m range limitation and simple crosshairs inadequate for their needs. In addition, the rechargeable batteries are difficult to recharge and to find replacements. A final fault is that Hensoldt does not service the scope in the United States. For these reasons, the PSG1A1 has been outfitted with a Schmidt & Bender 3-12×50 Police Marksman II scope, mounted on 34 mm (1.3 in) rings. One last modification involved converting the SG 550 Sniper stock to work with the PSG1. The H&K rifle now has a completely side-folding adjustable target stock removing a solid 10 inches (250 mm) in overall length. To remedy brass ejection a brass catcher must be installed.
MSG90
The MSG90 is a militarized variant of the PSG1, that is both strengthened and lightened. The PSG1 and MSG90 have different trigger packs. The MSG90 uses a modified version of the push pin trigger packs of H&K roller locked select-fire assault rifles. The composite shoulder stock of the MSG90 is adjustable for height (cheek), length of pull (shoulder), and is smaller and lighter than that of the PSG1. MSG90s have a slightly shorter contoured barrel to help with harmonic stabilization and consistent whip instead of the PSG1's heavy barrel, but remain free-floating. As a result, these particular MSG90 A1's have a threaded barrel capable of attaching a suppressor, which is an advantage over the PSG1.
The sighting system utilizes the multipurpose Weaver rail system rather than the STANAG 2324 claw mount for affixing sighting systems which can be purchased separately. This same rail mounting system is used on the HK21E, HK23E, and G41 (discontinued) series.
The barrel is weighted at the muzzle to aid harmonic stabilization of barrel whip to enhance accuracy. The addition of a flash suppressor adds to the overall length.