Thompson, Leroy/Noon, Steve (Illustr.)/Gilliland, Alan (Illustr.) The G3 Battle Rifle

Since its introduction in the 1950s the innovative G3 battle rifle has seen widespread combat around the globe, from South America to Afghanistan. This absorbing study investigates the origins, development, combat record, and legacy of this iconic rifle of the Cold War. During the Cold War, the G3 was one of the world's pre-eminent battle rifles. Developed in France and Spain after 1945, the rifle was produced by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. Adopted by more than 40 countries and produced on licence by many more, it was widely employed during colonial wars in Africa, insurgencies in Latin America, and conflicts in the Middle East, but perhaps its widest use was in the Iran-Iraq War. Variants of the G3 have also seen substantial usage among Special Forces including Britain's Special Boat Service and the U.S. Navy SEALs. Semi-automatic versions, especially the HK91 and HK93, remain popular in the United States, and the G3-derived HK11 and HK21 family of light machine guns have also been widely adopted by military and law-enforcement units across the world. Fully illustrated with specially commissioned artwork, this study examines one of the iconic weapons of the Cold War era.

It has been adopted by more than 40 countries and produced under licence by many. It was used during post-colonial wars in Africa, insurgencies in Latin America and conflicts in the Middle East, but its widest use was in the Iran-Iraq war. Variants of the G3 were also used by special forces such as the British Special Boat Service (SBS) and the U.S. Navy SEALs. Semi-automatic versions, notably the HK91 and HK93, remain popular in the U.S., and the G3-derived HK11 and HK21 family of light machine guns have also been used by military and law enforcement units around the world. This study, complete with specially produced colour illustrations, examines one of the most important weapons of the Cold War era.