Development, production and distribution of small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessories for NATO and EU states.
Heckler & Koch GmbH
Oberndorf am Neckar · Aixheim · Columbus, Georgia (USA) · Nottingham (UK) · Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche (FR)New on Amplifa
About Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH, headquartered in Oberndorf am Neckar, is a German manufacturer of small arms for the military, police forces and security authorities of NATO and EU states. Founded in 1949, the company develops and produces pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles as well as 40-mm systems and accessories. Manufacturing comprises series production of weapon systems as well as plastics processing, Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) and cold forming technologies; approximately 4% of revenue is invested in research and development. Around 1,200 employees work at the sites in Germany and at the subsidiaries in the USA, the UK and France. The company maintains an integrated management system in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and AQAP 2110 and supplies exclusively NATO, EU and NATO-equivalent states (Green Countries strategy).
- Site
- Oberndorf a. N.
- Processes
- Development and series production of small arms (pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, Plastics processing/technology, Metal Injection Moulding (MIM), Cold forming technologies (Cold Forming), Testing/inspection of small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessories (Aixheim site), Development, production and distribution of small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessories, Firearms training (HK Academy), Customer Service
- Materials
- Steel, Plastics, Metal Injection Moulding (MIM), Cold Forming Technologies
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, ISO 45001:2023, AQAP 2110, ISO 9001:2015 (DEKRA, 30914625/4), ISO 14001:2015 (DEKRA, 170423056/1), ISO 45001:2023 (DEKRA, 450423032/1), ISO 50001:2018 (DEKRA, 180423020/1)
- Founded
- 1949
- Employees
- 1200
- Industries
- Military/Defence, Authorities/Police, Hunting & Sport
- 01
Development and design (over 70 engineers)
- 02
Procurement of raw materials and pre-products
- 03
Manufacturing (plastics processing, MIM, cold forming, series production)
- 04
Assembly of weapon systems
- 05
Testing and acceptance (Aixheim site)
- 06
Sales and customer service
Technologies and Materials
Steel
Main material for barrel and system components, processed among other things by Metal Injection Moulding and cold forming technologies.
Plastics
Used for weapon components and housing parts in the in-house plastics processing operation.
Metal Injection Moulding (MIM)
Powder injection moulding process for precise small steel parts, in which HK claims to set industry benchmarks.
Cold Forming Technologies
Processes for the processing of steel components with high demands on precision and strength.
Locations
Oberndorf am Neckar
DEHeadquarters, development, production and sales
- Materials
- Steel, plastics
- Modern machinery (continuously renewed)
- Plastics processing
- Metal Injection Moulding (MIM)
- Cold forming technologies
Aixheim
DETesting facility for small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessories
- Testing facilities for firearms testing
Columbus, Georgia (USA)
USSubsidiaries Heckler & Koch Inc. and Heckler & Koch Defense Inc.
Nottingham (UK)
GBSubsidiary Heckler & Koch (UK) Ltd.
Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche (FR)
FRSubsidiary Heckler & Koch France SAS
Weapon Systems
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development and series production of small arms (pistols, submachine guns, assault riflesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Steel, Plastics |
| Plastics processing/technologyPlastics | – | – | – | – | Plastics |
| Metal Injection Moulding (MIM)Casting | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Cold forming technologies (Cold Forming)Forming | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Testing/inspection of small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessories (Aixheim site)Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Development, production and distribution of small arms, special weapons, mounts and accessoriesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
Heckler & Koch operates an integrated management system (IMS) that combines the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001 and AQAP 2110. Products are tested to their limits; the inspection of weapons, mounts and accessories takes place at the certified testing facility in Aixheim.
| Evidence | Oberndorf am Neckar | Aixheim |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 (DEKRA, 30914625/4) | ||
| ISO 14001:2015 (DEKRA, 170423056/1) | ||
| ISO 45001:2023 (DEKRA, 450423032/1) | ||
| ISO 50001:2018 (DEKRA, 180423020/1) | ||
| AQAP 2110 |
Company History
- 1949
Founding of Heckler & Koch GmbH in Oberndorf am Neckar by Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, Alex Seidel and Erich Unterkofler; initially manufacturing sewing machine parts, tools, gauges and machine tools.
- 1956
Development of the G3 assault rifle as part of a Bundeswehr tender; in 1959 the G3 becomes the standard rifle of the Bundeswehr.
- 1969
Market launch of the MP5 submachine gun.
- 1991
Sale of the company to Royal Ordnance (British Aerospace).
- 1995
The G36 becomes the standard assault rifle of the Bundeswehr.
- 2002
Sale to a group of private investors (HK Beteiligungs GmbH).
- 2010
Opening of the company's own training centre.
- 2020
Majority stake goes to the investment company CDE of Nicolas Walewski.
- 2022
Conversion of the Oberndorf site to green electricity; avoidance of around 4,200 tonnes of CO2 per year.