Heckler & Koch G3 (West Germany)
The G3 (which stands for Gewehr 3, or Rifle No. 3) is a family of select fire battle rifles manufactured by Heckler & Koch. It was adopted as the standard service rifle by the Bundeswehr in 1959 as a replacement for the G1, a modified version of the Belgian FN FAL, and served until 1997 when it was replaced by the G36. The G3 was chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.
The G3 rifle has been widely praised for its relatively compact size and sturdy stamped steel construction, which also enabled lower production costs compared to many other 7.62 mm NATO rifles. Heavy weight and stiff trigger pull have been cited as the weapon's chief disadvantages, along with a rather sharp recoil and less-than-ideal pointing and handling characteristics.
The G3 and its variants have been used by the armed forces and police of wide variety of countries. As a result it has seen use in a number of conflicts during the late 20th century. Its first known combat use was by Portuguese Armed Forces during their war in Africa. Portuguese forces were unable to carry large quantities of heavy 7.62 mm NATO ammunition on long patrols, and the resulting lack of firepower was occasionally a handicap when encountering enemy forces equipped with the AK-47. G3 rifles also saw action with the West German police during the failed rescue attempt at 1972 Olympics. The failure prompted development of the PSG-1 sniper rifle (substantially derived from the G3).
Read more about this topic: German Military Rifles