Moderation has never been exactly my thing. With most things in life, I either go full throttle, or I do not start the car. It is one of the 4.2 million reasons why I quit drinking. One beer would turn into someone saying "Who are you, where are your pants, and why are you in my house?".
So needless to say when I decided to buy a modern semi auto 7.62 rifle, that and being an H&K whore, drove me to purchasing the H&K MR762A1.
So needless to say when I decided to buy a modern semi auto 7.62 rifle, that and being an H&K whore, drove me to purchasing the H&K MR762A1.
The Heckler & Koch MR762A1 is the US civilian version of the HK 417 rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm. When looking at it, you can see that it is in the AR family. What makes the MR762A1 different (besides the ginormous proprietary magazines) is the operating system. The MR uses a short stroke gas piston, verses the direct impingement gas system of most rifles in the AR family. The benefit to a gas piston operating system is mainly the cleanliness of the weapon, since the gases vent in the forearm of the rifle, instead of in receiver as in a traditional direct impingement AR. Proponents of this system say that this adds to the reliability of the weapons system itself. It is worth noting however, that the last two AR's I have assembled that use direct impingement operating systems have been perfectly reliable, even going without cleaning, so we will see what the big difference with the MR is when it gets some rounds through it and it is cleaned. So let's take a look at this things parts and pieces
The H&K MR762A1 broken down as far as you need to for normal cleaning and maintenance.
Disassembly of the MR is like that of a traditional AR, with one twist: The takedown pins are not like those on a normal AR. The takedown pins on the MR rifles require the use of a tool that is stored inside the buttstock in order to break the rifle down. Essentially the takedown tool is an allen wrench with a tit on it, that you press on the center, spring loaded section of the takedown pins, while you press them through from left to right. Allegedly, this makes for a tighter upper and lower receiver mating. I find it to be a pain in the ass.
The buttstock is comfortable, and adjustable for five positions. By rotating the buttpad 90 degrees counter clockwise and pulling it towards you, it will come off and expose the takedown tool, and some storage space where you can place batteries, spare parts, or your weed. To me, this buttstock reminds me of the B5 SOPMOD stock.
The buttstock is comfortable, and adjustable for five positions. By rotating the buttpad 90 degrees counter clockwise and pulling it towards you, it will come off and expose the takedown tool, and some storage space where you can place batteries, spare parts, or your weed. To me, this buttstock reminds me of the B5 SOPMOD stock.
The lower receiver is machined from forged aluminum, and has a few features that are unique to the MR and its parent rifle.
The lower receiver has an ambidextrous safety from the factory. One thing with the safety on the H&K MR rifles, along with the parent 416 and 417's, is you can place them on safe with the hammer down. Apparently this was a requirement from an end user, so H&K implemented it across the board.
The magazine release is round, large enough to manipulate, and shielded against accidental release
The lower receiver has an ambidextrous safety from the factory. One thing with the safety on the H&K MR rifles, along with the parent 416 and 417's, is you can place them on safe with the hammer down. Apparently this was a requirement from an end user, so H&K implemented it across the board.
The magazine release is round, large enough to manipulate, and shielded against accidental release
Taking a look into the guts of the lower receiver, you can see some difference. The stamped sheetmetal piece behind the disconnector is referred to as the "bridge". The bridge is placed over the rear of the disconnector to keep the hammer from hitting the disconnector, thusly damaging it. The other difference is the groove you may notice on the hammer. That is for the firing pin safety, which we will get into later.
#krautspacemagic
The buffer is held in by a square shaped buffer retaining pin, again, another departure from the standard AR design. The buffer is shaped slightly different than a standard AR buffer, and about equal in length to a 5.56 carbine buffer in a traditional AR.
The last thing worth noting on the lower receiver is the magazines for the firearm. They feel gigantic, and are proprietary to the MR762 and HK 417 platform. They are made from translucent polymer similar to the H&K G36, and feel very beefy. This is one of the main sources of contention for a lot of people when it comes to the MR762. Everyone wants their .308's to use SR-25/DPMS pattern magazines for AR's since they are cheap and plentiful. MSRP on the MR762 magazines is $59.99, which is about three times that of the Magpul LR-308 that you can use in most common .308 AR's. Personally, I would rather have something that was designed specifically for the weapon, rather than just sticking with what everyone else is using. It's like deciding to date a different class of female when you notice a pattern of all your shit being broken and waking up to them holding a weapon above you. Sometimes it is time for a change, and it can come with a price. (Hopefully they didn't break anything irreplaceable or stab you, that shit sucks).
The upper receiver, is cosmetically pretty standard AR looking. The top picatinny rail however is slightly taller than a standard AR. The brass deflector is very prominent, and the ejection port door is made from polymer.
At the front of the receiver where the gas tube usually goes, is a steel bushing for the operating rod of the gas piston system.
The barrel nut is gigantic. It is about three inches in length overall. The two grooves seen in it are for mounting the handguard, similar to mounting a Geissele rail.
The barrel itself is 16.5" long with a 1:11 right hand twist. The barrel profile is heavy, and according to my measurements is .940" from the barrel nut to the gas block, then .740" from the front of the gas block to the muzzle. The barrel itself is cold hammer forged, and features a tapered bore, which gets smaller towards the muzzle. Another thing worth noting is the barrel is not chrome lined. H&K says they do this so that it is more accurate, and since they use a better quality of barrel steel, that chrome lining is not needed. It is needless to say that this has caused an immense amount of butthurt to the AR community, since they say "Go chrome or go home". The barrel is marked on the left side with MR, the caliber, and the H&K USA proof (the little NH proof). The top of the barrel between the barrel nut and the gas block has some numbers and letters that are electropenciled, and similar to markings given to people in Germany in the early 1940's.
The markings on top of the barrel. Also note the slot in the top of the barrel for the gas block to index perfectly dead center
The gas block is what contains the piston itself, and has a mounting point on the front for the folding front sight that is optional. However with the current handguard that the MR762's ship with, the gas block is underneath the handguard.
The flash suppressor is obviously the same as used on the G3. The muzzle is threaded 15x1, so that makes finding muzzle brakes and attachments pretty fun!
Here is the upper receiver assembly stripped, as you can take it down for normal maintenance.
Now, we get into the heart of the MR762, and what sets it apart from the rest. A lot of AR purists absolutely despise gas piston operating systems in the AR platform. They have been called "Tranny AR's", since the inside bits are on the outside. Myself, it doesn't matter to me as long as it works. The benefits of the gas piston system include the receiver and bolt group staying cleaner, cooler, and being more reliable due to the above mentioned things. Opponents to the system say it is unnecessary, adds extra parts that are not needed, and reduces the accuracy of the weapon due to the reciprocating mass above the barrel. Once we get some range time we will see how true that these things are.
The gas piston operating system is derived from the AR-18 design, which is a short stroke piston, meaning the piston comes back a short distance, hits an operating rod, which then pushes back on the anvil of the bolt carrier, unlocking and cycling the bolt group. Advantages with this over direct impingement is the gas is vented at the forearm, verse the receiver. H&K has been using this operating system since the G36 in the mid 1990's, then carried that over to the H&K 416 and 417. The piston itself is chromed, and has three gas rings on it in order to provide a good seal.
The gas piston operating system is derived from the AR-18 design, which is a short stroke piston, meaning the piston comes back a short distance, hits an operating rod, which then pushes back on the anvil of the bolt carrier, unlocking and cycling the bolt group. Advantages with this over direct impingement is the gas is vented at the forearm, verse the receiver. H&K has been using this operating system since the G36 in the mid 1990's, then carried that over to the H&K 416 and 417. The piston itself is chromed, and has three gas rings on it in order to provide a good seal.
Sitting in an recess in the rear of the piston is the piston operating rod. The operating rod has a spring on its body to return the operating rod forward after being cycled. Not a whole lot that I can say about it. It looks like a rod with a springy thingy in the middle. See for yourself.
The bolt carrier itself is beefy. Super beefy compared to a standard AR15 group. Shit, you could call it beef supreme. If you take a look at it, you can see a few differences on it verses a standard AR bolt carrier,
Looking at the rear of the bolt carrier, you will see a little lever chingadero. If you believe that piston AR's are trannys like the purists, this would be the equivalent of a weiner on a girl. And we all know that girls don't have weiners.
If you were paying attention to this entire fucking diatribe, you may remember the groove in the hammer that I said activates the firing pin safety. When the hammer releases, the lever gets pushed up by that groove, allowing the firing pin to go forward. One nice thing about a firing pin safety, is you can use match primers and not worry about slam fires. Even though I have never ever had that happen, but it could. Sorta like Godzilla coming out of the sea and destroying Tokyo. It could happen.
If you were paying attention to this entire fucking diatribe, you may remember the groove in the hammer that I said activates the firing pin safety. When the hammer releases, the lever gets pushed up by that groove, allowing the firing pin to go forward. One nice thing about a firing pin safety, is you can use match primers and not worry about slam fires. Even though I have never ever had that happen, but it could. Sorta like Godzilla coming out of the sea and destroying Tokyo. It could happen.
That's a penis
Where the gas key is on a traditional AR, is the anvil for the op rod to push against. Unlike some of the cheaper, or half assed piston conversions on the market, the anvil is machined into the bolt group itself, by the magical elves in Oberndorf Germany.
Where the cotter pin would be on a traditional AR bolt carrier, there is a captive pin. Honestly, this is pretty cool since it is one less part to lose, or have your Chinchilla steel while you have him out and you are cleaning things in your gun room. I speak from experience.
Well played H&K. The less to lose, the better.
On the bottom of the bolt carrier, there is a hole to the rear of it. Now, we are going into theory with this. This is a feature of specific H&K 416 and 417's called "Over The Beach". This allows water to drain out of the bolt carrier, so that you may fire the weapon as you come out of the water. This combined with three drainage holes at the rear of the buffer tube, a rivet to support the extractor, along with a chamfer cut on the barrel face, allow the weapon to fire coming out of the water without blowing it up. Fortunately for you, I took pictures of the rivet and chamfer in the barrel with my super awesome photography skills. However, as of 2319 on Wednesday February 8th, I have not taken pictures of the three holes in the rear of the buffer tube. It is honestly the easiest thing to do, but if I stop writing right now, I will probably get distracted by some shit, and not finish this. Trust me though, that shit is there. HOWEVER!!! The H&K MR762A1 is not advertised, nor could I find any information on it being certified as "OTB" from H&K or any source on the internet. That means if you are taking a bath with your MR762A1, and ninjas try to break into your house, and you fire the MR as you come out of the bathtub, you may blow the weapon, and yourself up. Needless to say this is not recommended.
The bolt head is chromed, proofed, and marked with serial numbers. Two things set this apart from a standard AR bolt head. First off, it has dual ejectors, something that many manufactures are doing recently in .308 AR's to ensure positive ejection. Also present are two extra holes on the rear of the bolt head. My theory is this also helps drain water out of the bolt. I have been wrong once or twice though.
(Edit; After looking at the picture I am pretty sure that these are for installation of the ejectors. You have to remember that I am 5/4 fucking retarded)
The cam pin is pretty standard as far as cam pin's go. I am going to waste no more electrons on a description.
Also worth noting, while taking photos with my Sony A6000, the camera thought the top view of the bolt head was a face, due to the dual ejectors, so it went into portrait mode. This caused a sensible chuckle while reviewing the photos. It does look like a happy little bolt head though :).
(Edit; After looking at the picture I am pretty sure that these are for installation of the ejectors. You have to remember that I am 5/4 fucking retarded)
The cam pin is pretty standard as far as cam pin's go. I am going to waste no more electrons on a description.
Also worth noting, while taking photos with my Sony A6000, the camera thought the top view of the bolt head was a face, due to the dual ejectors, so it went into portrait mode. This caused a sensible chuckle while reviewing the photos. It does look like a happy little bolt head though :).
The firing pin itself is slightly different, being as it has a firing pin safety. The firing pin also has a spring, to keep the firing pin from hitting the primer until the hammer hits the firing pin.
The feedramp on the barrel is pretty impressive and prominent. There is no doubt that this thing should feed ammunition like Jenna Jameson take dick. (Don't know who she is? Google her. Not at work though)
FEED ME AMMO
Earlier I talked about the "Over The Beach" features. Based upon what I have read on the internet (and everything on the internet is true according to Abraham Lincoln), one of the features for the OTB capability is a chamfer on the barrel face to allow water to vent from the chamber, and a rivet to support the extractor so it will not blow out during venting. Now, I may be no rocket surgeon, but this appears to be a rivet to support the extractor and a chamfer on the barrel face.
Looks like a chamfer and rivet to me
The charging handle is pretty standard. It comes with a big latch installed so that you can easily charge the weapon if you have a scope on it.
Last but not least is the forearm. The forearm is made from aluminum with a continuous top rail, and free floating. The forearm is covered in dickmod errr keymod....errr, actually "HKey", which is backwards dickmod. Why? Seriously, just go M-Lok like the rest of the civillized world. It comes with two pieces of rail installed, which you can move around to install all of your widgets and things. For me, I mainly just put a bipod on it. At the rear of the handguard, there is a QD socket on each side of the handguard for use with a sling.
Backwards dickmod is worst dickmod
Like throwing a hotdog down a hallway
First Impressions
This thing is beefy. It definitely has some heft to it, but it feels solid. It's like a girl who pulls twice her bodyweight doing deadlifts. Solid in the absolute best of ways, and it gives me an erection. According to the specifications, the rifle comes in just under 10 pounds. You can definitely tell that it isn't as nimble as a standard AR15, but it is pretty comparable to other .308 AR's on the market, save the DD5. The weight of the firearm is pretty well distributed, so the rifle comes up easily, and swings well
Fit and finish is absolutely superb, with no cosmetic flaws of any kind that I could find. On a weapon at this price point, this is to be expected. And let's face it, its H&K, so of course it has good fit and finish.
The trigger is a two stage affair, breaking at about 5 pounds. The first and second stage are about equal in pull length, with the second stage being much longer than I am used to, as I am now used to Geissele triggers #Geisseleallthethings.
The continuous top rail of the MR762 allows the end user to mount a variety of optics, lights, lasers, sex toys, and widgets. Unlike a lot of the rifles that come with a flat top, the MR762 actually comes with a set of Troy Micro back up iron sights. This is a nice addition, and are actually some quality sites.
Fit and finish is absolutely superb, with no cosmetic flaws of any kind that I could find. On a weapon at this price point, this is to be expected. And let's face it, its H&K, so of course it has good fit and finish.
The trigger is a two stage affair, breaking at about 5 pounds. The first and second stage are about equal in pull length, with the second stage being much longer than I am used to, as I am now used to Geissele triggers #Geisseleallthethings.
The continuous top rail of the MR762 allows the end user to mount a variety of optics, lights, lasers, sex toys, and widgets. Unlike a lot of the rifles that come with a flat top, the MR762 actually comes with a set of Troy Micro back up iron sights. This is a nice addition, and are actually some quality sites.
What's next
For me, this rifle will be used in sorta a DMRish role, with it being my distance rifle out to about 1,000 yards. I am not expecting benchrest levels of accuracy, I am hoping to develop a handload that groups around MOA, and be able to make consistent hits out to 1,000 on a reasonable sized target. Reliability is a major concern as well, and since it is a tranny gun, it theoretically, should be as reliable as they come. One thing that will be interesting to see, is if the gas piston operating system is detrimental to accuracy, like many of the parrots online say.
Unlike a lot of the H&K's you see in certain forums, propped up ever so carefully for sweet photos, and handled with velvet gloves, this gun is actually going to get used. If I draw a deer tag this year in Nevada, I will use this rifle to hunt, since, America.
So now that the technical aspects are all covered, we will start doing the fun stuff, like shooting it. Which I may or may not have already deflowered this thing, and actually have more content ready to go. Don't hold your breath on it, I sorta suck at this stuff lately.
EZ
Unlike a lot of the H&K's you see in certain forums, propped up ever so carefully for sweet photos, and handled with velvet gloves, this gun is actually going to get used. If I draw a deer tag this year in Nevada, I will use this rifle to hunt, since, America.
So now that the technical aspects are all covered, we will start doing the fun stuff, like shooting it. Which I may or may not have already deflowered this thing, and actually have more content ready to go. Don't hold your breath on it, I sorta suck at this stuff lately.
EZ
