Overview[]
The Präzisionsschützengewehr 1 (abbreviated as PSG1) is a precision rifle, designed and produced by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch in the late 1960s.
Development[]
For almost the entire duration of Heckler & Koch's production of the G3, a designated marksman rifle variant had been in use alongside it. As early as 1963, with the introduction of the updated G3A3 model, a notable marksman version called the G3ZF had been developed. The G3ZF was essentially a G3A3 rifle that had been retrofitted with a Hensoldt Fero Z24 4x24 telescopic sight, and marked the first significant service rifle to be used in this role, at least with the Bundeswehr, or German Army. Given the HK G3's reputation for superior accuracy, it was hardly surprising that Heckler & Koch decided to pursue the development of a dedicated marksman or sniper rifle variant. Previous iterations had simply involved mounting optics on the G3A3 battle rifle, but it was clear that a specialized version was needed to fully capitalize on the G3's potential as a long-range precision weapon.
In 1968, the first serious attempts at developing a dedicated sniper rifle based on the HK G3 platform emerged. Early prototypes of this design were essentially highly-modified G3A3's with longer, 25.6-inch barrels, reinforced wooden furniture in the form of a handguard, pistol grip, and an adjustable stock with a cheek riser. Although the rifles had scope mounts, they were rather crude and designed to allow the Hensoldt Fero Z24 4x24 telescopic sight to fit on top of the receiver. These optic mounts were most likely welded-on and thus were not removable.
By the early 1970s, progress towards the development of the PSG1 continued. Coincidentally, in 1972, a terrorist attack in Munich, West Germany, revealed a lackluster police presence and inadequate weaponry. Essentially serving as a catalyst for the production of the PSG1 to ramp up significantly, the first models being would be released with production starting in the same year as the attack.
The latest iterations of the prototype were substantial improvements over the crude early versions. These upgraded models boasted finalized features such as polymer furniture replacing the earlier wooden ones, furniture wise, with the exception of the pistol grip which received a rubber pad at the bottom. The new models also featured a scope mount that was no longer welded on, and the trigger had been modified to increase its weight upon trigger-pull.
Design[]
As per most early firearms produced by Heckler & Koch, the overall design of the PSG1 was a direct developmental repurpose of the G3A3 battle rifle, with this, a large amount of features are shared across both firearms due to their similarities, albeit the PSG1 may have "enhanced" some of the said features.
Despite its intended purpose for law enforcement or military use, the PSG1's exorbitant cost, attributed to its superior quality, resulted in the rifle gaining a reputation for being overly "delicate" or "gentle" for practical field deployment. As a result, the firearm earned an elusive reputation, and was seldom ever used for military fielding.
Barrel[]
In contrast to the antecedent G3ZF marksman rifle, essentially the predecessor to the PSG1, the rifle instead boasts a custom 650mm featureless barrel that prohibits virtually all muzzle devices, such as flash hiders. As a result, any muzzle device that would be applied to the PSG1 would require a bespoke design, tailored to the rifle's particular barrel. A notable exception would be the official suppressor manufactured by Brügger & Thomet, meticulously developed specifically for said barrel design.
Variants[]
DerivativesSee Heckler & Koch for a table showing more G3 derivatives.
Foreign |
 GermanyWeapons Cold War Period (1946 — 1990) |
|---|
| Infantry Weapons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Melee Weapons | Bayonet | [[]] |
| Survival Weapon | [[]] | |
| Sidearms | Pistol | CRWP • HK4 • P 80 |
| Revolver | [[]] | |
| Machine Pistol | [[]] | |
| Close Quarters | Personal Defense Weapon | CRWP • MP7 (A1 • A2) |
| Submachine Gun | HK54 • MP5 (A1 • A2 • A3 • A4 • A5) • MP 60 • MP 61 • MP 64 | |
| Shotgun (automatic) | [[]] | |
| Shotgun (semi-automatic) | HK 512 • HK CAWS | |
| Shotgun (manual-action) | [[]] | |
| Primary Weapons | Assault Rifle (5.45/5.56) | HK33 (A2 • A3) • G41 (A1 • A2 • A3) |
| Assault Rifle (other) | HK36 • HK G11 • IWK G11 | |
| Assault Carbine (5.45/5.56) | HK53 • G 41 K | |
| Assault Carbine (other) | [[]] | |
| Battle Rifles | HK41 • HK G3 (A1 • A2 • A3 • NA3 • A4 • A5 • A6 • A7 • A7A1) • G 1 • G 2 • G 3 (A1 • A2 • A3 • N A3 • A4 • A5 • A6 • A7 • A7 A1) • G 4 | |
| Battle Carbine | G 3 K (A4 • A4 A1) | |
| Automatic Support Weapons | Light Support Weapon | HK11 • HK13 • G8 (A1) |
| Light Machine Gun | [[]] | |
| General Purpose Machine Gun | HK21 (A1 • E) • HK23 • MG 1 • MG 2 • MG 3 (A1) | |
| Heavy Machine Gun | HK25 | |
| Long Range | Anti-Materiel Rifle | [[]] |
| Bolt-Action Rifle | [[]] | |
| Designated Marksman Rifle | HK33SG1 | |
| Launchers | Grenade Launcher (Attachment) | [[]] |
| Grenade Launcher (Standalone) | [[]] | |
| Disposable Rocket Launcher | [[]] | |
| Rocket Launcher | [[]] | |
| MANPADS | [[]] | |
| Non-Lethal Weapons | Pistol | [[]] |
| Underwater Weapons | Sidearm | P11 |
| Rifle | [[]] | |
| Explosives | Anti-Personnel Mines | [[]] |
| Anti-Tank Mines | [[]] | |
| Offensive Grenades | [[]] | |
| Smoke Grenades | [[]] | |
| Firearm Accessories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weapon Sights | Collimator | [[]] |
| Holographic | [[]] | |
| Iron | [[]] | |
| Night | BiV • DM 3 | |
| Reflector | [[]] | |
| Telescopic | FERO-Z 24 • ZF 4x • ZF G3 | |
| Attachments | Flashlights & Lasers | [[]] |
| Foregrips & Bipods | [[]] | |
| Infantry Equipment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | Backpacks | [[]] |
| Body Armour | [[]] | |
| Bomb Suit | [[]] | |
| Elbow and knee pads | [[]] | |
| Signals & IFF | [[]] | |
| Suits | [[]] | |
| Vests & Webbing | [[]] | |
| Headwear | Communication | [[]] |
| Gas Masks & Rebreathers | [[]] | |
| Goggles | [[]] | |
| Helmets | [[]] | |
| Vehicle Headwear | [[]] | |
| Optics, Detection and Surveillance | Man-Portable Radar | [[]] |
| Mine Detectors | [[]] | |
| Night Vision Goggles | [[]] | |
| Periscopes | [[]] | |
| Rangefinders | [[]] | |
| Surveillance | [[]] | |
| Artillery | |
|---|---|
| Anti-Aircraft Guns | [[]] |
| Anti-Tank Guns | [[]] |
| Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launchers | [[]] |
| Anti-Tank Guided Missiles | [[]] |
| Grenade Machine Guns | [[]] |
| Howitzers | [[]] |
| Mortars | [[]] |
| Railroad Artillery | [[]] |
| Recoilless Guns | [[]] |
| Rocket Artillery | [[]] |
| Siege Artillery | [[]] |
| Land Vehicle Weapons | |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Machine Guns | HK MG 5A1 |
| 40mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 75mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 76.2mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 84mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 94mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 105mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| 120mm Tank Guns | [[]] |
| Howitzers | [[]] |
| Vehicle Autocannon | [[]] |
| ATGMs | [[]] |
| Aircraft Weapons & Munitions | |
|---|---|
| 7.62mm Machine Guns | [[]] |
| 12.7mm Machine Guns | [[]] |
| 23mm Cannons | [[]] |
| 30mm Cannons | [[]] |
| 37mm Cannons | [[]] |
| Rocket Pods | [[]] |
| Rockets | [[]] |
| Air-to-Air Missiles | [[]] |
| Air-to-Ship Missiles | [[]] |
| Air-to-Surface Missiles | [[]] |
| Anti-Radiation Missiles | [[]] |
| Cruise Missiles | [[]] |
| Bombs | [[]] |