Heckler & Koch: No More Gun Sales to Israel

German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch recently let it be known that they would no longer sell their firearms in some of the worlds more questionable corners. As the UK’s Guardian reported . . .

The company has pledged no longer to sell arms into warzones or to countries that violate corruption and democracy standards, including Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, or any African countries.

Though never officially announced, the new strategy was included in Heckler & Koch’s latest yearly financial report, and confirmed at an annual general meeting in August. A spokesman said that the firm had “withdrawn from the crisis regions of this world”.

So imagine Israel’s surprise to learn that the Middle East’s only democracy had made it onto HK list of verboten nations.

The Jerusalem Post reports:

Known as Germany’s deadliest weapons manufacturer, Heckler & Koch will no longer being selling guns to war zones or countries that are corrupt, including Israel, according to the company’s most recent report.

Founded in 1949 Heckler & Koch, a major producer of handguns, military rifles and sub-machine guns, quietly adopted a new policy to make it difficult to obtain export permits from the German government when dealing with a number of countries around the globe.

Countries in the company’s current ban include: Israel, Mexico, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia or any African countries.

With annual arms exports of over $8 billion, Germany exports a lot of firepower. And HK makes just about everything from handguns to grenade launchers. According to a “study” touted by the country’s Green Party and Social Democrats designed to shame arms exporters, HK’s products have contributed to the deaths of two million people…at least one of whom included Osama Bin Laden. So Bin Laden stands as the typical bad guy put down by H&K products, more is definitely better, right?

But the decision to end sales to the Jewish state effectively lumps Israel in with the globe’s most corrupt regimes and kleptocracies. Surely politics didn’t play a role in the company’s decision.

Israel won’t be hurting for firepower. The country has its own thriving arms industry — they exported $6.5 billion worth in 2016 — in addition to their ability to import weapons from the United States, among others. But the decision will leave them without the ability to take advantage of HK’s famous “No Compromise” reputation for accuracy and reliability.

Somehow we think Israel will learn to adapt.

 

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152 COMMENTS

    • Germans don’t like Jews. Been that way for a long time, surprised it took the Germans this long to show their ass. I hope IWI knocks off every H&K design and starts selling them.

      • I bought my last H&K product about 20 years ago. Decent guns, but horribly over-priced. And the USP is about twoce as big as ot needs to be. I went with Glocks and haven’t regretted it for a minute.

        I suck and they hate me.

      • SOME Germans might hate Jews.

        SOME Jews might hate Germans.

        As I understand it, German Jews and Russian Jews have hated each other at different times. Some of the “NO JEWS” country club restrictions of the 50’s were type A jews restricting type B jews.

        Everyone can’t always like everyone. Liberals and anti-gun people are pretty well trashed here on TTAG daily.

        Deal with it.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=CgASBVMyVFI

        National Brotherhood Week
        Tom Lehrer – 1967

        Oh, the white folks hate the black folks,
        And the black folks hate the white folks.
        To hate all but the right folks
        Is an old established rule.

        But during national brotherhood week, national brotherhood week,
        Lena horne and sheriff clarke are dancing cheek to cheek.
        It’s fun to eulogize
        The people you despise,
        As long as you don’t let ’em in your school.

        Oh, the poor folks hate the rich folks,
        And the rich folks hate the poor folks.
        All of my folks hate all of your folks,
        It’s american as apple pie.

        But during national brotherhood week, national brotherhood week,
        New yorkers love the puerto ricans ’cause it’s very chic.
        Step up and shake the hand
        Of someone you can’t stand.
        You can tolerate him if you try.

        Oh, the protestants hate the catholics,
        And the catholics hate the protestants,
        And the hindus hate the moslems,
        And everybody hates the jews.

        But during national brotherhood week, national brotherhood week,
        It’s national everyone-smile-at-one-another-hood week.
        Be nice to people who
        Are inferior to you.
        It’s only for a week, so have no fear.
        Be grateful that it doesn’t last all year!

      • Exactly. Their hatred of Jews is genetic. I’ve purchased my last HK product and will sell the one I currently own.

        • This has a lot more to do with a commercial sanction of Israel that falls in line with a UN style of beliefs than it does genetics.

      • I do not say this as a Jew, but Germany needs its a## kicked just about every 75 years or so….as we speak, germany is doing what it did during the Nazi years only 180 degrees in the opposite direction…..socially engineering its population by importing as many Muslims as possible….forcing other EU members to do the same or else……I say all that to say this….by H&K’s logic, NO Muslim country should ever receive their firearms……but alas, Merkel wants all of them to stay alive so she can socially engineer Europe to suit the Hegel-minded elite…….

    • Yes, well, keep in mind that Germany is currently being invaded (successfully) by a vast contingent of Muslim “refugees”. What are the chances that this is having some influence on the distribution policies of more German corporations than just H&K?

      When you sell self-defense devices to Jews and your factories are surrounded by communities dedicated to the destruction of Israel and all Jews, you can expect to have some dissent from those locals. And since it is unlikely that most of those Muslim countries were getting their weapons from H&K rather than some Russian knock-offs at bargain prices, placating the local Islamists seems like a potential security move for the safety of your facilities and employees.

    • So they aren’t going to sell arms into any war zones? Sounds like a really great business plan for an arms maker. No wonder there’re going down the drain.

      • HK has forgotten the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition –

        # 34. War is good for business.
        # 35. Peace is good for business.

        • Close, but not quite.

          # 34. Peace is good for business.

          # 35. War is even better for business.

          (It’s the same in the Pawn Shop biz. When times are good, you will do well. When times are hard, you will do *better*…)

    • If Muslims want to talk to me about their religion being “peaceful” the first thing I want to know is their opinion on Jews and Israel. When you do this, you’re pretty much guaranteed to get the Jews-stole-our-land argument. A similar thing happens when too many Europeans want to talk about Israel and Jews. When this happens: full stop, If you don’t like Jews and don’t respect Israel as a legitimate country then I don’t like you. No H&K guns for me. They’re right up there with Springfield and Rock River. Piss on ’em.

      • For the record, the “peace” that comes with “The religion of peace” can be deduced from the translation of “islam” which means, literally, submission.

        The peace that Islam seeks is the peace that comes when all of their enemies are subjugated to the point that they do not dare to not be peaceful lest the minions of Islam kill them to make an example to others and “keep the peace”.

        In other words, there will be peace when all of the infidels are either dead or subjugated, and they do not particularly care which group YOU fall into.

    • It actually makes a lot of sense when you consider in a few years it’ll be the Islamic Republic of Germanistan….

    • Add my name to the H&K boycott list. Unless the answer to my email to them requesting clarification is very convincing.

  2. Weird that a maker of firearms seems to be against self defense.
    Suddenly my not being able to afford HK products seems virtuous.

    • Germans don’t like Jews. Been that way for a long time, surprised it took the Germans this long to show their ass. I hope IWI knocks off every H&K design and starts selling them.

  3. Good to see HK isn’t selling to some of those nations, but Israel? Really? German arms maker won’t export to a Jewish nation? Where’s the ADL on this?

    I’ve never cared for any gun HK makes and I won’t be rushing out to buy there pistols anytime soon.

    • Israel can still make as-good for less. I think the keep the good sh_t for themselves, got some IWI mags (4) and none of them worked.

  6. This says more about the German government that it does about H.K. or Israel. Did Germany every get around to paying their NATO obligations or are they still freeloading?

    • Compared to what? Compared to the Swiss government, maybe. Compared to the Clinton-led Democrat Party, hardly.

      • The Swiss were Hitler’s bankers and the Swiss government still refuses to return good stolen in the War to their rightful owners. It might be the most corrupt government on Earth.

        • The Swiss were our bankers too during the war. And McKittrick at the BIS was happy to keep things flowing in every direction. For that matter Bush 43’s father did a remarkable job protecting the assets of several German companies that temporarily went Dutch. I note the Russians never gave back much of what they stole, as well, beginning with Kaliningrad (Königsberg) which is in the middle of Lithuania.

          And by the way, since apparently everyone has simply forgotten: The Cherokees are still waiting for their land back.

          The Swiss are certainly not the most corrupt. However, they are, as a national culture, greedy. Orderly and greedy.

    • In 2016, Israel ranked 28th out of 176 countries, with a score of 64 on Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perception Index.

      That’s actually some improvement over recent years. That score places them just ahead of Poland and Portugal, but just behind Bhutan and U.A.E.

      Just for reference, #1 is Denmark , with a score of 90, and number 176 is Somalia, with a score of 10.

      The U.S. ranked 18th, with a score of 74, which I suspect reflects the impact of Illinois, NY, NJ, and Louisiana as the worst of the worst, dragging the rest of us down.

    • More corrupt that anyone would like, but less corrupt than many respectable places. According to Transparency International, less corrupt that Portugal, Poland, Czech Republic, Taiwan, Spain, South Korea, Italy, Greece, Brazil, Argentina, and many others not on their ban list.

      Let’s be honest, this has nothing to do with corruption. It has to do with pandering to terrorism apologists who believe that the West is the original source of all evil in the world, and that the number one vessel of this Western Evil is their “settle colonial zionist entity”.

      Never mind that the majority of Jewish Israelis are of Middle Eastern or North African origin, not “settlers” from Europe. Never mind that the the status quo reality in most Muslim countries includes the sorts of evils that we in the West can hardly imagine.

  8. Good. lol. The corrupt Jewish nation of Israel deserves nothing less. Now if the US ever pulls the plug on funding that S hole country.. That would be something to write home about!

    • You are aware that this site is owned and operated by Robert Farrago, a Jew, whose parents suffered through the holocaust?

      Go away. Just go away. You do not represent us and we resent you.

      • It’s OK. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. At least they do in countries that don’t imprison, torture and murder people who express the “wrong” opinion.

      • What does any of that have to do with support for an insignificant nation on the other side of the world?

      • Cliff H,
        No I wasn’t aware of that! Very deep, and profound! Knowing that definitely changes my view on the corrupt nation of Israel. lol
        As far as the resentment goes.. the feelings mutual. please go away.

    • Oh look, a Nazi. You’re not welcome here. Go back to your basement with swatiska flags on the wall.

      • I’m a Nazi because the nation of Israel is corrupt? Wow, you’re a genius in your own right! Antifa much, idiot?

      • If, when they come out from under their bridges or up from their mothers’ basements, and begin spouting nonsense, you address them directly, they get the mistaken impression that their vapid, infantile opinions and rabid, gibbering mouthings have some worth. If you simply ignore them as you would someone passing gas in an elevator, they will become disillusioned and simply fade away, back into the nothingness from whence they came.
        Try it. It’s good for the soul.

      • Please, I implore you, PLEASE do not weaken the impact of the term Nazi by using it against everyone who expresses anything less than unmitigated support for Israel and everything it does.

        If someone says “gas the kikes” yes, for God’s sake call them out as a Nazi. But if someone is criticizing the state of Israel or Netanyahu in particular, calling them a Nazi serves no purpose but to deprive the term of meaning and give cover to real anti-semites and Nazis who hate Israel just because it’s a Jewish country. You couldn’t possibly be helping Nazis and other antisemitic radicals more than by abusing the term like that.

  9. I didn’t see Pakistan or Iran on that list. Strange. Screw Israel though, any society based almost entirely around a religion is bullshit and we end up dealing with the consequences of their ‘beliefs’. Fuck the ENTIRE middle east. We should turn it into a huge glass parking lot and build the worlds largest strip mall right on top and take Frances Disney world and move it there.

    • HK hasnt sold anything to Iran since the shah was overthrown……the iranians are still producing G3s licensed in the 70s on equipment purchased a few years before the revolution…..

      They arent selling to pakistan anymore either……pakistan also produces their own licensed copies of the G3 and mp5 that theyve been making since the 80s….

    • Israel has been under continuous physical attack since the their very first day as a country. All they want is to be left the f#ck alone. In fact, if we had not already used it on our flag(s), I’m pretty sure the Israeli flag would have “Don’t Tread on Me” on it. Israel is NOT the problem.

      • I’m of the opinion that we leave the whole middle east alone until one of those backward assed religious fanatic countries goes nuclear, then we wipe them off the face of the earth in a matter of weeks, not years. We should have already made a example of Iran or Pakistan. Kill all of your own people you want, whatever. The second you become a threat to us, we annihilate you. Full stop. No aid, no nation building, NOTHING. We destroy everything and leave nothing but rubble. Then see who else wants to fuck around.

        • “I’m of the opinion that we leave the whole middle east alone until one of those backward assed religious fanatic countries goes nuclear,…”

          They already have gone nuclear.

          House Saud has been loudly proclaiming (so Iran can clearly hear) that they were the ones who financed AQ Kahn in his physics (package) project for Pakistan.

          Implying that in return for that money, the Kingdom has a nuclear weapon they can pick up at any time they want. They have also been announcing they have given Israel overflight rights of the Kingdom with tanker and AWACS support, any time Israel wants to hit Iran.

          And don’t be so naive to think that Kim Jong Un, who is desperately *starved* for hard currency, just may have sold Iran one of his improved firecrackers he’s been popping off under his ‘Sacred Mountain’ for a nice pile of Iranian gold.

          The nukes, they be already there, son…

          The only question is, who’s gonna step up to the plate first and take a swing?

  11. Israeli interests have controlled US foreign policy for decades. Major part of the reason the Mideast is the mess it is today.

    • Feel free to name one time that the Middle East actually was peaceful. Or not at war, or major conflict. Even the Ottoman empire, arguably the one time that there was peace in recorded history, was kept mostly peaceful with an iron fist, and STILL had plenty of internal fighting. Don’t go blaming Israel for a problem that has been going on since mankind learned a rock could kill someone.

        • Um. Literally all of history since Babylon comes to mind. Actually, no one ritually burns children alive anymore so one could even say it’s improved a bit.

        • “Name another time in history the ME was the total shit show it is today.”

          Its been that way since the time of sumer and abraham living in UR……..assyrians conquering akkadians and sumerians, babylonians conquering assyrians, persians conquering babylonians, greeks conquering persians, parthians conquering greeks, persians conquer parthians, arabs conquer persians, mongols conquer arabs, turks conquer arabs, british conquer arabs….

        • Firstly, appears others answered for me, secondly, you are a terrible debater. You answer a question with a question, which essentially indicates you don’t have a legit answer, so you’re trying to change the subject or direction of debate. Go back to speech class, you have failed your teacher.

        • The region is rich with history, no doubt, but I stand by my original statement that Israels control over US policy has brought devastation to the region. Does anyone disagree Israel controls US foreign policy?

      • I’ll stick with my original point that the region isnt anymore fucked today than it has been at any time in the past 5000 years……..and no, israel doesnt “control” US foreign policy because US foreign policy is much bigger than israel…..does israel wield a certain amount of influence on US policy in their own backyard? Yes and logically so……

        • Anyone who thinks Israel firmly controls US policy is a fool.

          For proof, look how the Obama admin. treated Israel under his watch…

        • The US has fought two recent wars in the middle east. Both were fought to protect Saudi Arabia, and for no other reason. Saddam’s big mistake was to try turning south after iinvading Kuwait.

          We’ve fought no wars to protect Israel.

          We protect and support Israel in many ways. My senior military officer relatives complained to me in ’73 that we so depleted our European weapons stocks in order to resupply Israel….that we could not have defended at the Fulda Gap for a few months with conventional weapons. Would have had to go tactical nukes.

        • Funny stuff, anyone who claims Israel doesn’t control US foreign policy is either a fool or a liar. Maybe both.

        • “We’ve fought no wars to protect Israel.”

          We’ve done *better*.

          We gave Israel fissile materiel from the Hanford / Savannah River reactors.

          Big *BOOM*.

          Israel may be small, but they can punch *far* heavier than their weight class…

    • The middle east has been a mess for millennia. In more recent times, mid 1800’s a good read is Mark Twain’s “The Innocents Abroad” gives a bit of commentary on it. Lawrence of Arabia, another bit of historical art with some truth to it. Israel is the oldest country on earth, by some accounts, over 3000 years old. There is a 17.6% Muslim population, the luckiest muzzies in the whole damn region. You never hear of the Israelis decapitating any of them. Not like being a Jew or Christian or other non-muzzy in many muzzy countries.

      H&K was never much on my radar and now they have moved completely off the screen.

  12. Company founded by former NSDAP members that got its start by continuing weapons development projects begun under Hitler’s government won’t sell arms to the world’s only Jewish state; this is my most shocked expression. Funny, but of all the surplus weapons that I have ever seen come out of Israel, and of the various Israeli soldiers, saliors, and police officers I have met have ever mentioned using any HK products, although at least one praised the AK over his AK-derived Galil, which I thought was interesting.

  14. I will bless them that bless you and CURSE them that curse you. Signed GOD. How Nazi of you HK…

  17. If they didn’t like “die schwarzen” you would think they would be providing their products at cut rates to African countries in order to promote the carnage in those truly corrupt nations.

  19. Well. Makes the decision on VP9 vs APX easier.

    Looks like those goose-stepping turds at HK would be a little more circumspect on selling to Israel.

    History always repeats itself.

    • “You know who else wouldn’t let Germans sell guns to Jews?”

      I just know I’m gonna regret it, but I’ll bite.

      Who?

      (Go easy on this fish’s jaw with that sharp hook you’re about to set, please?)

  21. This is a nonfactor since israel never purchased HK products to begin with……if you spend any time in israel and bother to look at what the army and various security forces are carrying, HKs are nonexistent……lots of glocks, jerichos, hi powers, CZs, tanfoglio……no HK…

  25. I say great! Isreal is corrupt, and deserves to be on the list. In fact I’ll go further and say that the US should stop financially supporting isreal. Isreal is more than capable of taking care of itself without our support.

      • Remind me how important of a fact that isreal is a democracy is when they CONSTANTLY spy on us? Some “friend.”

        • Don’t worry, they spy on everyone. The smaller the country, the better intelligence agencies they need.
          Israel stole the land fair and square in war they didn’t start.

      • Is a country that subjugates and occupies neighboring territory that’s ethnically different while also stealing it through a system of colonization, considered a democracy? Do the Palestinians have the same voice as their Israeli administrators? Any support of Israel should be equally met concerning the Palestinians under their control who do not have the liberty of a state to call their own. Do those big walls imply inclusion or the spirit of democracy? Germany is not against Israel by any means with regard to its security and freedom. They do see the occupation and colonization of the West Bank as an issue- as does much of the world. In terms of German support for Israeli security, Israel has some of the finest German built submarines that money can buy and their capabilities far outstrip what any small arms deal is capable of. These submarines give Israel a second strike capability and therefore the biggest strategic advantage of any country in the region.

  27. I don’t own any HK products. Nor will I ever. I have always believed Germany is our one true enemy and will always be our enemy. They have never done anything to change my mind on that. Never trust a Kraut. They have one goal, to control Europe. They tried twice militarily and failed. Now they are using politics and the EU to control Europe.

    • “Now they are using politics and the EU to control Europe.”

      They’re trying and failing on that one.

      Britain’s gone, Italy likely soon to follow, and others are making noises they don’t like the yoke of the EU on their necks…

  28. Some interesting history about Germany, they have and always will be anti-enlightenment, anti-individual rights. While France, Britain and America were all having their revolutions, embracing natural rights granted by our creator, German philosophers sprung up to reject the notion of natural rights. Ever since their population has believed in an all powerful state who grants rights and therefore can take them away. This thinking led to two world wars instigated by them and is the reason today they still exhibit anti-western tendencies and are inflicting great harm on the European continent. They couldn’t destroy Europe and the west outwardly, so Merkal and her ilk seek to do it inwardly by bringing in foreign invaders who are basically modern day Nazi’s. After all, Germany sided with the muslims and the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in both world wars in their conquest so destroy the Jews.

    So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that HK, a German company put Israel on their list. Whether they know it or not, they are cut from this same anti-enlightenment clothe.

    This history is also why you see so much of this anti-enlightenment and rejection of reason in the rest of the west. At the time American universities didn’t give out PHD’s. A great many “intellectuals” went to Germany to get their PHD’s only to return to the US and fundamentally restructure our Universities after the German model. They brought those bad ideas with them. So in away the American left, who’s anti-American zeal and rejection of natural rights has been nurtured in the Universities, are basically modern day Nazi’s.

    • Sorry but this is rubbish. There was a revolution in Germany in 1848/49 especially in the southern parts of Germany. But it was not a very successful one, because Prussia ended it with it’s troops. Therefore many people fled to the US and fought in the US civil war. Our “Grundgesetz” also grants individual rights. But like in the US of A with the 2nd amendment our politicians tend to infringe those rights constantly. This got even worse, when we added the GDR to our state. Now we are moving constantly to a GDR 2.0, because our government always wants more control. But you should talk with a British citizen about individual rights, before you start to rant about German individual rights.

  29. What’s with some of the comments on here that are basically tying all of this to Nazism and Germans hate Jews? Sounds like a rather progtard route to take. Could it possibly be due to political factors back home, that have nothing to do with any of that? HK won’t sell arms to Israel…”Derp, causa raciss and Nazis.” Leave that shite to the libs.

      • That’s correct progressives don’t like Israel for the most part. This move is political, pushed by Israel hating progressives, but fits with historic German behavior.

      • Oh I’m sure it is…I’m just remarking on the fact that so many of the comments here cite Nazism/antisemitism as the reason behind HK’s decision.

    • agreed!!! Lots of simple minded folk here seem like they belong at a Antifa rally.. Nazi this, Nazi that! Shut up, we don’t like what you’re saying! The real fascism, truly.

  30. Not that Israel needs it. They have plenty of arms manufacturer’s themselves, and IMO, their arms are superior to the german plastic ones. Further….

    THIS IS GREAT NEWS.

    This only means more potential business for US firearm manufacturers.

    • Two world wars primarily because of Germany, but yes not completely for the first one. Now they want to control Europe through the EU because they can’t do it militarily. They have a very straight forward agenda that doesn’t change. No assumptions needed for anyone with two open eyes. Germany will always be an enemy.

  34. In H&K’s defense, I recall that the old Rabbinical Director of JPFO, Rabbi R. Mermelstein (Orthodox Jewish Rabbi), said about 20 years ago, something to the effect that of all the countries he lived in Israel was the only one where he felt oppressed by the government for his religious beliefs.
    I can’t remember if he said that in his Ask the Rabbi column or in a private email to me. Either way, it predates my archives and anything on JPFO I can search through Bing.

    And then there’s this:
    http://www.wagc.com/alert-do-you-want-to-live-under-such-laws/

  35. um, While I can applaud their altruism, I gotta wonder about their common sense!

    Guns are used for plinking (mostly), Range Practice by LEO’s & military (A whole lot), and war (some)

    War does not tend to take place at the Canadian/American border.

    War tends to take place in fairly unfriendly locations, like: “Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, or any African countries”

  37. Likewise, we removed HK from any future product purchase considerations and cancelled trip to make a purchase. Have had enough of political correctness! Period.

  39. meh. Galil, Tavor, and Jericho >> HK anything anyway. I do not fear for the security of Israel. I do fear for the security of Germans, given their current desire to import war and terrorists.

    Pretty soon, Germany and Europe will be a war zone off limits to HK sales too. Maybe then Germans will defend themselves with Galils and Tavors.

    HK seems to be going down the tubes.

  41. Well I guess that made my decision of wether to buy the pps over the vp9, as a southern Baptist in the south we as a majority want the Jews to thrive and Respect them very much , it might be the gentiles time but soon it will be there’s. And we hate Muslims btw…..just saying

  43. Antisemitism is becoming cool again in germany anyways. Or anti-Israel how they call it to make it not as obvious, but hey, if your country is literally the official country of the jews…
    And it is brought to you by… the political left. Those crazy treehuggers and islam-apologists now deemed that it was mean from the jews to take a piece of desert from the sand people and turning it into the only working democracy in that part of the world.
    I have low expectations from the left, but they manage to do worse every single time.

  44. The derp on this topic is ridiculous. All we know is that HK said they are not selling to places considered war zones or zones considered in conflict, which Israel is in conflict. They are not saying who is at fault for the conflict. They have been hit before for selling arms to bad people so this seems more like a proactive move to prevent them from being hit with lawsuits and the sorts if their weapons did get into the wrong hands. Hell, the democrats here want gun makers to be liable for misuse, let alone Germany and their awful gun and export laws.

  47. Kinda ironic that the PSG-1 developed because Germany didn’t have an adequate firearm to help rescue Israeli hostages can no longer be sold to Israelis.

  48. So What? They announced they were suspending sales to all non NATO members. Israel? When they start taking the battlefield with our troops I’ll care. Until then all they do is play angles for their own benefit while touting theyre great friends.

  51. Next month’s headline, “No More HK Gun Sales to Anyone; Bankruptcy Were Declared”

    We should be so lucky. Talk about the most over-hyped, and frankly talent-less group of small arms designers out there.* They’ve been riding the coat tails of Nazi left overs for pretty much the entire existence of the company (because the G36, G11, MP7, and VP70 have been such game changers, dontcha know) with the possible exception of the USP (itself not really ground breaking but more an excellent execution of existing art). They make good stuff, but others make good stuff (FN & SIG are the most obvious examples, but also Beretta, CZ, and most recently B&T) without nearly the same degree of pure pretense and needless cost, let alone the design flaws & compromises, all while pursuing far more innovation in their products. H&K is the Colt of European gun makers…which I suppose is at least better than being the Remington of European gun makers**

    TCB
    *Having just built a 10mm MP5, and seen the number of half-ass design workarounds & poor decisions they chose to make, I stand by my statement about their design hackery
    **This is a historical jab at Remington which once enjoyed similar prominence as Colt has/had from its huge military contracts, but which fell out of favor after relying too heavily on past success–the rolling block rifle– and failed to hold its market share through innovation going forward. It’s been a steady slide into lousier and lousier military, then consumer markets ever since then. Colt’s grand plan these days is…consumer-oriented production of its most iconic offerings from over a century ago (1911s & 1903s) and over fifty years ago (AR15s and revolvers) –the very definition of resting on one’s laurels.

  52. I see that the Germans still have a thing about the Jews after all these years. A leopard can’t change it’s spots. As we know, the early HK firearms designers worked for the Third Reich so it really doesn’t come as a surprise.

  53. Annnnnd now it should become obvious to US observers why we, the US, should never depend upon European-owned companies for our military small arms acquisitions.

    There’s a reason why I have a hot-button issue with companies like FN being allowed to own our current small arms contracts.

    Israel showed why it is smart for a sovereign nation to have their own arms production capacity. Always.

    I’m usually against government waste and meddling, but our small arms production worked, on the whole reasonably well when we had the armory system. Yes, yes, the M-14 wasn’t one of their shining moments – but the Garand was, as was the 1903/A3 and other weapons systems.

    • Those companies produce the guns domestically, using domestic workers, domestic materials (usually mandated by contract cronyism under guise of patriotism), and at least for the time being, domestic designs (apart from a few bit-part acquisitions like M27s or SCARs). Considering how America’s civilian sales, including LEO, are drawing in the ‘free’ world’s arms makers like a black hole, I would say it’s Europe that should be worried about losing its armament capability. France and Spain already lack a single viable firm to produce their weapons, Germany is not too far behind them (Rheinmetal is still a player, but doesn’t dabble in small arms the way HK does). FN, Beretta, CZ, B&T, Glock, and every other player of consequence are increasingly meeting reduced domestic demand and hostile regulatory environments, while at the same time endless demand and (in all likelihood) reduced barriers to moving into the US market. I suspect that every one of these companies that’s had a real US manufacturing presence for more than a decade is making more money on our shores than their own, and expects that figure to only shift further toward the US in the future.

  55. This is ABSOLUTE rubbish. They will sell them to a middleman who will them sell them to a cut out, who will sell them to whatever country. This is nothing more than a PR thing – don’t believe it.

  56. Israel is a dead market for hk. Hk firearms are very rare in civilian use and rarer in military and le use. Most pistols here are glocks, glock USA mainly. Hk statement has no real impact except a declarative value.

  58. Now boycotting HK. Either way, they are guilty of (1) outright antisemitism or (2) cowardice.

    Their product is overrated anyways.

  59. Just a guess but I’ll bet they weren’t selling many guns there anyway… I had a Jewish girlfriend that hated all things made in Germany, including my H&K and my BMW. lol

  60. We hear a lot about countries that export terrorism. The US should stop subsidizing the defense of nations (Germany) that IMPORT terrorism.

  61. H&K’s are like diamonds and are forever. I could afford a dozen of each but have not, will not buy one. Why? Not because of their stupid ideology. Because I can do the same thing at a fraction of the cost that gives me more resources to practice, which makes for more efficient firearm management. Avoiding Israel for corruption when you are a company located in Germany? Wow, that is a stretch. Military weapons that are proficient and trusted are the ones that do what they are designed to do, kill. I appreciate H&K for thinking for me, thanks, but no thanks. Righteousness, if one feels that way they should not be making weapons. Take your weapons and stick them where the sun doesn’t shine.

  62. So they build weapons, but try to take some sort of moral high ground on Israel using weapons for their purpose? Another boycotted company.

  63. There’s some serious fixation with Israel and Jews in this article/comment section when they’re just one name out of several on the list.

    You people accuse them of being Nazis and Anti-Semites (like you even know what Semites are, hint: They aren’t just Jews) with the most ridiculously ignorant and straw-grasping arguments and when someone actually comes along with a reality check about Israel, you accuse THEM of being a Nazi. Seriously, where the fuck are /pol/ and the /k/ommandos when you need them? Meme this absurdity.

    • This is amazing and they date right back to the Nazi era. I mean if you manufacture weapons designed to kill humans we would not want them in a war zone. Give me a break!

  64. I love my HK USP, and now, even more so. An arms company that has morals, imagine that.

    • Right. Because it’s the “moral” thing to bar sales to Israel, BECAUSE JOOZ!!!

      HK is showing their Nazi @$$es.

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