As any gun enthusiast would've known, the "HK" in HK21 stands for Heckler & Koch, the German defense manufacturing company responsible for several well-known weapons, such as the USP and G3 automatic rifle, of which this weapon is based on.
The HK21 can be acquired two different ways in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. As usual, the weapon can be purchased from Drebin, or you can snag one in the underground rebel base in act one by knocking out the rebet who is talking about getting an enemy weapon.
The HK21 is a general purpose machine gun developed in 1961 and has been used by armed forces in several countries. Heckler & Koch are the main manufacturers of the HK21, but it's also been licensed-manufactured by Fabrica do Braco in Portugal as the m/968 and SEDENA in Mexico as the MG21.
The HK21 is selective fire, meaning it operate in different modes of fire, controlled by a switch. It operates with a roller-delayed blowback system, a system for autoloading using pressure created by combustion in the cartridge case. This system is much simpler than gas operation, used by guns like the VSS Vintorez.
The HK21 is fed from the left-hand side and can use several types of ammunition belts, such as the American M13 linked belt, the German DM6 counterpart to the M13, or the segmented German DM1 belt. Due to the way the ratcheting wheel feed unit was designed, the ammunition belt is actually aligned upside down when compared to most other belt-fed firearms.
The HK21 has almost 48% parts interchangeability with the G3. The gun is equipped with a detachable bipod, which can be mounted either in front of the feed mechanism or at the muzzle. It also sports a tripod and vehicle mounting points.
The HK21 is currently utilized by 20 countries, including the United States, where the HK21E variant is used for security of the Kennedy Space Center.
Related Links
Weapon Wednesdays: Metal Gear Solid - Mark 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle
Weapon Wednesdays: Metal Gear Solid - AN-94
Weapon Wednesdays: Metal Gear Solid - The FN SCAR
