PTR rifle | |
---|---|
![]() A PTR 91 rifle with G3 style handguard | |
Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Designer | Heckler & Koch, CETME, PTR Industries, Inc. |
Designed | 2000 |
Manufacturer | PTR Industries, Inc. |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | 4.41 kg (9.7 lbs.) |
Length | 1,026 mm (40.4 in) |
Barrel length | 450 mm (17.7 in) |
Cartridge | .308 Winchester 7.62×51mm NATO .243 Winchester 7.62×39mm |
Action | roller-delayed blowback |
Rate of fire | semi-automatic only |
Muzzle velocity | 790 m/s (2,600 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 800 m (870 yd) |
Feed system | 20-round detachable box magazine |
Sights | Rear: 4 positions rotary diopter Front: hooded post |
The PTR rifle is a family of modern, American-manufactured, semi-automatic rifles based on the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle. These rifles are produced by PTR Industries, Inc. of Aynor, South Carolina for the law enforcement and civilian markets in the United States. The abbreviation PTR stands for "Precision Target Rifle."
The weapon is based on the Heckler & Koch G3 and HK91 design, which itself is a variant of the Spanish-made CETME rifle. The United States Federal Assault Weapons Ban enacted in 1994, by President Bill Clinton, prohibited certain cosmetic features of the HK91, which meant that the HK91 and its variants could no longer be manufactured and sold to the US civilian market in their original configuration. Furthermore, German-made HK91s were specifically prohibited from importation under an import ban enacted by President George H. W. Bush in 1989. Subsequently, Heckler & Koch ceased manufacture of the semi-automatic G3-variant, the HK91. The PTR-91 was developed to fill perceived void in supply as an American variant of the original G3 battle rifle.
JLD Enterprises (founded in Farmington Connecticut in 1997 by Jose Luis Diaz) [1] purchased prints and tooling from Fábrica de Braço de Prata, an H&K-licensed, military factory based in Portugal. JLD then began manufacturing ban-compliant PTR-91 rifles in 2002. These ban-compliant models did not have a threaded barrel, bayonet lugs, adjustable stocks, or "high-capacity" magazines. Very early models were produced directly from the Portuguese prints and were nearly identical to the HK91 with the exception of modifications for compliance with the Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. Once the ban expired in 2004, JLD began offering a wider range of PTR-91 models, many of which featured more of the original military features of the storied G3. JLD also began investing in research and development and debuted new improvements and modifications to the original HK91 design. Initially, JLD-produced rifles relied heavily on imported military surplus components to complete their G3-variant. Most parts between HK-91 and PTR-91 guns were and continue to be interchangeable.
In 2005, the major assets of JLD Enterprises were purchased by the newly formed PTR-91 Inc. Mr. Jose Diaz, JLD's founder and owner, stayed on with the new company as a major partner. Mr. Diaz left the company in late 2010. Subsequently, the remaining partners and new management changed the strategic direction of the company. PTR moved from a business model of surplus part importation and assembly to that of a true self-reliant manufacturer, featuring in-house production. The company added significant machining and fabrication capabilities in 2011 and 2012 to accomplish this change.
Currently, PTR is capable of producing every machined part on its rifles at its plant, and sources other items, such as the plastic accessories and furniture, locally in the United States on tooling that it owns. As a result, current PTR rifles are made and assembled in the United States. In 2014, PTR relocated to Aynor, South Carolina, and was formally incorporated as PTR Industries, Inc. in South Carolina.
The best-known and oldest version of the PTR-91 rifle is the PTR-91F. This rifle, similar to the original HK91, features an 18-inch (46 cm) heavy target barrel and fixed plastic stock. PTR also produces higher-end versions of the rifle, such as the PTR-MSG91, a mid-range rifle featuring an 18-inch fluted heavy target barrel, along with enhancements for precision target shooting such as a bipod, rail system, and adjustable stock. PTR also produced in limited quantities a "PTR Super Sniper" version, which featured a 20-inch (51 cm) fully fluted, free-floating barrel. Early on, the company also offered a .243 Winchester chambering, long since discontinued.
In addition, PTR also produces several models of carbine that feature a 16-inch (41 cm) heavy target barrel. These are available with standard hardware as found on the PTR-91F, and include configurations of different stocks, rails, and barrels. A popular model is the PTR-91 KPF, which has an A3-type fully collapsible paratrooper stock.
In 2010, the company released a new line of products chambered in 7.62×39mm known as the PTR-32 series. The PTR-32s are made exclusively with 16-inch barrels, and are available in the same configurations as the PTR-91 carbines. [2]
Calendar year 2011 saw the launch of another new product, the "PTR-GI", which is a throwback to the classic Cold War military styling of the original H&K G3. Also around 2011, PTR-91s began to be available with a welded scope rail, and are identifiable by an "R" in the model name.
In 2015, PTR-91 rifles began to include paddle-magazine release for faster reloading.
PTR weapons have been featured in numerous gun magazines, such as Gun Tests, Guns and Weapons for Law Enforcement, American Rifleman, On Target, Shotgun News , and Gun World, all of which praised them for having good accuracy and reliability, characteristic of the weapon it was designed after.
A carbine is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and used by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries.
Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, and also has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.
The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a submachine gun developed in the 1960s by German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It uses a similar modular design to the Heckler & Koch G3, and has over 100 variants and clones, including selective fire, semi-automatic, suppressed, compact, and even marksman variants. The MP5 is one of the most widely used submachine guns in the world, having been adopted by over forty nations and numerous militaries, police forces, intelligence agencies, security organizations, paramilitaries, and non-state actors.
A squad automatic weapon (SAW), also known as a section automatic weapon or light support weapon (LSW), is a man-portable automatic firearm attached to infantry squads or sections as a source of rapid direct firepower. Weapons fulfilling this role can be light machine guns, or modified selective-fire rifles fitted with a heavier barrel, bipod and a belt/drum-fed design.
The FN FAL is a battle rifle designed in Belgium in 1953 by Dieudonné Saive and manufactured by FN Herstal.
The Colt AR-15 is a lightweight, magazine-fed, gas-operated semi-automatic rifle. It is a semi-automatic version of the M16 rifle sold for the civilian and law enforcement markets in the United States. The AR in AR-15 stands for "ArmaLite Rifle", after the company that developed it in the 1950s. Colt's Manufacturing Company currently owns the AR-15 trademark for its line of semi-automatic AR-15 rifles.
The Heckler & Koch G3 is a select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO developed in the 1950s by the German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned firearms manufacturer CETME. The G3 was the service rifle of the German Bundeswehr until it was replaced by the Heckler & Koch G36 in the 1990s, and was adopted into service with numerous other countries.
The Heckler & KochXM8 is a lightweight assault rifle system developed from the late 1990s to early 2000s. The rifle was designed by German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K), and shares design and engineering with their G36 rifle.
The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K), primarily for export.
The Bushmaster M4 or M4A3 is a semi-automatic or select-fire assault carbine manufactured by Bushmaster Firearms International, modeled on the AR-15. It is one of the Bushmaster XM15 line of rifles and carbines.
The Heckler & KochG41 is a German 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle introduced in 1981 and produced in limited quantities by Heckler & Koch. It was designed to replace the 7.62×51mm NATO chambered Heckler & Koch G3 and the G3 based .223 Remington/5.56×45mm and later 5.56×45mm NATO chambered Heckler & Koch HK33 service rifles providing a more modern weapon compatible with then recently introduced NATO standards. It can use both the then new STANAG 4172 compliant 5.56×45mm NATO SS109, SS110, and SS111 ammunition and older .223 Remington/5.56×45mm M193 ammunition and was the last Heckler & Koch service rifle designed around the roller-delayed blowback mechanism.
The Heckler & Koch HK41 is a semi-automatic version of the Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle. It was produced by Heckler & Koch for civilian sales and Bundeswehr reservist market for a rifle that could be privately owned in Germany but which would duplicate the handling of the G3 for reservists to practice with. The field manual for shooting training authorised the use of HK41 by reservists in place of a G3 during special reservist range firings. But not for use in any other military activity. Usually it was called “Reservistengewehr”. The HK40-series was designed for sale to conscripts so they could be familiar with their service rifle before entering military service, a common practice in Germany and Switzerland. According to H&K's numbering nomenclature, the "4" indicates that the weapon is a paramilitary rifle, and the "1" indicates that the caliber is 7.62 mm.
The Heckler and Koch SR9 is a series of hunting and target rifles derived from the Heckler & Koch HK91 incorporating parts from the PSG1 and MSG-90 marksman rifles.
The M6 is a series of carbines designed and manufactured by LWRC International. It is based on the M4 carbine, with which it shares 80% of its parts. The 'M' model name is not a US military designation. Like the HK416, it features a proprietary short-stroke self-regulating gas piston system and bolt carrier/carrier key design, which prevents trapped gases from contacting the bolt carrier or receiver of the weapon. The manufacturer claims that this reduces the heating and carbon fouling of the internals, simplifies field maintenance, and improves reliability.
The evolution of German military rifles is a history of common and diverse paths followed by the separate German states, until the mid-19th century when Prussia emerged as the dominant state within Germany and the nation was unified. This article discusses rifled shoulder arms developed in or for the military of the states that later became Germany; it excludes firearms of the Austrian Empire, except where they were used substantially by German troops.
The FN FNC is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.
The CETME Model 58 is a stamped-steel, select-fire battle rifle produced by the Spanish armaments manufacturer Centro de Estudios Técnicos de Materiales Especiales (CETME). The Model 58 used a 20-round box magazine and was chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO round. The CETME 58 would become the foundation of the widely deployed German Heckler & Koch G3 battle rifle. Semi-automatic variants were also produced for the civilian market.
The Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR) is a modular assault rifle formerly designed by Magpul Industries of Austin, Texas, and known initially as the Masada.
The Heckler & Koch HK433 is a modular assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm which combines features of the G36 and the HK416 families of assault rifles.