AG-3
Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk · Battle Rifle · Out Of Production · 1967
Also known as: Automatgevær 3, G3A5
Overview
The AG-3 (Automatgevær 3) is a Norwegian license-produced variant of the Heckler & Koch G3A5 battle rifle, manufactured by Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk for the Norwegian Armed Forces. A total of 253,497 units were produced between 1967 and 1974, with the rifle serving as the standard Norwegian infantry weapon until being phased out in favor of the HK416 around 2010. The AG-3 differs from the standard G3 in several details: a buttstock approximately 2 cm longer to suit Norwegian soldiers, a serrated thumb groove on the bolt carrier for silent bolt closure, an all-metal cocking handle, and a different bayonet mount. It uses the H&K roller-delayed blowback action chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO with a 20-round detachable box magazine.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4400 g (155.2 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 5100 g (179.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1045 mm (41.14") |
| Folded Length | 840 mm (33.07") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Roller Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 780 m/s (2559 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2890 J (2132 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 550 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62mm NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector
- Features: Select Fire, Stamped Steel Construction, Extended Buttstock, All Metal Cocking Handle, Serrated Bolt Carrier Thumb Groove, Drum Type Rear Sight
Variants
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Norwegian Armed Forces · adopted 1967 · as Automatgevær 3
- Norwegian Home Guard
Conflicts
- War in Afghanistan (2001-2021)
- Kosovo War (1998-1999)
- UN Peacekeeping Operations (1968-2010)
Production
Estimated total produced: 253,497 · Production years: 1967-1974
Total production by Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk for Norwegian Armed Forces; many later upgraded to F1 and F2 standards
Origin
Country of origin: Norway
Designer: Tilo Möller, Theodor Koch, Edmund Heckler
Discontinued: 1974
Notes
Despite being officially replaced by the HK416 (designated AR/HK416N) in frontline service from 2008 onward, AG-3F2 modernized variants remained in use with reserve and Home Guard formations into the 2010s.
Background
The AG-3 served as the personal rifle of generations of Norwegian conscripts, and Kongsberg's lengthening of the buttstock by 2 cm reportedly originated from complaints that average Norwegian soldiers, taller than their West German counterparts, found the standard G3 stock uncomfortably short for prone shooting in the country's deep arctic winters.