Heckler & Koch XM29 OICW
Heckler & Koch · Assault Rifle · Discontinued · 1996
Also known as: XM29, OICW, Objective Individual Combat Weapon, SABR
Overview
The Heckler & Koch XM29 OICW is a select-fire assault rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO, produced by Heckler & Koch GmbH since 1996. Safety features include manual safety selector, fire selector, reflecting modern design standards that prioritize safe handling and operation.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 6800 g (239.9 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 8200 g (289.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 890 mm (35.04") |
| Barrel Length | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Height | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Width | 80 mm (3.15") |
| Action Type | Gas Operated Rotating Bolt |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 30 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 920 m/s (3018 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1693 J (1249 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 800 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Polymer Composite |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Matte Black |
Calibers
- 5.56x45mm NATO · primary · 5.56mm NATO — also known as 5.56x45mm, 5.56 NATO
- 20x28mm Airburst Grenade — also known as 20mm OICW, 20x28mm HE
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Burst 3, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Grenade Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Fire Selector
- Features: Rotating Bolt, Gas Operated, Integrated Fire Control Computer, Laser Rangefinder, Thermal Night Vision, 6x Optical Sight, 20mm Airburst Grenade Launcher, Programmable Airburst Fuze, Select Fire, Dual Weapon System, Target Detection System
Service history
Operators
- United States Army · as XM29 (evaluation only)
Production
Production years: 1996-2004
Small number of prototypes produced for evaluation. Exact production count unknown. Program cost estimated at several hundred million dollars before cancellation.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 2004
Notes
The XM29 was the most ambitious infantry weapon program of the 1990s. The fire control computer could determine the range to a target via laser rangefinder and program the 20mm grenade to detonate at a precise distance, allowing soldiers to engage enemies behind walls, in trenches, or behind vehicles. However, the weapon's primary failure was weight: at 6.8 kg empty (over 8 kg loaded), it far exceeded the 5.5 kg target, making it impractical for extended infantry operations. The 20mm grenade was also found to have insufficient lethality - the small warhead could not produce enough fragments to reliably incapacitate targets. Upon cancellation on October 31, 2004, the program was split into three increments: the kinetic energy component evolved into the XM8 rifle, the grenade launcher component became the standalone XM25 CDTE (which later saw limited operational use in Afghanistan), and a future reintegration remained a long-term goal that was never realized.
Background
The OICW embodied the U.S. Army's 1990s vision of transforming infantry combat through technology - a 'smart weapon' that could defeat enemies hiding behind cover with programmable airburst grenades. Its cancellation was a sobering lesson that no amount of electronics can overcome the basic physics of weight and explosive lethality. The concept persisted however: the standalone XM25 grenade launcher that emerged from the OICW program saw operational use in Afghanistan where soldiers nicknamed it 'The Punisher', before it too was eventually cancelled in 2018.