HISTORY
Development
The PSG-1 was developed by the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. PSG-1 is an abbreviation for Präzisionsscharfschützengewehr 1 which stands for Precision Sniper Rifle 1 in English. It was reportedly designed as a result of the 1972 Munich Olympic games massacre, but development may have started earlier. Snipers played a key role during the rescue attempt. The investigation into the massacre revealed that a highly accurate rifle capable of quick follow up shots was needed. The PSG-1 was specifically developed for law enforcement use to deliver pinpoint accuracy at the short range at which those units operate. The design of the PSG-1 was based upon the successful Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle. The PSG-1 can be viewed as a weapon system as it was fitted with a scope specifically designed for this weapon and issued with a special tripod. The PSG-1 was quickly widely adopted by law enforcement and counter terrorism teams in Europe.
Impact
The PSG-1 is often seen as the rifle that set the standard for semi-automatic sniper rifles. Until then most semi-automatic sniper rifles were sniperized service rifles. The PSG-1 proved to be the first true match for bolt action sniper rifles regarding accuracy. It also proved to be too fragile, cumbersome and expensive for military use. As a response the Heckler & Koch MSG90 sniper rifle was designed as both a more rugged and cheaper alternative to the PSG-1. It is also based on the G3 and shares many features with the PSG-1 such as the trigger group and free floating barrel assembly.
DESIGN
Design
The design of the PSG-1 is based on the Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle. The G3 with its roller locked delayed blowback mechanism is known for its accuracy and reliability but as a result it also is a heavy and expensive weapon. The G3 design was altered substantially to turn it into a highly accurate sniper rifle. The PSG-1 is machined with very low tolerances and the quality is superb. The receiver is somewhat different from the G3. The barrel is free floating and the rifle is fitted with a low noise bolt closing device. Furthermore the retractable stock rails have been welded over to improved frame rigidity and the iron sights have been removed. To ensure accuracy the G3 barrel has been replaced by a much longer and thicker cold forged barrel with polygonal rifling and no flash hider. The original trigger group has been replaced with an adjustable match trigger and the pistol grip is contoured and features an adjustable palm rest. The PSG-1 fires semi-automatic only and feeds from 5 and 20 round magazines.
Weapon system
The PSG-1 can be seen as a weapon system while it came with standard accessories of which the Hensoldt scope is the most important one. As the PSG-1 is not fitted with iron sights the scope is the only means of aiming the weapon. The Hensoldt 6x42mm came as a standard and is fully adjustable and has been optimized for short ranges and is adjustable to 600 meters. The reticule is illuminated for low light situations. The PSG-1 is replaced in production with the PSG-1A1 since 2006, which is fitted with the Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50mm scope. Furthermore the PSG-1 is delivered in a black flight case, issued with a Gardini tripod and often equipped with a bipod as well.
PERFORMANCE
Overall performance
The PSG-1 is a very capable sniper rifle and is perfectly suited for the role it was designed for. Even today the accuracy remains phenomenal for a semi-automatic rifle, it is on par with many high end bolt action sniper rifles. At the time of development the Hensoldt scope was very advanced but considering scopes available today the change to the PSG-1A1 model is understandable. Besides the many qualities the main drawbacks are its heavy weight, fragility and most of all its price.
Accuracy
The accuracy is guaranteed to be sub MOA by Heckler & Koch. Before leaving the factory the rifle is test fired and should be capable of firing 50 rounds in an 80mm circle at 300 meters. When used with the proper ammunition the PSG-1 proves to be able to perform sub 0.5 MOA at ranges out to 500 meters. The maximum effective range is often quoted as being 600 meters, which is quite short for a sniper rifle in the 7.62x51mm caliber. The reason for this is that the scope sold with the PSG-1 can be adjusted out to 600 meters. Most law enforcement agencies use snipers at ranges between 100 and 300 meters, hence the scope was optimized for short ranges. Being a highly accurate and long barreled 7.62x51mm rifle the maximum effective range is way beyond 600 meters. As the effective range of sniper rifles is hard to determine it is best to give the maximum ranges usually credited to very capable 7.62x51mm sniper rifles. This means it performs very well out to 800 meters with 1200 meters being extremely far.
Reliability
The PSG-1 is known to be a very reliable weapon. The track record of the G3 supports this claim. The intricate match trigger group performs well and the receiver is strengthened by filling up the rails in the receiver where a retractable stock would be fitted. The service life of the barrel is claimed to be well beyond 15.000 shots. When used under military conditions in the field it proved that the PSG-1 was not rugged enough. The MSG90 was designed to be used in the military role.
Ergonomics
The ergonomics of the PSG-1 are superb. First of all it features a classic layout making everything easily accessible. Furthermore everything on the weapon is adjustable to the users preferences. The trigger width, length and pull can be adjusted, as can the thickness of the pistol grip and height of the palm rest. The large and heavy has a fully adjustable length, butt angle, cheek height, cheek center and eye relief. For supporting the weapon the Gardini tripod can be used and various bipods can be fitted. As the weapon is very heavy the recoil impulse during firing is minimal.
Sales
The PSG-1 is widely adopted among elite counter terrorism units and it remains in production today. It was developed for a niche market and does quite well in that market. Sales to law enforcement agencies are limited, mainly due to its high price. Many users prefer the G3SG/1, MSG90 and other designs over the PSG-1 as they are much cheaper and show near similar accuracy at short ranges.
Development
The PSG-1 was developed by the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. PSG-1 is an abbreviation for Präzisionsscharfschützengewehr 1 which stands for Precision Sniper Rifle 1 in English. It was reportedly designed as a result of the 1972 Munich Olympic games massacre, but development may have started earlier. Snipers played a key role during the rescue attempt. The investigation into the massacre revealed that a highly accurate rifle capable of quick follow up shots was needed. The PSG-1 was specifically developed for law enforcement use to deliver pinpoint accuracy at the short range at which those units operate. The design of the PSG-1 was based upon the successful Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle. The PSG-1 can be viewed as a weapon system as it was fitted with a scope specifically designed for this weapon and issued with a special tripod. The PSG-1 was quickly widely adopted by law enforcement and counter terrorism teams in Europe.
Impact
The PSG-1 is often seen as the rifle that set the standard for semi-automatic sniper rifles. Until then most semi-automatic sniper rifles were sniperized service rifles. The PSG-1 proved to be the first true match for bolt action sniper rifles regarding accuracy. It also proved to be too fragile, cumbersome and expensive for military use. As a response the Heckler & Koch MSG90 sniper rifle was designed as both a more rugged and cheaper alternative to the PSG-1. It is also based on the G3 and shares many features with the PSG-1 such as the trigger group and free floating barrel assembly.
DESIGN
Design
The design of the PSG-1 is based on the Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle. The G3 with its roller locked delayed blowback mechanism is known for its accuracy and reliability but as a result it also is a heavy and expensive weapon. The G3 design was altered substantially to turn it into a highly accurate sniper rifle. The PSG-1 is machined with very low tolerances and the quality is superb. The receiver is somewhat different from the G3. The barrel is free floating and the rifle is fitted with a low noise bolt closing device. Furthermore the retractable stock rails have been welded over to improved frame rigidity and the iron sights have been removed. To ensure accuracy the G3 barrel has been replaced by a much longer and thicker cold forged barrel with polygonal rifling and no flash hider. The original trigger group has been replaced with an adjustable match trigger and the pistol grip is contoured and features an adjustable palm rest. The PSG-1 fires semi-automatic only and feeds from 5 and 20 round magazines.
Weapon system
The PSG-1 can be seen as a weapon system while it came with standard accessories of which the Hensoldt scope is the most important one. As the PSG-1 is not fitted with iron sights the scope is the only means of aiming the weapon. The Hensoldt 6x42mm came as a standard and is fully adjustable and has been optimized for short ranges and is adjustable to 600 meters. The reticule is illuminated for low light situations. The PSG-1 is replaced in production with the PSG-1A1 since 2006, which is fitted with the Schmidt & Bender 3-12x50mm scope. Furthermore the PSG-1 is delivered in a black flight case, issued with a Gardini tripod and often equipped with a bipod as well.
PERFORMANCE
Overall performance
The PSG-1 is a very capable sniper rifle and is perfectly suited for the role it was designed for. Even today the accuracy remains phenomenal for a semi-automatic rifle, it is on par with many high end bolt action sniper rifles. At the time of development the Hensoldt scope was very advanced but considering scopes available today the change to the PSG-1A1 model is understandable. Besides the many qualities the main drawbacks are its heavy weight, fragility and most of all its price.
Accuracy
The accuracy is guaranteed to be sub MOA by Heckler & Koch. Before leaving the factory the rifle is test fired and should be capable of firing 50 rounds in an 80mm circle at 300 meters. When used with the proper ammunition the PSG-1 proves to be able to perform sub 0.5 MOA at ranges out to 500 meters. The maximum effective range is often quoted as being 600 meters, which is quite short for a sniper rifle in the 7.62x51mm caliber. The reason for this is that the scope sold with the PSG-1 can be adjusted out to 600 meters. Most law enforcement agencies use snipers at ranges between 100 and 300 meters, hence the scope was optimized for short ranges. Being a highly accurate and long barreled 7.62x51mm rifle the maximum effective range is way beyond 600 meters. As the effective range of sniper rifles is hard to determine it is best to give the maximum ranges usually credited to very capable 7.62x51mm sniper rifles. This means it performs very well out to 800 meters with 1200 meters being extremely far.
Reliability
The PSG-1 is known to be a very reliable weapon. The track record of the G3 supports this claim. The intricate match trigger group performs well and the receiver is strengthened by filling up the rails in the receiver where a retractable stock would be fitted. The service life of the barrel is claimed to be well beyond 15.000 shots. When used under military conditions in the field it proved that the PSG-1 was not rugged enough. The MSG90 was designed to be used in the military role.
Ergonomics
The ergonomics of the PSG-1 are superb. First of all it features a classic layout making everything easily accessible. Furthermore everything on the weapon is adjustable to the users preferences. The trigger width, length and pull can be adjusted, as can the thickness of the pistol grip and height of the palm rest. The large and heavy has a fully adjustable length, butt angle, cheek height, cheek center and eye relief. For supporting the weapon the Gardini tripod can be used and various bipods can be fitted. As the weapon is very heavy the recoil impulse during firing is minimal.
Sales
The PSG-1 is widely adopted among elite counter terrorism units and it remains in production today. It was developed for a niche market and does quite well in that market. Sales to law enforcement agencies are limited, mainly due to its high price. Many users prefer the G3SG/1, MSG90 and other designs over the PSG-1 as they are much cheaper and show near similar accuracy at short ranges.