Munich tragedy's sniper legacy: The rise of the HK PSG1

The Olympic Games are meant to showcase the world's best athletes, but they have also contributed to the development of weapons used by anti-terrorists. We present the history and performance of the ahead-of-its-time HK PSG1 sniper rifle, which was created in response to the events at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

During the XX Summer Olympic Games in Munich in 1972, 11 Israeli athletes were killed by the Palestinian terrorist organization "Black September." Most of the victims died during a failed hostage rescue attempt at the airport by German police.

Due to national regulations, there was no possibility of using Bundeswehr snipers. The German police decided to employ five of their best shooters, equipped with regular HK G3 rifles without optical sights. They were positioned several metres from the targets at night, expected to handle such a stressful situation.

After the catastrophe, lessons were learned, and Germany decided to form the GSG9 anti-terrorist unit under the Federal Border Guard. At the same time, it was decided that the new elite unit, besides having the best training, should also be equipped with the best available weaponry.

In the case of sniper rifles, Germans demanded pinpoint accuracy in a semi-automatic weapon, which was unheard of in the 1970s. Heckler & Koch pledged to achieve the impossible, and an enhanced version of the G3SG/1 (Scharfschützengewehr) rifles was created in the interim. These were the best G3 production specimens, fitted with an optical sight, a trigger mechanism enriched with a set trigger, and a stock with a vertically adjustable cheek rest.

It was a good weapon, but it did not meet the GSG9 requirements. The product of Heckler & Koch’s work was the PSG1 (Präzisionsscharfschützengewehr 1), which set many developmental trends in sniper weaponry. Today, they are standard, but even after 50 years, the PSG1's performance is impressive. Few out-of-the-box semi-automatic sniper rifles can boast such accuracy.

We had the chance to fire a few rounds at the LOK Białogard range from a PSG1 made in 1989 with a relatively low serial number, likely from the Gruppo di Intervento Speciale (GIS). We can assume that until production ceased, no more than about 1,500 - 2,000 pieces were made. The rifle's price was $13,700 CAD in the US, and now very few collector's items can fetch a fortune on the market. Interestingly, one unit is for sale in Poland for about $30,800 CAD.

The PSG1 was based on the G3 rifle but included several significant structural changes to meet GSG9 requirements. German sources mention that every PSG1 produced had to pass a test of firing 50 shots at a target 300 metres away, all of which had to fit within an 8.9-centimetre diameter circle. This result was the norm on the rifle’s test card, and with match or target ammunition, accuracy could be tightened to 4.6 centimetres at 300 metres.

This requirement resulted in a very thick barrel with a huge thermal capacity and a polygonal bore. Additionally, it does not touch any other part of the rifle except at the mounting point, positively influencing accuracy (no vibration transfer). The rifle's receiver was reinforced.

For regular G3 rifles, pressed steel of limited rigidity was used. Since rigidity is essential for a sniper rifle, Germany welded two reinforcing rails to the sides of the rifle. The result was a very heavy weapon with a weight of about 8.1 kilograms, which is nevertheless well-balanced despite its 0.65-metre barrel. The centre of gravity lies perfectly at the magazine well.

The large mass of the PSG1 was not a problem because it was a weapon for police snipers, who usually observe terrain from one spot for a long time. Furthermore, the large mass combined with an internal shock absorber and a very distinctive impulse effectively mitigates recoil, allowing for quick follow-up shots on multiple targets. In this context, a very convenient foldable bipod helps, which also slightly reduces recoil thanks to the rubber pad on which the rifle rests.

Other visible additions include an adjustable stock length and cheek rest height, which were uncommon at that time. The ergonomic pistol grip with a wrist shelf of adjustable height follows the same story.

The original walnut wood in the PSG1 was designed by Nill Grip, known for producing stocks, mountings, and grips for sports firearms used by professionals, including in the Olympics. The PSG1 was one of the first serially produced designs with such an adaptation level to the shooter’s physiology. Its pistol grip and stock were, and still are, copied to this day.

The last visible addition compared to the G3 rifle is a bolt assist, known from the AR-15 standard rifles. In theory, it allows for silent bolt closing, but in practice, there's not much difference compared to the traditional reloading method of this rifle family. It does, however, help if the bolt closes too slowly to overcome the roller resistance.

PSG1 operates on the principle of a semi-free-loading bolt. It is a straightforward and contamination-resistant system because powder gases continuously exert great force on the bolt, which is not locked but held by a pair of rollers transmitting energy to the cam roller.

Pushing these from their recesses by retracting the cam roller delays the bolt opening until the barrel pressure drops to a safe level. It’s a much simpler solution since no gas system is based on a piston and a rotating locking bolt. In PSG1’s case, the titanium rollers are cut to prevent them from rotating and constantly blocking in the same spot. This ensures consistent wear and repeatability, which is essential in a sniper rifle.

A very interesting trigger mechanism is the second key point. Compared to the G3, the hammer is positioned earlier, shortening the path to the firing pin. Moreover, the mechanism has a two-stage action. The first spring releasing the hammer is very weak, making the trigger very light (requiring just under 1.4 kilograms of pressure).

Halfway down the hammer's path, a second, stronger spring activates. This accelerates the trigger process, causing the hammer to strike with sufficient force to ignite even hard military primers. It is a very creative bypass of the age-old problem of choosing between reliability and a light trigger pull.

All this comes together to create a weapon that was an unmatched sniper rifle model for decades. Despite nearly 50 years passing, the PSG1 does not fall behind modern competitors and allows, for example, three accurate shots at head-sized targets in four seconds from 300 metres. The only drawback is the fixed scope, which was resolved in the PSG1A1 version in 2006.