Canadian G3s?

[Ex-Dragoon]

While I tend to greet a lot of Wikipedia articles with some skepticism I noticed in this one it said that at one time we were users of the G3. Any one out there have any additional information or can refute it?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_G3

 

[BernDawg]

22yrs in and 15 of those in the Infantry and I've never seen one in CF hands.  That doesn't mean we didn't buy any just that I've never seen one.  Perhaps there are a few near Ottawa (cough, cough)

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

22yrs in and 15 of those in the Infantry and I've never seen one in CF hands.  That doesn't mean we didn't buy any just that I've never seen one.  Perhaps there are a few near Ottawa (cough, cough)

Thats what I was thinking....

 

[NavyShooter]

Were some purchased for the SART program?  (Small Arms Replacement Trial?)

I know the FN-C was trialed then, but I don't recall the other weapons that were involved in the trial....

NS

 

[NavyShooter]

The great thing about wikidpedia...anyone can modify it.

I went in and removed Canada from the list...LOL

NS

 

[Danjanou]

Were some purchased for the SART program?  (Small Arms Replacement Trial?)

I know the FN-C was trialed then, but I don't recall the other weapons that were involved in the trial....

NS

That would have been a 5.56 HK version (G-41?). IIRC there were several aside from the M-16 and the FN Cl including a Dutch version of the South African R-4


Edit Google is a wonderful thing and naturally the most relevant hit I got on SARP was from.......

http://army.ca/forums/threads/22221.0/all.html

 

[KevinB]

Only Canadian use of the G3 was using it as the 7.62mm Control Rifle in the Arctic Phase of the weapons of the 80's testing
  37 units where supplied to the CF by the West Germans.

Edit -- I went and read that wiki -- what a load of crap.  Its got a ton of holes. 

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Thanks I6

 

[KevinB]

Credit goes to CWO Gary Crocker and others for explanation of the Weapons of the 80's Trial and its relationship to SARP.

 

[RickG]

Credit goes to CWO Gary Crocker and others for explanation of the Weapons of the 80's Trial and its relationship to SARP.

Speaking of Gary, where is that old "gun plumber" these days?

Rick, Ottawa

 

[KevinB]

From some perspectives putting the D in dinosaur...
  From others -- not given enough money to field an effective weapon

 

[foghornleghorn]

My Father trained in the late 1970s as an air force officer.  They did indeed use G3s during his basic training at that time. 

 

[Matt_Fisher]

My Father trained in the late 1970s as an air force officer.   They did indeed use G3s during his basic training at that time. 

I'm pretty sure he's gotten the Heckler Koch G3 mixed up with the Fabrique Nationale FN-FAL which in Canada was referred to as the FN C1A1.

 

[KevinB]

Well Matt -- maybe his father was a West German...

 

[Matt_Fisher]

Well Matt -- maybe his father was a West German...

touche, I didn't think of that, or perhaps his dad was in the Norwegian airforce, or Turkish, or Iranian... ;D

 

[KevinB]

Or Greek...

  Come to think of it - several other NON Canadian militaries...

foghornleghorn -- sorry to poke fun at your expense -- but quite simply IF your father was in the CF - Air Force, then he did not use the G3 in Basic.

 

[Nug]

The closest Canada has ever come to having the G3 was the Germans in Shilo.

 

[1feral1]

We got couple of 'confiscated' Iranian G3's here, one fixed butt, the other retracting.

I'll post some pics once I am back in the world, which is sssssssssssoooooooooon!!

Some FN C1 nostelgia....

Canada used the FAL as a base, designed an 'inch version', and was the first country to adopt and mass produce the rifle 51 years ago, yes 51 years! The UK and Australia followed shortly after, and the rest is history. These were the only three countries to manufacture the 'inch version' each with its own unique modifications, but all parts interchangeable as complete assembles or units.

The original and later models of the FN FAL had entirely different trigger groups, pistol grips, gas regs, front sight, flash supps, and plug, and numerous other parts which were NOT interchangeable

I would refer to the ole C1 as a hybrid designed rifle based on the FAL, but unique to Canada. So, be proud of your 'small arms industry heritage' even now with Colt Canada, at least the industy is still alive, and givingn Canada a say.

Now about Mr Leghorn's afirmation that the G3 rifle was used by the CF (Air Force) in the 1970's well that is nonsense (sorry), however during the 1950's the RCAF did train on M1 Garands, as did the Army too. The Canadian Army even had a pam on it (dated 1953), and of course I have one back in Aussie. Interesting pam, and a bit of history possibly many have forgot.

Cheers form a cool early morning (0045h) in Baghdad,


Wes

 

[aesop081]

The closest Canada has ever come to having the G3 was the Germans in Shilo.

Did you not read page one of this thread........?

Only Canadian use of the G3 was using it as the 7.62mm Control Rifle in the Arctic Phase of the weapons of the 80's testing
  37 units where supplied to the CF by the West Germans.

 

[Nug]

O.K. but that was a control rifle not one on issue to the troops, witch is what I was referring to. Sorry for the confusion.