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H&K PSG1 · Volume 6

Optics, Mounts, the Tripod and Accessories

The PSG1's factory telescope and fixed mount, the G3 claw mount it replaced, the A1's Schmidt & Bender and the MSG90's 10×, the Swiss tripod, and the aftermarket parts makers actually list

Figure 1 — The G3 telescope's accessories and its clamp-on mount, from the Bundeswehr regulation: protective caps, storage case, grey filter, tool bag, screwdriver, brush and optic cloth (Bild 402); and the m…
Figure 1 — The G3 telescope's accessories and its clamp-on mount, from the Bundeswehr regulation: protective caps, storage case, grey filter, tool bag, screwdriver, brush and optic cloth (Bild 402); and the mount from below, with its tensioning lever, locking catch and clamping claws open (Bild 403). The PSG1 replaced this mount with a fixed one.

Optical theory (magnification, objective size, reticles, the first and second focal plane, mount rigidity and zeroing practice) is covered by the hub’s Scopes dive and is linked rather than repeated: optical fundamentals, magnified optics, rangefinding and ballistic drop and mounting, zeroing and maintenance. This volume is about what H&K fitted and what can be fitted, from H&K’s documents and makers’ catalogues. No model number in it comes from memory.

6.1 What the PSG1 shipped with

The PSG1 was sold as a system. H&K Inc.’s 2007 page: “The PSG1 truly is a system, and comes complete with a hard shell case, tripod, and 5 and 20 round magazines.”1 The factory booklet’s accessory list is longer: an aluminium transport case with a Neopolen foam insert; 20-round magazines; a magazine loader and unloader; a cleaning rod and cleaning kit; a sling; and “a precision tripod by the firm Garbini of CH-Roggwil”, Switzerland.2 A new-in-box PSG1 auctioned in 2017 was catalogued with its Hensoldt telescope, a detachable bipod, a “Loga System padded rest”, a web sling, a cleaning kit, two 20-round and two 5-round magazines, its fitted case, operator’s manuals and a factory test target.3

6.2 The factory telescope: 6×42, reticle 6

The booklet describes the PSG1’s sight in one dense line of its feature list:

“Optical sighting by telescope 6 × 42, reticle 6 with reticle illumination. Reticle adjustable for elevation and windage by objective adjustment, 1 click equals 1 cm at 100 m distance. 6 sight settings from 100 to 600 m with additional fine detents for differing angles of elevation, 1 fine detent equals 1 cm at 100 m distance.”2

The technical-data page adds that the six range settings, 100 to 600 m, are marked 1 to 6, and that a second set of six settings, marked in yellow, covers 75 to 10 m “for Fleckschuß” (a precise close-range shot); the figures are as printed.2 The illumination is switched on by pressing a switch element on the left of the telescope; “a time relay switches the illumination off automatically after two minutes”, and the brightness is varied by turning the switch.2

Three things follow for a user. The telescope is a fixed 6× with a bullet-drop drum graduated in hundreds of metres for one load (the booklet does not name the load). Its adjustment clicks are 1 cm at 100 m, which is 0.1 milliradian; a reviewer in 2020 noted that the telescope is “calibrated in centimeters”, making it in effect a mil-based scope.4 And its drum stops at 600 m, which is the limit Sniper Central and the Lithuanian Armed Forces both criticise: the reviewer called 600 m short of the range a military sniper needs, and the Lithuanian page says the PSG1’s range was “specially reduced (adapted to urban conditions)”.56

The reticle is “reticle 6” (Absehen 6). The booklet does not draw it. Sniper Central describes the telescope it tested as having plain crosshairs with “no ranging reticle or reference marks”.4 Whether those two descriptions are of the same reticle is not established.

6.3 Zeroing the factory telescope

The booklet’s zeroing procedure (pages 43 and 44), in translation: the elevation turret is on top and the windage turret on the right; loosen both cover screws with a screwdriver; turn the adjuster with a coin; “per click the point of impact moves by 1 cm at 100 m”; for windage, first set the detent ring to “0”; tighten the cover screws again.2 The adjustment works by moving the objective (“by objective adjustment”), in the booklet’s description of the feature.

6.4 Who made the 6×42

The booklet does not name the telescope’s maker. Every secondary account does: Hensoldt. The American auction catalogues read for this dive describe “Hensoldt PSG1 6x42 illuminated reticle” telescopes and, in 2017, a “Hensoldt ZF6X42 PSG 1 scope”; Forgotten Weapons says “a Hensoldt 6x42mm scope was added”; Modern Firearms says the same.7389 This dive states Hensoldt as the maker on that consistent secondary evidence and notes that H&K’s own booklet is silent.

6.5 The fixed mount and STANAG 2324

The booklet describes the mount as “fixed to the weapon, with interface dimensions to STANAG 2324 for various sighting devices” (Waffenfester Zielgerätehalter mit Anschlußmaßen nach STANAG 2324 für verschiedene Zielgeräte), and lists it as part of group 1, the receiver: “On the top of the receiver is the fixed sight mount with interface dimensions to STANAG 2324.”2 STANAG 2324 is the NATO standardisation agreement for sight mounting interfaces; the booklet’s words “for various sighting devices” mean that night sights built to the same interface could be fitted.

How it is attached is described only by reviewers: Sniper Central, “the scope mount attaches with two hex screws to welded-on scope bases”, “an integrated arrangement”; Forgotten Weapons, “proprietary mounting points welded to the receiver”.48 Sniper Central’s 2020 review also says that “the 1990s brought upgrades, including a rail for different scopes”; no H&K document describing such a rail was found.4

The point of the fixed mount is the same as the point of every other PSG1 change (Volume 1): a clamp-on mount can move, and a mount screwed to welded bases cannot. The price is flexibility. Sniper Central called the integrated system impractical by today’s standards, because the original telescope was effectively the only option.4

6.6 The mount the PSG1 replaced: the G3 claw mount

The G3’s mount is a clamp. H&K’s G3 description says the receiver has “4 recesses for the engaging of telescopic sight mount and clamping claws”.10 The Bundeswehr regulation describes the telescope it carries and how it goes on and off (Nr 406 to 410):11

  • The telescope magnifies four times and allows accurate shooting to 600 m; three models are in use, differing slightly in reticle illumination, dioptre adjustment and reticle design, one of them the FERO-Z24.
  • The telescope is fixed to its mount by two screws, “which may be loosened only by weapons-repair personnel”.
  • Fitting: swing the clamping claws outward; set the mount on the rifle from above, tilting it to the right so that the plastic nose rests against the rear sight drum (note the markings “direction of fire” and the arrow on the underside); press the tensioning lever down until the locking catch audibly engages; fold the lever up to its stop.
  • Removal: press the locking catch down with the thumb and swing the lever up again; tilt the telescope and mount off the receiver to the right.
  • The mount carries the rifle’s last digits, and the armourer re-marks it if the telescope is moved to another rifle.
Figure 2 — The G3 telescope on its mount (Bild 401): telescope, mount and the two fixing screws that only an armourer may loosen.
Figure 2 — The G3 telescope on its mount (Bild 401): telescope, mount and the two fixing screws that only an armourer may loosen.
Figure 3 — Removing the G3 telescope (Bild 405): the thumb presses the locking catch down before the tensioning lever is swung up.
Figure 3 — Removing the G3 telescope (Bild 405): the thumb presses the locking catch down before the tensioning lever is swung up.

H&K’s HK91 leaflet lists a “Hensoldt 4×24” telescope in “HK special mount” for the civilian rifle.12 Every HK91-pattern receiver has the same four recesses, which is why claw mounts are the standard way to fit a telescope to an HK91, SR9 or PTR-91, and why a PSG1-pattern build in the United States usually starts with one (Volume 9).

Figure 4 — An HK41 with a telescope on a clamp-on mount: the civilian semi-automatic G3 set up as a scoped rifle.
Figure 4 — An HK41 with a telescope on a clamp-on mount: the civilian semi-automatic G3 set up as a scoped rifle.
Figure 5 — An SR9T with a modern variable-power telescope on a claw mount clamped to the receiver's recesses.
Figure 5 — An SR9T with a modern variable-power telescope on a claw mount clamped to the receiver's recesses.

6.7 The PSG1 A1’s Schmidt & Bender

The A1 changed the telescope. H&K Inc.’s 2007 pages list “Schmidt & Bender” as the A1’s sight, and describe the rifle as “equipped with a permanent mount Schmidt & Bender scope”.13 H&K’s 2008 catalogue: “A Schimdt [sic] & Bender’s 12x telescopic sight is now standard for the PSG1A1”.14 Modern Firearms names it as a Schmidt & Bender 3–12×50 Police Marksman II; English Wikipedia says the same and adds 34 mm rings.915 H&K’s own documents confirm the maker and a 12× figure, not the model. A claim found in some accounts that the A1 carried a Hensoldt 3–12×56 is contradicted by H&K’s catalogue.

6.8 The MSG90’s optics and mount

The MSG90 went the other way from the PSG1: a standard mount, and a telescope with more range. The Lithuanian Armed Forces describe the original MSG90’s “telescope mount meeting NATO standards” and a standard telescope that “allows adjustment to 1,000 m”.6 H&K Inc.’s 2007 MSG90 A1 specification gives “Telescopic sight 10 x 42/mechanical Diopter”, with ten positions marked 1 to 10 “for ranges from 100 to 1000 meters” and clicks of 2.5 cm at 100 m (0.25 mrad).16 The 2007 general page speaks of a “removable scope platform”; H&K’s 2008 catalogue and the 2024 page offer an “optional 10X Hensoldt telescopic sight on a quick detachable scope mount”.171418 Modern Firearms gives the original MSG90 a 12× telescope.19 The figures are given separately because they do not agree.

Figure 6 — A Bulgarian soldier demonstrates the MSG90 at Exercise Platinum Lion, 2022, showing its telescope on a mount above the receiver. US Army photograph.
Figure 6 — A Bulgarian soldier demonstrates the MSG90 at Exercise Platinum Lion, 2022, showing its telescope on a mount above the receiver. US Army photograph.

6.9 The precision tripod

The booklet’s accessory is precise: “a precision tripod by the firm Garbini in CH-Roggwil”, weighing 1.025 kg, attached to the T-slot rail under the handguard.2 Later American auction descriptions call PSG1 rests “HK Loga system” tripods and “HK branded ‘Loga’ pattern” forearm rests.720 Whether “Loga” is a later maker, a model name, or the same product is not established by the sources read. Sniper Central called the tripod “an impressive engineering gem” and noted that it is less practical in the field than a light bipod.4

Figure 7 — A PSG1 on an H&K-branded precision tripod: the tripod head is engraved "LOGA 002", and its yoke cradles the handguard from below; a threaded column sets the height. Photograph by CT Firearms Auctio…
Figure 7 — A PSG1 on an H&K-branded precision tripod: the tripod head is engraved "LOGA 002", and its yoke cradles the handguard from below; a threaded column sets the height. Photograph by CT Firearms Auction, Fall 2021 Premier Auction, lot 50, a PSG1 sold with "a specially built factory tripod" (https://ctfirearmsauction.com/auction_item/hk-psg-1-semi-auto-sniper-rifle-7-62-nato/ ).

6.10 Handguard rail, bipods and slings

The PSG1’s handguard has “a T-slot rail to take the precision tripod and a shooting sling” (booklet); H&K Inc. called it a “T-way groove for support of a bipod and firing sling”.213 For the MSG90A1, H&K Inc. wrote in 2024 that “an Anschutz T-way on the forend allows for easy installation of a Harris bipod or other accessories”.18 The “Anschütz” T-slot is the rail type used on target rifles for hand stops and sling swivels, which explains why the PSG1’s handguard takes target-shooting accessories as well as H&K’s tripod.

6.11 Magazines

The PSG1 uses G3-pattern magazines. The booklet: “Steel magazines for 5 rounds are available. Alternatively, magazines for 20 rounds can also be used.” Their weights are 0.19 kg (5-round) and 0.28 kg (20-round).2 H&K Germany’s 2012 data gives the PSG1 A1’s magazines as “approx. 100/280 g”, and its MSG90 A2 data “approx. 190/280 g”; the difference in the 5-round figure is not explained.2122 Any G3 or HK91 magazine fits mechanically; the Bundeswehr regulation’s magazine is shown in Volume 3.

6.12 The case and the outfit

The original case is aluminium with Neopolen foam (booklet); H&K Inc. called it “a hard shell case” in 2007; RIA’s auctions describe metal cases with fitted interiors, a plastic hard case and, on one rifle, a Pelican 170 case.2172320 The factory test target is the accessory collectors most value; it is the only document that records a PSG1’s accuracy on the day it left Oberndorf (Volume 7).

6.13 Suppressors

The PSG1’s barrel is not threaded and the booklet lists no suppressor. The MSG90A1’s is: H&K described its “detachable bird cage flash hider” and an “optional screw-on sound suppressor”, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces wrote that the flash suppressor “can be replaced by a sound suppressor if needed”.146 The hub’s suppressor dives cover roller-delayed hosts generally: they need a rigid (fixed) mount rather than a booster, and the hub’s caliber volume describes roller-delayed guns as the quietest of the action types it compares.24 The law on suppressors, including Public Law 119-21’s removal of the federal making and transfer tax from 1 January 2026, is in the Suppressor Law dive, Volume 3.

6.14 Aftermarket parts, from makers’ own catalogues

Nothing below is a PSG1 part made by H&K; these are parts listed by their makers or dealers for the G3 and HK91 pattern, with what each page said on 18 October 2026.

Table 1 — Aftermarket parts, from makers' own catalogues

Maker or dealerPartWhat the page saysStatus
Spuhr (Sweden)R-401 Modular ForendAluminium G3 forend matching “the outline and weight of the original HK plastic forend”, with Spuhr interfaces; NSN 1005-22-630-0397No price shown25
SpuhrR-402 Top RailTo “mount optics on the G3 battle rifle”; NSN 1005-22-630-0398No price shown25
SpuhrR-410 Adjustable StockG3 stock, length of pull 320–400 mm; NSN 1005-22-630-0393 (short buffer) and -0394 (heavy buffer)No price shown25
Midwest Gun Works (dealer)“Heckler and Koch PSG1 Complete Buttstock”, “factory original HK part manufactured in Germany”$1,195.00Sold out26
Midwest Gun Works”Heckler and Koch PSG1 / HK91 Trigger Mechanism”, German original$590.00Sold out27
HKParts.net (dealer)“HK PSG1 Trigger Pack Assembly - German”, “3 lb pull”; “requires a metal 0,1 or SEF style housing and a proper PSG1 selector lever”Price not shownSold out28
Midwest Gun WorksMagpul PRS2 HK91/G3 adjustable stock; “NOT compatible with the HK heavy buffer”$242.00Sold out; not found on Magpul’s own site29
HKParts.net”HKP match trigger group”: a standard pack reworked to “a smooth and crisp 5-6lb pull”ServiceListed30

The Spuhr parts are the only current maker-catalogue G3 accessories found that address the PSG1’s concerns (a rigid optic rail and an adjustable stock); Spuhr’s page does not mention the HK91, PSG1 or US clones, and fitting them to a US rifle is the builder’s question. Genuine PSG1 parts exist only as German originals in dealers’ stock, and every one checked was sold out. A Timney HK91 trigger was in beta testing in 2020 according to The Firearm Blog; no product page for it was found.31 Volume 9 continues with the parts a builder needs.

6.15 What could not be established

  • The 6×42’s maker from an H&K document (the booklet is silent; every secondary source says Hensoldt).
  • A drawing or description of “reticle 6”.
  • The load for which the 100–600 m drum is graduated.
  • The PSG1 A1’s Schmidt & Bender model from an H&K document.
  • The relationship between the Garbini tripod and the “Loga” rests in later outfits.
  • The 1990s PSG1 rail that Sniper Central mentions.

References

Footnotes

  1. Heckler & Koch Inc., PSG1 general page, hk-usa.com, Wayback capture of 20 March 2007, http://web.archive.org/web/20070320220441/http://www.hk-usa.com:80/le_psg1_general.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  2. Heckler & Koch GmbH, Kurzbeschreibung des Präzisionsschützengewehres PSG 1 (Oberndorf, n.d.), printed pp. 3, 6, 14, 16, 18, 29, 43–45. Internet Archive collection “MManuals”, https://archive.org/download/MManuals/HkPsg1.pdf, consulted 2026-10-18. Translated for this dive. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  3. James D. Julia, Inc., sale 1678, lot 396, 2017, Wayback capture of http://jamesdjulia.com/item/1678-396/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  4. Melvin Ewing, “H&K PSG-1 Full Review”, Sniper Central, 26 August 2020, https://snipercentral.com/hk-psg-1-full-review/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  5. Melvin Ewing, “HK PSG-1”, Sniper Central, 26 August 2020, https://snipercentral.com/hk-psg-1/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  6. Lietuvos kariuomenė, “Snaiperinis šautuvas H&K MSG-90A1”, updated 17 April 2009, Wayback capture of 4 January 2016, https://web.archive.org/web/20160104000156/http://kariuomene.kam.lt:80/lt/ginkluote_ir_karine_technika/snaiperiniai_sautuvai/snaiperinis_sautuvas_hk_msg-90a1.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  7. Rock Island Auction Company, 25 August 2024, lot 3589, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4092/3589/heckler-koch-psg1-semiautomatic-sniper-rifle-with-scope, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  8. Ian McCollum, “The Ultimate German Sniper Rifle: the H&K PSG-1 at James D Julia”, Forgotten Weapons, 18 March 2017, https://www.forgottenweapons.com/the-ultimate-german-sniper-rifle-the-hk-psg-1-at-james-d-julia/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  9. Maxim Popenker, “Heckler – Koch PSG1 sniper rifle (Germany)”, Modern Firearms, https://modernfirearms.net/?p=7379, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  10. Heckler & Koch, Technical Description of the Automatic Rifle HK G3, Cal. 7.62 mm NATO (English; licensed reprint), receiver description. Internet Archive collection “MManuals”, https://archive.org/download/MManuals/HkG3AutomaticRifleCal7.62mmNato.pdf, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  11. Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ZDv 3/13 Das Gewehr G3 (1978; amendment 38 of 1999), Nr 406–410, Bild 401–405. Wikimedia Commons, public domain per Commons, consulted 2026-10-18. Translated for this dive. ↩

  12. Heckler & Koch GmbH, The Selfloading Rifle HK 91 Cal. .308 (Oberndorf/Neckar, pre-1990). https://archive.org/download/MManuals/Hk91.pdf, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  13. Heckler & Koch Inc., PSG1 A1 features and specifications pages, Wayback captures of 28 March 2007, http://web.archive.org/web/20070328065452/http://www.hk-usa.com:80/le_psg1_features.html and http://web.archive.org/web/20070328120610/http://www.hk-usa.com:80/le_psg1_specs.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  14. Heckler & Koch (Ashburn, Virginia), Military & Law Enforcement catalogue, ”© HKDCS 01.12.08”, catalogue p. 19, http://photos.imageevent.com/smglee/cltactical/HK%20Military%20LE%20Catalog.pdf, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  15. “Heckler & Koch PSG1”, English Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_PSG1, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  16. Heckler & Koch Inc., MSG90 A1 specifications page, Wayback capture of 22 March 2007, http://web.archive.org/web/20070322051242/http://www.hk-usa.com:80/le_msg90_specs.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  17. Heckler & Koch Inc., MSG90 A1 general page, Wayback capture of 22 February 2007, http://web.archive.org/web/20070222112912/http://www.hk-usa.com:80/le_msg90_general.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  18. Heckler & Koch Inc., “MSG90A1”, Wayback capture of 21 June 2024, http://web.archive.org/web/20240621211859/https://hk-usa.com/hk-models/msg90a1/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  19. Maxim Popenker, “HK MSG90 / MSG3 sniper rifle (Germany)”, Modern Firearms, https://modernfirearms.net/en/sniper-rifles/standart-caliber-rifles/germany-standart-caliber-rifles/hk-msg-90-eng/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  20. Rock Island Auction Company, Premier Auction 3–5 December 2021, lot 661, https://cdn.rockislandauction.com/flipbooks/84/BOOK1/files/basic-html/page388.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2

  21. Heckler & Koch GmbH, “PSG1 A1” technical data, Wayback capture of 18 August 2012, http://web.archive.org/web/20120818005626/http://www.heckler-koch.com:80/en/military/products/precision-rifles/psg1-a1/psg1-a1/technical-data.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  22. Heckler & Koch GmbH, “MSG90 A2” technical data, Wayback capture of 24 December 2014, http://web.archive.org/web/20141224023250/http://www.heckler-koch.com:80/en/products/military/precision-rifles/msg90-a2/msg90-a2/technical-data/print.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  23. Rock Island Auction Company, Premier Auction 9–11 December 2022, lot 3737, https://cdn.rockislandauction.com/flipbooks/87/BOOK3/files/basic-html/page338.html, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  24. Hub dives: Suppressors by Caliber, Volume 6 (roller-delayed hosts need a rigid spacer; described as the quietest of the action types compared) and How Suppressors Work, Volume 7 (booster versus rigid mount). ↩

  25. Spuhr i Dalby AB, “H&K G3 Upgrades”, https://spuhr.se/pages/h-k-g3-upgrades, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  26. Midwest Gun Works, “Heckler and Koch PSG1 Complete Buttstock”, code 224721, https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/224721, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  27. Midwest Gun Works, “Heckler and Koch PSG1 / HK91 Trigger Mechanism”, code 221020, https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/221020, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  28. HKParts.net, “HK PSG1 Trigger Pack Assembly - German”, HKP-00907, https://hkparts.net/hk-rifle-smg-parts/hk-psg1-trigger-pack-assembly-german/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  29. Midwest Gun Works, “Magpul PRS2 HK 91 / G3 Precision-Adjustable Stock”, MAG340-BLK, consulted 2026-10-18; magpul.com search for “hk91” returned no such product, 2026-10-18. ↩

  30. HKParts.net, “HK 91/G3 Overview” (blog), https://hkparts.net/blog/hk-91g3-overview/, consulted 2026-10-18. ↩

  31. The Firearm Blog, report of Timney’s HK91/PTR-91 trigger beta test, 25 August 2020, as recorded in this dive’s research notes; no Timney product page found, 2026-10-18. ↩

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