HK CAWS

The HK CAWS was a select-fire, smoothbore, recoil-operated, 10-round, 12-gauge shotgun designed on the bull-pup model (the bull-pup configuration has the weapon's mechanism as well as its magazine located behind its trigger). It had the usual three HK-style safety switch provisions - safe, semi-automatic and three-round burst mode. Heckler & Koch developed this weapon as a joint project with Winchester Corp. USA in the 80s, thereby making its first inroads into the US Armed Forces' Closed Assault Weapon System (CAWS), which explains its name. Heckler & Koch developed the actual weapon while Winchester undertook the designing of appropriate ammunition for this shotgun. The CAWS program specified weapons which could, at effective ranges of 100 to 150 meters, accurately deliver multiple projectiles at high velocities.

Heckler & Koch is a German weapons manufacturing company that has developed many innovative small firearms. It was founded by Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch and Alex Seidel in 1949, making use of the talent left behind by the Mauser company. Even today, it is under contract to US Army for manufacturing the kinetic energy subsystem of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (AKA the Selectable Assault Battle Rifle). The OICW is a highly advanced assault rifle and grenade launcher system that aims to replace some variants of the M-16. This new weapon will probably see the light of day sometime in 2008.

The HK CAWS looked like an amalgamation of the G11 and the Steyr AUG. It could fire in both fully automatic and semi-automatic modes, with the former delivering a cyclic rate of approximately 240 RPM. It was a highly advanced weapon, remarkable for the upgrades it introduced over conventional shotgun models. However, though it did attain all required specifications for the Closed Assault Weapon System, the HK CAWS was dropped by the US military. In fact, it was quickly phased out of use, military or otherwise. This could have something to do with the kind of ammunition it used. The shot shells, which were loaded with buckshot made of tungsten, were certainly devastating enough in their effect to raise misgivings. The HK CAWS, which resembled the HK G11 assault rifle, was a rather special weapon. It had the ability to fire with far less perceived recoil and featured an ambidextrous (multi-handed) charging handle.

The HK CAWS weighed around 3.7 kilograms and was between 762 and 988 mm long, with a barrel length of up to 685 mm. It accommodates a detachable box magazine that holds 10 shells. Considering the overall firepower of this deadly piece of work, it is really not surprising that it was finally adjudged as unfit for civilian and tactical military use. Though it was considered to be highly radical in its innovative features and power, it also came at to high a price and was rather too complex for common use. Finally, it succumbed to hostile legislative action against its manufacturers. Other weapons that suffered similar fates included the Hi-Standard 10B, Stryker-12, SPAS-15 and the USAS-12.

This nifty little shotgun is primarily a military weapon and was never released for civilian possession and use. However, it is known to be in many specialists' and collectors' treasury of modern firearms. The best ammunition for it- special high-powered flechettes and equally powerful buckshot - is not compatible with normal shotguns and therefore not readily obtainable. Reports have it that even the black market does not yield these customized shells easily. However, the CAWS did operate with normal shotgun ammunition as well - without the devastating advantages of the special shells. It is probably for these reasons that the HK CAWS is not listed in the GURPS High-Tech sourcebook, which is a sort of almanac of humankind's most innovative inventions (most especially weapons).

The KH CAWS is rated as +1 for ability for damage against unarmored targets and 1 for armored targets by an underground urban warfare website. That falls in line with its unofficial reputation as history's deadliest shotguns, dropped from the arsenal of the American Armed Forced for the simple reason that it was just too lethal.