Need help from HK Experts. Need info on HK4.

[ap3572001]

Looking at a LNIB HK4 .380/.22LR ?

What can You tell me about HK4's? Values? Quality? ETC.

Thank You

[onelonehorseman]

Does the kit have the barrel/spring assem, mag, and special screwdriver complete in the box? Is the gun also in original box? Photos would help a lot. If everything is complete, and "like new", maybe $800 value.

[onelonehorseman]

Quality wise, they are well built guns. As you can see, it takes its form directly from the early Mausers. That is no surprize as the two guys who started H&K after WW2 were ex-Mauser engineers. The HK4 was the first pistol they produced and it was very successful. I believe it was produced from 1967 to about 1984.

[JohnCCW]

Blue Book is not so generous. No where near $800, but that is what I would need to part with one.
First variation mfg. 1967-1970.
Second variation mfg. 1971- 1973.
The .22 conv. Kit was offered as option on the second variation. .380ACP.
The first variation was available in .22LR, .25ACP, .32ACP, or .380ACP. And 4 barrel sets of all calibers.

[P5Ret]

You could if I remember correctly buy the gun, or buy the gun with the kit's included in sets of all kits of just the ones you wanted. I think there were also kits available separately, that did not have matching number's.

It's a nice well made gun the caliber choices weren't the greatest though. Especially at with the available ammo back then.

[CAL.BAR]

Head over to HKpro.com. Site is DEDICATED to nothing but HK's.

[ptoguy2002]

Buffers are an issue.
Shooting .380 with a bad buffer will destroy the gun rapidly, frame will break.
(Gun won't last shooting .380 anyhow)
Can't get buffers anymore. Aftermarket doesn't last.
Gun is awkward.
Make sure the .22 extractor comes with it, as well as the other stuff.

[ojisan]

I had one way back in the day.
Cost me $129.
Originally a West German Police gun in .32ACP.
I pity the poor cop who had this gun.
The original .32 barrel overhung the feed ramp so much that even ball ammo would jam.
And so one of my first gun smith projects was taking a sample of a high quality name brand gun and having to modify it just so it would function.

Once that problem was fixed the buffer cracked.
I was able to get a genuine replacement part back then but the material seemed awfully brittle and hard.
I made my own from a piece of soft delrin that held up just fine.

I found first a .380 conversion kit and then the .22LR kit.
The .380 kit was easy to install as just the barrel, spring and mags had to be changed.

To use .22LR, there is a screw in the breech face to be removed.
The breech face then comes out, the firing pin is moved from the center fire hole in the breech face to the rim fire hole and then the breech face and screw are put back in.
Change to the .22LR barrel and recoil spring, use .22LR mags.
IIRC, I used the same extractor on all calibers and it worked fine.

For training purposes, the .22LR mags hold 8 rounds to match the same capacity as the .32ACP mags. (.380 mag holds 7 rounds).
The .22 mags can easily be modified to hold up to 12 rounds by shortening the blocking rod inside the mag.
(This was back when there was no 10 round max limit so don't anybody get upset, OK?)

Once everything is sorted out, fitted and polished up it works well.
Point of Impact will vary from caliber to caliber and even with different brands of ammo in the same caliber.
The glitch in the whole thing is that the sights are not adjustable except for windage, requiring a drift punch and hammer to do so.
Lots of "Kentucky windage" may be required when swapping from one caliber to the next.
If you find a load that shoots to point of aim, stick with it.

[I Swan]

Yeah the buffer issue is one reason I don't mess with them. 7.65 mags still seem available on eBay and Gunbroker but I think the other calibers and the conversion kits can get expensive.

[nitroxdiver]

Legacy piece that is more a collectible than a shooter. Great to finish off an HK collection, but for a shooter, the buffer situation is real. Good luck.
Pics if you buy it please!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Marquand]

I owned an HK4 with all of the conversion kits for about 15 years and as a collector, I loved it. I was completely intrigued with the idea of a multi-caliber pistol and enjoyed the mechanical ingenuity that allowed the pistol to function with both centerfire and rimfire ammo.

As a shooter, I was very disappointed with the pistol. In .380 the gun bucked and barked in the hand like a mule with a mouthful of angry bees. In .32 the recoil was similar to the recoil of a .380 Walther PPK. In .25 the pistol was controllable but finicky with ammo and in .22LR it never worked worth a damn. In all calibers it was difficult to shoot well due to an overly heavy trigger with a sloppy break.

If you want this as a collector's piece, there isn't much else out there like it. Go for it.

If you want this as a shooter, I'd pass.

FYI, I sold mine in excellent condition with all the accessories for $1440.00 back in 2013.

[Marquand]

As a side note, I also used to own a Mauser HSc, the original pistol that the HK4 was modeled after. I found it to be a superior firearm in every way even though it wasn't multicaliber capable. I regret selling it to this day.

[I Swan]

I've owned a 380 HSC and it sucked. Wouldn't feed jhp well and was overall a sucky gun. I've heard the 32's are better but I got one and it had jamming issues either. Weird that I got two lemons. I like the looks but I think I'm done with them.

[ojisan]

Sold my HK4 at a gun show for about $350 in 1989 or so.
HK was not a popular brand yet.
Walked across the aisle and bought my 3" Ruger SP101 in .357Mag with the money.
I think I did all right on that one.

One of my son's friends has a Mauser HSC with no serial #s or other markings on it.
Part of the Treaty of Versailles after WW1 was limits on what guns and how many the Germans could make.
Germany was not supposed to make center fire handguns with barrels longer than 100mm (4").
Lots of smaller .32 and .380 guns were made, but the quantity was supposed to be limited below a certain number, and a re-arming Germany needed many more.
His HSC (long with many more, I am sure) was made without serial numbers so it was not counted by the foreign inspectors.

[Marquand]

I've owned a 380 HSC and it sucked. Wouldn't feed jhp well and was overall a sucky gun. I've heard the 32's are better but I got one and it had jamming issues either. Weird that I got two lemons. I like the looks but I think I'm done with them.

Well hell, I wouldn't blame you.

Sorry to hear you had problems with yours, I Swan, though you can't really fault a pistol never designed to feed hollowpoint ammo for not doing so. Still, I understand your frustration.

What .380 pistol did you replace you HSc with, if any?