vhs

1. CroatiaMoDPhoto
FOREIGNFIREPOWER
can be used as a personal-defense
weapon and is also ideal for use in close-
quarters battle situations. The VHS-K
bullpup cannot accept a bayonet or
fire rifle grenades.
used in limited numbers by the Croatian
military as part of its final developmental
testing. This culminated with the VHS
being deployed overseas on peacekeep-
ing duties in the Golan Heights, Sierra
Leone and for combat use in Afghanistan.
In 2012, the VHS was fully certified by the
Croatian Ministry of Defence as opera-
tional, and it was to be standardized as
the country’s service rifle. As good as the
VHS was found to be there was always
room for improvement. HS Produkt
introduced second-generation VHS
production rifles, known as the VHS-D2
and VHS-K2, to the market in 2013.
Croatia MoD Photo
The VHS-D’s bullpup
design decreases its
overall length while
still offering a
19.68-inch
barrel for
improved
accuracy.
The changes made to the VHS-D2
and VHS-K2 were primarily incorporated
to make them both truly ambidextrous
and to provide improved ergonomics.
The choice of two barrel lengths remains
unchanged, but the overall length can
now be changed by the shooter by means
of a five-position-adjustable stock. This
“By all accounts, the VHS rifle is well
likedbyCroatiansoldiersandcivilian
shooters in European nations that allow
ownershipofselect-firerifles.”
allows adjustment for shooters with
different arm lengths and for when body
armor is being worn. An ambidextrous
three-position selector switch is located
on both sides of the rifle just above the
pistol grip. The position of the selector
makes it easy for right- and left-handed
shooters to use the weapon. Pictogram
selector markings are used, with indica-
tions for safe, semi-automatic and fully
automatic fire.
A long carrying handle is integrated
into the design, and a non-reciprocating,
folding, ambidextrous charging handle
is located on top of the receiver, inside
of the carrying handle. The top of the
carrying handle has a long NATO STANAG
4694 accessory rail that can accommo-
date optics of various lengths as well as
iron sights. The Croatian military has used
German Hensoldt, Swedish Aimpoint as
well as domestically produced optics on
the VHS. The long accessory rail on top
leaves room for additional magnifiers,
night vision or thermal imagers to supple-
ment the primary day optic. A forearm
available for the second-generation VHS
rifles also has STANAG 4694 accessory
rails on the bottom, right and left sides.
The bottom rail can be used for mounting
a vertical grip or bipod while the right
and left side rails can be used to mount
flashlights and laser-aiming devices.
Croatian Military Police train with VHS rifles before a deployment. The soldier on the left
carries the VHS-K while the one on the right has a grenade-launcher-equipped VHS-D.
Enhanced Design
HS Produkt also makes a 40x46mm
low-velocity grenade launcher specifically
for the VHS rifle. This weapon is known as
the VHS-BG, the letters BG standing for
bacac granata or grenade launcher. Users
must simply remove the rifle’s forearm
and replace it with the grenade launcher
assembly. This can be done in a matter of
seconds without the use of tools.
The single-shot launcher is capable of
firing a full range of lethal and less-lethal
rounds and, in the hands of a trained
grenadier, can be accurately fired at a rate
of five to seven rounds per minute. HS
Produkt also makes an integrated stock
assembly with a pistol grip and sights that
allows the VHS-BG grenade launcher to
be used as a standalone weapon.
HS Produkt designed a 30-round
(continued on page 114)
56 SPECIAL WEAPONS /APRIL/MAY 2015 SPECIAL-WEAPONS-MAGAZINE.com