Roller delayed a thing of the past?

Willie Lowman · November 18, 2018, 05:14 PM

I was wondering when exactly roller delayed blowback designs went by the wayside? HK still makes the MP5 and some companies make clones of HK designs (such as PTR). But I cannot think of any newish rifles or light machineguns that have used roller delay.

Aside from the Sig 510 and CETME, I can't think of any rifles other than the HK 90 series to use roller delayed blow back action. Was it just a flash in the pan for European military arms back in the day?

2damnold4this · November 18, 2018, 06:36 PM

That is a good question. There are still roller delayed and roller locked guns in production but will they last? I don't know.

ttarp · November 18, 2018, 08:59 PM

The Hk design is pretty sound and reliable, still in frontline service in places, but Hk moved on to the AR18 style gas system and pretty much tried to move away from the roller delayed rifles completely, but the UMP never caught on well enough to displace the MP5.

Personally, I think the design could be developed further and much improved upon, but the R&D would likely be too costly and the improvements not significant enough to be a good business decision, it seems Hk thought so at least. Still, the design was around for the vicinity of 40 years of frontline service with practically no further refinement or development, reminds you a bit of another sheet metal design still going strong...

I'm sure you're aware of the FAMAS being in the same delayed blowback family of arms, utilizing a lever rather than rollers, and only currently being replaced by the Hk416.

November 18, 2018, 05:14 PM	#1
Willie Lowman Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2009 Location: Uh-Hi-O Posts: 3,006	Roller delayed a thing of the past? I was wondering when exactly roller delayed blowback designs went by the wayside? HK still makes the MP5 and some companies make clones of HK designs (such as PTR). But I cannot think of any newish rifles or light machineguns that have used roller delay. Aside from the Sig 510 and CETME, I can't think of any rifles other than the HK 90 series to use roller delayed blow back action. Was it just a flash in the pan for European military arms back in the day? __________________ "9mm has a very long history of being a pointy little bullet moving quickly" --Sevens

November 18, 2018, 06:36 PM	#2
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	That is a good question. There are still roller delayed and roller locked guns in production but will they last? I don't know.

November 18, 2018, 08:59 PM	#3
ttarp Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2013 Posts: 888	The Hk design is pretty sound and reliable, still in frontline service in places, but Hk moved on to the AR18 style gas system and pretty much tried to move away from the roller delayed rifles completely, but the UMP never caught on well enough to displace the MP5. Personally, I think the design could be developed further and much improved upon, but the R&D would likely be too costly and the improvements not significant enough to be a good business decision, it seems Hk thought so at least. Still, the design was around for the vicinity of 40 years of frontline service with practically no further refinement or development, reminds you a bit of another sheet metal design still going strong... I'm sure you're aware of the FAMAS being in the same delayed blowback family of arms, utilizing a lever rather than rollers, and only currently being replaced by the Hk416.