C.G. Haenel
C.G. Haenel is a German firearms manufacturer based in Suhl, with a history spanning sporting arms, military rifles, submachine guns, sniper rifles and assault rifles.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
C.G. Haenel is a German firearms manufacturer headquartered in Suhl, Thuringia. Its origins date to 1840, when Carl Gottlieb Haenel began producing bicycles and weapons. The company developed within Suhl's dense network of gunsmithing and metalworking businesses, moving between sporting arms, military firearms and industrial production. Its early activities included hunting weapons, target rifles, pistols, bayonets and military carbines, while its participation in the Suhl Konsortium brought it government contracts for Reichsrevolver-related production and carbines based on German military actions. The company became particularly associated with firearms designer Hugo Schmeisser, who joined in 1921. During the 1920s, Haenel manufactured pocket pistols and pursued automatic weapons despite the restrictions imposed on Germany by the Treaty of Versailles. Schmeisser's MP28 submachine gun, derived from the earlier MP18 design, entered police service and was exported through licensing arrangements to several foreign markets. The company experienced serious financial difficulties between 1929 and 1934, but its position improved after it joined a wider association of Suhl and Zella-Mehlis arms manufacturers created to secure armaments contracts from the German government. During the rearmament of the 1930s and the Second World War, Haenel became involved in large-scale military production. Its most historically important contribution was the development and manufacture of the MP43, later redesignated the Sturmgewehr 44 or StG 44. Chambered for the intermediate 7.92×33mm cartridge, the weapon combined features of a rifle and a submachine gun and used extensive stamped-metal production methods. Initial production was interrupted after opposition from Adolf Hitler, but later troop testing led to approval for mass production. The StG 44 became one of the most influential German infantry weapons of the period. After the Second World War, arms production in Suhl was initially prohibited. The city subsequently fell within the Soviet occupation zone and became part of East Germany. Soviet authorities removed StG 44 examples and technical documentation for evaluation and reparations. Haenel was absorbed into the East German state-industrial system as the VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk Ernst Thälmann. Under that structure, the Suhl factory shifted toward air rifles and hunting carbines, continuing to use the Haenel name in civilian sporting products. The company was reestablished under its historic name in 2008. In its modern form, C.G. Haenel combines civilian hunting firearms with military and law-enforcement products. Its post-reestablishment portfolio included the RS8 and RS9 precision rifles, the Jaeger hunting-rifle family, the CR 223 semi-automatic rifle and the MK 556 assault rifle. The RS9 was selected by the German Bundeswehr in 2016 as the G29 medium-range sniper rifle. Haenel later gained national attention when the MK 556 was selected in 2020 as the intended replacement for the Bundeswehr's G36, although the intended award was withdrawn after a renewed evaluation. The company remains associated with Merkel and the Caracal International group, and continues to operate from Suhl.
History
C.G. Haenel emerged from the nineteenth-century industrial and gunsmithing environment of Suhl. Carl Gottlieb Haenel began producing bicycles and firearms in 1840, reflecting the overlap between bicycle manufacture, precision metalworking and arms production at the time. The company later worked with Suhl firearms designer C. W. Aydt, whose target rifles and pistols added a sporting dimension to the business. Haenel participated in the Suhl Konsortium, a production association involving V. Ch. Schilling. Through this arrangement it manufactured parts of the M1879 Reichsrevolver and its M1883 derivative, with products marked using the initials of the participating firms and their Suhl origin. After the German Army adopted the Gewehr 1888, the consortium also obtained work on cavalry and artillery carbines. The later adoption of the Gewehr 98 reduced the value of tooling acquired for earlier designs, encouraging Haenel to develop updated rifle actions and fixed-magazine arrangements. These rifles, often called Haenel-Mannlichers despite not being designed by Mannlicher, achieved limited military and commercial success. Haenel also produced hunting arms and bayonets and manufactured large quantities of Mauser Model 98 rifles during the First World War. Hugo Schmeisser joined the company in 1921. His arrival moved Haenel toward automatic weapons and pocket pistols. Schmeisser developed the MP28, an evolution of the MP18 submachine gun, and the design was used by German police and exported through an overseas licensing arrangement. These activities occurred despite the restrictions placed on German arms development after the First World War. Financial instability remained severe: Haenel entered bankruptcy proceedings several times between 1929 and 1934. In 1933, it joined ten other arms companies in the Vereinigte Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Waffenfabriken association, which maintained direct relationships with the Wehrmacht administration and helped distribute government armaments work among regional manufacturers. German rearmament after 1935 transformed the company's scale and priorities. Haenel became a major participant in the development of the 7.92×33mm intermediate-cartridge infantry weapon that evolved from the Mkb 42(H) and MP43 into the Sturmgewehr 44. The rifle used a relatively economical stamped construction and was intended to provide greater range and power than a conventional submachine gun while remaining more controllable and portable than a full-power service rifle. Production exceeded 10,000 examples early in the program, though political intervention temporarily stopped it. After field testing, mass production was authorized and the weapon entered service as the StG 44. Following Germany's defeat in 1945, the American occupation authorities imposed a production ban on Suhl arms factories. When the area passed into the Soviet occupation zone, examples of the StG 44 and thousands of technical drawings were transferred to the Soviet Union for study and reparations. The company was subsequently consolidated into the East German state enterprise VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk Ernst Thälmann. The factory's postwar work centered on air rifles and hunting carbines, and the Haenel Suhl name continued as a civilian sporting-arms brand rather than as an independent private arms company. The business was reestablished as C.G. Haenel in 2008 and returned to a mixed civilian and government-oriented portfolio. The RS8 precision rifle was followed by the larger-caliber RS9, while the Jaeger 8, Jaeger 9, Jaeger 10, SLB 2000+ and Jaeger 11 expanded the hunting and sporting range. The company also developed the CR 223 semi-automatic rifle and MK 556 assault rifle. In 2016 the RS9 entered German military service as the G29. The MK 556 later won the Bundeswehr's initial selection process for a G36 successor in 2020, but the Ministry of Defence withdrew the intended award and reopened evaluation. In 2021 Haenel added the Jaeger NXT straight-pull hunting rifle. The modern company belongs to Merkel, which is part of Caracal International.
- 2021
Jaeger NXT introduced
[1]Haenel launched the Jaeger NXT straight-pull hunting rifle.
- 2020
MK 556 intended selection withdrawn
[1]Germany initially selected the MK 556 for the G36 replacement program, then withdrew the intended award and reopened evaluation.
- 2016
RS9 selected as G29
[1]The Bundeswehr selected the RS9 as its G29 medium-range sniper rifle.
- 2009
RS9 and Jaeger range developed
[1]Haenel developed the RS9 .338 Lapua Magnum rifle and introduced the Jaeger 8 hunting-rifle range.
- 2008
C.G. Haenel reestablished
[1]The company returned under its historic name and introduced the RS8 precision rifle.
- 1945
Postwar consolidation
[1]After the war, the Suhl factory was placed under occupation restrictions and later incorporated into the East German VEB Fahrzeug- und Jagdwaffenwerk Ernst Thälmann.
- 1944
Sturmgewehr 44 enters service
[1]The MP43 development was accepted for broader production and entered service under the StG 44 designation.
- 1943
Early MP43 production
[1]More than 10,000 examples of the MP43 and related development weapons had been produced by this stage, before production was temporarily halted.
- 1933
Suhl arms association formed
[1]Haenel joined ten other regional arms companies in the Vereinigte Suhl-Zella-Mehlisser Waffenfabriken association.
- 1928
MP28 developed
[1]Haenel developed the MP28 submachine gun, which entered German police service and was exported through licensing arrangements.
Products and positioning
A German Suhl-based firearms maker positioned across premium hunting and sporting arms, precision rifles, and military and law-enforcement small arms. Its modern identity combines historic German arms manufacturing with contemporary products designed for government tenders and civilian hunting markets.
Submachine gun · 1928
MP28
A 1920s submachine gun developed from the MP18 under the influence of Hugo Schmeisser. It was used by German police and exported through licensing arrangements to foreign markets including South Africa, Spain, Japan and the Republic of China.
Assault rifle · 1944
Sturmgewehr 44
A 7.92×33mm intermediate-cartridge rifle developed through the Mkb 42(H) and MP43 programs. Its stamped construction and intermediate-power cartridge made it an important wartime step between submachine guns and full-power infantry rifles.
Precision rifle · 2008
RS8
A modern precision rifle chambered for 7.62×51mm NATO and .308 Winchester. It was the first product associated with the company's 2008 reestablishment.
Precision and sniper rifle · 2009
RS9
A larger-caliber precision rifle chambered for .338 Lapua Magnum, also designated 8.6×70mm. The model was selected by the Bundeswehr in 2016 and entered German military service as the G29 medium-range sniper rifle.
Hunting rifle · 2009
Jaeger 8 series
A range of hunting rifles introduced after the company's modern relaunch. The series formed part of Haenel's effort to serve civilian hunting and sporting markets alongside government contracts.
Single-shot hunting rifle
Jaeger 9
A single-shot hunting rifle in Haenel's post-2008 civilian product range.
Bolt-action hunting rifle
Jaeger 10
A bolt-action hunting rifle intended for the civilian sporting and hunting market.
Semi-automatic hunting rifle
SLB 2000+
A semi-automatic rifle in the modern Haenel hunting range. The design was originally developed by Heckler & Koch before being offered in Haenel's portfolio.
Shotgun
Jaeger 11
A shotgun included in Haenel's modern range of civilian hunting firearms.
Semi-automatic rifle
CR 223
A semi-automatic rifle supplied to Hamburg Police. Its reported withdrawal in 2017 followed persistent jamming issues, which Haenel associated with the ammunition in use and said it would address.
Assault rifle
MK 556
A modern assault rifle developed for military and law-enforcement requirements. It was selected in the initial 2020 Bundeswehr G36 replacement process, although the German Defence Ministry later withdrew the intended award.
Straight-pull hunting rifle · 2021
Jaeger NXT
A hunting rifle introduced in 2021. Its straight-pull action uses predominantly linear movement for chambering and extracting cartridges, distinguishing it from conventional turn-bolt mechanisms.
Brand decisions
2020
Initial selection of MK 556 for G36 replacementOtherBackground
The Bundeswehr was seeking a replacement for its G36 service rifle, with Haenel competing against Heckler & Koch models.
Action taken
The Bundeswehr selected the MK 556 on 15 September 2020. The intended procurement was reported as 120,000 rifles with a contract value of €245 million.
Aftermath
The German Federal Ministry of Defence withdrew the intended award on 9 October 2020 and entered a renewed evaluation phase.
Intended contract value. €245 million (2020 intended Bundeswehr procurement)
2016
RS9 selected for Bundeswehr sniper roleOtherBackground
The German military required a medium-range sniper rifle.
Action taken
The Bundeswehr ordered the RS9 and designated it the G29.
Aftermath
The selection established Haenel as a supplier of contemporary German military precision rifles.
2008
Reestablish the Haenel brandStrategyBackground
After the East German state-enterprise period, the business returned under the historic C.G. Haenel name.
Action taken
The company relaunched with a portfolio spanning precision rifles, hunting firearms and later military and law-enforcement weapons.
Aftermath
The relaunch created the basis for Haenel's modern participation in civilian firearms sales and government procurement programs.
Sources1 sources
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