Caseless ammunition developed for the Heckler & Koch G11 assault rifle; projectile, propellant, and primer formed into a single block with no metallic case; passed German military trials but never adopted.
Type: Rifle
Introduced: 1990, Germany
Parent case: Proprietary (combustible block — no case)
Standardization: Military
Bullet diameter: 0.186" (4.73 mm)
Rim type: Caseless
Primer: Caseless (combustible propellant)
Production status: Discontinued
Also known as: HK G11 caseless · G11 cartridge · 4.73mm caseless · HK caseless
History: Developed over 20+ years by Heckler & Koch and Dynamit Nobel for the G11 assault rifle, the 4.73x33mm Caseless represents the most advanced small arms ammunition ever produced. The entire cartridge — projectile, propellant block, and primer — is a single unit with no metallic case to extract. The G11 passed German military trials and was slated for adoption when German reunification defense…