The Gun That Killed Osama bin Laden Revealed

Sources say the HK416 rifle was used to kill bin Laden.

The biggest secret in the special operations community—what gun did SEALs from "DevGru" kill Osama bin Laden with—has been revealed. Two military gear blogs, citing multiple insider sources, credit the highly reliable HK416 rifle, an M-16 type weapon, with the "double tap" of 5.56 mm bullets to bin Laden's head.

[See photos of the reaction to bin Laden's death.]

While the military isn't talking about what SEALs from United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly SEAL Team Six, carried in, two sites—Military Times Gear Scout and Soldier Systems—said the gun used was the German made, Delta Force designed Heckler & Koch rifle used by several militaries.

"I've just heard from a SOCOM vet," says Military Times "He tells me the stack of SEAL assaulters from Red team that went through Osama bin Laden's bedroom door were running HK416s."

Soldier Systems adds that bin Laden "was gunned down using German engineering – the HK416 which was my gut feeling from the very beginning."

[Check out editorial cartoons about Afghanistan.]

A Whispers source close to the SEAL community said that the reports are "kosher for sure." He adds that it's likely the commandos had a collection of different weapons and might have also been carrying a rifle with a shorter barrel.

HK, which didn't have any immediate comment, describes the gun on its website as the perfect SEAL weapon: it shoots an effective 5.56 mm round, has a gas system that doesn't foul the weapon like some other rifles, can shoot 20,000 rounds with "minimal degradation of accuracy," and fires just fine after being submerged in water and not completely drained.

• Check out editorial cartoons about the Middle East uprisings.
• See photos of the celebrations after bin Laden's death.
• Peruse political cartoons about Afghanistan.