Carl Gustaf M/45

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Summary

Country🇸🇪 Sweden
CategorySubmachine gun
ManufacturerCarl Gustaf Arms Company

Technical specifications

Carl Gustaf M/45
Fire Rate600 rounds/min.
Caliber9 x 19 mm Parabellum
Magazine36 - 50 rounds
Length806 mm (31.7 in)
Weight3.43 kg (7.6 lb)
Range200 m (656 ft)

Description

The Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless rifle is a Swedish shoulder-fired system developed by the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration in the late 1940s. Development of the initial model began in 1946, building on experience from earlier designs and the success of man-portable rocket launchers during World War II. Production of the first model, designated 8,4 cm granatgevär m/48 (8,4 cm grg m/48), was handled by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori. FFV (Försvarets Fabriksverk), which led Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori, continued its development, and export is now handled by Saab Bofors Dynamics. The weapon utilizes a recoilless firing system and a rifled barrel, enabling higher muzzle velocities and a greater effective range compared to contemporary fin-stabilized rocket launchers.

The weapon consists of:

  • A main tube with a breech-mounted Venturi recoil damper

  • Two grips

  • A shoulder mount

It is equipped with iron sights, typically supplemented by a 3× optical sight. Modern variants can use the Swedish Aimpoint sighting system or image intensification systems, and luminous inserts are available for night aiming. The weapon can be fired from various positions, and a bipod can be attached. A hinged breech with a Venturi lock is used for reloading. It is normally operated by a two-man crew, a gunner and a loader, who is responsible for clearing the area behind the weapon due to the back-blast. The overpressure generated is dangerous to 30 meters and hazardous to about 50 to 75 meters.

The Carl Gustaf system has evolved through several variants:

  • The original 8,4 cm granatgevär m/48 (M1) was introduced in 1948.

  • The M2 export variant, lighter and shorter, was introduced in 1964 and largely replaced the M1.

  • Development in the 1980s led to the M3 (8,4 cm grg m/86 in Sweden), further reducing weight using materials like carbon fiber, plastics, and aluminum alloys; the export M3 was introduced in 1991.

  • The US adopted the M3 as the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS).

  • The M4 export variant, revealed in 2014, is shorter and lighter than the M3 through weight-saving materials like carbon fibre and titanium, featuring new ergonomics and a shot counter. The US version of the M4 is known as the M3A1 MAAWS, which is even lighter than the M4 and features advanced fire control systems.

  • Sweden adopted the M4 as the 8,4 cm granatgevär m/18 in 2018.

The Carl Gustaf has been employed in several conflicts, including the Congo Crisis from 1961–1964 with Swedish UN peacekeepers, by US forces in the War in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2021 (where its range against stationary targets up to 700m proved effective against threats beyond the range of lighter anti-armor weapons), and more recently by Ukrainian forces since 2022 during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Carl Gustaf system is in service with numerous armed forces worldwide, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Sweden, Thailand, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela. Former users include the Netherlands and Singapore. It has also been used by the Tamil Tigers.