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| Carl Gustav recoilless rifle |
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| Country |
Sweden |
| Type |
Recoilless rifle |
| Manufacturer |
Carl Gustav |
| Introduction |
1946 |
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The Carl Gustav (also Carl-Gustaf) is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics (formerly Bofors Anti-Armour AB) in Sweden. The first prototype of the Carl Gustav was produced in 1946, and while similar weapons of the era have generally disappeared, the Carl Gustav remains in widespread use today. British troops refer to it as the Charlie G, while Canadian troops often refer to it as the 84 or Carl G. In US service it is officially known as the RAAWS or Ranger Anti-Armor Weapon System, but often called the Gustav or simply the goose by US soldiers. In Australia it is irreverently known as Charlie Gutsache (guts ache, slang for stomach pain). In its country of origin it is officially named Grg m/48 (Granatgevär or grenade rifle, model 48) but is sometimes nicknamed Stuprör (drainpipe) due to the fact that the weapon mainly consists of a long tube.
The Carl Gustav was developed by Hugo Abramson and Harald Jentzen at the Royal Swedish Arms Administration (KAFT) and produced at Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori from where it derives its name. The weapon was first introduced into Swedish service in 1948 as the 8,4 cm Granatgevär m/48 (Grg m/48), filling the same anti-tank role as the US Army Bazooka, British PIAT and German Panzerschreck. Unlike these weapons, however, the Carl Gustav used a rifled barrel for spin-stabilizing its rounds, as opposed to fins as used by the other systems.
The use of the recoilless firing system allowed the Carl Gustav to use ammunition containing considerably more propellant, firing its rounds at 290 m/s, as opposed to about 105 m/s for the Panzerschreck and Bazooka and about 135 m/s for the PIAT. The result was superior accuracy at longer ranges. The Carl Gustav can be used to attack larger stationary targets at up to 700 m, but the relatively slow speed of the projectile restricts attacks on moving targets to a range of 400 m or less.
The Carl Gustav was soon being sold around the world, and became one of the primary squad-level anti-tank weapons for many Western European armies. An improved version (M2) was introduced in 1964 and quickly replaced the original version. The current M3 version was introduced in 1991, using a thin steel liner containing the rifling, strengthened by a carbon fiber outer sleeve. External steel parts were replaced with aluminum alloys or plastics, reducing the empty weapon weight considerably from 14.2 kg to 8.5 kg.
In recent years the weapon has found new life in a variety of roles. The British Special Air Service, US Special Forces and United States Army Rangers use M3s in the bunker-busting and anti-vehicle roles, while the German Bundeswehr maintains small numbers of M2s for battlefield illumination. Many armies continue to use it as a viable anti-armor weapon, especially against 1950s and 1960s-era tanks and other armored vehicles, which are still in use worldwide.
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