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Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle
The Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle (sometimes spelled Carl Gustav) is an 84mm anti-tank weapon developed in 1946 by Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors Carl Gustaf AB (now part of SAAB-Bofors Dynamics), based on their work in 1940-42 on the 20mm Pansarvärnsgevär m/42, a shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank rifle that was obsolete by the time it was ready for production, with only around 1,000 being manufactured. The larger 84mm launcher was intended as an equivalent to WW2 shaped-charge anti-tank launchers such as the Bazooka, Panzerschreck and PIAT. Unlike these weapons, it is a rifled gun firing a spin-stabilised projectile. The 84mm caliber is said to have been a result of the design team using barrels from four old m/1894-06 8.4cm rifled cannons from a fortress in Tingstäde, Gotland in their initial prototypes.
As a recoilless rifle, on firing the weapon discharges material (in this case, propellant gas) from its rear venturi tube of equal mass to the projectile, resulting in a net force close to zero. A host of different projectiles are available for different applications, with various antitank HEAT rounds including standoff rod and tandem-charge rounds for defeating explosive reactive armour, anti-personnel HE and anti-personnel / light vehicle / fortification HEDP rounds, and tactical smoke and parachute flare rounds.
The initial M1 version was adopted by the Swedish military in 1948 as the 8,4 cm Granatgevär m/48 (Grg m/48), and the first export version, the M2, was first produced in 1964. Since then it has been adopted by numerous countries and been through two further revisions, with the lightened M3 (m/86 domestically) entering production in 1991 and the shorter M4 being produced in 2014: the United States Army is currently evaluating the latter under the name M3E1 as a possible replacement for their stocks of M3s. Japanese arms manufacturer Howa produces a licensed copy of the M2, the Howa 84 RR.
Specifications
(1946-1964 (M1), 1964-present (M2), 1991-present (M3), 2014-present (M4))
Type: Recoilless rifle / rocket launcher (HEAT RAP round is rocket-assisted)
Caliber: 84x246mm R
Length: 42in (1065mm) (M1/M2), 44in (1,130mm) (M3), 37in (950mm) (M4)
Weight Unloaded: 31 lb (M1/M2), 22 lb (M3), 15 lb (M4), + 2 lb for optional bipod
Feed System: Manual single-shot loading via hinged venturi tube
Fire Modes: Single shot
Crew: Typically 2
The Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle can be seen in the following films, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Carl Gustaf M2
The M2 was the first export version of the Carl Gustaf, introduced in 1964 and replaced by the M3 in 1991. A variant called the M2-550 featured a new optic scope which included a laser rangefinder; this was also compatible with the original M2's scope bracket mount, and is no longer marketed as a separate model.
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminator: Genisys | Arnold Schwarzenegger | Terminator | 2015 | |
| Postal | Seen in bunker arsenal | 2007 | ||
| War of the Worlds | US Army soldiers | 2005 | ||
| Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 | JGSDF | Howa 84RR | 2005 | |
| LOC Kargil | Indian Army soldiers | 2003 | ||
| Battlefield Earth | Kim Coates | Carlos | 2000 | |
| Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris | JGSDF personnel | Howa 84RR | 1999 | |
| Men of War | Dolph Lundgren | Nick Gunar | 1994 |
Anime
| Film Title | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patlabor: The Movie | JGSDF soldiers | Howa 84RR | 1989 |
| Mad Bull 34 | NYPD ESU officers | 1990 | |
| Saikano | JGSDF soldiers | Howa 84RR | 2006 |
| The Skull Man | 2009 | ||
| Canaan | 2009 | ||
| Coppelion | Oyakata Kurobe | 2013 | |
| Ibara Naruse |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider III | Rocket Launcher | 1998 | ||
| Operation Flashpoint | 2001 | |||
| Time Crisis 3 | Unusable | 2003 | ||
| World in Conflict | 2007 | |||
| Far Cry 2 | Carl G Rocket Launcher | Incorrectly shown firing laser-guided ammunition with manual detonation capability | 2008 | |
| Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker | Carl G | Fires HEAT, HE or "Fulton" rounds | 2010 |
Carl Gustaf M3
The M3 was a broad package of improvements to the Carl Gustaf including a new lightweight carbon-fibre tube replacing the older model's steel, a new scope bracket design, redesigned iron sights, and an integral carry handle. Adopted by the United States military as the M3 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS) or Ranger Anti-tank Weapons System (RAWS).
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Stand | 2013 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battlefield: Bad Company | 2008 | |||
| Battlefield: Bad Company 2 | M2 Carl Gustav AT | Inaccurately shown with homing capabilities | 2010 | |
| ArmA II | M3 MAAWS | Operation Arrowhead expansion | 2009 | |
| SOCOM 4: US Navy SEALs | MAAWS | Pick-up weapon only | 2011 | |
| Call of Duty: Ghosts | MAAWS | w/ laser sight | Incorrectly holds 2 guided rockets | 2013 |
| Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare | w/ laser sight | 2014 | ||
| Far Cry 4 | Used as menu icon for "LK-1018" weapon | 2014 | ||
| House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn | Rocket Launcher | With built-in crosshair | 2018 |
Carl Gustaf M4
Latest version of the Carl Gustaf, this variant is shorter and lighter than the M3 (and less than half the weight of the M2). It is designed for connectivity with "intelligent" computerized sighting units and future programmable ammunition, and includes an automatic round counter to simplify maintenance of the weapon's bore liner. The M4 was adopted by the Slovak Republic in 2015 and is currently undergoing trials with the US Army under the name "M3E1" as a possible replacement for their existing stocks of M3s. In September 2017 the US Army purchased 1,111 M3E1 launchers and issued an Urgent Material Release to field them as soon as possible, with the US Marine Corps following suit in November with a plan to acquire 1,200 launchers, with one to be fielded by each USMC infantry squad. The USMC is also considering the weapon as a replacement or supplement for the Mk 153 SMAW in combat engineer units.
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ArmA III | MAAWS Mk4 | Mod 0 variant with optical sight, Mod 1 variant with fire control system | Added in 2018 update | 2013 |
| Far Cry 5 | RAT4 | Grips reversed, M3-style front sight | Incorrectly fires guided missiles | 2018 |
See Also
- Howa - A list of all weapons manufactured by Howa.