| Carl Gustav Recoilless Rifle |
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| recoilless rifles | |
| anti-tank weapons | |
| weapons of sweden | |
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.]] The Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84mm Recoilless Rifle Anti-tank weapon from Bofors Anti Armour AB in Sweden . The Carl Gustav was first introduced in 1946, and while similar weapons of the era have generally disappeared, the Carl Gustav remains in widespread use today, and is even being introduced into new roles. British troops refer to it as the '''Charlie G'''. Canadian troops often refer to it as the '''84''' or '''Carl G'''. US troops often refer to it as the '''RAAWS''' or '''Ranger Anti-Armor Weapon System''', '''the Gustav''' or simply '''the goose'''. In Australia it is irreverently known as '''Charlie Gutsache''' ( Gut s Ache , slang for stomach pain). In its country of origin it is officially named '''Grg m/48''' (Granatgevär, meaning grenade rifle, model 48) and sometimes nicknamed '''Stuprör''' (drainpipe) due to the fact that the weapon mainly consists of a long Tube . HISTORY The Carl Gustav was developed by Hugo Abramson and Harald Jentzen at the Royal Swedish Arms Administration (KAFT). It was first introduced into Swedish service in 1948 as the 8,4 cm Granatgevär m/48 (Grg m/48), filling the same role as the US Army Bazooka , British PIAT and German Panzerschreck . Unlike these weapons, however, the Carl Gustav uses a Rifled Barrel for spin-stabilising its rounds, as opposed to fins as used by the other systems. In addition, the use of the recoilless firing system allows the Carl Gustav to contain considerably more propellant, firing its rounds at 290 m/s, as opposed to about 105 m/s for the Panzerschreck or Bazooka and about 135 m/s for the PIAT. The result is considerably better Accuracy at longer ranges; the Carl Gustav can attack targets at 700 metres. At these ranges the weapon was only effective against large non-moving targets; the slow speed of the Projectile made attacking moving targets something to be done at ranges out to 400m. The Carl Gustav was soon being sold around the world, and became one of the primary squad-level anti-tank weapons for most of the Western European armies. In 1964 an improved version, known as the M2, was introduced and quickly replaced the original version. A newer M3 version was introduced in 1991, which used a thin steel liner containing the rifling, made strong by a Carbon Fibre barrel on the outside, and all external parts were replaced with Aluminium or plastic versions. This reduced weight considerably, the empty weapon weight falling from the M2's 14.2kg to the M3's 8.5kg. 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 the M3s in the bunker-busting and anti-vehicle roles, while the German army maintains small numbers of M2s for battlefield illumination. Many armies continue to use it as an anti-armour weapon, and against the majority of threats faced on the modern battlefield, namely 1950s and 60s era Soviet tank designs or even lighter vehicles, the weapon delivers adequate performance. The Carl Gustav was used in the Bunker -busting role by soldiers of Canada's Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment in operations in Afghanistan . They developed a new system for firing at night, which involved a Night-scope equipped spotter firing Tracer s at the target, and the Carl Gustav gunner then aiming at the spot where the tracer rounds hit. Famously, a Royal Marine damaged an Argentinian corvette in the Falklands War using a Carl Gustav http://www.navynews.co.uk/falklands/stories/8202040301.asp. DESCRIPTION The basic weapon consists of the main tube with the breech-mounted recoil damper, with two grips near the front and a shoulder plate. The weapon is fitted with iron sights, but is normally aimed with the attached 2x Optical Sight with a 17 degree field of view. Luminous front and rear adaptors are available for night work with the iron sights. The Carl Gustav can be fired from the standing, kneeling, sitting or prone positions. When fired on flat surfaces the weapon is normally supported by a bipod attached in front of the shoulder piece. A small operating handle ("Venturi Lock") "cracks" the "Venturi" to one side for reloading. The weapon is normally operated by a two-man crew, one carrying and firing the weapon, the other carrying and reloading ammunition. Specifications
M3 MAAWS The M3 MAAWS is the US designation for the Carl Gustav M3 recoilless rifle. It is primarily used by USSOCOM forces such as the United States Army Special Forces , 75th Ranger Regiment , United States Navy SEALS , Delta Force , and DEVGRU . The M3 MAAWS fires the following Ammunition
Ammunition Improvements to the ammunition have been continual, and while the HEAT rounds have less effect against modern armor, the weapon has found new life as a bunker-buster with a High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) round with less armour piercing capability but much more explosive. Straight High Explosive (HE), smoke and illumination (starshell or Flare ) ammunition is also available. For full effectiveness, illumination rounds have to be fired at a very steep angle, creating a danger for the gunner as the backblast from the propellant charge might burn him. For that reason several armies have retired the illumination rounds. The US Army requires firing them from a standing position. (Canadian designations are used, others are similar, replacing the "FFV")
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