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

Carl Gustaf M2 - 84x246mm R

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

Carl Gustaf M3 - 84x246mm R

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

Carl Gustaf M4 - 84x246mm R

Carl Gustaf M4 (M3E1 in US Army and Marine service) with Aimpoint FCS12 digital fire control system - 84x246mm R

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.