Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle

Carl-Gustaf 84 mm Recoilless Rifle
Carl Gustaf M4 anti-tank weapon
Type	Shoulder-fired recoilless rifle (crew-served multi-role infantry support gun)[1][2][3][4]
Place of origin	Sweden
Service history
In service	1948–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	See Wars
Production history
Designer	Hugo Abramson, Sigfrid Akselson and Harald Jentzen
Designed	M1: 1946 M2: 1964 M3: 1986 M4: 2014[5][6]
Manufacturer	Saab Bofors Dynamics (formerly Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori), Howa (license)[7][8]
Unit cost	US$20,000 Ammo cost=US$500 to US$3000 per round[9]
Specifications
Mass	M2: 14.2 kg (31 lb)[10] M3: 10 kg (22 lb)[10] M4/M3E1: 6.6 kg (15 lb)
Length	(M2) 1,130 mm (44 in)[10] (M4/M3E1) 950 mm (37 in)
Crew	Two (gunner and loader), but may be used by a single operator at a reduced rate of fire.
Cartridge	84 × 245 mm R RCL[11]
Caliber	84 mm (3.31 in)
Action	Recoilless, single-shot, breechloader, laterally, percussion fired[12]
Rate of fire	6 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	230–255 m/s (750–840 ft/s)
Effective firing range	350 to 400 m (1,150 to 1,310 ft) against moving vehicles[13] 500 m (1,600 ft) against stationary vehicles[13] 1,000 m (3,300 ft) using smoke and high explosive rounds[13] 2,500 m (8,200 ft) using rocket-boosted laser guided ammunition
Feed system	Hinged breech
Sights	Open (iron) sights; optical 3× laser rangefinder; image intensification system

The Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle (Swedish pronunciation: [kɑːɭ ˈɡɵ̂sːtav], named after Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori, which initially produced it) is a Swedish-developed 84 mm (3.3 in) caliber shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, initially developed by the Royal Swedish Army Materiel Administration during the second half of the 1940s as a crew-served man-portable infantry support gun for close-range multi-role anti-armour, anti-personnel, battlefield illumination, smoke screening and marking fire,^[1] which has seen great export success around the globe and continues to be a popular multi-purpose support weapon in use by many nations. The Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless rifle is a lightweight, low-cost weapon that uses a wide range of ammunition, which makes it extremely flexible and suitable for a wide variety of roles.

Development of the initial model started from 1946 as one of the many recoilless rifle designs of that era, based on the experience from the earlier Carl Gustaf 20 mm recoilless rifle and the success of man-portable rocket launchers during World War II, such as the Bazooka and Panzerschreck. Production of the initial model was handled by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori led by Försvarets Fabriksverk (FFV) and the weapon received the designation 8,4 cm granatgevär m/48, (8,4 cm grg m/48 – "8,4 cm grenade rifle", model 1948) in Swedish service. FFV would continue to further develop the weapon for the international market, later being merged into Saab Bofors Dynamics which handles development and export today. While similar weapons have generally disappeared from service, the Carl Gustaf is still in production and remains in widespread use today.