Carl Gustaf m/45
Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori · Submachine Gun · Out Of Production · 1945
Also known as: Kpist m/45, Kulsprutepistol m/45, Swedish K, K-pist
Overview
The Carl Gustaf m/45, officially the Kulsprutepistol m/45 (Kpist m/45), is a Swedish 9x19mm submachine gun designed by Gunnar Johansson and manufactured by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna. Adopted in 1945, it served as the standard submachine gun of the Swedish Army until being phased out in favor of the Ak 4 and Ak 5 rifles, with the Swedish Home Guard retiring it in April 2007. The m/45 is a simple, robust, blowback-operated open-bolt SMG built around a tubular steel receiver with a side-folding wire stock.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3430 g (121.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 808 mm (31.81") |
| Folded Length | 552 mm (21.73") |
| Barrel Length | 213 mm (8.39") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Open Bolt |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 36 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 425 m/s (1394 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 600 J (443 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Steel |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 9x19mm Parabellum · primary · 9mm NATO — also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO, 9x19mm
Features
- Firing modes: Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Bolt Locking Safety Notch
- Features: Side Folding Stock, Perforated Barrel Jacket, Open Bolt Operation, Tube Receiver, Double Column Magazine
Variants
- Kpist m/45B — Fixed Magazine Well
- Kpist m/45C — Bayonet Lug
- Kpist m/45D — Selective Fire Police
- Port Said — Egyptian License
Service history
Operators
- Swedish Armed Forces · adopted 1945 · as Kpist m/45
- Swedish Home Guard (Hemvärnet) · adopted 1945 · as Kpist m/45
- United States Special Forces (MACV-SOG) · as Swedish K
- Egyptian Armed Forces · as Port Said
- Indonesian National Armed Forces
- Irish Defence Forces
Conflicts
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
- Congo Crisis (1960-1965)
- Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)
- Indonesian National Revolution (1945-1949)
Production
Estimated total produced: 300,000 · Production years: 1945-1965
Estimate includes Swedish-built m/45 family and licensed Port Said production in Egypt; exact figures not publicly disclosed by Carl Gustaf works.
Origin
Country of origin: Sweden
Designer: Gunnar Johansson
Discontinued: 2007
Notes
Manufactured under license in Egypt as the 'Port Said' and in Indonesia. Famously used in suppressed form by US Special Forces' MACV-SOG and CIA operatives in the early Vietnam War, where it earned the nickname 'Swedish K'. The original m/45 used 50-round magazines but the standard wartime/post-war magazine was 36 rounds. Sweden imposed an arms embargo on the US in 1966 over Vietnam, ending US imports.
Background
US Navy SEALs and Special Forces operators in early Vietnam loved the 'Swedish K' for its reliability with the suppressor that the CIA fitted to it - but in 1966 Sweden cut off arms exports to the US in protest of the war, forcing Smith & Wesson to design the M76 as a domestic replacement.