Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4
Husqvarna Vapenfabrik · Battle Rifle · In Service · 1965
Also known as: Ak 4, Automatkarbin 4, Swedish G3
Overview
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 (Ak 4) is a Swedish select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, a licensed derivative of the Heckler & Koch G3A3 built by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and later Carl Gustaf/FFV from 1965. It retains the G3's roller-delayed blowback action and 20-round detachable box magazine, but incorporates Swedish modifications including a reinforced receiver, an enlarged winter trigger guard for use with mittens, and provision for an optics rail. Adopted as the standard service rifle of the Swedish Armed Forces, it soldiered on for decades and remained in Home Guard reserve service long after being partly superseded by the Ak 5.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4500 g (158.7 oz) |
| Weight (loaded) | 5200 g (183.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1016 mm (40.00") |
| Barrel Length | 450 mm (17.72") |
| Action Type | Roller Delayed Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 20 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 790 m/s (2592 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2964 J (2186 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3000 m (3281 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 600 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 305 mm (12.01") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Polymer |
| Finish | Phosphate |
Calibers
- 7.62x51mm NATO · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Winchester, 7.62mm NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic, Full Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Selector, Half Cock Notch
- Features: Select Fire, Stamped Steel Construction, Roller Delayed Bolt, Drum Type Rear Sight, Enlarged Winter Trigger Guard, Optics Rail
Variants
- Ak 4B - Optics Equipped
- Ak 4C - Rail Modernized
- Ak 4D - Modernized
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Swedish Armed Forces · adopted 1965 · as Ak 4
- Home Guard (Hemvarnet) · as Ak 4
Conflicts
- Cold War (1965-1991)
Production
Estimated total produced: 350,000 · Production years: 1965-1985
Produced under license in Sweden by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and Carl Gustaf/FFV; figures approximate
Origin
Country of origin: Sweden
Designer: CETME / Heckler & Koch
Discontinued: 1985
Notes
The Ak 4 differs from the German G3A3 chiefly in details suited to Nordic conditions: strengthened components, cold-weather ergonomics, and a longer service life through repeated refurbishment programs. Modernized variants (Ak 4B/C/D) added telescopic sights and later Picatinny-rail furniture. Production was handled by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and Carl Gustaf Stads Gevarsfaktori (FFV).
Background
Swedish conscripts nicknamed the heavy, hard-hitting Ak 4 for its punishing recoil and its ability to shoot through cover; despite adoption of the lighter 5.56mm Ak 5 in the 1980s, the old 7.62mm rifle stayed in Home Guard armouries into the 21st century.