Carl Gustaf m/45
Swedish open-bolt SMG, reliable in adverse conditions, used by US Navy SEALs.
The Carl Gustaf m/45, officially the Kulsprutepistol m/45 (Kpist m/45) and also called the Swedish K SMG, is a 9×19mm submachine gun designed by Gunnar Johansson. It was adopted in 1945 and produced at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden. This weapon was the standard submachine gun for the Swedish Army from 1945 until 1965, when it was phased out in favor of the Automatkarbin 4 and Automatkarbin 5 rifles. The last official users, the Swedish Home Guard (Hemvärnet), finally retired it in April 2007.
Development took place in 1944–45, drawing heavily on the sheet metal stamping techniques seen in the German MP 40, British Sten, and Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43. Two prototypes were tested in 1944—one from Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori and one from Husqvarna Vapenfabriks—and the Carl Gustaf design was selected for further work. The first production version entered service in 1945. The Danish Hovea M/49 looks similar but is not derived from the m/45; it was a development of the rejected Husqvarna prototype (fm44).
The standard m/45 fires only fully automatic, with no semi-automatic option. It weighs 3.3 kg unloaded and 4.2 kg with a loaded 36-round box magazine. Overall length is 808 mm with the stock extended and 550 mm folded. It uses an open bolt with a fixed firing pin and straight blowback operation. The cyclic rate is a relatively slow 550–600 rounds per minute, and low recoil makes it controllable in full auto. With a little practice, single shots are possible by releasing the trigger before the next round cycles. Accuracy is decent out to 200 meters.
Accessories include a silver-painted sub-calibre barrel for blanks and low-powered gallery ammunition; a cone-shaped blank firing adapter attaches to the threaded muzzle and is secured by a clip to ensure enough pressure for blowback operation. Night sights (for wartime use) attach to the fixed day sights (a protected post front and an L-type rear). A brass catcher collects spent cases for peacetime reloading. A bright red ejection port cover, attached by a cord, can be quickly fitted for guard duty to prevent accidental firing. A magazine loader fills a magazine from a cartridge tray in seconds. The cleaning kit includes a threaded rod, jag, container for the jag, lubricant, and patches.
Quick Facts
- Is Ranged
- yes
- Origin
- Sweden
- Designer
- Gunnar Johansson
- Design Date
- 1944
- Manufacturer
- Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori · Maadi Factories, Egypt
- Production Date
- 1945–1964 (Sweden) · 1965–1970 (Egypt)
- Service
- 1945–present
- Part Length
- 8.34 in (212 mm)
- Cartridge
- 9×19mm Parabellum (Known as 9×19mm m/39B in Sweden)
- Feed
- 36-round box magazine
- Action
- Blowback, open bolt
- Rate
- 600 rounds/min / 900 rounds/min with A-SATS M/45(Accelerations-Sats M/45) short-stroking device installed
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The m/45 was developed in 1944–45, borrowing from and improving on design elements of earlier submachine guns, including the German MP 40, British Sten, and Soviet PPSh-41 and PPS-43. Two designs were tested in 1944, one from Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori and one from Husqvarna Vapenfabriks; the Carl Gustaf prototype was chosen for further development. The first production version was adopted in 1945 as the Kpist m/45. The Danish Hovea M/49, though similar in appearance, is not derived from the m/45 but from the failed Husqvarna contender.
The standard m/45 is fully-automatic-only, with an open bolt and fixed firing pin. Its relatively slow cyclic rate and low recoil make it easy to control. The 36-round straight detachable staggered row box magazine is wider at the rear, improving feeding of tapered 9mm Parabellum cartridges and enhancing reliability in dusty environments and sub-zero temperatures. The magazine design was later used for the Czech model 23 and 25 and French MAS submachine guns. The m/45 has no safety switch; instead, the cocking handle is slid into a side-slot to secure the bolt. Accessories include a sub-calibre barrel for blanks, night sights, a brass catcher, a red ejection port cover, and a magazine loader.
Variants include the first production m/45 and m/45S (with integrated suppressor, never used in Sweden), the m/45B with fixed magazine support and strengthened bolt buffer, the m/45C with bayonet mount for UN and ceremonial use, and police models m/45BE (selective fire) and m/45BET (for tear gas, later locked to semi-auto). The police models had an all black finish and were used until replaced in the early/mid 1990s.
Reader's Guide
The Carl Gustaf m/45 was the standard submachine gun of the Swedish Army from 1945 to 1965, replaced as the main infantry weapon by the Automatkarbin 4 battle rifle in the mid-1960s, but remained in use for auxiliary troops until being replaced by the Ak 5 assault rifle starting in 1986. It was officially declared obsolete on 2 April 2007 when retired from the Home Guard. Beyond Sweden, the weapon was produced under license in Egypt as the Port Said and Akaba, with tooling and technical assistance sold during the 1950s. The Port Said is identical to the first version m/45, while the Akaba is a simplified version with a telescoping wire stock and no barrel jacket.
During the Vietnam War, the US Navy SEALs used the m/45 extensively, valuing its ability to fire almost immediately after being submerged. It also saw use by CIA operatives and advisers, often with markings removed for clandestine use. The US Navy was so impressed that when Sweden embargoed exports to the United States in 1966, Smith & Wesson was tasked with producing a copy, designated the M76, though interest had largely evaporated by the time it was ready. The m/45's magazine design influenced later Czech and French submachine guns, and its reliability in adverse conditions made it a notable weapon in both military and police service.
Did You Know?
- The m/45 can fire almost immediately after being submerged in water.
- The police model m/45BET was used only to fire tear gas canisters and had a red sticker reminding operators to use blank ammunition.
More in Submachine Guns, Part 2 1-24
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