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Carl Gustafs stads gevärsfaktori(English: Rifle Factory of Carl Gustaf's Town) was a Swedish firearms manufacturer based inEskilstuna,Sweden.
Industry | Armaments |
---|---|
Founded | 1812 |
Defunct | 2005 |
Headquarters | Eskilstuna,Sweden |
History
editCarl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori( "Rifle Factory of Carl Gustaf's Town" ) was founded in 1812 as a state-ownedarsenal.[citation needed]The name "Carl Gustaf's Town" was used intermittently for the town ofEskilstunaafterKing Karl X Gustavgave the towncity privileges.[citation needed]
Between 1943 and 1991, the factory was run by the state agencysv:Försvarets Fabriksverk(FFV),[citation needed]and the whole complex was often referred to asFFV-Carl Gustaf.[citation needed]
In 1970, theHusqvarna Groupsold its firearms manufacturing division,Husqvarna VapenfabriksAktiebolag, to FFV.[citation needed]FFV-Carl Gustaf continued to manufacture theHusqvarna 1900hunting rifle[citation needed]and also developed that firearm into theCarl Gustaf 2000series.[citation needed]
In 1999,Saab ABpurchased theCelsius Group,the then parent company of FFV-Carl Gustaf.[1]In September 2000,United Defense Industries(UDI) of the United States acquired Bofors Weapons Systems (the heavy weapons division), while Saab retained the missile interests.
BAE Systemsacquired UDI and its Bofors subsidiary in 2005, and BAE Systems Bofors is now a business unit ofBAE Systems AB;Saab Bofors Dynamicsis a unit of Saab AB.[2]
Products
editAlong withHusqvarna Vapenfabrik,Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori has provided the Swedish Army with small arms for over two centuries. There have been both foreign designs, such as theRemington M1867rolling block and theSwedish Mauserrifles, as well as domestic designs such as theAg m/42semi-automatic rifle and theKpist m/45submachine gun.
In addition Bofors Carl Gustaf have produced a number of other weapons such as the m/42Carl Gustaf 20mm recoilless rifle,the 20 mm m/45 autocannon and the famed 84 mmCarl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle,still one of the most common anti-tank weapons in the world.
The NIVA XM1970 (Nytt Infanteri Vapen,"New infantry Weapon" ) was an experimental combined 5.56mm automatic rifle / 45mm recoilless rifle concept by FFV-Carl Gustaf during the early 1970s.[3]It failed to attract any buyers and was abandoned. The NIVA orNytt infanterivapen(New Infantry Weapon) program was primarily intended to replace theAk 4battle rifle that was then in service with theSwedish Army.It was apparently also simultaneously intended to act as a lower cost alternative to use of the Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle. The automatic rifle section was of bullpup configuration with the 45mm recoilless rifle overhead. At least two prototypes were built and tested.[4]Ultimately however, the XM1970 was not adopted by the Swedish military.
The company also produced the standard Swedish Army weapon, theAk 5automatic rifle. The Ak 5 is a modified version of theFabrique Nationale5.56 mm carbineFN FNC,produced with a folding stock and an option to mount theSUSATsight from the BritishSA80.
References
edit- ^"Press release".Celsius group.12 September 2000.Retrieved4 March2014.
- ^Professor Øyvind Østerud, Professor Janne Haaland Matlary (March 2013).Denationalisation of Defence: Convergence and Diversity.Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 152.
- ^"The CBJ MS Weapon system".
- ^https://ndia.dtic.mil/2004/2004arms.htmlThe Swedish Squad Support Weapon Program, Mr. Per G. Arvidsson (.pdf) (Presentation to NDIA 50th Joint Services Small Arms Symposium) - Slide 24