Automatkarbin 4

In the Swedish army, the G3 is known as Ak 4, short for Automatkarbin 4 (automatic carbine). In Sweden, it was the standard infantry weapon from the middle of the 1960:s to the late 1980:s, and was superseded by the Ak 5, a derivative of the 5.56 mm calibre FN FNC.

The Ak 4 fires the standard 7.62x51mm round, and is by modern standards cumbersome, heavy and has a limited magazine capacity (20 rounds).

It can be fitted with a grenade launcher under the barrel, firing a 40 mm grenade. It can also fire rifle grenades with a special cartridge from the barrel.

There is also a telescopic sight for the weapon for sharpshooters.

In the Swedish army today it is used only in urban warfare units (because of its penetrative capability) and in the Swedish home guard.

Data

• Weight (fully loaded): 5.3 kg
• Calibre: 7.62x51 mm NATO
• Muzzle velocity: 790 m/s (the bullet weighs 12 g)
• Magazine capacity: 20 rounds

Kicks like a donkey and barks like a dog.

The Automatkarbin 4 ( automatic-carbine 4 ) or AK4, was the first battle rifle in the Swedish military arsenal, chambering the 7.62x51mm NATO round.

In the beginning of the 60s, the Swedish soldier carried either the submachine gun m/45, the automatic rifle AG m/42, or the Mauser m/96 while the rest of the world had largely replaced submachineguns and rifles with the newly invented battle rifle.
The battle rifle was a weapon allowing the combination of high fire rate as the submachine gun and the power and accuracy of the rifle.
In Sweden, the military started to look around for a battle rifle to supply their soldiers. The weapons tried out were:
The American M 14
The Swiss SIG
The German H&K G3
The Belgian FN FAL
And the Swedish Gram.

The demands of functionality, accuracy and reliability from the Swedish military were extremely strict and only the G3 and the FN FAL passed the exhaustive tests.
By the final-exams in the end of the 60s, the G3 had been modified in over 30 areas and was now outperforming the FN FAL in terms of resilience and lower price. The G3 won, and was bought and produced in Sweden under the new name Automatkarbin 4.

The AK4 was finally replaced in the 80s by the more modern AK5, using the smaller 5.56x45mm caliber.
Today, the AK4 is used primarily in military units where the weapon/ammunition weight does not play a prominent role, such as garrisons and units on guard duty. Combined with a new Swedish-developed armor piercing ammunition, the weapon will serve the Swedish military long into the 21st century.

Specs:
Weight: 5300 gr - full magazine: 800 gr.
Caliber: 7.62x51mm NATO
Clip: 20 rounds.
Mechanical Rate of Fire: 8-11 rounds per second.
Muzzle Velocity: 790 meters/second.
Action: Select-fire: Single-shot or Automatic. Gas operated.