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Title:	GUN, SUBMACHINE -  SWEDISH SUBMACHINE GUN M/45B 9MM
Maker/Manufacturer:	GUSTAF, CARL
Date of Manufacture:	C 1955
Eminent Figure:
Catalog Number:	SPAR 1663
Measurements:	OL: 55.2CM 21 3/4" BL: 22.8CM 9" 7.6 lbs. empty/10.88 lbs. w/suppressor

Object Description:

SWEDISH SUBMACHINE GUN M/45B 9MM
Manufactured by Gustaf Co., Eskilstuna, Sweden - Carl Gustaf design Swedish M/45, modified with installation of a removable 36-round magazine housing and without housing will accept the older 50-round drum. Blowback design. Full-auto fire only. Cyclic rate of fire 550-600 rpm. Muzzle velocity 1,200 fps. Weapon weighs approximately 7.6 lbs. empty. Weapon is complete and in very good condition. Weapon resembles the S&W M76 submachine gun.

Markings:
Only marking is small C stamped on top of receiver at the forward end.

Weapon listed as overage found on post in Museum area and accessioned into Army collection. Weapon transferred to the Museum on 27 April 1960.

Notes: "One submachine gun that was introduced to the SEALs at Fort Bragg remained in their inventory through the Vietnam War. The Swedish Model 45, also known in Europe as the Carl Gustav, was commonly called by the SEALs the Swedish K. The SEALs had a few Swedish Ks in their arms inventory as early as 1964 and the weapon was well liked by a number of SEALs who used them. Though the Swedish K has few outstanding features, it is a simple and robust weapon that showed good reliability in a bad environment.
Sweden, officially neutral during World War II, saw a need for increasing its armed forces to help defend its neutrality and required a simple submachine gun designed for mass production. Actually put into production after World War II, the Model 45 is a straight forward second-generation submachine gun that was made in a number of slightly different models. The most common variation of the Swedish K seen in the U.S. military was the M45b model. In the M45b, the weapon had a removable magazine well, the M45b could accept the earlier Suomi 50-round box magazine that had been in Swedish service prior to the M45 being adopted. Later models of the Swedish K had permanently attached magazine wells and only accepted the standard 36-round box magazine. None of the 50-round Suomi magazines were known to be in the U.S. service.
The Swedish K had appeal to the SEALs for two reasons, one of which was its being chambered for the 9mm parabellum round. In addition, the Swedish K was found worldwide and had even been produced in Egypt and Indonesia. The U.S. Intelligence Community issued the Swedish K as a sterile weapon with no direct ties to the USA. In addition to issue the standard Swedish K, the CIA had several different suppressed versions available. Individual SEAL operators would occasionally used the suppressed Swedish K, especially when operation on intelligence missions with CIA assets." - Dockery

"This 9mm weapon was first produced in 1945 in Sweden. This submachine gun is still in use. Models built after 1948 have a 36-round magazine. It is used by the Swedish and Indonesian armies. Some integral silencer versions were used by Special Forces in Vietnam. Barrel is 8.25" in length. Fitted with retractable stock. Rate of fire is about 600 rounds per minute. Weapon weighs about 8.5 lbs." - Schwing

References:
Dockery, Kevin. WEAPONS OF THE NAVY SEALS. Berkley Books. N.Y., N.Y. 2004.
Schwing, Ned. 2000 STANDARD CATALOG OF FIREARMS. Krause Publications. Iola, Wi. 2000.