Carlo (submachine gun)

Carlo aka. Carl Gustav
Photo of a Carlo seized by IDF forces.
TypeSubmachine gun
Place of originWest Bank
Service history
Used by
  • Various Palestinian militants
  • Palestinian and Israeli criminals
WarsIsraeli-Arab conflict
Production history
Designed2000(?)
ManufacturerSmall metal working shops
Produced2000(?)-present
Specifications
Massvariable
Lengthvariable
Barrel lengthvariable

CartridgeVarious cartridges
CalibreVarious calibers
ActionSimple (straight) Blowback
Rate of firevariable
Muzzle velocityvariable
Feed systemVarious magazine capacities
References[1][2][3]

Carlo (Arabic: كارلو) (also referred to as Carl Gustav; Arabic pronunciation: كارلوجستاف, "Karlu Justhaf")[4] is an improvised submachine gun manufactured by small workshops in the Palestinian territories. The design was inspired by the Swedish Carl Gustav m/45 and its Egyptian Port Said variant, however the similarity is often only passing.[1] The Carlo's homemade nature makes it affordable on the black market, where it is purchased not only by Palestinians targeting Israelis[5] but also by Arab-Israeli gangs.[4] The Carlo is cheap and requires little skill or equipment to manufacture, but it is inaccurate and prone to jamming and misfire.[1] The weapon is named after the Carl Gustaf m/45.[6]

The weapon has also become popular with criminal groups outside of Israel, including Croatia, Brazil, Chile, Ukraine, Italy, South America, the Caribbean and Australia[1] and by Hamas's Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades.[7]

Since October 1, 2016, the Carlo was reported to be used in 68 attacks.[4]

  1. ^ a b c d Gross, Judah Ari. "Say hello to 'Carlo,' the cheap, lethal go-to gun for terrorists". www.timesofisrael.com.
  2. ^ "The "Carlo" of Palestine". July 13, 2017.
  3. ^ "Improvised Replica Firearms from the West Bank". November 18, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "Homemade guns used in Palestinian attacks on Israelis". the Guardian. March 14, 2016.
  5. ^ Khader, Dan Williams, Ismael (March 2, 2016). "Palestinians turn to makeshift guns in escalation of street violence" – via www.reuters.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ "Craft-produced 'Carlo pistols' used in Tel Aviv restaurant shooting". Armament Research Services.
  7. ^ "SAS improvised craft weapons report" (PDF). www.smallarmssurvey.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 23, 2018. Retrieved 2021-03-04.