Carlo (submachine gun)
Carlo (Arabic: كارلو) (also referred to as Carl Gustav; Arabic pronunciation: كارلوجستاف, "Karlu Justhaf") 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. The Carlo's homemade nature makes it affordable on the black market, where it is purchased not only by Palestinians targeting Israelis but also by Arab-Israeli gangs. The Carlo is cheap and requires little skill or equipment to manufacture, but it is inaccurate and prone to jamming and misfire. The weapon is named after the Carl Gustaf m/45.
| Carlo aka. Carl Gustav | |
|---|---|
Photo of a Carlo seized by IDF forces. | |
| Type | Submachine gun |
| Place of origin | West Bank |
| Service history | |
| Used by |
|
| Wars | Israeli-Arab conflict |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 2000(?) |
| Manufacturer | Small metal working shops |
| Produced | 2000(?)-present |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | variable |
| Length | variable |
| Barrel length | variable |
| Cartridge | Various cartridges |
| Calibre | Various calibers |
| Action | Simple (straight) Blowback |
| Rate of fire | variable |
| Muzzle velocity | variable |
| Feed system | Various magazine capacities |
| References | |
The weapon has also become popular with criminal groups outside of Israel, including Croatia, Brazil, Chile, Ukraine, Italy, South America, the Caribbean and Australia and by Hamas's Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and Palestinian Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades.
Since October 1, 2016, the Carlo was reported to be used in 68 attacks.