The name Carl tends to really annoy a lot of grunts — and oh have we counted the many ways. Other times, Carl could give very bad advice.
But there’s a new ‘Carl’ coming – and the troops will likely love this one.
According to Saab Aerospace, a new version of the defense firm’s Carl Gustav recoilless rifle is about to hit the field.
The M4 Gustav is even lighter and smaller than the previous M3 version, coming in at less than 16 pounds and measuring at less than 39 inches. By comparison, the M3 came in at almost 42 inches long, and weighed just over 22 pounds.
That alone will make the grunt assigned to carry this system happy. Indeed, the Carl gunners will be celebrating a roughly 33 percent reduction in how much the system weighs. Seven pounds may not sound like much to you, but when troops are carrying over a hundred pounds of gear and ammo, it makes a difference.
And what can this FNG named Carl shoot? Well, there are four anti-tank rounds, four multi-role rounds, three anti-personnel rounds, and two “support” rounds (one smoke, one illumination). Plus, there are four training round options, two sub-caliber, two full-size. That’s 17 options. Plus, rounds from the old Carls can be used in the new Carl.
The new Carl also can be aimed with a variety of sights. The traditional open sights are an option, as is a telescopic sight. But the new Carl can also be used with red dot sights and “intelligent” sights that include features like a laser range-finder. The new Carl also features a built-in round counter.
In short, this is one Carl that the grunts will be happy to have around.