The Ak 5 or ''Automatkarbin 5'' ("automatic carbine 5", "automatic carbine" being the Swedish term for assault rifle)
is the Swedish version of the
FN FNC
The FNC (french: Fabrique Nationale Carabine) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.
Development
The FNC was developed between 1975–1977 for NATO standardiza ...
assault rifle with certain modifications, mostly to adapt the weapon to the partially
subarctic Swedish climate. The Ak 5 is the
service rifle
A service rifle (or standard-issue rifle) is a rifle a military issues to regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is typically a versatile and rugged battle rifle, assault rifle, or carbine suitable for use in nearly all environments. Most ...
of the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
. The Ak 5 replaced the
Ak 4 (a licensed-produced version of the
Heckler & Koch G3
The Heckler & Koch G3 (''Gewehr'' 3) is a 7.62×51mm NATO, select-fire battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch (H&K) in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CET ...
) in Swedish service. Later versions also accept the
Colt
Colt(s) or COLT may refer to:
*Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age
People
* Colt (given name)
*Colt (surname)
Places
*Colt, Arkansas, United States
*Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United States ...
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...
attachment. The current standard issue version is the Ak 5C.
In 2021, Sweden announced that they were looking to develop a new rifle in collaboration with
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, which would replace the Ak 5.
History
In the mid-1970s, despite the failure of the
''Nytt infanterivapen'' (New Infantry Weapon) program, the Swedish Armed Forces decided to continue to follow the general transition towards
smaller calibre ammunition and directed the
Försvarets MaterielVerk (FMV) (Defence Materiel Administration) to procure a suitable replacement for the
Ak 4 capable of using
5.56×45mm NATO ammunition, which under
STANAG
In NATO, a standardization agreement (STANAG, redundantly: STANAG agreement) defines processes, procedures, terms, and conditions for common military or technical procedures or equipment between the member countries of the alliance. Each NATO st ...
4172 is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries.
The weapon was required to be highly reliable in the subarctic climate of northernmost Sweden, as well as being easy to handle and maintain, while meeting a certain minimum level of accuracy.
From 1975 the FMV evaluated and tested the
Colt M16A1
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
,
Stoner 63A1,
ArmaLite AR-18
The ArmaLite AR-18 is a gas-operated assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The AR-18 was designed at ArmaLite in California by Arthur Miller, Eugene Stoner, George Sullivan, and Charles Dorchester in 1963 as an alternative t ...
,
Steyr AUG
The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG.
It was adopted by the Austrian Arm ...
,
Beretta M70,
IMI Galil
The IMI Galil ( he, גליל) is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was first produced ...
,
FN FNC
The FNC (french: Fabrique Nationale Carabine) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.
Development
The FNC was developed between 1975–1977 for NATO standardiza ...
,
FN CAL
The CAL (''Carabine Automatique Légère'') was a Belgian weapon manufactured by Fabrique Nationale. It was the first 5.56 mm rifle produced by the Fabrique Nationale. It resembled the company's highly successful FN FAL, but was an origina ...
,
SIG 540
Sig used as a name may refer to:
*Sig (given name)
* Sig, Algeria, a city on the banks of the Sig River
*Sig Alert, an alert for traffic congestion in California, named after Loyd Sigmon
*Sig River, a river of Algeria also known as Mekerra
sig (l ...
,
HK33
The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K), primarily for export.
Building on the success of their G3 design, the company developed a family of smal ...
and
FFV 890C
The FFV 890 was a Swedish assault rifle manufactured and designed by Försvarets Fabriksverk. The FFV 890 was based on the Israeli IMI Galil through a manufacturing licence, which in turn was based on the Finnish Valmet RK 62 and ultimately t ...
(a Swedish Galil variant) 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles. The FN FNC and FFV 890C were tested in 1979-1980 at infantry regiment
I11 in
Växjö
Växjö ( ) is a city and the seat of Växjö Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden. It had 70,489 inhabitants (2019) out of a municipal population of 95,995 (2021). It is the administrative, cultural, and industrial centre of Kronoberg County ...
.
After further testing from 1981-1985 the FMV eventually chose the Belgian
FN FNC
The FNC (french: Fabrique Nationale Carabine) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer FN Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.
Development
The FNC was developed between 1975–1977 for NATO standardiza ...
, which received several modifications. These included a larger trigger guard and cocking handle (to allow for operation while wearing winter gloves, a necessity for temperatures reaching down to ), a larger handguard, a different collapsible shoulder stock, different
iron sight
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly as ...
s and gas block, a modified bolt, deletion of the 3-round burst capability, and a corrosion-resistant green (instead of black) finish. Further the detachable
box magazine
A magazine is an ammunition storage and feeding device for a repeating firearm, either integral within the gun (internal/fixed magazine) or externally attached (detachable magazine). The magazine functions by holding several cartridges withi ...
s were modified to be interchangeable with the
M16 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
STANAG magazines. This rifle was finally accepted by the Swedish military as the Ak 5 in 1986.
Swedish
blank ammunition
A blank is a firearm cartridge that, when fired, does not shoot a projectile like a bullet or pellet, but generates a muzzle flash and an explosive sound ( muzzle report) like a normal gunshot would. Firearms may need to be modified to allow a bl ...
uses a wooden plug in place of a
bullet
A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...
, so the
flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
was fitted with grooves to accept the Swedish
blank-firing adaptor
A blank-firing adapter or blank-firing attachment (BFA), sometimes called a blank adapter or blank attachment, is a device used in conjunction with blank ammunition for safety reasons, functional reasons or a combination of them both. Blank firin ...
, which prevents potentially dangerous pieces of wood from leaving the weapon by smashing the plug into a fine sawdust. The flash suppressor was also designed to accept rifle grenades, although none have been accepted into service. During the troop trials there were an alarming number of complaints by soldiers about damaged teeth from being struck in the mouth by the blank firing adaptor. This was revealed to be caused by the practice of having the weapon slung across the chest rather than the back. Rather than changing this practice (which would reduce the ability of the soldier to rapidly bring the rifle into action), a special plastic cap (later changed to a hard rubber version) was issued to cover the adaptor.
Variants
The Ak 5 is the Swedish licensed produced version of the FN FNC. Along with its other variants (Ak 5B, Ak 5C and Ak 5D), all respectively have a cyclic rate of fire of around 650–700 rounds per minute (RPM).
CGA5C2
The CGA5C2 (''Carl Gustav Automatic Carbine 5 C2'') was a prototype model during the evaluation and development of the Ak 5 in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
FFV Ak 5
![Ak5](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Ak5.jpg)
The first versions of the Ak 5 family were made by the Swedish company
FFV Ordnance AB (later part of
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga and Linköping, Sweden, is a subsidiary of the Saab Group that specializes in military materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems.
Its corporate heritage goes back to Bofors, a hammer mill, w ...
) under license from
FN, with deliveries starting in 1986. This version of the Ak 5 is still in the inventory of the Swedish Armed Forces, but is no longer issued to soldiers, having been replaced by the Ak 5C and Ak 5D. This version uses fixed
iron sight
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly as ...
s, and the Swedish Armed Forces have estimated that the maximum practical distance is 400 meters, but it can be used at longer ranges. This brings it in line with the
M16, using the Swedish Armed Forces definition of maximum practical distance.
As issued, the Ak 5 did not have a
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
lug. A bayonet lug adaptor (using the Ak 4 bayonet) is fitted to some rifles for ceremonial duties, such as the
Royal Guards
Royal may refer to:
People
* Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name
* A member of a royal family
Places United States
* Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community
* Royal, Illinois, a village
* Royal, Iowa, a c ...
at the
Stockholm Palace
Stockholm Palace or the Royal Palace ( sv, Stockholms slott or ) is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch (King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia use Drottningholm Palace as their usual residence). Stockholm Palac ...
.
FFV Ak 5B
The Ak 5B is the
designated marksman
A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. The term ''sniper'' was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the ...
version of the Ak 5. Modifications include fittings for a 4×25.5
SUSAT
{{Other uses, Susat (disambiguation){{!Susat
The Sight Unit Small Arms, Trilux, or SUSAT, is a 4× telescopic sight, with tritium-powered illumination utilised at dusk or dawn. The full name of the current model is the SUSAT L9A1. The sight i ...
L9A1 tritium
sight
Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the ...
, a cheek pad on the buttstock, and removal of the iron sights. This weapon was typically carried by squad leaders. This version weighs 4.8 kg (without magazine) and 5.4 kg (with full magazine). Approximately 5200 of this version were made. It is no longer in service.
Bofors Ak 5C
![AK5Cesar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/AK5Cesar.JPG)
At the beginning of the 21st century the Swedish military wanted a more modern assault rifle for integration in a future Swedish soldier program. The rifle had to have a
Rail Integration System, better ergonomics and improved reliability. Instead of purchasing a new assault rifle, Sweden opted to modify the existing Ak 5(B) rifle family already in use reducing program risks and costs.
Before the Ak 5C went into
mass production
Mass production, also known as flow production or continuous production, is the production of substantial amounts of standardized products in a constant flow, including and especially on assembly lines. Together with job production and batch ...
, it was thoroughly evaluated. This was done by having certain units use an experimental model designated Ak 5CF where "F" stands for the Swedish word ''försök'' (in this context, ''experiment'' or ''trial''). During the trial over 1 million rounds were fired and the rifles exhibited a Mean Rounds Between Stoppage value of 3,500. The test users found the test weapon too heavy and long so the barrel length was reduced to 350 mm to reduce overall weight and move the center of gravity closer to the user. These tests were completed in June 2005 and four months later, the FMV signed a contract with
Saab Bofors Dynamics
Saab Bofors Dynamics, located in Karlskoga and Linköping, Sweden, is a subsidiary of the Saab Group that specializes in military materiel such as missile systems and anti-tank systems.
Its corporate heritage goes back to Bofors, a hammer mill, w ...
covering the modification of nearly 40,000 Ak 5 assault rifles, which took the company approximately four years to implement. Serial deliveries were scheduled to begin in June 2006 and the Ak 5C was first issued to priority units serving in Afghanistan (
ISAF
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, command ...
), Chad (
EUFOR Chad/CAR), and Kosovo (
KFOR).
The Ak 5C is the modernized version of the original Ak 5, following the trend of modular weapons. One of the most significant improvements is the
MIL-STD-1913 rail system to which a variety of different optics, lights and sights can be mounted, such as
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate po ...
s and
image intensifiers. The double gas position, iron sights and bolt catch of the original Ak 5 rifle family were discarded.
New features of the Ak 5C compared to the original Ak 5:
* Increased reliability Mean Rounds Between Stoppage > 2,000
* Barrel shortened to
* Weight reduced to
* MIL-STD-1913
Picatinny rail
The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was o ...
system at the top and bottom of the hand guard
* Adjustable
buttstock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached ...
* Foldable emergency iron sights (for ranges up to 300 m)
* Automatic bolt catch
* Ambidextrous selector levers
* Translucent 30-round plastic
box magazines
* New slimmer pistol grip at a different angle (similar to the one on
Ksp 90
The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56×45mm NATO, 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in ser ...
)
* Modified hand guard with cut outs for pressure switches and cables on the right and left side
* Forward vertical grip at 6 o'clock position (detachable)
* New prong-type
flash suppressor
A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a muzzle device attached to the muzzle of a rifle that reduces its visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersing the burning gases that ...
* Tactical sling (nylon)
* Fire selector on both sides of the rifle.
The
Aimpoint
Aimpoint AB is a Swedish optics company based in Malmö, Sweden that manufactures red dot sights.
Aimpoint is a contractor for the United States military and supplies the Aimpoint CompM2. Aimpoint products are used by various armed forces ...
CS
red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non- magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms, and other devices that require aiming, that gives the user a point of aim in the form of an illuminated red dot. A standard desig ...
with a 4
MOA
Moa are extinct giant flightless birds native to New Zealand.
The term has also come to be used for chicken in many Polynesian cultures and is found in the names of many chicken recipes, such as
Kale moa and Moa Samoa.
Moa or MOA may also refe ...
red dot
reticle
A reticle, or reticule also known as a graticule, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the screen of an oscilloscope, ...
was chosen as the standard optical sight for the Ak 5C. Other day or night aiming optics can also be mounted on the MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail system.
There has been some confusion about the
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...
. While the Ak 5C is prepared to accept the launcher, the correct designation (translated from Swedish) would be "Ak 5
ersionwith grenade attachment" for the combination. The bayonet-lug adapter for the Ak 4 bayonet is not used with the Ak 5C. Instead a new bayonet for ceremonial use only was issued to the troops. This bayonet is attached to the 6 o'clock rail on the hand guard.
The Ak 5C is now the standard-issue rifle of the Swedish armed forces, and production of the A and B versions are currently discontinued and existing stock put in storage.
Bofors Ak 5D
![Ak 5D 003](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Ak_5D_003.jpg)
The Ak 5D has a shortened
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
and
handguard
A barrel shroud is an external covering that envelops (either partially or full-length) the barrel of a firearm, to prevent unwanted direct contact with the barrel (e.g. accidental collision with surrounding objects, or the user accidentally tou ...
. It also features the MIL-STD-1913 rail system for easy mounting of a variety of sights.
Due to the smaller dimensions of the carbine, the Ak 5D is especially suited for ranger/
urban warfare
Urban warfare is combat conducted in urban areas such as towns and cities. Urban combat differs from combat in the open at both the operational and the tactical levels. Complicating factors in urban warfare include the presence of civilians and t ...
units and vehicle crews who often benefit from a more lightweight and compact weapon when taking into account the nature of their assignments and the environments in which they often operate. The
Swedish Police
The Swedish Police Authority ( sv, Polismyndigheten) is the national police force (''Polisen'') of the Kingdom of Sweden. The first modern police force in Sweden was established in the mid-19th century, and the police remained in effect under lo ...
have used a version of the Ak 5D; see below.
The newest Ak 5D Mk2 version has the same upgrades as the "C" model but retains the shorter barrel.
CGA5P
Some units of the Swedish Police have used a special version of the Ak 5D called CGA5P or sometimes (incorrectly) Ak 5DP. Essentially it is a black (instead of the regular military green) Ak 5D with automatic fire capability disabled by a
hex screw, which can be removed if automatic fire is needed. Unlike the Ak 5D, the police version has fixed sights but is still equipped with the MIL-STD-1913 rail system to allow the use of
telescopic sight
A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate po ...
s or
red dot sight
A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non- magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms, and other devices that require aiming, that gives the user a point of aim in the form of an illuminated red dot. A standard desig ...
s. Unlike its military counterparts (except for the AK5C/D versions), the police version has safety catches on both sides of the weapon.
Users
* :
Norwegian Police
The Norwegian Police Service ( no, Politi- og lensmannsetaten) is the Norwegian national civilian police agency. The service dates to the 13th century when the first sheriffs were appointed, and the current structure established in 2003. It co ...
* : Service rifle of the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
since 1987.
See also
*
Pindad SS1
The SS1 (short for , ) is the standard assault rifle of the Indonesian armed forces and Indonesian National Police. It is based on the FN FNC rifle but modified in order to meet ergonomic and tropical environment needs.
The assault rifles are g ...
- Indonesian assault rifle also derived from the FNC.
References
External links
{{Commons
World Guns - Bofors AK-5 assault rifle (Sweden)Buddy Hinton FNC/AK5 Picture Collection(photo directory)
(in Swedish)
(in Swedish)
(in Swedish)
FMV lägger beställning på modifiering av automatvapen(press release in Swedish)
The Swedish ak 5 upgrade program Presentation to ”NDIA Small Arms Systems Symposium” May 18, 2006 by Per G. Arvidsson, Product Manager Small Arms Systems Försvarets Materielverk (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration)
5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
Carbines
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1986
Assault rifles of Sweden