The Carl Gustav is a recoilless rifle of Swedish origin. It was developed in the mid 1940's and is a much more capable weapon system than those used during World War 2. The design proved to be a success. Due to subsequent upgrades and new ammunition the Carl Gustav remains a potent weapon system today.

The Carl Gustav is a recoilless rifle. It consists of a metal launch tube with a hinged breech at the rear for reloading. The barrel is rifled with the rounds being spin during flight. The launch tube is fitted with pistol grip, forward grip and bipod. Normally it is fitted with an optical sight, with mechanical and night vision sights being available. The Carl Gustav can be operated by a single person, but two operators increase reloading speed and are able to share the load. The Carl Gustav is a man portable system, although it is very heavy.

The Carl Gustav fires a variety of ammunition, including anti-tank, high explosive, smoke and illumination rounds. Over time the available ammunition has been vastly improved, keeping the weapon system up to date with latest demands. The effective range depends on ammunition and target. Stationary vehicles can be engaged out to 700 m, which is reduced to 300 to 400 m when moving. High explosive, smoke and illumination rounds can be used to over 1 km. When operated by two men the rate of fire is 6 rounds per minute.

The Carl Gustav was designed to be a man portable weapon that could be carried as standard issue equipment. Although the weapon is quite heavy its excellent performance makes it worth the effort to take it along. Due to its weight at least 2 soldiers are needed to carry the weapon and associated ammunition. The latest M3 model is much lighter and much less of a burden upon the operator.

The first user of the Carl Gustav was Sweden. It was quickly adopted by most European nations and later on by the USA and many nations around the world. During the Cold War it was the main infantry anti-tank system in use with NATO forces. Since the threat of armor has reduced many armies prefer much lighter disposable rocket launchers.