Carlo (submachine gun)

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Carlo aka. Carl Gustav
One of four Palestinian SMGs seized by IDF during Operation Brother’s Keeper.jpg
Photo of a Carlo seized by IDF forces.
TypeSubmachine gun
Place of originWest Bank
Service history
Used by
  • Various Palestinian terrorists
  • Palestinian and Israeli criminals
WarsIsraeli-Arab conflict
Production history
Designed2000(?)
ManufacturerSmall metal working shops
Produced2000(?)-present
Specifications
Massvariable
Lengthvariable
Barrel lengthvariable
CartridgeVarious catridges
CalibreVarious calibers
ActionSimple (straight) Blowback
Rate of firevariable
Muzzle velocityvariable
Feed systemVarious magazine capacities
References[1][2][3]

The Carlo (Arabic: كارلو) (also referred to as Carl Gustav)[4] is an improvised submachine gun manufactured by small workshops in the Palestinian Territories. The design has been 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 Palestinian terrorists targeting Israelis,[5] but also by Arab-Israeli gangs.[4] The Carlo is cheap and requires little skill or equipment to manufacture, but it's 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 has been reported to be used in 68 attacks.[4]

History[]

In 2000, the Carlo was first identified[4] by Israeli Police officers, seen with Israeli-Arab gangs.[8]

On June 17, 2014, the IDF was reported that a raid in Nablus by Yahalom commandos netted several Carloses in an arms cache.[9]

On February 3, 2016, the Carlo was sighted as the weapon used to shoot Israeli Border Police officer Hadar Cohen, which has some parts made from old pipes.[1][10] On 8 June 2016 Tel Aviv shooting, two Palestinian gunmen opened fire on Tel Aviv's Sarona Market, killing four Israelis.[11] At the time, the Carlos were reported to have jammed up after being used at short range.[2]

The Carlo has been spotted on March 14, 2016, in an attack against Israeli troops in Hebron.[4] Israeli law enforcement agencies, including Shin Bet, conducted raids on March 16, 2016, to crack down on underground gunsmith shops making the Carlo.[1]

On July 14, 2017, three Arab-Israeli terrorists armed with Carlo submachine guns, opened fire on Temple Mount murdering two Israeli Druze policemen, Haiel Sitawe and Kamil Shnaan.[12]

Design[]

Several Carloses seized by IDF soldiers in Nablus in an arms cache.

Produced in several locations via underground workshops and often with second-hand gun parts,[3] the specifications are not uniform. Initially, it was made partially with scrapped pipes. Some more recent makes of the Carlo have been made with rifled barrels, raising the price from under $800 to nearly $4,000.[1]

Most of the parts needed to make the Carlo in recent years are taken from lost/stolen M4-type rifles and magazines, taken from IDF training areas or by breaking into someone's house who has a M4-type rifle to be cannibalized.[2][3] Others were made from rifle accessories that are easily purchased online,[3] and some even incorporate parts of Airsoft or paintball rifles.[11][13]

Often chambered for 9x19mm handgun cartridges, variants for .22 LR, .32 ACP, 9 x 18 mm, and 5.56 x 45 mm are also produced,[1] but the presence of the latter is suggested to be impossible since samples of the weapon had 5.56 NATO magazines modified to house Uzi magazines or sometimes with pistol-based magazines.[3] Some of them were made with M16-type pistol grips and Uzi-based 25-round magazines.[2][1] One instance of a Carlo seized has a STANAG magazine used to hide a 9x19 Uzi or a homemade magazine.[14] Others were based on the MP5 and the AK rifles.[1] They can only fire in full auto in an open bolt with the ejection port on the left side and the charging handle on the right side.[2]

The Carlo, made to be compact, was best used by being concealed on the left side of someone's clothes (usually jacket) with the right hand being used to draw it.[2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gross, Judah Ari. "Say hello to 'Carlo,' the cheap, lethal go-to gun for terrorists". www.timesofisrael.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "The "Carlo" of Palestine". July 13, 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Improvised Replica Firearms from the West Bank". November 18, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e "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.
  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.
  8. ^ "Lethal weapon: The homemade gun that's firing up the terror wave". Haaretz.com.
  9. ^ "IDF recover various weapons including improvised firearms in Nablus – Armament Research Services".
  10. ^ staff, T. O. I.; Gross, Judah Ari. "Border Police officer, 19, dies after Jerusalem terror attack". www.timesofisrael.com.
  11. ^ a b "The homemade "Carlo" gun is becoming the weapon of choice for Palestinian attackers". Newsweek. June 11, 2016.
  12. ^ "Police chief confirms two officers killed in Temple Mount shooting". The Times of Israel. July 14, 2017.
  13. ^ Gross, Judah Ari; Tress, Luke. "Shin Bet: Israelis sold airsoft rifles, easily made into real ones, to West Bank". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  14. ^ "Improvised 'Carlo' submachine guns used in Jerusalem attack – Armament Research Services".
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