Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
- Introduced
- 1965
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 (Ak 4) is a Swedish select-fire battle rifle chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO, a licensed derivative of the Heckler & Koch G3A3 built by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and later Carl Gustaf/FFV from 1965. It retains the G3's roller-delayed blowback action and 20-round detachable box magazine, but incorporates Swedish modifications including a reinforced receiver, an enlarged winter trigger guard for use with mittens, and provision for an optics rail. Adopted as the standard service rifle of the Swedish Armed Forces, it soldiered on for decades and remained in Home Guard reserve service long after being partly superseded by the Ak 5.
Swedish conscripts nicknamed the heavy, hard-hitting Ak 4 for its punishing recoil and its ability to shoot through cover; despite adoption of the lighter 5.56mm Ak 5 in the 1980s, the old 7.62mm rifle stayed in Home Guard armouries into the 21st century.
The Ak 4 differs from the German G3A3 chiefly in details suited to Nordic conditions: strengthened components, cold-weather ergonomics, and a longer service life through repeated refurbishment programs. Modernized variants (Ak 4B/C/D) added telescopic sights and later Picatinny-rail furniture. Production was handled by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik and Carl Gustaf Stads Gevarsfaktori (FFV).
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Husqvarna Vapenfabrik
- Category
- Battle Rifle
- Country
- Sweden
- Status
- In service
- Produced
- 1965 to 1985
- Variant of
- Licensed production
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 450 mm
- Overall length
- 1016 mm
- Weight, empty
- 4.50 kg
- Weight, loaded
- 5.20 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Roller delayed blowback
- Firing mechanism
- Hammer fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 20
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Polymer
- Finish
- Phosphate
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 790 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2964 J
- Effective range
- 400 m
- Maximum range
- 3000 m
- Rate of fire
- 600 rpm
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Select fire
Stamped steel construction
Roller delayed bolt
Drum type rear sight
Enlarged winter trigger guard
Optics rail
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 86 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 4.50 kg | 4.30 kg | Heavier than about 80% |
| Overall lengthAmong 85 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 1016 mm | 1025 mm | Shorter than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 450 mm | 458 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 87 7.62x51mm NATO battle rifles | 20 | 20 | Near the median |
Answers
Questions about the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4
How much does the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 weigh?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 weighs 4.50 kg (9.92 lb) empty and 5.20 kg (11.46 lb) loaded.
What caliber is the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 is chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO.
How many rounds does the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 hold?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 holds 20 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 is 1016 mm (40.0 in) long overall, with a 450 mm (17.7 in) barrel.
Who makes the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 is made by Husqvarna Vapenfabrik (Sweden). It was designed by CETME / Heckler & Koch.
When was the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 introduced?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 was introduced in 1965 and discontinued in 1985.
How does the Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 operate?
The Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4 uses a roller delayed blowback action, and its firing mechanism is hammer fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Swedish Armed Forces
- 1965
- Home Guard (Hemvarnet)
- Sweden
Provenance
Confidence in this record
72%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/husqvarna-automatkarbin-4' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "husqvarna-automatkarbin-4", "name": "Husqvarna Automatkarbin 4", "manufacturer": { "id": "husqvarna", "name": "Husqvarna Vapenfabrik", "countryCode": "SE", "foundedYear": 1689, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "7a23a4c5c1b3756158f8a0e80c56589f58af6cf36b454b567dd250d40f53c1e4" }, "category": { "id": "battle-rifle", "name": "Battle Rifle", "description": "Selective-fire rifles chambered in full-power cartridges" }, "country_of_origin": "SE", "year_introduced": 1965, "barrel_length_mm": 450, "weight_empty_g": 4500, "action_type": "roller_delayed_blowback"}