Carl Gustaf 3000

The History of Carl Gustaf

The Carl Gustaf company was founded in 1812. First known as Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori or ‘Rifle Factory of Carl Gustaf's Town’, it was serving as a state arsenal. After the king of Sweden Karl X Gustav gave the city privileges to the town of Eskilstuna, it was thenceforth often referred to as 'Carl Gustav's town'.

In the first years of operating, the company primarily manufactured small arms for the Swedish Army, starting a long-lasting tradition of firearms making. For over two centuries Carl Gustaf has been known for many popular small arms, many of them relying on foreign design – such were for instance Mausers M94, M38, M1896 (often touted as the Swedish Mauser), the M41, and the Remington M1867 rolling block rifle. The governmental agency Försvarets Fabriksverk (FFV), the complex often referred to as FFV-Carl Gustaf, managed the factory from 1943 to 1991.

One of the biggest breakthroughs in CG weapon design happened in 1942 with the introduction of a single-shot M/42 AT anti-tank weapon for the infantry which had been used until 1944. In 1946, it was replaced by the 84 mm recoilless rifle which is still one of the most widespread anti-tank systems in use today. In the late 50s, a commercial variant of the M1986 became available under the name Carl Gustaf M63 which was in service from the late 1950s until the early to mid-1960s.

In 1970 the FFV-Carl Gustaf bought the Husquarna Group, and they took over the production of various models, such as the 1900 hunting rifle which was later upgraded to the 2000 series. The production of CG 2000 was postponed when the company purchased the rights to import the unrefined and finished rifles from Sauer. Consequently, various Sauer models were sold under the Carl Gustaf brand – Sauer 80 as Carl Gustaf 3000 and Sauer 200 as Carl Gustaf 4000. Near the turn of the century, the company started making the model 2000 once again.

From 1970 until 1985, a Swedish-made version of the G3A3 named the AK 4 was manufactured exclusively by Carl Gustaf in Eskilstuna. It was succeeded by the AK 5 assault rifle in 1986, being the primary weapon of the Swedish Army at the time.

In the 90s, the Calf Gustaf was under the parentage of Celsius Group which was bought by Saab AB in 1999. Later, the United Defense Industries took over the heavy weapons department. Nowadays the company consists of Swedish BAE Systems AB and Saab AB with British BAE Systems and Saab Bofors Dynamics being subsidiary divisions. The Saab company specializes in the production of fighter systems, submarines, and ground combat weapons. With the fourth generation of the 84mm recoilless gun – the CG A4 – they are keeping the trademark alive, staying loyal to the Carl Gustaf tradition of high-quality weaponry.

Carl Gustaf 3000 Rifle Review

Carl Gustaf 3000 is a bolt-action rifle with a steel-made receiver that houses a push-feed non-rotating bolt with short and smooth travel. Three rotating lugs are of the rear-locking type and lock into the rear end of the action housing. There is a safety lever positioned on the rear end of the rifle, behind the bolt shroud. The trigger is adjustable, and the single-stack magazine is detachable. The rifle is equipped with many safety-precaution features, including a loaded chamber indication and a cocking bolt indicator. A button on the bolt helps the user securely empty the weapon. Simple tools like a hex key can be used to swap out the barrels on the rifle.

The company decided to import finished and partially finished weapons from Sauer after temporarily ceasing the independent production of civilian rifles in the 70s. Their Carl Gustaf 3000 rifle was thenceforth also known under the name Sauer 80. Sauer 90 and 92 models feature the same mounting surface as the 80 model.

Please note that although the rifles are essentially the same and the mounting surface comes with the same radiuses, the B distance between the mounting holes on the top of the receiver is slightly shorter on Sauer models 80/90/92, measuring 89.4 mm compared to the CG 3000 Model with the B distance of 90 mm. Because of this, one-piece mounts built for rifles Sauer 80/90/92 will not fit Carl Gustaf 3000 rifles, whereas two-piece mounts made for rifles Sauer 80/90/92 will.

Carl Gustaf 2000 model, on the contrary, has one-piece mounts interchangeable with Sauer 80/90 magnum models, with a B distance of 107.4 mm.

Barrel lengths of Carl Gustaf 3000 vary from 590mm (23-inch) to 650 mm (25.5-inch).

Carl Gustaf 3000

Figure 1: Carl Gustaf 3000, chambered for .308 Win. (Source: https://www.lauritz.com/sv/auktion/carl-gustaf-3000-sauer-80-med-svingmontage-og-zeiss-daivari/i4380971/)

Carl Gustaf 3000 Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.222 Rem.
.22-250 Rem.
.243 Win.
.25-06 Rem.
.270 Win.
.308 Win.
.30-06 Spr.

Carl Gustaf 3000 receivers come with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.

The receiver of Carl Gustaf 3000

Figure 2: The receiver of Carl Gustaf 3000, chambered for .222 Rem (Source: http://bron-i-amunicja.armybazar.eu/pl/bron-dluga/carl-gustaf-3000-id99286/)

The mounting surface of Carl Gustaf 3000

A: 21.9 mm

B: 90 mm

C: 21.9 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R16.5

R2: R16.5

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Carl Gustaf 3000

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Carl Gustaf 3000

Unfortunately, we currently lack information regarding the one-piece scope mounts interchangeability for Carl Gustaf 3000 rifle. Although the rifle is essentially the same as Sauer 80/90/92 models, the B distance between the mounting holes on the top of the receiver is slightly shorter on Sauer models, measuring 89.4 mm compared to the CG 3000 Model with a B distance of 90 mm. Because of this, one-piece mounts built for rifles Sauer 80/90/92 will not fit Carl Gustaf 3000 rifles whereas two-piece mounts made for rifles Sauer 80/90/92 will.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Carl Gustaf 3000

Best Scope Mounts for Carl Gustaf 3000

Fixed Scope Mounts for Carl Gustaf 3000

Being robust, recoil resistant and easy to install, the MAKfix rings with bases are a suitable fixed mounting solution for Carl Gustaf 3000.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Carl Gustaf 3000

If you are in search of detachable mounts that are quick and easy to install, we recommend this two-piece repeatable pivot mount made by the German company EAW. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.

Picatinny Rails for Carl Gustaf 3000

When purchasing Picatinny rail one should always pay attention to the distance between the holes on the mounting surface of the rifle. We offer a suitable choice as this steel Picatinny rail made by the German company EAW will fit perfectly on your Carl Gustaf 3000.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu