Automatgevär m/42
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2015) |
| Ag m/42 | |
|---|---|
 6.5 mm Automatgevär m/1942B | |
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942–1960s (Sweden) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Erik Eklund |
| Designed | 1941 |
| Manufacturer | Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori |
| No. built | 30,000 |
| Variants | Ag m/42B |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.71 kg (10.4 lb) unloaded & without bayonet |
| Length | 1,214 mm (47.8 in) |
| Barrel length | 622 mm (24.5 in) |
| Cartridge | 6.5×55mm |
| Caliber | 6.5 mm Groove diameter: 6.71 mm (0.264") |
| Action | Direct impingement gas operation |
| Rate of fire | 40 (rd/min) |
| Effective firing range | 100–800 m sight adjustments |
| Feed system | 10-round box magazine |
The Automatgevär m/42[1] (Ag m/42,[2] outside of Sweden commonly known as the AG 42,[3] AG-42[4] or Ljungman) is a Swedish semi-automatic rifle which saw limited use by the Swedish Army from 1942 until the 1960s.
History
[edit]During the Winter War, Finland captured a number of SVT-38 rifles, and at least one found its way to Sweden. The Ag m/42 was designed by Erik Eklund of the AB C.J. Ljungmans Verkstäder company of Malmö,[5] loosely following SVT mechanics around 1941, and entered production at the Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna in 1942. Some 30,000 rifles were manufactured in all for the Swedish Army.[2]
This was a relatively small number of weapons and the standard infantry rifle remained the 6.5 mm bolt-action m/96 Mauser.
Norwegian "police troops" trained in Sweden during World War II were issued a number of Ag m/42s and brought these rifles to Norway when the Germans surrendered in 1945. These rifles were never modified to the later Ag m/42B version.
After a number of issues had been discovered, including a serious problem with rusting gas tubes, the existing stocks of the rifle were modified between 1953 and 1956, and the reworked rifles were designated Ag m/42B. Modifications included a stainless-steel gas tube, two knobs on the breech cover, a new elevation knob for the rear sight, a rubber case-deflector, new magazines and new cleaning rod. The Ag m/42B was replaced in Swedish service in the mid 1960s by the Ak 4 (derived from the Heckler & Koch G3).
In the early 1950s, the Ag m/42B manufacture license was sold to Egypt resulting in the Hakim rifle, which uses the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge.[6] Sweden sold the machinery to Egypt and the Hakim was therefore built with the same machine tools used for the Ag m/42B.
After being re-chambered to 7.62 NATO and having its trajectory adjusted, the Ag m/42 was used as a ranging gun on the Swedish anti-tank gun Pansarvärnspjäs 1110 under the designation Inskjutningsgevär 5110.
Madsen tried to license the Ag m/42, but it never got beyond prototype stages.[6]
Swedish troops serving under UNFICYP have used the m/42.[2]
Design
[edit]The Ag m/42 is operated by means of a direct impingement gas system, similar to that of the later, French MAS-49 rifle. The Ag m/42 also uses a tilting breech block like the Tokarev SVT-38/SVT-40, the MAS-49 and FN FAL rifles.[6] The Ag m/42 is ammunition specific since it does not have an adjustable gas port or valve to adjust the rifle to various propellant and projectile specific pressure behavior.
The Ag m/42 rear sight has two bullet drop compensation options, one calibrated for spitzer m/41 ammunition and one for round-nose m/94 ammunition. Which one is installed can be seen between the sight screw and the range window. The bullet image (spitzer or round nose bullet) should match the ammunition used. With a hand adjustable elevation screw on the left side of the rear sight can be adjusted for bullet drop in 100 metres (109 yd) increments.
Ammo
[edit]The Ag m/42 uses the 6.5×55mm cartridge loaded into a removable 10-round box magazine.[6] In practice, however, the magazine usually remained attached to the rifle while it was loaded from the top with five-round stripper clips.[2] Like the British Lee–Enfield and Soviet SVT-40, the Ag m/42's magazine was intended to be removed only for cleaning.
The ammunition used by the Swedish military from 1894 was 6.5×55mm skarp patron m/94 projektil m/94 (live cartridge m/94 projectile m/94) service ammunition with a 10.1 grams (156 gr) long round-nosed m/94 (B-projectile) bullet.
From 1941 onwards Sweden, which remained neutral during World War II, adopted skarp patron m/94 prickskytte m/41 (live cartridge m/94 sniping m/41) ammunition loaded with a 9.1 grams (140 gr) spitzer bullet (D-projectile).[2] Besides a pointed nose the m/41 D-projectile also had a boat tail to further reduce aerodynamic drag and replaced the m/94 ammunition loaded with the m/94 projectile for general use.[7]
From 100 to 800 metres (109 to 875 yd) with m/41 spitzer ammunition, or 100 to 600 metres (109 to 656 yd) m with m/94 round-nose ammunition.[5]
Variants
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Ag m/42B
[edit]The Ag m/42B is a variant of the m/42 with a stainless steel gas tube.[6]
Inskjutningsgevär 5110
[edit]Ag m/42 modified into a 7.62 NATO caliber spotting rifle for the Pansarvärnspjäs 1110.
Users
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2023) |
Iraq
Egypt: Made under license as Hakim Rifle and Rasheed Carbine.[2]
Norway
Sweden[8]
Non-State Actors
[edit]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "6.5 mm Automatgevär m/1942".
- ^ a b c d e f "The Swedish Automatgevär m/42 Ljungman - Small Arms Review". 10 October 2022.
- ^ "Automatgevär".
- ^ "Ljungman AG42". 12 September 2011.
- ^ a b Janson, Olof (18 April 2019). "The development of the Ljungman semi-automatic rifle Ag m/42". Gothia Arms Historical Society.
- ^ a b c d e "Modern Firearms - Ljungman AG-42 / AG-42B self-loading rifle". Archived from the original on 2004-10-12.
- ^ van den Brink, D.L. (August 29, 2007). "6.5x55 Ammunition". House of Karlina 1894 & 1896 Swedish Mausers.
- ^ Bardwell, James. "Ag 42 (Ljungman Semi-Auto Rifle)". Rec.guns. Archived from the original on 2005-04-15.
- ^ Hanley, Brian & Millar, Scott (2009). The Lost Revolution: The Story of the Official IRA and the Workers' Party. Dublin: Penguin Ireland. ISBN 978-1-84488-120-8.
External links
[edit]- "Differences between the AG42 and the Hakim". Historic Firearms Images.
- "Automatgevär m/ 42 B Manual" (PDF). Nazarian's Gun Recognition Guide. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-03-19.