Automatkarbin 24

The Automatkarbin 24 (Ak 24; ), initially the Självskyddsvapen 24 is a Swedish version of the Finnish Sako M23 assault rifle that is in service with the Swedish Armed Forces as of December 2024.

Together with the Automatkarbin 25, it will be fully replacing the Automatkarbin 4 and Automatkarbin 5.

History

Since 2012 it was well known that the aging Ak 5 and Ak 4 were in dire need of replacement. As part of the Nordic defence strategy, Finland and Sweden signed an agreement in April 2021 regarding information exchange of future procurements of personal equipment of soldiers, followed in September by an arrangement for common procurement and an implementation document in December of the same year. Therefore in the spring of 2023 the Swedish Armed Forces along with the Finnish Defence Forces, who were also looking to replace their Cold War-era rifles, signed a contract with the Finnish firearms manufacturer SAKO to supply each respective armed force with firearms of the newer M23 family which had entered production just one year earlier. The rifle is planned to be adopted in two different versions, the Ak 24A with a barrel and the Ak 24B with a barrel. Implementing the A-variant has already started in the last two quarters of 2024 in four platoons across three regiments and one air wing. The B-variant on the other hand is expected to be implemented later in the third quarter of 2025.

Feedback on the rifle from testing in the Swedish Army has been positive, noting that it is light compared to the AK 5, well balanced, easy to shoot, and has overall good ergonomics, which had been a primary goal of the rifle according to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration.

On March 13, 2025, the newly introduced firearm was temporarily banned from firing after training instructors reported a delay in shooting after the trigger was pressed, raising serious safety and usability concerns. An investigation into the issue began and was reportedly linked to the series-produced units, as the initial experimental versions did not exhibit the same problem. The ban is set to remain in place until the exact cause of the issue has been identified and all delivered units have undergone individual inspections. Until then, the Ak 4 and Ak 5 will once again serve as the primary rifles for the Swedish Armed Forces.

Users

; (8,900 delivered, 15,000 more on order)
: Orders:
:* April 2024, 15,000 rifles ordered by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).
:* November 2024, 8,900 additional rifles were ordered, for a total order of 23,900 (planned to be delivered in 2025).
: Deliveries:
:* 200 trial rifles delivered in 2024.
:* First production batch of 1,200 delivered in October 2024 (7,300 additional to be delivered in 2024).
:* 7500 rifles delivered to the armed forces in 2024, the rifle will be introduced to conscripts 25/26

References

External links

''Eldhandvapen''
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration.

{{Sweden-stub
5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles
Assault rifles of Sweden
SAKO