Excellent video on M45's in Ukraine. Note, source is most likely Estonia, not Sweden.

[Rekraps]

 

[Rekraps]

This may help the other thread discussion on the "Original" Swedish K for sale at auction in that these examples have the magazine well riveted (yes, I know, NOT welded) but do not include the receiver end cap modified latch. The video maker believes the guns are (Sweden did not export guns in Swedish Green) from a third party country (Estonia). So a plausible theory on the gun that is out of spec at auction, is that it might have been imported (not a kit gun) from a country other than Sweden, i.e. somehow taken out of storage or such, as it sports the Swedish Stamp, but is not fully converted to the "B" model. 

[NE Patriot]

Thanks for posting the video.  Glad to see them still in action, although slightly disappointed that one combatant commander referred to them as "museum pieces."

[Lewisfan]

I keep seeing the statement that Sweden did not export K guns painted green.  I'm certainly not an expert in the matter, but I do know that my Father in Law, who served 2 tours in Vietnam (artillery), immediately recognized my green K when I first got it some 20 years ago. He said that some of the special forces guys he ran across in the Field, and a lot of the guys in civilian clothes with "cool sunglasses" carried them in their cars in Saigon. He left just before Tet.  

Anyways, he said that the ones he saw were green, "just like" mine.  I doubt that the US decided to paint the K guns Volvo green. I assume that these were exported in green color. 

[Lewisfan]

Why choose a pistol round SMG when you can use a 5.56 AR type? Doesn't make sense to me.  I love my Swed K, but I'm pretty sure that I'd pick an M4 if it was available. 5.56 hits harder and has greater range.  

[Rekraps]

1 hour ago, Lewisfan said:

I keep seeing the statement that Sweden did not export K guns painted green.  I'm certainly not an expert in the matter, but I do know that my Father in Law, who served 2 tours in Vietnam (artillery), immediately recognized my green K when I first got it some 20 years ago. He said that some of the special forces guys he ran across in the Field, and a lot of the guys in civilian clothes with "cool sunglasses" carried them in their cars in Saigon. He left just before Tet.  

Anyways, he said that the ones he saw were green, "just like" mine.  I doubt that the US decided to paint the K guns Volvo green. I assume that these were exported in green color. 

I guess we'll never know for sure, that is what my research (of course I cannot find it now) said. CIA guns were black, ghost guns (sanitized). The reality of the matter is that who knows how the US obtained the limited number of "K's" used in Vietnam. 

[Rekraps]

59 minutes ago, Lewisfan said:

Why choose a pistol round SMG when you can use a 5.56 AR type? Doesn't make sense to me.  I love my Swed K, but I'm pretty sure that I'd pick an M4 if it was available. 5.56 hits harder and has greater range.  

OMG... really?

The "K" just looks cooler. I saw a video of some Russian's searching for German remains and in once case they found a buried German, helmet still on and guess what? Yep, the skull had a nice 9mm round in it. Apparently these rounds do a decent job.....

BTW, I'd pick a M1A (shortened to SOCOM length). 

[Rekraps]

On 1/11/2025 at 11:15 AM, Lewisfan said:

I keep seeing the statement that Sweden did not export K guns painted green.  I'm certainly not an expert in the matter, but I do know that my Father in Law, who served 2 tours in Vietnam (artillery), immediately recognized my green K when I first got it some 20 years ago. He said that some of the special forces guys he ran across in the Field, and a lot of the guys in civilian clothes with "cool sunglasses" carried them in their cars in Saigon. He left just before Tet.  

Anyways, he said that the ones he saw were green, "just like" mine.  I doubt that the US decided to paint the K guns Volvo green. I assume that these were exported in green color. 

Well, I thought about your post and if you look at the recent post of a video from the Royal Armory (GB) the Vietnam era K with can sure looks green to me! It's a 45B model and I could have sworn that Sweden did not export B models and certainly not Green.... but here ya have a picture. Hard to argue, right? Maybe some were purchased somehow in the secondary market... who knows. 

[Remo Williams 1]

The Swedish K’s issued to MACVSOG were green. There are several photos out there of them. I spoke to Charlie Cutshaw (writer for Small Arms Review)at the SHOTSHOW when they had it in Orlando. He described his Swedish K as green. 
 

As for originals not making it out of Sweden with the removable mag well, if true, I have a theory on why there are some out there now. Maybe an owner of an original saw someone shooting with a 71 round drum and wanted to do that with their K, so they drilled out the rivets. I’ve seen an owner of a Colt Monitor chop the barrel and a Colt 21 Thompson have a rail tapped to the receiver for a red dot.😡

[Rekraps]

20 minutes ago, Remo Williams 1 said:

The Swedish K’s issued to MACVSOG were green. There are several photos out there of them. I spoke to Charlie Cutshaw (writer for Small Arms Review)at the SHOTSHOW when they had it in Orlando. He described his Swedish K as green. 
 

As for originals not making it out of Sweden with the removable mag well, if true, I have a theory on why there are some out there now. Maybe an owner of an original saw someone shooting with a 71 round drum and wanted to do that with their K, so they drilled out the rivets. I’ve seen an owner of a Colt Monitor chop the barrel and a Colt 21 Thompson have a rail tapped to the receiver for a red dot.😡

Appreciate the info! We want it right!

[Lewisfan]

Note that a drum will not lock in place on the factory Swedish K guns.  I've had Pre-sample guns and verified this myself. You'd have to take off a little metal on the receiver for a drum to lock in place.  I never did this with the pre-sample guns I had, just left them "as is".  

[Remo Williams 1]

2 hours ago, Lewisfan said:

Note that a drum will not lock in place on the factory Swedish K guns.  I've had Pre-sample guns and verified this myself. You'd have to take off a little metal on the receiver for a drum to lock in place.  I never did this with the pre-sample guns I had, just left them "as is".  

Lewisfan, I remember seeing posts on Bower’s Subguns forums debating on whether to modify (remove metal) from the drum or receiver. Some people were ok with modifying their transferable receiver. Maybe on a postie, but I wouldn’t on a transferable.

[Rekraps]

19 hours ago, Lewisfan said:

Note that a drum will not lock in place on the factory Swedish K guns.  I've had Pre-sample guns and verified this myself. You'd have to take off a little metal on the receiver for a drum to lock in place.  I never did this with the pre-sample guns I had, just left them "as is".  

I have no issues with drums fitting my Wilson guns. Both guns accept drums just fine. 

[APEXgunparts]

On a related note, if you have ever seen the movie "Siege of Jadotville" you may remember that the Swedish M/45 SMG was used by the UN forces stationed in that town;

The Irish Guns Of 'The Siege Of Jadotville' Movie

What isn't talked about in most reviews is the the M/45's shown in the movie are the actual guns from the action.
The movie armourer is a customer and talked about how the guns ended up in his inventory.

Fascinating story, the FAL's and the SMG's were purchased by the UN as previous combat showed that the bolt action rifles were outclassed by the arms used by the miners.

Richard