Sweden has begun fire tests of the armed forces’ new self-defense weapons (SSV 24) in Karlsborg.
The trials follow a framework agreement signed with Finnish firearms developer Sako in 2023 to replace Stockholm’s automatic carbines.
This 78-million euro ($84.6-million) contract stipulated the delivery of 5.56×45 caliber assault rifles, 7.62×51 caliber sniper rifles, and .338 Lapua Magnums.
Steps for the ongoing trials include assessment under a NATO-standard endurance test, wherein the firearms are validated according to their expected performance.
Metrics include the firing and exit rates and hit patterns to identify safety limits such as proper reload intervals and overheating.
Additional processes involve tests for possible malfunctions such as fire breaks and the identification of care and lubricating timelines for the guns.
“We do a wear-and-tear shooting, which means that during the test period we shoot 30,000 rounds with a weapon,” Swedish Materiel Administration (FMV) Test and Evaluation System Engineer Tony Ferm explained.
“The number of shots corresponds to the life of the weapon. We make sure that all parts work, that nothing breaks and that the weapon functions according to requirements.”
“If the weapon gets too dirty, the mechanism won’t catch up and then there may be a misfire.”
Validating With Swedish Ammo
FMV wrote that data gathered from the trials will become the basis for operations and corresponding maintenance plans for the weapons.
“The supplier has also carried out wear tests, but we have to verify their results,” Ferm stated. “A difference between the supplier and FMV is that we shoot with different ammunition, they use NATO ammunition while we shoot with the ammunition that the Swedish Armed Forces use.”
Additional Tests, Distribution This Year
The agency said 200 SSV 24s will be distributed to soldiers for additional troop trials after the Karlsborg activity’s completion.
“We fire 2,000 rounds a day, which is what a soldier does in a year,” FMV Firearms Operational Verification Lead Niklas Magnusson stated.
“So far we have fired 15,000 rounds and we have only changed the barrel and the breech. So the weapon lasts more than what the supplier promised.”
By the end of the year, FMV will finalize the delivery of 5,000 to 7,000 rifles for the armed forces.
