In 2008, some people on chainsaw training in Sweden cut down a tree.

The tree came down, but so did also a Carl Gustaf Kpist M/45 submachine gun.

The tree had grown for years and years and had started to consume the M/45 bit by bit.

It had become a part of the tree and was about 15 yards up in the sky.

I presume someone in military training (which used to be compulsory for all Swedish men, once upon a time) had left it on a branch to hang during a break and then forgot it.

I’m sure they spent a lot of time trying to find the M/45, the Military dislikes having their fully automatic weapons on the loose but it was gone until 2008.

I have tried to find a better picture of this stump but failed. It seems there is some kind of placard at the bottom mentioning the year and (possibly) the names of the people who found it.

It’s been a while since I last fired a Carl Gustaf Kpist M/45 submachine gun. It’s a very basic firearm, cheap and easy to use but not

The M/45 is still used in Sweden for competitions, but not in fully automatic. Here you can see some pictures from the Swedish Championships in 2017, but this might sadly end with the EU Gun Ban.

Someone said Sweden is the only country in the world where fully automatic firearms are still used for civilian competition, but I doubt that is true. Do you know? Please care to comment below if you know.

Below you can find some background on the Carl Gustaf Kpist M/45 submachine gun from Modern Firearms.com

Characteristics M/45

Caliber: 9x19mm Luger/Parabellum/NATO
Weight: 3.43 kg empty
Length (stock closed/open): 552 / 806 mm
Barrel length: 203 mm
Rate of fire: 600 rounds per minute
Magazine capacity: 36 or 50 rounds
Effective range: 200 meters

 

This submachine gun had been developed by Swedish state-owned Carl Gustaf Arms company in 1945. It is long out of production but still in service with Swedish Army, and was manufactured under license in Indonesia and Egypt (under the name of “Port Said”). Carl Gustaf M/45 submachine gun is a simple and well-designed weapon, made in a typical Swedish manner -that is, very durable and reliable.

Carl Gustaf Kpist M/45 submachine gun (Kpist stands for Kulsprutepistol– submachine gun in Swedish) is a relatively simple, blowback operated, full automatic onlyf irearm that fires from open bolt. The receiver is made from steel tube, the separate barrel jacket is also made from perforated steel tube.Original M/45 submachine guns had removable magazine housings of two types – one for Finnish  Suomi-type 50-round four-column magazines, and another – for proprietary 36-round two columns magazines. Later, the Suomi magazines were dropped from service, and the M/45B variant appeared with fixed magazine housings. The manual safety is made in the form of a hook-shaped cut made at the rear of the cocking handle slot; itis used to engage cocking handle when bolt is in retracted position. The sights consist of front blade and flip-type rear sight, marked for 100 and 200 meters. Shoulder stock is made from thin steel tubing and folds forward and to the right.

Source: https://modernfirearms.net/en/submachine-guns/sweden-submachine-guns/carl-gustaf-m45-eng/

And a video of the M/45.

For more reading, here you can see a great article on The submachine guns of Sweden. (Gota Vapen, Sweden).

EDIT: From the comments:

“The plaque says it was found on the base (Markstridsskolan Kvarn, which since decades is the Army specialist officer school near Motala in a cut down tree next to building 3 at a height of 13.5 meters during a chainsaw education under the supervision of Lt. Larsson, Lt. Jackson, and Lt. Andersson.”