Carlo (submachine gun)

In 2000, the Carlo was first identified[1] by Israeli Police officers, seen with Israeli-Arab gangs.[5]

On February 3, 2016, the Carlo was sighted as the weapon used to shoot Israeli Border Police officer Hadar Cohen, which has some parts made from old pipes.[2][6]

In June 8, 2016, two Palestnian gunmen opened fire on Tel Aviv's Sarona market, killing four Israelis.[7] At the time, the Carlos were reported to have jammed up after being used at short range.[8]

The Carlo has been spotted on March 14, 2016 in an attack against Israeli troops in Hebron.[1] Israeli law enforcement agencies, including Shin Bet, conducted raids on March 16, 2016 to crack down on underground gunsmith shops making the Carlo.[2]

Produced in several locations via underground workshops and often with second-hand gun parts,[9] the specifications are not uniform. Initially, it was made partially with scrapped pipes. Later makes of the Carlo were made with rifled barrels.[2]

Most of the parts needed to make the Carlo in recent years are taken from lost/stolen M4-type rifles and magazines, taken from IDF training areas or by breaking into someone's house who has a M4-type rifle to be cannibalized.[8][9] Others were made from rifle accessories that are easily purchased online.[9]

Often chambered for 9x19mm handgun cartridges, variants for .22 LR, .32 ACP, 9 x 18mm, and 5.56 x 45 mm are also produced,[2] but the presence of the latter is suggested to be impossible since samples of the weapon had 5.56 NATO magazines modified to house Uzi magazines or sometimes with pistol-based magazines.[9] Some of them were made with M16-type pistol grips and Uzi-based 25-round magazines.[8][2] Others were based on the MP5 and the AK rifles.[2] They can only fire in full auto in an open bolt with the ejection port on the left side and the charging handle on the right side.[8]

The Carlo, made to be compact, was best used by being concealed on the left side of someone's clothes (usually jacket) with the right hand being used to draw it.[8]

There were suggestions that the weapon is made from parts taken from pipes and scrapped paintball/airsoft guns.[7] Samples of seized Carlos or photos in the internet suggests that they don't use scrapped paintball/airsoft gun parts.[9]