I’m not very fond of Husqvarna shotguns but since I get fairly many questions regarding Husqvarna shotguns from people outside Sweden. Here’s some information you might find useful.
But to start with: there are no proof laws in Sweden, never has been any and by the looks of it will never by any either. So there are no valid Swedish proof marks either. The marks you find on a shotgun is made by Husqvarna factory in production as productions marks when the gun was made. Or later when proofed elsewhere.
Husqvarna Rifle Serial Parts on Husqvarna made rifles are not numbered to the same extent as on rifles made by Mauser or Carl Gustaf. A few weapons that are assembled by pupils at the Armourer-course (VOK) have the name of that pupil instead of a serial number. Husqvarna Firearms Serial Numbers. Bolt Action Rifles. Discontinuing serial numbers are due to the fact that number ranges were reserved and production not done in numbered order. Serial Number Year of Manufacture; 501: 1927: 700: 1928: 1370.
The model is normally marked in the action flats, but not always. Since Husqvarna stopped producing shotguns in 1977 there were a short flush in time when everyone i Sweden should own at least one Husqvarna gun, the prices went up and not so few guns was renovated at the Husqvarna factory or even “upgraded” to a higher grade with the result that there are some guns that has started of as a lower grade, with some strange specifications that doesn’t match the factory records.
And one thing you know about Husqvarna is that you just don’t know for sure. The number of guns that is made out of the specifications is unknown, but there are quite a few of those odd guns out there. Guns that according to specifications shouldn’t exist. So there are a lot of guns that is “made to specific order” or later “renovated” that makes the model tricky to point.
More details about Husqvarna shotguns can be found in the book:Husqvarna Hagelvapen 1877-1977 - but only in Swedish sorry to say.
Serial numbers for Husqvarna Shotguns
|
Finishers:
|
Fitters
|
Stamps & Proof marks for Husqvarna
The only mark that one can call “proof mark” on a HVA gun is the stamp for having passed the test made at the factory. It’s a old logo for the factory.
Other stamps that one find is normally the following:
12 or 16 or 20 is the caliber/gauge
Numbers as 18,5 is normally the barrel internal diameter in mm
One or two letters from B to Y is the finishers mark, se table above
A crown is the stamp for the final check at the factory:
CHOKE normally means full choke on that barrel.
Triangle with a V means that the barrel material in the barrel has been worked with in cold state:
Numbers as 1310 or m1310 or m/1310 (or similar corresponding numbers to models) are normally the model, but in some odd cases these can be mistaken for caliber such as for the hammer gun m/20.
Example on barrel:
Barrels from a m/310 gun in gauge 12, gun finished by Claes Johansson
Example on action flat:
Action flat on a m/310 CS with number 174983, gun finished by Claes Johansson.
Note L between the actions flats - that is the mark of the action maker (passare in Swedish). Most of these marks are unknown today, at least by me. A funny one of these are called “the dot” (punkten in Swedish) since his mark was just a dot.
Chamber-length
Husqvarna was one of the first companies that to adopt to 2 3/4” (or 70mm) chamber length as early as 1937, as a general rule all guns after 165 000 have the longer chamber - some guns before might be 2 3/4” but most are 2 ½”.
Choke
As many older guns older Husqvarna - before 1960’s - are normally heavily choked and normally performs best with Eley GrandPrix or other cartridges with fibre or paper wad. Modern cartridges with plastic wad might give extremely tight and uneven pattern.
Quality and other things
The golden rule for Husqvarna when it comes to quality is “as early as possible, and as high grade as possible”. A 310 is almost in every aspect better than the later models.
A C-grade gun is better than a A-grade gun, it’s not only engraving that differs.
But never the less - Husqvarna is rather German in their style, so one should not expect the guns to be lively in their characteristics. The barrels are normally rather heavy which give a rather slow but stable swing.
Copyright 2011 © shotguns.se
Last update: 2011-09-04
| Type | Aktiebolag |
|---|---|
| Industry | Firearms |
| Successor | Husqvarna Group |
| Founded | 1689; 332 years ago |
| Defunct | c. 1960 |
| Headquarters | , Sweden |
Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag or simply HVA; pronounced [ˈhʉ̂ːsˌkvɑːɳa](listen)) was a Swedish firearms manufacturing company in the town of Huskvarna by lake Vättern.
History[edit]
In 1689 the manager at the nearby state arsenal in Jönköping, Erik Dahlbergh, suggested to the King that the crown should support the construction of a new milling work at the waterfalls just outside Huskvarna. The new work should act as a branch of the Jönköping arsenal, where water supply had become irregular. The plans were approved and put into work the same year. Thanks to the Husqvarna branch, the annual production of barrels for muskets from the Jönköping arsenal increased from about 1,500 to over 12,000.
Husqvarna Rifle Serial Numbers
Eventually all production was moved to Huskvarna and in 1757 the arsenal was privatized under the ownership of Fredrik Ehrenpreus. In 1867 the company became a limited company under the name Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag.
When military orders dropped after the Danish-Prussian War of 1864 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, Husqvarna begun making shotguns and hunting rifles. They also started manufacturing stoves, sewing machines and bicycles. In 1903 Husqvarna made their first motorcycle. Husqvarna continued firearms production, though mostly civilian firearms except during the two world wars and some shorter periods of military production.
In the late 1960s it was decided that Husqvarna should stop making break-action firearms and sell both the rifle production and military contracts to Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna.
Military firearms[edit]
- Maskinpistol M/49 (for the Danish Army)
Civilian firearms[edit]
Husqvarna made numerous types and models of break action shotguns.
The first medium caliber bolt action rifles used the same action as the Swedish Army's Mauser m/96. This type was manufactured from 1927 to 1942 circa, known as the Model 46 and mostly chambered in 6.5×55mm, 9.3×57mm and 9.3×62mmfrom early 1939 Husqvarna started purchasing Mauser M98 actions from the Belgian company FN, labeling the rifles Model 146, 246 and 640. Though the M98 was a strong and well proven action, it was not an ideal situation for Husqvarna to be depending on one of its worst competitors for such a key component.
An independent bolt action design was introduced in 1953 as the 1600-series, which was available in several European and American chamberings, including 9.3×62mm, .270, 30-06; 8×57mm, 6.5×55mm, and others. It was a small ring Mauser-like design advertised as the 'HVA Improved Mauser Action'. In 1969 they discontinued the HVA action in favor of a cheaper to produce push feed design, called the 8000. They ceased manufacturing all firearms in 1972.
With the army order for the Ak 4 the company was able to find the funding to re-tool the workshop to produce a newly developed bolt action, marketed in 1967 as the 1900-series and continued by Förenade Fabriksverken (FFV) well into the 1980s.
Husqvarna also built a limited number of an elegant double rifle in caliber 9.3x74R, the model 410.