HVA in general

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Husqvarna shotguns in short

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.

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

Nr

Year

Nr

Year

Nr

Year

16 928

1884

129 000

1924

205 000

1948

20 776

1890

135 000

1926

212 500

1949

26 397

1897

136 800

1927

219 000

1950

35 000

1901

140 000

1928

225 000

1951

37 000

1902

143 000

1929

230 000

1952

40 000

1904

145 000

1930

232 800

1953

45 000

1905

150 000

1931

234 500

1954

50 000

1907

152 000

1932

235 400

1955

55 000

1908

155 000

1933

236 000

1956

60 000

1909

157 000

1934

236 400

1957

65 000

1910

160 000

1935

236 700

1958

75 000

1912

163 000

1936

237 700

1960

80 000

1914

165 000

1937

238 900

1962

90 000

1915

170 000

1939

240 100

1964

100 000

1916

172 500

1940

241 000

1965

105 000

1917

173 200

1941

242 000

1966

110 000

1918

175 000

1942

242 300

1967

115 000

1919

184 000

1943

242 700

1968

119 000

1920

185 000

1944

242 800

1969

120 500

1921

187 500

1945

243 000

1970

124 000

1922

193 000

1946

 

 

125 500

1923

199 000

1947

 

 

Finishers:

Name

Mark

Period

Axel Berg

B

1893-1950

Thor Dimberg

D

1894-1947

Oskar Fredriksson

O

1897-1944

Johan Carlén

N

1897-1944

Sven Mållberg

M

1898-1947

Hugo Andersson

HA

1899-1946

Unknown

F

approx 1900-1930

Carl Pettersson

P

1902-1955

Claes Johansson

K

1904-1953

Walfrid Hackberg

W

1907-1950

Axel Lorentzon

L

1911-1952

Frans Dahlqvist

Z

1915-1955

Erik Isaksson

X

1915-1955

Henrik Granqvist

H

 (Finisher from 1943)
1933-1970

Göran Johansson

J

 (Finisher from 1945)
1934-1970

Gunnar Sågman

U

 (Finisher from 1949)
1940-1973

Olle Smedberg

Q

 (Finisher from 1949)
1940-1966

Nils Abrahamsson

S

1942-1977

Ingemar Hägg

H

1945-1977

Bertil Granqvist

G

1949-1977

Gunnar Lönn

Y

1949-1960

Fitters

Name

Mark

Period

Nils Tolf

T

1933 - 1981

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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Last update: 2011-09-04