Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag
Encyclopedia
Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag (Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB or simply HVA, ˈhʉːskvɑːrna) was a Swedish firearms manufacturing company in the town of Huskvarna
by lake Vättern
.
, 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 musket
s from the Jönköping arsenal increased from about 1,500 to over 12,000.
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 shotgun
s and hunting rifles. They also started manufacturing stoves, sewing machines and bicycles. In 1903 Husqvarna made their first motorcycle
. The firearms production continued though. However, except during the two world wars and some shorter periods of military production Husqvarna mainly manufactured civilian firearms.
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 Gustaf in Eskilstuna
.
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 6.5x55, 9.3x57 and 9.3x62 mm.
After WW2 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 9.3x62, .270, 30-06; 8x57, 6.5x55, and others.
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 FFV well into the 1980s.
Husqvarna also built a limited number of an elegant double rifle in caliber 9.3x74R
, the model 410.
Huskvarna
Huskvarna constitutes the eastern part of Jönköping, the municipal seat of Jönköping Municipality, Sweden and has a population of about 21,500. The distance to central Jönköping is about 5 km....
by lake Vättern
Vättern
Vättern is the second largest lake in Sweden, after Lake Vänern and the sixth largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden to the southeast of Vänern pointing at the tip of Scandinavia....
.
History
In 1689 the manager at the nearby state arsenal in JönköpingJönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
, Erik Dahlbergh, suggested to the King
Charles XI of Sweden
Charles XI also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire ....
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 musket
Musket
A musket is a muzzle-loaded, smooth bore long gun, fired from the shoulder. Muskets were designed for use by infantry. A soldier armed with a musket had the designation musketman or musketeer....
s from the Jönköping arsenal increased from about 1,500 to over 12,000.
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
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
of 1870-71, Husqvarna begun making shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s and hunting rifles. They also started manufacturing stoves, sewing machines and bicycles. In 1903 Husqvarna made their first motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. The firearms production continued though. However, except during the two world wars and some shorter periods of military production Husqvarna mainly manufactured civilian firearms.
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 Gustaf in Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
.
Military firearms
- Gevär modell 1867
- Pistol m/07
- Pistol m/40
- Kulsprutepistol m/37
- Kulsprutepistol m/39
- Gevär m/38Swedish Mauser"Swedish Mausers" are a family of bolt-action rifles based on an improved variant of Mauser's earlier Model 1893, but using the 6.5x55mm cartridge, and incorporating unique design elements as requested by Sweden. These are the m/94 carbine, m/96 long rifle, m/38 short rifle and m/41 sniper...
- Automatkarbin 4
- Maskinpistol M/49 (for the Danish Army)
Civilian firearms
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 6.5x55, 9.3x57 and 9.3x62 mm.
After WW2 Husqvarna started purchasing Mauser M98
Gewehr 98
The Gewehr 98 is a German bolt action Mauser rifle firing the 8x57mm cartridge from a 5 round internal clip-loaded magazine that was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k. It was hence the main rifle of the German infantry during World War I...
actions from the Belgian company FN
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
, 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 9.3x62, .270, 30-06; 8x57, 6.5x55, and others.
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 FFV well into the 1980s.
Husqvarna also built a limited number of an elegant double rifle in caliber 9.3x74R
9.3x74mmR
9.3x74R is a European medium bore cartridge invented in Germany around 1900, and designed to be used in non-bolt action rifles, particularly double or single shot.-Design:...
, the model 410.