Husqvarna Vapenfabrik
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHusqvarna Vapenfabrik was a Swedish arms manufacturer whose firearms operation developed from a state arsenal branch into a major producer of military, police, hunting, and sporting guns.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Husqvarna Vapenfabrik, formally Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag and commonly abbreviated HVA, was a Swedish firearms manufacturer based in Huskvarna beside Lake Vättern. Its institutional origins date to 1689, when a water-powered works was established near the Huskvarna waterfalls as a branch of the Jönköping Rifle Factory. The site helped solve unreliable water supply at the older arsenal and substantially increased the crown's ability to produce musket barrels. Over time, firearms production moved from Jönköping to Huskvarna, and the enterprise was privatized in 1757. It became a limited company in 1867 under the name Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag. The company initially served military requirements, but changing European procurement patterns made diversification important. After military orders weakened following the Danish-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, Husqvarna expanded into shotguns and hunting rifles. It also became an important supplier to Sweden's military and police, while the wider company developed products including stoves, sewing machines, bicycles, motorcycles, and later forestry equipment. This diversification was a defining feature of the Husqvarna enterprise, although the firearms factory remained historically significant. Husqvarna produced both domestic designs and licensed or copied systems. Its military portfolio included Swedish Mauser rifles, service pistols, submachine guns, and other small arms. During the First World War, the company manufactured a Swedish version of the FN Model 1903 self-loading pistol after wartime disruption prevented normal imports from Belgium. During the Second World War, it was contracted to produce a pistol based on the Finnish Lahti L-35 design. This weapon, commonly known as the Husqvarna m/40, served Swedish military and police users and was also supplied to Danish police authorities; production continued into the postwar period. The civilian catalogue included numerous break-action shotguns and a succession of hunting rifles. Husqvarna's early medium-calibre bolt-action rifles used an action related to the Swedish Mauser m/96. From the late 1930s it also used Belgian FN Mauser actions for several models. In the 1950s the company introduced the 1600 series, marketed around an HVA improved Mauser-type action and offered in a broad range of European and North American hunting cartridges. A less expensive push-feed design followed in the 8000 series. Military production, including work connected with the Swedish Ak 4, helped finance tooling for the 1900-series sporting rifle, which remained in production under Förenade Fabriksverken after the firearms operation changed hands. Husqvarna also made a small number of 410 double rifles chambered for 9.3x74R. By the late 1960s, the company had decided to end production of break-action firearms and transfer rifle production and military contracts to Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna. The firearms business therefore ceased to be a central part of the later Husqvarna industrial organization. The motorcycle division was sold to the Italian manufacturer Cagiva in 1987, and by 1989 many other consumer-product activities, including sewing machines and microwaves, had also been discontinued. The remaining business increasingly concentrated on chainsaws, forestry tools, and garden equipment. Husqvarna first entered chainsaw production in 1959, and its established position in the logging market made this specialization commercially logical. Husqvarna Vapenfabrik is consequently best understood as a historical Swedish arms manufacturer whose legacy survives chiefly in military and sporting firearms, while the broader Husqvarna name continued in other industrial and consumer businesses.
History
Husqvarna's arms-making tradition is associated with the industrial and military history of Huskvarna. The local background reaches back to the medieval Rumlaborg fortress and the water-powered mill that influenced the name of both the settlement and the later company. In 1620, King Gustav II Adolf established the Jönköping Rifle Factory as one of Sweden's principal arms works. Its water supply proved unreliable, prompting Erik Dahlbergh, who managed the nearby state arsenal, to propose a subsidiary works at the waterfalls outside Huskvarna. The proposal was approved in 1689. The new branch supplied musket barrels to the Jönköping arsenal and raised annual output from roughly 1,500 barrels to more than 12,000. Production was gradually transferred to Huskvarna, strengthening the site's role as an arms centre. In 1757 the arsenal was privatized under Fredrik Ehrenpreus. The enterprise was reorganized as a limited company in 1867, adopting the formal name Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag. The decline of some military orders in the second half of the nineteenth century encouraged diversification into civilian firearms. Husqvarna manufactured shotguns and hunting rifles while retaining an important role as a supplier to Swedish armed forces and police. The wider enterprise also made domestic and industrial goods, including stoves, sewing machines, bicycles, and motorcycles. Its first motorcycle appeared in 1903, illustrating how the company had developed beyond its original arms specialization. Husqvarna continued to make firearms through the twentieth century. Military production was concentrated in periods of exceptional demand, including the two world wars and other shorter procurement cycles. Its military portfolio included Swedish Mauser rifles, the m/07 pistol, submachine guns, and licensed or derivative designs. During the First World War, the interruption of Belgian arms shipments led Sweden to arrange domestic production of a version of the FN Model 1903 pistol. Husqvarna made this 9x20mm Browning Long version from 1917 through 1942 and exported examples as well as supplying Swedish users. A further wartime requirement resulted in the m/40 pistol. In 1940, Husqvarna was contracted to manufacture a Swedish version of the Finnish L-35 pistol in 9x19mm Parabellum. The weapon was used by Swedish military and police organizations and was also supplied to the Danish police. Husqvarna continued producing it until 1988, although the company had already been withdrawing from much of its firearms activity. The civilian rifle range evolved from Mauser-related designs. The Model 46 series, produced from approximately 1927 to 1942, used an action associated with the Swedish m/96 and was offered in cartridges such as 6.5x55mm, 9.3x57mm, and 9.3x62mm. Beginning in 1939, Husqvarna acquired FN Mauser actions and sold rifles under model designations including 146, 246, and 640. In 1953, it introduced the 1600 series, based on an independent small-ring, Mauser-like action promoted as the HVA Improved Mauser Action. The series covered many European and American hunting cartridges. A cheaper push-feed 8000 design replaced the HVA action in 1969. The company also made the H-5000, a Mauser-style rifle chambered for 7mm Remington Magnum, and a limited run of 410 double rifles in 9.3x74R. Military work connected with the Swedish Ak 4 supported investment in tooling for the 1900-series sporting rifle. In the late 1960s, however, Husqvarna decided to stop making break-action firearms and transfer rifle production and military contracts to Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna. The 1900 series subsequently continued under Förenade Fabriksverken into the 1980s, separating later manufacture from the original Husqvarna firearms works. The broader Husqvarna enterprise underwent additional restructuring. Cagiva acquired the motorcycle division in 1987. By 1989, Husqvarna had withdrawn from several other product categories, including sewing machines and microwaves, and was concentrating primarily on forestry and gardening equipment. Chainsaw production had begun in 1959, and the company's experience and market position in logging made forestry machinery a natural focus. The historical firearms company is therefore defunct as an operating arms brand, while its guns remain important examples of Swedish military and sporting manufacture.
- 1989
Business focuses on forestry and gardening
[1]Husqvarna ended several non-core product lines and concentrated increasingly on forestry and garden equipment.
- 1987
Motorcycle division sold
[1]Cagiva acquired Husqvarna's motorcycle division.
- 1969
HVA action replaced by push-feed design
[1]Husqvarna discontinued the HVA action in favor of the lower-cost 8000-series push-feed design.
- 1969
Firearms withdrawal announced
[1]The company decided to end break-action firearm production and transfer rifle production and military contracts to Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori.
- 1967
1900-series rifle developed
[1]Tooling supported by military production enabled development of the 1900-series sporting rifle.
- 1959
Chainsaw production begins
[1]The wider Husqvarna company entered chainsaws, a category that later became central to its business.
- 1953
1600-series rifle introduced
[1]The company launched its HVA improved Mauser-type 1600-series hunting rifles.
- 1940
Contract for the Swedish L-35 derivative
[1]Husqvarna received a contract to manufacture a Swedish version of the Finnish L-35 pistol.
- 1927
Model 46 rifle production begins
[1]Husqvarna introduced its Model 46 family of medium-calibre bolt-action hunting rifles.
- 1917
FN Model 1903 derivative enters production
[1]Husqvarna began producing a Swedish 9x20mm version of the FN Model 1903 pistol after wartime supply disruption.
Products and positioning
A Swedish military and sporting-arms manufacturer combining state-arsenal heritage with mass-produced service weapons, hunting rifles, and shotguns.
Military firearms
Military rifles and carbines
Husqvarna produced Swedish military rifles and carbines, including Swedish Mauser-related models and later work associated with the Ak 4. Its military output varied with procurement requirements and included both domestically made designs and licensed or derivative systems.
Service pistol · 1917
m/07 pistol
The m/07 was Husqvarna's Swedish production version of the FN Model 1903 self-loading pistol. Chambered in 9x20mm Browning Long, it was produced from 1917 after wartime disruption affected Swedish access to Belgian-made firearms, and production continued through 1942.
Service pistol · 1940
m/40 pistol
The m/40 was a Swedish-made derivative of the Finnish L-35 semi-automatic pistol. Chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum, it served Swedish military and police users and was also supplied to Danish police authorities. Husqvarna manufactured the design into the postwar period, reportedly continuing until 1988.
Hunting rifle · 1927
Model 46 series
The Model 46 family comprised medium-calibre bolt-action hunting rifles using an action related to the Swedish Mauser m/96. Production ran approximately from 1927 to 1942, with chamberings including 6.5x55mm, 9.3x57mm, and 9.3x62mm.
Hunting rifle · 1939
Models 146, 246, and 640
These Husqvarna hunting rifles used Mauser 98-type actions acquired from FN in Belgium beginning in the late 1930s. The models extended the company's bolt-action sporting range while relying on an externally sourced action design.
Hunting rifle · 1953
1600 series
Introduced in 1953, the 1600 series used Husqvarna's small-ring, Mauser-like HVA Improved Mauser Action. It was offered in a wide selection of European and North American hunting cartridges, including 6.5x55mm, 9.3x62mm, .270 Winchester, and .30-06 Springfield.
Hunting rifle · 1967
1900 series
The 1900 series was a later sporting bolt-action rifle developed with tooling investment supported by military production. It covered established hunting chamberings and later expanded into cartridges such as .22-250 Remington, .243 Winchester, and .300 Winchester Magnum. Manufacture continued under Förenade Fabriksverken after the Husqvarna firearms transition.
Double rifle
Model 410
The Model 410 was a limited-production, high-grade double rifle chambered in 9.3x74R. It represented the premium end of Husqvarna's sporting-firearms output rather than a high-volume service or hunting line.
Shotgun
Break-action shotguns
Husqvarna made numerous break-action shotgun models for civilian sporting and hunting use. The company decided in the late 1960s to discontinue this part of its firearms production as it reorganized around other industrial activities.
Brand decisions
1987
Sale of motorcycle divisionM&ABackground
The wider Husqvarna enterprise was narrowing its portfolio after decades of diversification.
Action taken
The motorcycle division was sold to Italian manufacturer Cagiva.
Aftermath
The sale further separated the remaining Husqvarna business from one of its historic non-firearms activities.
1969
Exit from break-action firearms and transfer of arms productionStrategyBackground
Husqvarna was reducing its dependence on firearms and reshaping the wider business around other manufacturing activities.
Action taken
The company stopped making break-action firearms and transferred rifle production and military contracts to Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna.
Aftermath
The firearms operation ceased to be a principal Husqvarna activity. The 1900-series continued under Förenade Fabriksverken into the 1980s, while the broader company later focused on forestry and gardening equipment.
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