[petergottlieb]

I just purchased a Husqvarna M96. The numbers on the rifle and bolt match, but the smaller components (barrel band, butt-plate, magazine plate) don't match. I don't know much about these rifles (generally speaking, I have collected Finnish Mosin Nagants), but was attracted to this one by the quality of the workmanship, and its general condition. I particularly like the heavy banding in the stock wood.

So, what can the forum tell me about this rifle?

Thanks!

Peter

 

[swede]

Welcome to the Forum ! HVA M96 rifles are scarse & hard to find in the USA . You are lucky to have one . There were less than 18,xxx made in the 1943/1944 time period for the FSR ( Swedish civilian shooting organization ) . These were made to tighter tolerances than the military M38 rifles . They were originally made with a beech stock & hand guard . Yours looks like walnut , so it probably belonged to another M96 made before 1915 when beech was introduced . Could be an arsenal replacement or Bubba . These originally did not have a brass bore disc in the stock , but in later years , if returned to the arsenal for rebuilding they would receive proper inspection an a bore disc . No way of knowing if your disc relates to your rifle or another one . Here is a link to the Dutchman's " House of Karlina " with plenty of info on Swedish firearms , including the bore disc . Just scroll down the page to the topic of interest for you .

Http://dutchman.rebooty.com/

 

[gulliver62]

Very nice score and a great way to start your Swede collection. You won't be sorry about your purchase. Finnish Nagant is an accurate gun but the swede is more so (IMHO) and much easier on the shoulder

 

[petergottlieb]

Thanks! Very interesting. I'm looking forward to getting it disassembled. Were stocks numbered or marked in any way that would enable me to confirm that it started life on another rifle?

 

[swede]

Yes , both the stock & handguard were matching numbered in the barrel channel . Replacement stocks may be unnumbered , mismatched , force matched or matching . Not likely yours will be matching ? Usually if the buttplate is mismatched , so is the wood .

Don't forget to remove the cleaning rod before you try to remove the stock bands . They can be tough some times !

 

[petergottlieb]

I'm sure you're right. In any case, I'll be interested to see what I find.

 

[NW Swede]

Nice rifle! I'm curious what the serial number is on the receiver. Could be a replacement receiver. We'll know if it's not in the correct range for a husqvarna m/96 made in 1943.

 

[swede]

Nice rifle! I'm curious what the serial number is on the receiver. Could be a replacement receiver. We'll know if it's not in the correct range for a husqvarna m/96 made in 1943.

NW Swede is correct , it could be a replacement receiver . The original HVA M96's would have a serial number in the high 600xxx range .

 

[petergottlieb]

If I understood what I read on the internet correctly, it is probably a replacement. It is 426232, outside of the range for Husqvarnas (600,000+?). I am familiar with the Finnish practice of totally rebuilding of rifles around "rescued" receivers from otherwise unserviceable rifles, is this something the Swedes did as well? Would they have matched it to a previous bolt (which has multiple deep markings of the the last three digits of the serial number)?

This would make sense of the fact that with the exception of the buttplate, which shows significant wear, the stock looks new, and all other parts show almost no wear, but also have different three digit serial numbers and don't appear to be husqvarna parts (crown is straight, not tilted, cross on top, no "c").

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

nice wood welcome to the boards

 

[swede]

We see some Swedish mausers that had damaged or worn out receivers . New receivers were used to rebuild the rifle . These were numbered the same as the original receiver and all remaining parts were used & no need to number them . Any parts out of Swedish specs would be replaced at that time . In your case , you do not really have an original HVA M96 . It is a rebuild not having the tighter specs of a HVA M96 . After HVA ceased making parts for Swedish mausers , many used parts were salvaged to make a complete rifle . That could be the case with your mismatched wood & buttplate . Also , many used parts were over stamped to match . The Swedes did not waste any used parts .

 

[buffdog]

.
Serial number 426232 is in the serial number range for a 1917 Carl Gustafs rifle, so you probably have a replacement receiver.

 

[petergottlieb]

Thanks, very interesting. I've learned a good deal more here this evening than I would have almost any other way. Seeing as I bought it because it was "pretty" and well made instead of because I thought I was looking at a collector's piece, I'm not too crestfallen. And, after spending some time collecting Finns, I am more than familiar with all the strange combinations state arsenals can put together, given that their goal is to maximize the number of serviceable rifles, not make collectors happy.

Now, on to find some ammunition and see how it shoots. The bore is shiny!

 

[NW Swede]

Don't feel bad about it. You've got a beautiful rifle with an interesting story behind it. Replacement receivers aren't common, so based on that, it's a "rare" find. Shoot it and enjoy it for what it is. That stock really is exceptional.

If possible, I'd like to see how the serial number is stamped on the receiver. I have a 1905 m/96 with a replacement 1942 husqvarna receiver, and I'd like to compare it to yours.

 

[gulliver62]

Thanks for some great information. It is another piece in the history of these rifles and has a deserving spot in any collection.

 

[swede]

HVA replacement receiver

Here is my example of a replacement receiver . It has a 1942 HVA receiver with a 1904 serial number . Clearly a hand stamped serial number . Also , this one has the Arms Kontrol disc attached to the hand guard band swivel .

 

[DK PHILLIPS]

nice photo's

 

[bones92]

I found one like this recently. They're neat rifles.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?247651-Rebuilt-m-96-HVA-1943

 

[petergottlieb]

Here are a couple more photos of the stock as well as the requested photo of the serial number stamp.

 

[petergottlieb]

Removing barrel bands

So, while I've got the attention of a few knowledgable readers, what is the best way to remove the barrel bands? They appear to be spring loaded, and when I push down, I can shift the first barrel band a bit, but not enough to actually get it to fully release. Is there a trick to getting these off, or do I need to simply keep fiddling until I can get the band to slide free?