Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles Scarcest M38 Husqvarna Swede- '44?

I've heard the scarcest M38 carbine Swedes by Husqvarna are the 1944 vintage.
How many of them were made versus the earlier years'42 and '43?

Unlike the m96 I've never seen a m38 in pristine condition with low wear..mb

Don't know the answer to the Husqvarna M38 production question, but I don't recall having seen one from 1944.

All of the Husqvarna M38s that I've owned were made in 1942 or 1943.

According to a good friend that's a Swedish Mauser fanatic, here's what he wrote me when I forwarded him your question:

According to the book Crown Jewels the production numbers are:
1941 - 28,672
1942 - 38,781
1943 - 14,156
1944 - 1,969

When he mentions the book Crown Jewels, this is what he's referring to: Crown Jewels - The Mauser in Sweden: A Century of Accuracy & Precision

I havent seen a Cavalry carbine in a very long time

Based on personal experience... Agreeing as disagreeing. I also have the Crown Jewels book... Somewhere in the house! I suppose I can't account for production figures, but personal experience as over decades of collecting and many gun shops/shows.... Of the 38 series genre, never seeing 1941 or 1944 Models, Most often seeing '42, less often seeing '43! Now 'if' talking of totally original as defined with the threaded barrel muzzle, signals off. I don't know what proportions of "threaded free" as a sub species. I have a '42 and '43 in Models 38 and a a '1944 rifle. 'If' the '43 is rarest, really surprises me! Yet just this moment conjuring "produced" and making it to specimens in America, there may be far different proportions! Then too add the 70 or so years of mix 'n match in Americans' hands and the Bubba effect quotient. What we see here today may be totally disproportionate to "as manufactured".

All interesting but for collectors here in the States dealing with specimens to be encountered here, quite possibly an entirely different ball game!
Just 'thoughts'!
Best!
John

Based on personal experience... Agreeing as disagreeing. I also have the Crown Jewels book... Somewhere in the house! I suppose I can't account for production figures, but personal experience as over decades of collecting and many gun shops/shows.... Of the 38 series genre, never seeing 1941 or 1944 Models, Most often seeing '42, less often seeing '43! Now 'if' talking of totally original as defined with the threaded barrel muzzle, signals off. I don't know what proportions of "threaded free" as a sub species. I have a '42 and '43 in Models 38 and a a '1944 rifle. 'If' the '43 is rarest, really surprises me! Yet just this moment conjuring "produced" and making it to specimens in America, there may be far different proportions! Then too add the 70 or so years of mix 'n match in Americans' hands and the Bubba effect quotient. What we see here today may be totally disproportionate to "as manufactured".

All interesting but for collectors here in the States dealing with specimens to be encountered here, quite possibly an entirely different ball game!
Just 'thoughts'!
Best!
John

I sorted my in and out records going back to 1990, the wonder of EXCEL.

29 total Swedish military Mausers.

19 were Husqvarna M38s, 6 were 1896s, 3 were 1894s, and 1 was a modified 1894, an Interarmco G33/50.

15 were 1942 and 4 were 1943.

The 2 1942 Husqvarna M38s that I still have are 6473xx and 6515xx.

When I bought 6515xx on 02/18/95 it was original and would have graded in the high 90% range. I paid $155 for it. When I bought it, I had planned to put a receiver sight on it, but the slippery slope of "stone soup" rifle builds happened and within a couple of years all that was left of that rifle was the action and bottom metal. Exercising 20/20 hindsight, I wish that I had left it alone, but it has been a good shooting 256 Newton for over 20 years, so not a total loss.

A speculatve gye had one for sale at a gun show here last week asking $ 2800.00 ÷1.4 = $ 2000.00 US. in excellent all matching with bayonet.

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I have a '44 I'm thinking about farming out.

I would be interested if you do. My first rifle was an M96, I have always liked the swedes.

Hey MauserKid: PM me a way to contact you. Your PM inbox is full. Thanks.

I don’t have enough posts yet I believe. Here’s my number eight 17 seven 71 7two6 8
Thanks