Howdy from Wyoming. Was looking for some Husqvarna knowledge and came across your fine establishment, read some threads, and figure this might be a good place to ask some questions so here goes.
2-3 years ago I got a nice deal on a Husqvarna rifle in .270 Winchester. According to this site https://www.rex.gl/serials.html it's serial #,122662, IDs it as being made in 1950. It has been well used and needs to have the stock refinish but it still shoots beautifully. According to the seller it had belonged to his grandfather who bought it new in the 50s and used it to hunt all kinds of game in Colorado and Wyoming.
There is no model name on it just Husqvarna Vapenfabriks A.B .270 Win and the serial number. From pics and articles I'm pretty sure it a model 640 but I'd like to get some other opinions if possible. Trying to find detailed info on Husqvarna rifles has been interesting to say the least since as far as I can determine they stopped making rifles in 1967.
Didn't care for the Bushnell T4124 4X12X40 Sportview duplex & fine double cross hair scope that it came with so currently it's wearing a Leupold M8-4X duplex, medium to thin cross hair, scope but I haven't been able to try it out yet, it's still kinda sorta winter up here. I also have a nice old Weaver K3-60 B post and cross hair series I want to try on it.
I no longer hunt and mostly shoot my rifles a 100 to 200 yards out at my local range and both the Weaver and Leupold work fine at those distances.
The original rear sight is missing so I'm going to replace it, maybe with a nice fold down Marble set up. http://www.marblearms.com/rear-sights.html
Ride Safe. Dr.Tramp.........

Nice rifle Doc and welcome to the Fire. I'm not your Husqvarna expert, though I do have a few-mostly with the 1640 action. Someone should be coming along to provide you some added info on this fine rifle you acquired.

I’m no expert, but don’t think that is a 1640. Welcome to the Fire sir! This is a rifle built on a 1640 husky action

OP said 640, which it is, not 1640 which it isn't.

OP's rifle is made on a Commercial FN 98 action. Fine rifle, just sold one in 9,3x62.

Read it too fast, I apologize

Welcome to the fire.

Yes, that’s a 640. Husqvarna built them on large-ring commercial 98 Mauser actions made by FN in Belgium. The actions do not have typical FN markings but may have Belgian proof marks under the stock. They're well made, with legendary Mauser reliability. Some of the ones that I've owned were very accurate but yours may need bedding to shoot its best. They competed with the Winchester Model 70 and Remington 700 after WWII, but like those rifles, they’re considered long and heavy by modern standards.

The stock may be walnut but beech and birch are more common. Those woods vary in color from light brown to almost yellow and some owners stained them to look like walnut.

The serial number is on the barrel instead of the action, so if you have it rebarreled, then your smith will need to carry the number over.

All aftermarket parts for a commercial 98 will work, often with little or no fitting. So will any tuning tricks that apply to Mausers.

Let me know if you have other questions.


Okie John

Been there, done that!!!

One of the best things you can do for that Husqvarna is bed it. The stocks are a good design, but the factory inletting is horrible. They cut away too much of the recoil lug mortise. Bedding that area and then afterward ensuring you have a little relief between eth rear tang and the wood at the wrist will prevent the stock from splitting which Husqvarnas are prone to doing.

That is a good rifle, I have one identical to it. Mine still has original bedding, and is superbly accurate and holds zero very well. It has a Timney trigger and Wisner safety now, great rifle.

What happened to buckstix? Looks like the stuff he used to come across and show off

One of my favorites, started as either an 8x57 or .30-06, can't remember but it is now a .280 AI.

Not a looker but a real performer!



A sweet 8x57:



This '06


and the reason you want to bed yours:

But this is a real sleeper, a 9,3x62:



And this 9,3x62:

Had one of those in .30/06 a few years back. Put it in order and passed it on to a nice young couple looking for a bargain hunting rifle.

It’s always puzzled me that the Swedes never seemed to “get” that 98s need a bit of space behind the tangs to prevent splitting.

The real issue is not so much the tang clearance but the horrible inltting at the recoil lug mortise.







Unlike the Germans, who left the lug full length, the Swedes for some reason chose to drill the front tang screw hole completely through. This reduced the lug area by more than a third. You can see the resultant setback. This in turns drives the rear tang into the stock causing it to split.

Three different split stocks, all with the same cause.

I guess in my amateurish view I see two things . . well three upon staring at the pics some more

They used a fairly dull axe to do the inletting.

Split in the wrist is gonna take more effort than I first thought may even be past pins

Little bit of chisel work and an application of bedding compound and I bet it shoots better (maybe not)

You have some real beauties z1r...

Thank you. I like em, they serve me well.

I have one from the '50s as well, I'm wanting to say maybe 1953 or so. Its always impressed me with how light the rifle is, easily under 7lbs.

Very nice rifle on the husqvarna small ring (1600 series) action. A bit later than 53 though (later 50s/early 60s IIRC) and looks like a alloy floorplate. (earlier 1600 series had steel floorplates)