The Swedish Mauser Rifles (For Collectors Only)

A massive rearmament program was instituted, and in 1938, the barrels of some 30,000 m/96 rifles were reduced in length to 24.5 inches to produce the m/96-38 rifle. In 1941, contracts were awarded to the manufacturing firm of Husqvarna to produce 60,000 more rifles with the short barrel, now designated the m/38 rifle. With the end of the war, it was clear that the bolt action, five shot rifle was obsolete. Sweden was already experimenting with a semi-automatic battle rifle, the AG42B, and with a variety of automatic personal weapons. Large stocks of the m/96 rifle had gone to Finland in 1939 during the Winter War against Soviet aggression, and now, thousands more were sold to Denmark and Norway to reequip their military forces after the German occupation. Most American firearms enthusiasts became aware of the Swedish Mauser in the early 1950s when the first m/94 carbines were imported by two companies called Pasadena Firearms and InterArms Company, respectively. Rifles followed until 1968 when the Gun Control Act of that year forbade the further importation of military firearms. But