Check if you gun needs a license in Holland!!

Husqvarna Shotguns
From research about the Husqvarna shotguns test program the following conclusion can be drawn:
  • Guns marked on the barrel "Special Steel" or “Niklstal” are intended for smokeless powder. This information came from the Husqvarna museum.
  • The proof mark on Husqvarna shotguns can be a small or large letter H with a crown. From this it cannot be concluded whether the weapon was proof-fired for nitro- or for black powder, only that the gun WAS proof-fired. Research into this marking continues.
 Some facts:
  • Generally, the guns were fitted with steel barrels, but damascus barrels were delivered on demand as late as 1908.
  • Translation of the test program and quality control from the 1902 catalogue.

    "When a barrel bursts, or the gun, for some other reason is damaged during shooting, the gun manufacturer, in most cases, gets the blame with the argument that the reason for the damage is use of bad quality materials, or manufacturing flaw. That such faults should exist on guns delivered from us, we consider that we have prevented, partly by using only best quality materials, and partly, and above all, by the most accurate inspections, and rigorous tests. I.e. the barrels on guns delivered from us have passed two firing tests. The first test, made when the barrel has been pretreated, is carried out with tripled black powder charge, and fivefold shot load. The second test, made when the gun is ready for delivery, is carried out with double powder charge and double shot load. If the barrels and the action has passed there tests, without in any way having been altered, they will not be damaged when using normal powder charges and shot loads, independent of the charge being black powder or suitable low smoke powder. Additionally, from each new set of barrel raw material, samples for test firing are taken. This test firing takes place in such a way that the barrel, drilled to cal. 16, and the outer diameter turned to a diameter that correspond to that of a typical 16 cal. gun, is charged with 14,25 grams of black powder and, initially, at the first shot, loaded with 85 grams of shots. The shot load i increased in such a way that, at the 24th firing, the shot load is 456 grams. For the 25th firing, the charge is increased to 19 grams. Firing continues, for each three firings, the charge is increased, for each firing the shot load is increased, until the barrel bursts. Generally, our barrels, made of Swedish steel, will hold a charge of 14.25 grams of powder, and a shot load of 400 grams. Barrels made of special steel will hold a charge of 23,75 grams of powder and 860 grams of shot load."

Top Lever shotguns
As concluded before, Husqvarna shotguns made after 1908 are designed for smokeless powder. The serial number at the end of 1908 was 55000. Guns with a higher number are considered smokeless.
Note: barrel marked "Special Steel" or “Niklstal” are always smokeless and damascus barrels are always black powder.

Lefaucheux shotguns
In a court decision it was stated by two experts that the Lefaucheux locking system (with rotating underlever and T-shaped locking piece) is not strong enough to handle smokeless cartridges. Therefore center fire shotguns with the Lefaucheux locking system may be considered as guns that are only suitable for black powder cartridges. If made before 1945 these guns do not require a license in Holland. This means that Husqvarna shotguns with Lefaucheux locking system and a serial number lower than 185.000 do not require a license in Holland. Reference is the court decision which is identified as: Parketnummer 04/610098-02, rechtbank Roermond.
Please note that Husqvarna shotguns with Lefaucheux locking system produced after 1-1-1945 do require a license and historical research has shown that these weapons ARE suitable for the use of nitro powders. Reference: The 1947 catalog of the company Vapendepoten.

Combination shotguns
The combination guns from Husqvarna are odd in it's kind. All shot barrels are combined with black powder rifle cartridge barrels. This fact is not a guarantee that all combination guns are black powder guns. The reason is that in some cases, depending on the manufacturing year and model, the shot barrel is suitable for a smokeless cartridges.
The combination guns where made in 3 models: model 17 A/B/C (Lefaucheux system), model 48 A/B/C (Top Lever system) and the model 52 A/B/C (Top Lever system). The letter A,B or C indicates for which rifle cartridge the gun was made.
The same general rule that applies to shotguns also applies to combination guns.
All model 17 combination guns were made before 1945 and have the Lefaucheux locking system. These guns can therefore be considered as black powder guns and do not require a license in Holland of the number is below 185000.
The model 48 and 52 are top lever guns and for them the changeover year (blackpowder to nitro) was 1908 so any of these combination top lever guns require a license in Holland when the serial number is over 55000.
Note:
The above is only a rule of thumb. If documentary evidence is provided that a particular weapon, not mentioned above, complies with the criteria of article 18 RWM, that evidence takes precedence and the license requirement does not apply.
Cartridge 8x58RD vs 8x57/R360
The 8x58RD and the 8x57/R360 are not the same cartridges, the only similarity they have is that they where used in the Husqvarna guns.

8x57R360 cartridge.
Information is found in Barnes "Cartridges of the world", click on picture for more information.
As mentioned above the 8x57/R360 started as a black powder cartridge and was later loaded with smokeless powder. Husqvarna used this cartridge in the civilian guns, the rolling block model 33 and the model 70 drilling.

The model 33 is produced between 1877 and 1912.

The rolling block long guns, which are basically only suitable for black powder, were later altered by introducing a stronger mechanism: the breech block and its pin were made of "Nickelstal". To identify these rolling blocks the altered parts are marked with a "N'. This, of course, stands for "Nickelstal". The only rolling block with such a “N” locking system is the shotgun model 112, produced between 1947 and 1949.

The model 70 drilling is, standard, delivered with damascus barrels suitable for black powder loaded cartridges only. This is clearly specified in the Husqvarna Hagelvapen book. The conclusion can be drawn that the 8x57R360 cartridges used in the model 33 rolling block rifle and the model 70 drilling is a black powder cartridge. Therefore, any of the mentioned weapons can, if the numbers match the respective standards, be considered as black powder weapons.
8x58RD cartridge.
In "Cartridges of the World" the 8x58RD is described as the 8x58R Danish Krag. Click on picture for more information.
The 8x58RD is used in the m1868 conversion of the rolling block the so called model 1889. It was introduced as a black powder cartridge, but became a smokeless cartridge in 1892. From 1892 the guns where improved to handle the stronger cartridge. Proof can be found in several books about Swedish guns and in service manuals of the specific guns. Below is a translation of the book "Eld handvapen II" of Josef Alm, page 195.

Cartridges m/1889 were loaded, like the test cartridges, with 4.7 gr of compressed black powder and a 15.5 gr (heavy) and 30.7mm long copper jacketed bullet. Muzzle velocity was 535 m/s. Later the black powder was replaced with smokeless powder. The smokeless handgun powder was called "apyrit", but in daily speech "grey powder" on behalf of it's color, and had triangular grains. The bullet weighted 14.5 gr but got sometimes a steel jacket in place of the copper jacket and got, by the apyrite an muzzle velocity of 605 m/s.

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