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Different slides.

During the war there was a lack of steel with nickel. The small amount of this steel Husqvarna could have access to was used for the barrels, while the slides and frames were made from steel with molybdenum. After extensive firing there appeared cracks in the slide, which had to be changed.

There are basically four different variations of slides.

Three 'Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB' marked slides differ as follows:

1st slide variation:
With cartridge indicator remaining or removed and the original Finnish style slide accelerator. There is only one whole drilled to hold this accelerator.

2nd slide variation:
There are three wholes drilled at the accelerator.

3rd slide variation:
The accelerator has been removed. This is the most common type of all slides.

There is a 4th stronger variation of the slide which was made at Carl Gustaf GF 1960. The CG slide is much heavier and without the Husqvarna name on the left side of the slide but is otherwise similar to the HVA 3rd variation.
I have also seen one slide of this type marked with Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB but this pistol belongs to the civilian H-line of production from HVA. (See picture further down.)

On top a late pistol m/40 with 'slide 3' and red side-plates. Note the square foot for the front sight and an outer nut on the barrel at the breech. The frame has a wide trigger-guard for gloves.

At the bottom the old type of pistol m/40 with 'slide 2' and black old type side-plates. The front sight base has steps. Barrel is the old type smooth standard type without nut.

This is the very first variation with old type of barrel and old type of slide. The front sight base has steps.

Heavy slide 4th type.

This is a late m/40 of H-series made for the civilian market with new type heavy slide. Note the square foot for the front sight and an outer nut on the barrel at the breech. The frame has a narrow trigger-guard, maybe because it was made for the civilian market.

Several other modifications were also made beside the very first made as mentioned above.

The most apparent was a change of the barrel to a barrel with square foot for the front sight and an outer nut at the breech to make it easier to change the barrels.

The trigger guard was enlarged to make it possible for soldiers to use gloves when firing the gun.

Bolt head – 17.8 mm high, then it was made less high.
Bolt head – 17.5 mm high.

The carrier for the recoil pin in the end of the frame is 9 mm wide later it was changed to 13.5 mm width.

Firing pin – old type in one piece
Firing pin – new type with added tip.

Normally you find HVA m/40 with red side plates. The first pistols were made with black side plates of bakelite later with red due to lack of components during the war.

Here is a good example of a late pistol m/1940 with third type of slide

During 1973 and 1974 the Danish gun dealer V. Pabst & Co in Helsingor sold a major lot of the surplus Danish Military pistols m/40S. Along with this lot followed many spare-parts. The company assembled about 50 guns from these parts. The spare-parts had no serial numbers. For this reason they were stamped with VP 1-19 and VP 100 and VP101. The remaining spare-part pistols were bought by a Swiss company Paul Schafrodt and these are marked PS 1-20.

Some of these pistols are marked 'Made in Sweden' and 'Sweden'. This has nothing to do with the original Military pistols or manufacturer.

Below the barrel on Swedish Military weapons, including pistol m/40, you can find triangular marks – stamped: One up to three triangles. These are inspection officer’s marks. Before the gun is issued from the store it is inspected for rust and wear.

·1 triangle = small amount of rust & wear

·2 triangles = acceptable amount of rust & wear

·3 triangles = poor barrel which will be destroyed next time.

Twin mark of mandrel.

At the rear end of the grip high up there might be two marks after a mandrel. This indicates that the pistol has been refurbished at a Military service station. Maybe the slide was changed or the barrel. This type of twin mark appears on both pistols m/40 and m/07.

These pistols have a reputation to crack in the slide.

All Military m/40 pistols were melted down in Sweden

On the 23^rd of January 1991 there was an accident with a blown up pistol m/40 in the Swedish Army, which resulted in physical damage to a soldier.

Since that time these pistols have been banned and now, according to a General Order, all of them destroyed. These Swedish pistols were never sold as surplus.

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References:

Jimmy Johansson
Bengt Johansson
Axel Ekfeldt
Thomas Broborn
Arne Tell, Magazine Vapen
Lars Junberger, Magazine NP
Different Swedish army manuals 1933-1977
Smith & Smith / Small arms of the world. A&W Visual library 1960