Hovea M1949

 Hovea M1949 submachine gun, with Suomi-type 50-round magazine.
Hovea M1949 submachine gun, with Suomi-type 50-round magazine.

Characteristics

Specification Value
Full text name Hovea M1949
Caliber cartridge 9mm Luger - 9x19 Luger / Parabellum
Action type manual
Trigger type sa
Overall length, mm 808
Length, folded, mm 548
Barrel length, mm 216
Weight empty, kg 3.35
Magazine capacity, rounds 36, 50
Cyclic rate of fire, rounds/min 600

Hovea submachine gun was initially developed in Sweden by Husqvarna Wapenfabrik ams factory for Swedish Army trials. This design competed with the Carl Gustaf submachine gun, which eventually won the trials. During late 1940s Danish Army began the search for the new, modern submachine gun, and in 1949 selected the Husqvarna submachine gun for adoption as Hovea M/49. Manufacturing license was purchased and production set up at state arsenal in Copenhagen.

Hovea submachine gun is a simple blowback weapon which fires from open bolt, in full automatic mode only. The safety was made in the form of the L-shaped cut at the rear of the cocking handle slot, which was used to lock the bolt in rearward position. Feed was from detachable box magazines. Initially, Suomi-type 50-round 4-stack magazines were used, but later on these were changed to more reliable and less expensive 36-round double-stack magazines, designed for Swedish M/45 Carl Gustaf submachine gun. The Hovea submachine gun was equipped with perforated barrel jacket and a side-folding buttstock, made from thin steel tube. The sights consisted of the protected front blade and L-shaped flip-up rear sight, marked for 100 and 200 meters range.