Another Carcano Project

[copperlake]

Little did I find on the web about chambering a carcano in 6.5x55. I've wanted to do this chambering ' so I went ahead and did it. using a Type 'I’. I wasn't expecting much and If I do it again I won't remove the barrel and do it mounted as It wasn't that hard of a push. The barrel is 30-3/4" from breech to muzzle and was straight as any I've had in the lathe, with a bright bore. I have to say looking down a barrel with polygonal rifling is like looking down a plumbers snake. The swarf was as pretty as Shirley Temples curls! I foolishly thought that I could get the headspace right without opening the bolt face - WRONG! - which led to having to set back the whole thing. There is only 4 thou difference between my 6.5X50 PPU brass and my 6.5X55 Lapua brass and I guessed wrong that it wouldn't matter.

I milled the split-bridge flat for in order to get clearance for a low bolt handle (this one is a Dakota Winchester style) and to have a landing pad for aft of a cast steel cheepo picatinny for a Rem 700 (same receiver ring diameter). I've done this before on a M38 carcano and welded then milled a little leg, port side aft.



I mounted a ratty old Simmons with too high rings without attaching the leg to the base and went to the range for the hell of it. I had three loadings; two hanloads and one NNY. One of the handloads was awful, the second better and the NNY produced this at 25 yards:



I stopped there because I need to finish the thing now that I see some potential. The trigger is just awful, the gun being made of disparate parts. I'm going to attempt to shorten the lock time by modifying the cocking piece.The bolt handle isn't finish welded and the leg on the base should help. I almost cut the barrel down thinking about cleaning rod wear at the muzzle but will wait on that for now. The Swedish cartridge will feed once from the magazine and then skates over the second. Don't know if that will ever work out but we will see. Anyway, a very fun project with better results than expected.

[kr54]

6.5 Carcano had bullet diameters of about .268 inches. That might be part of your handloads' problem. Good luck.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

That certainly is an interesting conversion. The Swede is definitely the better cartridge, but much game has been taken with the Carcano round. Back when they were sold in barrels in hardware stores, take your pick $15, they were many a po' boy's first deer rifle. Nice group.

[copperlake]

6.5 Carcano had bullet diameters of about .268 inches. That might be part of your handloads' problem. Good luck.

This is a Type I Carcano made for the Japanese in 1938-39 only, chambered in 6.5x50mm Arisaka. My reading indicates that the Japanese round is a proper .264", that's why I chose it to do the conversion. I know the target sample is at only 25 yds, but if it maintained that grouping it would be sub-moa at 100. I'll see after I do all the finishing, tuning and mounting a real target scope.

Along your line of thinking, the worst performing handload was using some ancient Herter's 130 gr oddball that says right on the box - .263" - and in fact mic to that consistently.

[444ttd]

why? why do you tempt me? don't you know that i have enuff on my plate? now my brain is thinking carcano!!!!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhh, by the way, what you do charge?

you are lucky that i have three 1898 spr armory, two 93 spanish mauser, 1895 chilean navy mauser and a 98 mauser that needs my attention to build. i can't wait to see more of the carcano, esp the 6.5 swede.

[Milsurp Junkie]

I have a Type 38 Arisaka that was rechambered into 6.5x55 Swede that I need to go and shoot now!

[30calflash]

Before cutting the barrel you should check to see if it has a gain twist instead of a standard twist bbl. If a gain twist you don't want to cut it as you will loose the fast twist rate and end up with something that shoots as good as a Red Ryder at any sort of distance.

[copperlake]

Before cutting the barrel you should check to see if it has a gain twist instead of a standard twist bbl. If a gain twist you don't want to cut it as you will loose the fast twist rate and end up with something that shoots as good as a Red Ryder at any sort of distance.

The Type I Carcano doesn't employ gain twist rifling. I have read that they were made under strict Japanese observation to set specifications. They are of the Metford polygonal style which, looking down the bore, looks like snakes trying to play Twister.

[EDG]

The Japanese Type I is a mutt that causes some confusion.
The receiver is a small ring type Carcano but the magazine is a Japanese type 38 or Mauser style magazine.
The rifle is chambered for the Japanese 6.5 Arisaka round and the bore is segmentally rifled like Metford style bore.
Most Japanese Type I war trophys have never been fired and the new barrels stlll appear worn because there are no corners on the lands just like a Japanese Type 38 barrel.
The 6.5X55 should be an excellent chamber for the Type I factory barrel. I plan to use the original chamber on my rifle if I can get the rims turned off of 50 .303 Brit cases.

[copperlake]

The Japanese Type I is a mutt that causes some confusion.
The receiver is a small ring type Carcano but the magazine is a Japanese type 38 or Mauser style magazine.
The rifle is chambered for the Japanese 6.5 Arisaka round and the bore is segmentally rifled like Metford style bore.
Most Japanese Type I war trophys have never been fired and the new barrels stlll appear worn because there are no corners on the lands just like a Japanese Type 38 barrel.
The 6.5X55 should be an excellent chamber for the Type I factory barrel. I plan to use the original chamber on my rifle if I can get the rims turned off of 50 .303 Brit cases.

EDG, you are correct about the barrels. I have five actions, three with barrels and they are bright even though I have a hard time with discerning if the rifling is 'good' because of how odd it looks with no definitions of grooves and lands. Interestingly, all three barrels and one action show tooth marks from pipe wrenches in a failed removal attempt! On the barrels that doesn't concern me, but on the action - yikes!

The conversion is easy chambering wise but feeding from the magazine, off the bat, doesn't work but for the first round. That is a rabbit hole I won't enter until I feel frisky, and probably need to be frisky for days....

I just don't find much on the web about Type I conversions, sadly. Because they are strong actions (carcano's in general) and cheap I'm kinda enchanted with them. It amazes me what people want for a JUNK '93 sporterized mauser these days on GB. As you know, I couldn't blow up a M38 (but did sear the lugs off three bolts). My latest thinking is one in .458 SOCOM using an AR mag - my moose hunt camp gun.

[444ttd]

It amazes me what people want for a JUNK '93 sporterized mauser these days on GB.

i gave up on buying military sporting rifles on GB. their prices were NUTS!!!!!!!!

https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Firea...anish%20mauser
https://www.gunbroker.com/Guns-Firea...field%20armory

i, being a cheap baasturd, refused my money to go to them. instead i bought two 93 oviedo mausers(rifles) at a auction that were $70 and $80. i bought a 1898 spr armory without sights and was(or is) rusted from a friend's buddy. it costed me $120. i bought another two 1898 spr armory actions at a auction for $30 each.

93 spanish


1898 spr armory


1898 spr armory actions



yes, i am a cheap baasturd. but i luv to redo rifles, esp old military sporters. 1898 springfield armory are my weakness. esp the 9.3 krag and 7 krag and 6.5 krag and 375 krag...........

1898 spr armory in 30-40 krag with a redfield 102k aperture sight(my great grandpa, pappy, dad, uncle and me were all owners. i'll let my boys decide on it when i'm gone)