carcano, what is it?

[444ttd]

i recently bought(surprised me) a 6.5x52 carcano at an online auction. i only paid $50 for it, so it no big loss. i haven't cleaned her, but it does have rifling. the follower and all its parts is in, so all i need is en bloc clips? i had to look up youtube on the working of the safety. other than that, i know own a bubbaed up carcano.

the barrel length is about 21" and the overall length is around 40". i think it is m91/38, but i'm not too sure. i have NO experience with the carcano. anyway terni made it and its serial # is al3XXX. opposite that on the barrel is 1947XVIII. a capitol E is on the action. i looked for the serial # date on my computer and found nothing.

does anybody know if this is a m91/38?

[RustyReel]

Don't know what model it is or started out as, but I think it's worth fifty bucks!

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Probably. I'd need more and better photos to tell for certain. The back sight looks middle-late WW II. the M38 was primarily made in 7.35mm, but they reverted to the 6.5 mm when changing calibers during the war became impractical.

DG

[Pressman]

My first Carcano was a Terni identical to yours, only with a pretty wood stock. Check your rifling twist, some of them were progressive long rifles that importers cut to carbine length. They will not shoot anything accurately. Mine was that way, bullets were tumbling the moment they left the muzzle.

There are some clips still out there, Gun Parts may have some.

[444ttd]

i'm in the process of cleaning the bore out(jeez is that dirty!!!!!) so i looked at the bore from the action side and what i think its a gain(progressive) twist. i tried the to measure the twist with my bore rod but it doesn't come out right(meaning the rod stops and go's). the rifling is about the same as the day it was produced. but boy, it is dirty. the patches come out black, even tho i cleaned it two times(gunslicks foaming bore cleaner and shooter choice mc #7). i'll do a third today and then i'll let it soak with shooters choice overnite.

rustyreel, i hope so!!!!!!

[444ttd]

all right, the carcano rifling twist is 1 in 8", i'd better get my eyes checked, i thought it was a gain twist. the patches are now blueish-green(copper) and the barrel is soaking in shooters choice. i don't what bore size it is, i'll slug it later.

[Conditor22]

I recently scored 170 pc.s of once-fired 6.5x52 brass for 10¢ apiece

I found that brass and load data was hard to find.

http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/

[444ttd]

I recently scored 170 pc.s of once-fired 6.5x52 brass for 10¢ apiece

I found that brass and load data was hard to find.

http://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/

thanks!!!!!!!!!

[Uncle Grinch]

Try this instead of ordering clips. It’s a single shot adapter and works great.

<ebay links are verboten here sorry>

[444ttd]

Try this instead of ordering clips. It’s a single shot adapter and works great.

<ebay link>

thanks!!!!

[Earlwb]

It is a 91/38, but it looks to be a late war issue item as it has the simple fixed rear sight on it instead of the elevation adjustable rear sight. Here is a quick guide to Carcanos and their markings:
https://surplused.com/index.php/2012...-rifle-models/
You might want to double check the caliber on it though. Some of them were for 7.35x51 cartridges and not the regular 6.5x52 ones.

I found that the stock military sights are set for 300 meters and the later ones set for 200 meters. So if you try and shoot at a target closer in, the bullets are likely to go over the top. I put a scope on one of mine and it turned out to be a great truck gun for the farm or ranch. Plenty accurate enough for hogs, and predators.

[444ttd]

It is a 91/38, but it looks to be a late war issue item as it has the simple fixed rear sight on it instead of the elevation adjustable rear sight. Here is a quick guide to Carcanos and their markings:
https://surplused.com/index.php/2012...-rifle-models/
You might want to double check the caliber on it though. Some of them were for 7.35x51 cartridges and not the regular 6.5x52 ones.

I found that the stock military sights are set for 300 meters and the later ones set for 200 meters. So if you try and shoot at a target closer in, the bullets are likely to go over the top. I put a scope on one of mine and it turned out to be a great truck gun for the farm or ranch. Plenty accurate enough for hogs, and predators.

thanks!!!

my rifle is a 6.5 cal, it says so on the rear sight. i guess it is a 1947, the barrel says 1947XVIII. i know next to nothing about a carcano, except it is Italian. the barrel length/( 21") and the overall length (40") and fixed rear sight might make it m38. also there is a spot for the butt side swivel sling(i don't have it). there is no holes for the butt swivel sling(bottom of the butt). tomorrow, i will hopefully be done cleaning the bore, hopefully. i have enough rifles that need my "loving" care.

i'm like james woods on the family guy when they lay a trail of m&m's...."oh piece of candy........oh piece of candy.......oh piece of candy..."
that's me with rifles.

[Harter66]

The bottom of the receiver on mine was dated .

To further complicate things there were also a few built in 8×57 .
I would the average eyeball would quickly see the difference between .268 and .323 .
The Carcano got a poor accuracy label because .264 dia bullets were used in the 6.5 .
There was a mod done at some point , Huntington's has 6.5-35 Rem dies available , that did a barrel set back ......as I type that I wonder now if those aren't for the 6.5 Arisaka .

35 Rem has the correct rim . And might grow enough to be passable brass if you have difficulties getting it .

Mine was pretty far out of head space and did have the gain twist barrel . Unfortunately it was cut at 17" and was only about 1-12" at that point . It makes a fine 7×6.8 and will be an even better 7-30 rimless . It takes a 1.25 blank to rebarrel . A cannlever scout arrangement for a scope works well to continue using the clips .
Boyds had a stock I don't know if they still do or not .
Clip.prices are all over the place I went to a show and a guy wanted $5 ea , I wandered around a while and a guy had 6 on a shower curtain ring and I think a 266469 single cavity which I gave him $20 for and 5 more for the clips . No , theft was the 45 ACP BlackHawk cylinder I gave $25 to take away .
X39 and any of the PPCs based on the x39 and 38/357 mag/max will work too .
Longer cartridges will work better with the clips and if it's a 30-30 family you can go rimless with 30 Rem brass .

[Conditor22]

I think I heard somewhere that the Germans made a knock off of the Carcano for a simple cheap rifle.

[Traffer]

In the Herter's catalog in 1962 (I believe it was Herter's ..but may have been another catalog) This gun sold for About $10 shipped to your door. The advertisement said "This is the gun that lost the war for Italy" I thought that was funny. A friend bought one and I thought it was a well built and cool designed gun. (carbine)

[Dukeconnor]

I remember a sign in a gunshop in the 60's:

" Italian Army rifles only dropped once "

[Uncle Grinch]

There is also a Japanese version. Think it was called a Type I. Used to have one many years ago.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Restocked a Japanese Type I, using a Herter's stock, very long ago. It was a 6.5 Jap, Carcano action but had a 'Mauser type' staggered feed magazine. Ackley tested and wrote about many of the military actions, including the Italian Carcano. It was not terrible or unsafe in his tests. I had one, the carbine, $9.95, in 1965. It shot decently with Lyman Loverin 140gr sized to .268. In the 60's, 6.5 bullets were often .263 along with some .264's, all shot poorly in my Carcano. Prvi makes affordable brass, Norma also makes it. 6.5X54 Mannlicher and 7.35 Terni can both be sized and trimmed, 220 Swift is close, the rim may work or can be trimmed to function, 35 Rem comes up short but does work.

[perotter]

I used 220 Swift cases to make 6.5 Carcano cases for my brother. Mainly because new 220 Swift cases were the easiest to buy locally and still be easy to convert.

[Pressman]

Looking around the basement this morning I found two Carcano's. A long rifle and a Terni carbine. No stocks for either but they are easy to fit into a 98 Mauser surplus stock. I have ammo, brass, bullets and clips. Unfortunately I have too much snow to get to the range for the next three months.

If anyone has an interest in building a custom Carcano PM me, I may have something that will make your day. I rebarreled the Terni mentioned in the post above to 7.62x39 and converted it to a single shot. Unfortunately I sold my firearm collection shortly afterwards to make a move and resettle in another community.