Japanese Carcano Type I Barrel Swap Questions

[Seadiver5]

So I was referred here by another forum but after searching this group I haven't found the answers that I'm looking for so I thought I would post a new thread.

I have a 6.5 Type I rifle that has rotted out (I'm assuming mostly due to corrosive ammunition) but at any rate I need a new barrel put on it. I have ordered a new/replacement barrel which has been salvaged from another original vintage Type I and I planned on having it installed by a gunsmith in the Seattle area. I am however finding it very difficult to locate a good gunsmith willing to work on this. Being a fairly mechanical guy I'm pretty sure I can figure out how to remove the existing barrel and screw the replacement barrel on but my question is what to expect after that.

Will this be pretty much a plug and play or will I need to be concerned about bullet seating and headspace, etc. etc.

Thanks
Kevin

[EDG]

The Japanese Type I barrels are NOT indexed. When you screw in the new barrel the sights might be anywhere.

To get the barrel clocked right you would have to machine both the breech face of the barrel and the shoulder. Then the chamber would need to be recut to correct the headspace. If you do that you might consider rechambering it to 6.5X55 and forget the sorry Japanese chamber. 6.5 Jap brass is hard to find and it bulges at the head and case body junction.

You would be about as well off to part out your rifle on gun broker and buy another one with a nice bore.

I know this because I bought a Type I barreled action that had a mud dauber nest in the bore. The barrels are screwed in very tightly and I just machined the shoulder off of the old mud dauber barrel to relieve the pressure so it could be unscrewed.
The breeching and threads are exactly the same as the Italian Carcanos.

[cuzinbruce]

Headspace would have to be checked. Was the original barrel chrome plated inside? If it needed work, some issues for a gunsmith to think about are setting the barrel back, recutting the chamber, does he have a reamer, metric threads to mount barrel, if it had to be set back, stock fit and other hardware fitting might be an issue. Or it might just be a simple swap. Hard to say without actually trying it, or at least having the pieces in front of you.

[cuzinbruce]

I see you are new to the board so let me say WELCOME! Read and consider what EDG has to say. That is experience.

[EDG]

I forgot to mention that once upon a time the cure for the lack of ammo for the 6.5 Arisaka was the 6.5mm X .257 Roberts.
I just got a set of dies for this round. The Arisaka chamber does not have a step at the end of the cast mouth. It just has a long funnel from the end of the case to the beginning of the rifling. The 6.5 X.257 Roberts (AKA 6.5 Roberts) is long enough to completely wipe out the Arisaka chamber.

As a way to save a few bucks you can machine the breech face and barrel shoulder to clock your new barrel properly when tight. Then cut off a Lee FL die body to match the new chamber length. You may have to trim your brass an equal amount. It would be like owning and shooting a wildcat but you would not be out much cash. No matter which way you go make sure the Carcano/Jap magazine will feed your cartridge of choice without breaking your extractor. The Type I is unique to it. It is close but not the same as the standard Carcano extractor. When I got my rifle the entire extractor claw was broken off leaving the tail of the extractor in the bolt. I had to take an extractor off of a Carcano to understand how it was retained. With nothing left to pull the extractor out with I had to use a punch to break it in the middle so the pieces would come out. So don't slam home new rounds and don't jump the extractor over the rims. Take it real easy on that extractor.

[Seadiver5]

Thanks so much for all your help. I'll let you know what happens with this project.