Carcano Rifles---

[Prince555]

How popular are the Carcano rifles and isn't the ammo a lot higher than the
7.62x54 Russian ? Is it harder to find brass & die sets ?
Any pros & cons for these rifles ?

Thanks Very Much

[Buckshot]

How popular are the Carcano rifles and isn't the ammo a lot higher than the 7.62x54 Russian ?

............Carcano's were never as popular as a lot of other military surplus rifles for several reasons. One of the main reasons that had been around for some time was that they were poorly made and even unsafe. Quite unfounded and untrue. Also they fired what was believed to be an underpowered and useless cartridge. Due to their design they were never very popular for sporter conversions.

So far as ammo is concerned, so long as you do not count milsurp non reloadable ammo their prices are comparable. At Graf & Son you have Privi-Partisan boxer primed non corrosive modern made Carcano and Mosin-Nagant ammo at:

PRVI AMMO 7.62x54R 150gr SPBT 20/bx 25/cs Item Number: PPA762X54R · Price: $14.99

PRVI AMMO 6.5x52 CARCANO 139gr FMJBT 20/bx 25/csItem Number: PPA65X52 · Price: $14.59

Is it harder to find brass & die sets ?

Not at all.

Any pros & cons for these rifles ?

There are no aftermarket doo-dads available for them, such as triggers, sights, or sporter stocks, etc. Another bad point is that they require their unique clips in order to be fired as a repeater. Kind of like the M1 Garand :-) Due to the bolt face they don't really lend themselves to being re-barreled to other cartridges except for the 35 Remington.

Actually for it's intended purpose and at the time of it's sdoption, it was as up to date as tomorrow. The Italians used it from 1891 to their capitulation in 1943. They weren't idiots and had their been safety issues they would have taken efforts to make the changes or adopt another design.

................Buckshot

[EMC45]

Good write up Buckshot!

[NickSS]

I have owned and shot a lot of Carcanos over the years and they were surprisingly good rifles as as is deer rifles. They were also at one time dirt cheap. When I was buying them they ranged in price from $3 to $15 and ammo was readily available in surplus. I killed a deer with my $3 carcano with one shot at 80 yards. It was a short carbine in 6.5 with a folding bayonet. I still have it and it still shoots fine. You do need clips to make it work but I did not have too much trouble finding some a 3 years ago when last I looked. I also have one in 7.35 mm that also shoots well you need to make brass for it as no one makes it. I just blow out the 6.5 stuff and load .301 dia cast boolits in it. makes a great as is carbine. I would not put any money into them though as they are becoming collectors items and they work really well as soon as you get used to the sights. You will see a lot of them with a fixed rear sight with a deep v notch. When I first got one it shot high and to the right but by drifting the front sight I took care of the windage issue but the high took me until I found out that the rear sight was supposed to be used by putting the top of the blade at the bottom of the notch. The rifle all of a sudden started shooting to point of aim. Holding the blade in the center of the V between top and bottom got you on at 200 yards and at the top of the V you were on at 300. Per what I learned since then the Italians determined in WWI that the average soldier could not hit anything beyoud about 200 yards so their WW II rifles had simple sights and they work.

[jonk]

I've seriously thought of shooting them at camp perry. I have 2 that are tackdrivers. Never have as they aren't quite as smooth as my Mausers, Swiss guns, etc., but despite the myths, nothing wrong with a Carcano.

On 'the Carcano homepage' there is a story about a guy commissioned to blow one up for a safety video and the dangers of reloading if done imporoperly. A case full of bullseye did nothing to the gun, they had to get some pure nitro to hurt it. He figures that was a load approaching 90,000 psi and while it destroyed the case itself, the gun was unhurt in the least.

[Buckshot]

http://www.fototime.com/9CC81583032A470/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/CC4F620CC8FC8CF/standard.jpg

.............This is my M91/38 Moschetto TS, in 6.5x52. It was made after the Italian's capitulation and I don't think it had ever been issued.

http://www.fototime.com/371130D084561ED/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/B26D2494941FFC5/standard.jpg

The dang thing is so small you kinda think it needs a holster or something. Actually the Italians had it figured out pretty well. With the simple fixed sights there was nothing to get out of whack, and for it's intended target (human body) the sights were fine for battle use. For normal combat ranges there was no need for a rifle with a 29" or even a 24" barrel. Although this carbine was for special troops (TS = Truppi Speciali) and not front line work it was for sure more powerfull then the M1 carbine, but not much longer or heavier.

http://www.fototime.com/9C06A0D0704C216/standard.jpg

I also have this M38 in 7.35x51 but I don't have any detail photo's. This was taken just after I got it, and it has an incorrect bolt as it should be bent. I soon rectified that. As was common, this one is marked as Finn property and was imported from Finland. One thing I found out about this rifle pretty quick is that it is very common for those chambered in the 7.35 flavor to have very tight chamber dimensions. Mine has a .300" groove and in order to chamber a .301" cast slug I had to turn a couple thousandths off the caseneck!

...............Buckshot

[StarMetal]

Buckshot,

You need to dust those photos off!!!! :kidding::kidding::kidding:

Joe

[semtav]

Pics of my two Carcano's




http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=234&pictureid=1611

tried to upload my close ups, but kept getting failure so will try later.

One is a Terni (rifle) and the other is a Brescia (carbine)

[crazy mark]

I have a chance to get a 7.35 carbine length and a 6.5 rifle length for $100 for both. They aren't complete as far as military configuration but the bores look to be OK. He has the clips for them also. They would be shooters only. The 7.35 would cause me to swage down boolits. Any comments on the price. Thanks, Mark

[semtav]

At $50 a gun how could you go wrong?
Besides you need to earn your name (Crazy) and once you start casting and loading for the Carcano's , it won't take long.

[gerrycan]

Hi ,I have a 38 in 6.5 mm it is very good to shoot although the clips are impossible to obtain in Australia .They are very accurate and I wouldn,t hesitate in buying these rifles.[if I could only get some clips ] Gerry[ in Australia]

[semtav]

.[if I could only get some clips ] Gerry[ in Australia]

I see them for sale all the time on Gunbrokers. do your laws prevent shipping them from here?

[TAWILDCATT]

SARCO SARCO SARCO.$13.50 for 3
privi will have 7.35 ammo in 2010. thru GRAFS.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Hi ,I have a 38 in 6.5 mm it is very good to shoot although the clips are impossible to obtain in Australia .They are very accurate and I wouldn,t hesitate in buying these rifles.[if I could only get some clips ] Gerry[ in Australia]

Order them from Numrich, I cornered the market on 5 shot Lebel clips from there without any issues a year or so ago.

http://www.e-gunparts.com/products_new.asp?CatID=12006 This is Numrich, they are the cheapest for single clips, $US4.75 each.

http://www.combathunting.com/HUNTING_SPECIALS-Carcano_Rifle_Stripper_Clips_3_pack.html

http://www.buymilsurp.com/magazines-loading-clips-stripper-and-loading-clips-c-24_27.html

http://www.surplusbunker.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=24_27

Here are a few other links I got in a quick search. The first one is the cheapest, 3 for $US10, but the name of the company might scare customs. I'd go to the post office, buy a $10 phone card, order them over the phone and get them to wrap them plainly. Good luck and also get them to put your mobile phone number on the label in case there is any probs with customs. Just get them to describe them as clips. Not telling any lies there, but not attracting any attention either.

I'd check if they deal o/seas as well, some firms don't. I didn't hink to check that at the time.

Personally I'd check Simon Lawrance at Lawrance Ordnance in Sydney, if no good there, I'd just order form Numrich, no trouble with them at all in the past. I'd also order 10, keep 5 and sell the spares for $AU10 each, that way they will end up not costing you much at all.

Dang it, now I want one! I fancy a Beretta.

[Nora]

Here's a shop that offers IMO a very nice wood stock for the Carcano's. If I can come across the $ myself, I'm going to order one for my Cav. Carbine. http://www.gun-parts.com/militarystocks/

If you would like better sights for the 6.5mm use a Williams WGOS base with a 5/16" blade, and a 7/16" high front ramp with .290 high sight. This will give an overall hight of .634".
For the 7.35mm use a Williams WGOS base and a 5/16" blade, a 3/8" front ramp and .312 high sight for an overall hight of .594


Nora

[Nelsdou44]

Another con to add to what's been stated above is the Carcano barrel has a unique breech and thread dimension so a re-barrel is a barrel blank proposition.

I've got two M38 short rifles, one in 6.5 with a sewer barrel that shoots well, and a 7.35 with a shiney barrel but worn rifling that is a scatter gun. I'd love to convert one to 35 but it's hard to justify the expense. 35 Rem will work but due to the slightly fatter case head only five will fit the clip. Necking up the the 7.35 brass to 35 would be slick but definitely a wildcat to ream.

The 6.5 Grendel looks "interesting" but it's quite a bit shorter, slightly smaller case head, and I have not had the opportunity to test any Grendel brass for clip fit and feed.

On the other hand, I just latched onto a 6.5 barrel blank at a sale in 10 twist. When it arrives it will seriously considered for shooting cast on one of my Carcanos.

[Cactus Farmer]

7.62x39s will fit and feed in a Carcano too. I'm looking for a sewer pipe bore just for that purpose. Cheep J word ammo and small cases are mor efficient for cast boolits too. WIN WIN as I see it. Any one got a sewer pipe for a test?:Fire: