Carcano Trade

[Uncle Grinch]

I picked up a sporterized Carcano today in a trade. It's a 6.5 that has been sporterized quite some time ago and it was done very tastefully in my opinion. I used to have one back in the late sixties, but can't rememer what I did with it. Need to pick up a couple of clips/magzines for it now.

I've got a couple of 6.5 moulds, RCBS 140-FNGC and a Lee CM that may work. Haven't used the CM mould yet, but have being following some threads on it that don't seem too promising.

Thought about paper patching my RCBS 6.5, but I don't have any PP experience.

If looks were indications, it ought to shoot great!

[EMC45]

Looks like a neat and well done conversion. Let us know how it shoots.

[JeffinNZ]

That is a STUNNING Carcano.

[94Doug]

Very nice!!

Doug

[Buckshot]

..............That's sure a sweet looking little rifle, or carbine? Appears that whoever did it, did it very well. BRP makes a mould of the Lee 6.5mm 'Kurtz' group buy we did a couple years back and they're showing 130grs @ .269". Also a copy of the 268469 @ 140gr and the same OD.

http://www.fototime.com/B55472729A707A9/standard.jpg

The Kurtz group buy would be the one on the left, with the CM on the right. As done for the Lee GB they'd drop right around .269" and a tad over .270" with straight lino. In the photo both are seated to engrave in my M96 Swede. That little sporter of yours deserves some thoughtfull load work. I'd also get some of the Hornady 160gr RNSP slugs.

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

[Uncle Grinch]

..............That's sure a sweet looking little rifle, or carbine? Appears that whoever did it, did it very well. BRP makes a mould of the Lee 6.5mm 'Kurtz' group buy we did a couple years back and they're showing 130grs @ .269". Also a copy of the 268469 @ 140gr and the same OD.

http://www.fototime.com/B55472729A707A9/standard.jpg

The Kurtz group buy would be the one on the left, with the CM on the right. As done for the Lee GB they'd drop right around .269" and a tad over .270" with straight lino. In the photo both are seated to engrave in my M96 Swede. That little sporter of yours deserves some thoughtfull load work. I'd also get some of the Hornady 160gr RNSP slugs.

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

Do you think paper patching my RCBS-26-140-FNGC would work?
Never tried PP'ing before.

[Three44s]

Very nice!

Congrats on such great find!!

Three 44s

[Shooter]

For someone to put that much into sporterizing the rifle, I'd bet it was a good shooter.

[Uncle Grinch]

I removed the stock last night and was it ever a close fit. The inletting is nearly perfect all the way around and the bedding is perfect, no glass what so ever. It's a very tight fit. Somebody really took some time fitting this action to the stock. I suspect it was done many years ago.

I cannot find any identifying marks or names on the wood or butt plate. I just wonder about the history of this rifle!

[swheeler]

That is probably the best looking Carcano I've ever seen, period. Second best was in a pawn shop here, had set triggers and a very well done military stock redo.

[Bob Busetti]

No doubt its the best Carcano. I have 2 of them. Their rough as a cob. Some food for though on my next project. Thanks for sharing.
Bob

[oldhickory]

Very nice indeed. Done by a true crafsman.

[Buckshot]

Do you think paper patching my RCBS-26-140-FNGC would work?
Never tried PP'ing before.

..............If you patched up an existing 6.5mm cast slug, it'd for sure have to be sized down some before patching. If you used 9# paper when dry it'd add .007" to the slug's OD. Smallest slug I ever patched was a 30 cal. Previously they'd all be 45 caliber and that 30 seemed so TINY! :-) But I know that 22's have been patched (but not by ME!).

Slug it first and see what you're working with. I know that the 7.35 Carcano chambers are tight but don't recall hearing that about the 6.5's? I have a M38 Carcano (7.35) and a M91 Moschetto TS carbine in 6.5mm but offhand don't recall what I reloaded for it or how it did. I have the data but not available to me at this moment. I know the 7.35 x 51 did surprisingly well, and at some fairly respectable velocities too.

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

[Donor8x56r]

This Carcano reminds me of Cooey modified Carcanos sold in Eaton stores somewgere in 30's.
I'm far too young to remember them in those days ,but they do pop up on gun shows in Ontario on regular bases.
This one however,is much better looking ,it possibly was modified much further by one of the owners or it's a modification done by someone else.
How is barrel set in the receiver?If it threads into receiver via short stub with a set screw visible underneath ,than chances are you have Eatons model.

Maybe someone else is more familiar with Cooey Carcanos?

[NoDakJak]

Buckshot I picked up a pretty good 7.35 Carcano a couple months ago. Could yo share some insight into loads and boolits that you found satisfactory? The barrel in this looks pretty good and should be a good shooter. Neil

[roverboy]

I saw a M38 a year or so ago at a gunshow and it was sportered ugly. Looks like somebody carved the stock with a dull knife. I was interested in it, but the action had been strapped at the door for safety and the guy wouldn't open it. I couldn't look at the bore. So I passed on it. By the way Uncle Grinch great looking rifle there!

[Nelsdou44]

Great looking wood and somebody certainly went into the effort to add new front and rear sights too.

I picked up a naked Carcano action to someday barrel in 35 Rem. Feeds fine using the clips, just holds 5 instead of 6. Now if I could just find a sweet sporter stock like that......

[semtav]

..............That's sure a sweet looking little rifle, or carbine? Appears that whoever did it, did it very well. BRP makes a mould of the Lee 6.5mm 'Kurtz' group buy we did a couple years back and they're showing 130grs @ .269". Also a copy of the 268469 @ 140gr and the same OD.

http://www.fototime.com/B55472729A707A9/standard.jpg

The Kurtz group buy would be the one on the left, with the CM on the right. As done for the Lee GB they'd drop right around .269" and a tad over .270" with straight lino. In the photo both are seated to engrave in my M96 Swede. That little sporter of yours deserves some thoughtfull load work. I'd also get some of the Hornady 160gr RNSP slugs.

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



Just a small point on the BRP copy of the Kurtz. they are not exactly the same. the Brp has a different nose and the grooves/lands are different.

I'm still shooting up some manleyJT gave me and haven't shot any of the BRP bullets yet.

[Buckshot]

Buckshot I picked up a pretty good 7.35 Carcano a couple months ago. Could yo share some insight into loads and boolits that you found satisfactory? The barrel in this looks pretty good and should be a good shooter. Neil

.............The 7.35mm's have very tight chambers (as a rule) I've heard, and mine certainly does. The groove of my M38 is .301" and I just about thought I was going to have to turn the casenecks to be able to chamber a round with a .301" cast slug, let alone .302"!

http://www.fototime.com/058EDB5DDBDF445/standard.jpg

These 9 loads are about the sum total of the cast lead I've used in the 7.35 x 51. They were all 5 rounds @ 50 yards. Brass was the Privi 6.5 x 52 with their necks opened up. The boolit used was the Lee C309-150R & 160. They were lube-sized .308" and then run up through a ho-made .301" die. I'll post the loads and velocities for the above tomorrow. Some of those were running at and just over 2,000 fps. The sights were a problem for me, having to bury the front blade in the rear notch the same from shot to shot.

1) 8.0 Red Dot, 1286/11/30 .............150gr Lee, no filler
2) 17.0 2400, 1827/12/28 ................150gr Lee, dacron
3) 17.0 2400, 1810/22/44 ................ 160gr Lee, no filler
4) 17.0 2400, 1842/16/32 ............... 160gr Lee, dacron
5) 23.0 H4198, 2009/7/17 ................ 160gr Lee, dacron
6 & 8) Same load different filler. Load #6) 32.0gr Surp IMR4895 ..... 160gr Lee GREX, 2072/21/56. Load #8) Dacron, 2064/34/80
7) 17.0 2400, 1824/13/35 Guess I REALLY liked that load :-) 160gr Lee, dacron
9) 12.0 SR7625, 1583/6/15 ...............160gr Lee, no filler

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

[Bret4207]

Mike, that's the very best looking Carcano I've ever seen!

[NoDakJak]

That is definetly the finest looking Carcano that I have ever seen. A couple years ago I saw another that approached the apparent quality of this one in a pawn shop down in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Unfortunately I had just spent my money on molds. During the past 55 years I have owned several hundred rifles including several Carcanos. I never lavished the money on them that I did on several Springfields and Mausers but considered them to be good, dependable pickup guns but not really worthy of spending any money to improve. It has been said that you can't make a silk purse out a sows ear but by golly seeing this rifle makes me think that saying does not always apply! Neil

[NoDakJak]

Buckshot: I have been perusing your entry several times. Most interesting! I had never realized how tight those barrels actually were. I reckon my first step will be to slug the barrel and then fire up the lathe. I have previously made a couple crude dies for case forming but a boolit sizer is new territory.
I am amazed that you are able to fire such good groups with the factory sights. You have some really good looking groups there, especially the Red Dot and 7625 loads. Neil