Just found my latest victim, 36 carcano

[Evoken]

Found the next project for me and the little man, a 1936 6.5 carcano. The rifle is complete with the exception of the butt pad and rear swivel socket. Bore is decent, not great not bad. Outside metal is pretty rough. Stock is decent, lots of chatter marks from however they milled it. Only main issue I've found so far is someone stripped the rear sight's mounting screws and had it attached with some type of goop.

I've already got it stripped down to a barreled action and started cleaning her up. This one is going to require a full strip down and reblue I think. The springs in the mag feel good and strong and the bolt looks decent. The trigger and sear parts look good although rusty. Not sure if I will smooth the stock out or leave the original milling marks.

I bought one box of ammo for it, ppu at 35$, ouch. So I need to source the butt plate, sling lug, some clips, brass, and a set of dies and I will be set.

[Adam Helmer]

Evoken,

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. In 1958, at the age of 13, I bought my first military surplus rifle, a 7.35MM M1938 Carcano with Finish "SA" marks for $13.88. I later got a few 6.5MM Carcanos.

Lee makes dies and PPU brass is decent for reloading. I will check my stash and may have a clip or two to help you out. Send me a PM with your address and then watch your mailbox.

Adam

[Evoken]

Mr. Helmer,
Thank you for the offer. I will send you my info in a bit. I have had good luck with lee dies for the surplus cartridges. I don't necessarily prefer them, but adding a new cartridge is somewhat difficult in today's market.

[Evoken]

Can anyone tell me just what model this thing is? Looking for parts and there are more models than I thought. The hex receiver is stamped F.Na Brecsia(sp?) On the top and 1936- XIV on the bolt side. Has a 36 stamped on the bottom. It is a carbine and the stock has the recess for a cleaning kit.

[Evoken]

Got it all torn down and started carding off the rust scale. So far cleaning up nicely. All the internals look pretty good, just some minor surface rust.

I've got some of the small parts in a tub of evaporust to get cleaned up and reblued.

[444ttd]

i got this one at an auction last year or so for $100. i tore it down and i cleaned it up and i put it into my safe. she is #7 or #8 of rifles i have to build.

6.5 carcano

[Evoken]

Nice, they are neat little things. Someone cut the stock of yours real short.

Got mine cleaned up some more and slugged the barrel. The outer comes in at .270 and the inner is .257. She is gonna be a cast only it looks like.

The wood is very nice under all that old crud. I started sanding some of the chatter marks
out and it is some type of really nicely grained red wood.

From what I can surmise it is an m91 carbine.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Can anyone tell me just what model this thing is? Looking for parts and there are more models than I thought. The hex receiver is stamped F.Na Brecsia(sp?) On the top and 1936- XIV on the bolt side. Has a 36 stamped on the bottom. It is a carbine and the stock has the recess for a cleaning kit.

I have this carbine in 6.5 mm. The Italians had the model with the folding bayonet in WW I and it was called the 91 Carbine. They tried to switch to the 7.35 mm for WW II, but the logistics proved too much and they stayed with the 6.5mm. The 7.35 mm version was called the 38 Carbine (1938). Since yours appears to have been made in 1936, prior to the attempted caliber change, it is a 91 carbine. Thousands of the M1938 rifles were sent to Finland for use against the Soviets. They are stamped "SA" which is the Finnish Army property stamp. They were also given rifles/carbines in 6.5 mm, which bear the same SA marking, but which are less commonly found in the US.

Production of all models of the Carcano resumed in 6.5mm after the decision to discontinue the 7.35mm and return to the 6 .5mm, so it is possible to find 6.5 mm carbines made after 1938, which would then be 91 carbines. Brescia, an Italian city, was the location and name of a government arsenal, and many Italian rifles bear that mark. F.Na is an abbreviation and translates to "National Factory." Other arsenals were located at Turin, Gardone V.T. (Beretta), and Terni.

The folding bayonet carbine was a favorite of WW I cavalry, and in WW II was widely used by light infantry. The Italians suffered heavy defeats in N. Africa where hundreds of thousands surrendered, and many of their rifles stayed behind and were subsequently imported into the US by surplus arms dealers. When the Italians dropped out of the Axis Alliance many of these carbines and other models were appropriated by the Germans. I have a photo of the Volksturm carrying the folding bayonet carbine for the last ditch defense of Berlin where it was used as a single shot due to a lack of clips.

DG

[Evoken]

Got a bit more done. Stock is stripped and ready for refinish. I found one ineligible circle mark and numbers that match the receiver. Got the bolt and mag box cleaned up and removed rust and old bluing. The receiver was full of old grease/gunk so I let it soak in degreaser overnight. It is now ready to be stripped and cleaned real well.

Most of the parts are cleaning up well, although I will not be able to get all of the pitting out for fear of removing too much material.

[Evoken]

Here is the receiver all degreased and the rear site which I started bluing.

[Pressman]

The outside of your rifle is looking great, but what about the bore? Have you checked it with a bore scope? I have owned several, and still own a rifle and carbine, and none of them would shoot. Pretty outside and totally rusted out bores.
They just take up space in my gunroom now.
The 1st one I owned I had rebarrelled and that turned into a major project because of sloppy Italian machining on the receiver.
I have a complete action that I keep the dream alive with, someday having a true 6.5mm barrel installed and chambered for the Carcano round. Someday.

Lot's more Carcano activity here: https://www.gunboards.com/forums/ita...arms-forum.10/

[n.h.schmidt]

For Jacked bullets you can size down 270 bullets .They are .277 dia. My 6.5 M38 has a bore size of .271 I have sized down 130 grain flat base bullets. Just a sizing die and press needed. I did it on a Lee challenger press. About the same effort as FL sizing 30-06 cases. Bullets sized this way shoot well in my rifle. 3" at 100 yds.

[Evoken]

The outside of your rifle is looking great, but what about the bore? Have you checked it with a bore scope? I have owned several, and still own a rifle and carbine, and none of them would shoot. Pretty outside and totally rusted out bores.
They just take up space in my gunroom now.
The 1st one I owned I had rebarrelled and that turned into a major project because of sloppy Italian machining on the receiver.
I have a complete action that I keep the dream alive with, someday having a true 6.5mm barrel installed and chambered for the Carcano round. Someday.

Lot's more Carcano activity here: https://www.gunboards.com/forums/ita...arms-forum.10/

So far it looks ok with just a light shined down it. Not perfect, but better than the mosin and way better than the lithgow .303. It slugged at .270, so I am planning on starting with some sized down .270 boolits. We shall see when it is all back together.

If it turns out to be a bust, I will send it down the road perhaps.

[Uncle Grinch]

I’m currently out of the Carcano business as I have been cutting back on my “odd” rifles. I’ve had 6 or 7 over the last 50 years and enjoyed them immensely. My last one was in 7.35 caliber. I had sold my mould and cast items , but still had brass and dies. Had my gunsmith make a swageing die from a Lee .277 cast bullet sizing die. I could run 30 caliber FMJ bullets thru it and they came out at .300 caliber. It made a decent range rifle, but was a lot of work.