Carcano!

[Daniel Keefe]

Hello friends! How would one identify a carcano? My apologies. I have looked it up. I am going to measure its length I'm gonna get a tape measure from work tomorow.

There is what I believe to be the serial number cl2711...

I was told it's the carcano 91/38... but arnt those two different years? Would be be an 1891 or a 1938? Thanks fellas

 

[mustanger98]

91/38 means the took a model 1891 and did 1938 upgrades to it. The Bolsheviks/Soviets did the same to the Mosin-Nagant... 1891 became 91/30. Swedish Mauser... some M96's became 96/38's, I think it was, before they began production of Swedish M38's.

 

[mokin]

That looks like a sporterized Model 91 rifle - the tangent sight is the give away. I think. Mine is a real sweet shooter if I use .268 diameter bullets. Be sure you get a clip to feed it with.

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

Here is a site that has lots of information.

Enjoy

 

[boom boom]

The major issue that you might have a 7.35 Carcano which is difficult to find ammo--check for Finnish Army marks. There were also some 91/38's that were rechambered to 8x57 Mauser by the Germans as a last ditch type weapon. These are reckoned unsafe to fire.

Yours may be a chopped 91 model converted to a carbine. The Italians simply lopped the end of the barrels off--this created some issues in accuracy as the original 91 Fusil (long barrel rifle) was a gain twist bore which means the twist rate changes along the bore. When the Italians or bubba chopped the barrels, it made the twist rate unsuitable for stabilizing the bullets. This is part of the reason the Carcano has a bad reputation. Most carbines were built for WWII use without the gain twist but figuring out the Italians plus other modifiers makes id difficult on a sportered version. Try this website for markings, etc. http://carcano.org/identification/

 

[Daniel Keefe]

I am trying to figure out if it's the 6.52 or not.

I do have clips/magazines for it.

The previous owner never found ammo and couldn't tell me anything but that it was a 91/38

 

[Daniel Keefe]

So although I still want to find out for sure... I've heard ones called 91/38 still shoot 6.52x52 and ones just dubbed 38 are the 7.35 but still I'm not taking that as hard fact

 

[boom boom]

Take some pictures on the rifle barrel and receiver markings as those tell their own story. A top view of the firearm sights would be useful as well. Most of the purpose made carbines have crude fixed rear sights, yours has the older carbine/rifle design sights but without a picture of the top of the sights, I can't tell which sights you have. From the side, it appears that it has the rifle sights for the long barrel which would imply that someone cut the barrel. If it has sporter type front sights, then it was probably Bubba, military front sight, the Italians.

In addition, importers sometimes stamped stuff that is misleading on the rifles. For example, Century used to stamp 1938 on rifles that were made before and after 1938. Have no reason why they did it.

 

[Daniel Keefe]

The rear sight is adjustable. Front is fixed. I was told it's a 91/38 thT has been modded for hunting although I'm pretty sure it's only safety is in turning the bolt.

It's the 6.52x52

 

[Daniel Keefe]

I'll get more pictures after work