My 1st Carcano

[hcso617]

Ok, I pulled the trigger on a M91-38 Carcano. The dealer wouldn't take a scanned copy of my C&R so I put it in the mail today. I'll let you know when it arrives and take more pictures. The picture posted is the rifle I bought.

 

[GCBurner]

Looks like a decent Model 91/38. Is it 6.5mm, 7.35mm, or one of the German modified 8mm?

 

[dagger dog]

It uses an enbloc clip to hold the cartridges in the mag well (Mannlicher Schoenauer type), if you don't have them it will only operate as a single shot, the 6.5's can be found if you look hard enough, I have never seen any clips in the 7.35 of 8MM.

Mine shot well,not to slick but operable, some say they are junk but L.H. Oswald proved them wrong.

 

[GCBurner]

It uses an enbloc clip to hold the cartridges in the mag well (Mannlicher Schoenauer type), if you don't have them it will only operate as a single shot, the 6.5's can be found if you look hard enough, I have never seen any clips in the 7.35 of 8MM.

MIne shot well,not to slick but operable, some say they are junk but L.H. Oswald proved them wrong.

The same clip works for all of the calibres. It's a light, handy little carbine, and though the sights aren't much, as issued, they generally shoot pretty well. Privi Partisan has plenty of new ammo available in 6.5 Carcano, now, for considerably less than Norma charges.

 

[Well armed]

I had one back in 80's and it wasn't real slick as you say, but was a good shooter and with ~30-30 balistics made a nice woods deer rifle.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

These guns got a bad rep in the 1960s because they were not Mausers or Springfields and decent ammo then (Norma 160gr SP) cost about as much per 20 round box as the asking price of the rifle.

If you accept the fact it is an 1891 design, ammo is reasonably available today and ones made between WWI and WWII are often surprising well made.

 

[NCsmitty]

That looks like a decent rifle, but that's about all one can tell from the picture.
If you plan to reload for it, it is not a standard 6.5mm(.264" dia) bore, it uses .268" dia bullets, and Hornady makes them.
If you plan on factory ammo, then Prvi-Partizan, as was suggested. It's good quality ammo at reasonable cost. At least in 7.62x54R and 6.5x55 Swede that I have used.



NCsmitty

 

[HOWARD J]

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There is the cartridges for my 7.35 in its clip.
Paid a whole $11 for mine

 

[RonE]

First center fire rifle I ever owned was a 7.35 Carcano. I buffed and polished and reblued it and cut and refinished the stock in 1957. Bought the rifle for $6.95 and sold it for $7.50 in 1958. It shot pretty good but I couldn't afford too much ammunition when I was 14 years old.

 

[BrocLuno]

Waiting to see and hear more

 

[HOWARD J]

@RonE

I took off the scope that came on the gun--it was junk
I had the front sight cut off & a better sight installed.
I reblued it with the kits (hot blue) you could buy in the Dept. store--they did a beautiful job unil Uncle Sam said they were too dangerous for us peons. It was an ok deer rifle--good brush gun for MI.

 

[JTH]

This is either the same model or variant used to assasinate JFK. Just for a hostorical reference.
JT

 

[2ndAmFan]

A friend of mine has a WWII bringback 6.5 Carcano without a clip so it's strictly a single shot. For that matter, we didn't know it takes an en bloc clip, thought maybe the mag spring was missing or it had been modified by a previous owner to single shot configuration. In spite of the crude quality of the machining on the sights it's a real shooter. Minute of soda can at 100 yds is easy. He's been looking for parts for a long time and I guess has about given up. I haven't found any either, but then I didn't know what I was looking for...

 

[hcso617]

2ndAm clips are available for approximately $9.00 for different vendors.

 

[GCBurner]

SARCO has Carcano clips for around $5, the last time I checked. I got the proper sling and green leather ammo pouches to go with mine from them, too.
I found the bayonet on eBay.

 

[2ndAmFan]

Thanks. I found some inexpensive ammo, stripper clips, and en bloc clips for it and told my friend about them. If he can find a sling, bayo, etc., so much the better.

 

[.45Guy]

Looks like a 91 or 91/42 to fucile corto specs. Can't tell from the pics, but it looks to have the moschetto rear sight.

 

[.45Guy]

The more I think of it, what is the barrel length? It looks like a 91/28 Moschetto Truppe Speciali. Though it does appear to have a longer barrel...

 

[clamman]

I have one in 7.35 and ammo is very hard to find. I have a 50 cal. can full of the original ammo in factory boxes. Someone told me they are getting close to $40 a box!

 

[GCBurner]

I have one in 7.35 and ammo is very hard to find. I have a 50 cal. can full of the original ammo in factory boxes. Someone told me they are getting close to $40 a box!

Yep, I don't think any of the major manufacturers load for the 7.35 Carcano, it uses an odd diameter bullet unlike anything else available. The 6.5 Carcano is a bit different than other 6.5s, too, but at least Hornady is making those in the correct .268 inch diameter.

With the 7.35, you're pretty much limited to Italian military surplus ammo, which is over 50 years old, and becoming kind of expensive.

 

[hcso617]

Ok it's here and I have more information. This is what is stamped on the barrel (hex portion)
Left side: GARDONE V.I. 1931
Center: Beretta
Right: 14811 with a circle and FF or FB in the middle

The bolt tang top side is stamped: AD 8813
bottom side: 2 (over) F1 or FI
an O or 0 is also stamped on underside of bolt on rail

When you remove the bolt there is a star stamped

The rifle is 36" in total length, fixed front, adjustable rear sights with bayonet lug. Has a cleaning rod screwed in below the barrel, 16.5" long. I removed the butt plate I couldn't see anything. There are no import markings, or ammo type markings anywhere on this rifle. Rifling and bore look very good. There are a few other proofs on the barrel and stock but I can't really make them out, and I don't want to guess.

I've had a few folks tell me I had a few different types, does this help. I can't take any other pictures at the moment.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[JNewell]

Every time I see one of those I think: LHO.

 

[.45Guy]

Yep, 91/28 Moschetto Truppe Speciali. Good buy!