Was it in 1938 that they went from the Hex to the Round barrel shank?
Not necessarily according to this page
https://personal.stevens.edu/~gliberat/carcano/models.html
Please note that the round barrel base (instead of the old half-octagonal configuration with five facets on the upper side and a round base) was already introduced way before 1938 for the last M91 carbines and is not a sign for a M91/38 model in and by itself.
What defines the M38 (other than the 7.35mm and the fixed sight)?
Would my 1941 Brescia with the adjustable sight not be a M91 while the fixed sight models are the M38?
Also, it's not true that m38 moschetto's don't have progressive rifling in general. Some might have fixed rate rifling, not sure, but the ones I've recently measured, including the gardone VT I have in front of me measure out to be progressive. Not the eyeball check, I checked twist at both ends and the rifling is faster on the muzzle end.
Was it in 1938 that they went from the Hex to the Round barrel shank?
Thats because lots of m38s actually started life out as m91 moschetto cavalerias. Hexagonal barrel facets were machined round and only the old serial number was restamped onto the barrel, along with the sight and bayonet conversions. A true from the ground up m38 moschetto de cavelleria will have normal rifling.
I still need to figure out how to raise my front sight enough so I can hit a piece of bristol board at 100 yards. I'm thinking about JB Welding on an vertical piece of soft metal to the front sight and then filing it down until I can hit paper.
I'm open to ideas - I really want to hit what I'm aiming at. 8" group would be acceptable. 6" group preferred.
I'm going to do the same as I did with my first Carcano. I just bought JB weld and gobbed it on then brought a set of small files to the range with me. I sanded it down shot by shot until my POA and POI were the same. The JB weld is a medium grey colour, so it doesn't stand out too-too bad. I wasn't able to find myself a new front post, so this was the route I went. Not the most pretty, but neither is the gun![]()
Same you do basically with the K11, 1896/11 and the rest. They offer different inserts in the US but who wants to bother ordering anything gun related.
Great idea with the JB weld and filing it down. I always shoot at the low part of the target at 100m, now I have the badace mount and a LER scope, haven't tested it yet.
Funny you mention that because I actually ordered the correct (adjusted for 100y) front sight post for my K11. I would have ordered a new calibrated front sight for the Carcano as well if they'd been readily available and decently priced
Some people are buying tall swede Mauser front sights from Brownells, filing the site to make it fit the dovetail, and then filing it down at the range until it prints for elevation at 100m with the preferred load.
It's an option.
Anybody else get one with a rack number on the butt? Looks like paper held on with steel tacks. Would have been great if brass like the Mexicans did.




























