38 Carcano 6.5 Carbine 1940

[3screwsloose]

I just bought a 1940 Terni manufactured 6.5 Carcano carbine with the fixed rear sight for peanuts. Bore seemed pretty good on it but the bolt was a mismatch - it had electropencil on it for 4 digits. Wood matched the receiver/barrel numbers however. I know these are a bit of a mixed bag with people. How do they shoot? Anyone shooting a cast slug out of them? I'm limited to caliber restriction here in S/W Ontario so it at least can get out hunting.

 

[Matt Fontaine]

I own and shoot several Carcanos, and all of them will do 2" or better, 5 shot groups, at 100 meters. You need to be aware that the Carcano does not use a .264" bullet like the Swedish Mauser, but a .268" bullet. The standard bullet is a 160gr Round-nose(Hornady makes them). I've never used cast in them, but if the bore is good and bullet sized properly, I'm sure they would do just fine. They are also damn near indestructible, but can be a bit annoying to use because of the clip-feed Mannlicher system

 

[goldidig]

Guys, I just checked an ORIGINAL box of 1936 Italian ball ammo and miked the bullets. Guess what! They were .264 NOT .268!!! That surprised me as I was always told they were .268! I just checked a box of Norma loads as well and YUP! .264 as well! I have been loading Hornady.264's with no issues for quite a number of years now. I don't usually shoot the carcanos past 100 - 150 yards but have never seen any accuracy problems at those ranges. I have heard of some guys complaining about accuracy issues but like all wartime mass produced rifles, maybe there can be a wide variety of bore diameters. I know Lee Enfields can exhibit a wide range. ;-) Maybe I have been lucky enough to have 2 Carcanos with tight bores? My rifles also have very excellent bores and are not worn. I expect a worn bore may cause some serious accuracy issues with .264 diameter as well. I have never shot cast out of any of my 6.5's but I'd like to see someone post who does.
Al
First photo is the original ball ammo( NO I DIDN'T OPEN IT!! I bought this surplus stuff unsealed years ago) and the Norma ammo

This pic is of the micrometers on the Italian Issue ammo showing exactly .264

Next is Norma at .2635

The Hornady bullets I use measure .2635 to .264 and Privi Partisan 6.5 bulk bullets are a perfect .264 everytime. Both shoot fine in my rifles.

 

[Drachenblut]

Very interesting...

 

[muzzleblastm38]

be carfull of the rifling with cast bullet ,it's a gain stist rifling. and i slug my barrel of my m38 and it's 269'' .the grouping with 264'' terrible

 

[muzzleblastm38]

by the way if you find a good mold , post where did you find it