I've got a thing for odd milsurp rifles or really beat up ones. I saw corwin arms had a volksstrum carcano in 8mm a few months back for around 370 dollars if I recall but didnt have the cash at the time. I've never seen another one for sale and now I'm wondering if they are just rare and I missed it but admittedly I am quite new to the milsurp market. Thanks for any info!
are Volksstrum 8mm carcanos hard to come by?
- Thread starter 7.62xfun
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You sure that was a Carcano?
I know that the German Army in Italy issued Carcanos to their rear-echelon troops after the Italians surrendered in '43, but I thought they were all in standard 6.5mm or 7.65mm, not converted for 8mm Mauser??
I know that the German Army in Italy issued Carcanos to their rear-echelon troops after the Italians surrendered in '43, but I thought they were all in standard 6.5mm or 7.65mm, not converted for 8mm Mauser??
I went back and googled vollsstrum 8mm carcano and unless I am completely reading it wrong it is 100% a carbine carcano that was rebarreled to 8mm mauser and used extensively by the volksstrum in the closing months of the war. Basically german last ditch rifles.
Most of my old International Firearms catalogues are long gone but I'm pretty sure that they did offer limited numbers of Carcanos in 8X57S at some point in the late 70's or so ?? Maybe someone can verify this for us, maybe I'm just having a brainfart of some kind.
I have heard of carcanos converted to the 8mm and I recall seeing the one at Corwin. I came across an article on them when looking up anything on M95ms and M95/24s (my favourite) I will try to find the article and post it, but this was some time ago.
Eaglelord17
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There were some for the Volksturm which used a unique clip for the magazine. There was also some converted to 8mm for some Middle East customers as well. I would have to find out where I put my book on Carcanos to give more detail.
Just went though the 7.92 Carcano section in Weaver.
The Italians made and issued 7.92 Carcanos to Italian troops fighting in the Soviet Union. These were repeaters.
There were German conversions (rebored and rechambered, not rebarrelled) done by/for Germany. In Brescia and by Krieghoff.
The converted rifles were not considered to be successful. Inaccurate with heavy recoil. Most were single shot, with a block of wood filling the magazine. Sights were altered for a fixed 200m zero.
Limited numbers. Conversion program was in 1945; hampered by shortage of boring and rifling machines.
Unlikely to have been Volkssturm issue; more likely police & auxiliary use.
There were other 7.92 conversions. Greek and Egyptian.
I would suggest that an authenticated German conversion would be a rare bird indeed.
The Italians made and issued 7.92 Carcanos to Italian troops fighting in the Soviet Union. These were repeaters.
There were German conversions (rebored and rechambered, not rebarrelled) done by/for Germany. In Brescia and by Krieghoff.
The converted rifles were not considered to be successful. Inaccurate with heavy recoil. Most were single shot, with a block of wood filling the magazine. Sights were altered for a fixed 200m zero.
Limited numbers. Conversion program was in 1945; hampered by shortage of boring and rifling machines.
Unlikely to have been Volkssturm issue; more likely police & auxiliary use.
There were other 7.92 conversions. Greek and Egyptian.
I would suggest that an authenticated German conversion would be a rare bird indeed.
I owned one that I think I bought from P&S Militaria in Dec 2004 for $150, and then sold about five years ago. I shot it several times. I managed to make up an "enbloc", "clip", or whatever it should be called, and it sort of worked. I never had concern about it being "weak", as the Carcano is among the strongest actions made, but that didn't stop the 8th hand stories of "kabooms". I have not seen another since.
I kept the pic from the P&S Militaria Website:
I kept the pic from the P&S Militaria Website:
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