Free Carcano!
- Thread starter Norseman
- Start date
Good looking gun.
It should have a straight bolt handle. It was either bent, or swapped from a carbine.
If you want to shoot it, and you handload, it's no big deal. Brass, bullets and dies can be found and are not expensive. The clips abound on eBay and elsewhere.
It should have a straight bolt handle. It was either bent, or swapped from a carbine.
If you want to shoot it, and you handload, it's no big deal. Brass, bullets and dies can be found and are not expensive. The clips abound on eBay and elsewhere.
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
The 6.5 Carcano is easy to get components for and is actually a very effecient cartridge.And it's incredibly loud out of a carbine.
And it's incredibly loud out of a carbine.
You got that right!! I have one of those nasty little carbines in 7.35. The first time I fired it, I was shooting alongside and pretty much parallel to a building (it was a nasty Sask. winter day). Wah!!!! One shot was enough! No wonder the Italians gave up early!
You got that right!! I have one of those nasty little carbines in 7.35. The first time I fired it, I was shooting alongside and pretty much parallel to a building (it was a nasty Sask. winter day). Wah!!!! One shot was enough! No wonder the Italians gave up early!
I couldn't find Hornady ammo up here OR Privi Partisan either. Both are available at reasonable prices Stateside but don't appear to be available here. I have a friend who's a dealer and he had no listing for it from either supplier. I reload so it wasn't a real big issue as I had a couple boxes of Norma ammo already, but wanted a few extra spare cases so I went searching. A fellow GN member put me onto a dealer in the U.S. that stocks all kinds of REASONABLY priced brass. I ordered a bunch of new Privi Partisan brass from a dealer in the U.S which cost me approx. $41.00 INCLUDING shipping(per 100 cases) and have been banging away regularily with a carbine my uncle brought back from Sicily and a rough wartime production but never issued 91 long rifle. The brass seems just fine. I've never had any problems with Privi brass for 7X57, 6.5 X 55 or 7.62 X 54R and have been reloading all those calibres for at least 15 years. Not one split case or problem of any kind. Buy yourself some used reloading gear and some new brass if you want to start shooting Carcanos. The cost per round won't exceed .50 cents if you use sensibly priced bullets. I've had guys tell me that you need to use .268 diameter bullets or they don't shoot accurately, but I use the same 140 grain .264 diameter bullets I use in my Swedes and Krags and both of these seem to shoot just fine. The guys are right about LOUD though with the carbines. If it was carbine you had, it would shock you. That little 18.5 inch barrel is nasty with muzzleblast. The long rifles like yours are not bad though. Post a wanted ad in the parts and pieces EE and you'll have a member or two offer to sell you a few clips. That's where I purchased an extra 3 or 4 for mine and there were several other members who offered to sell me some more. Good luck with the old rifle. Neat piece of history for sure.
Hey, guys, I bought my first Carcano 3 months BEFORE LHO bought his! Do I really need to worry that the CIA might have me on a "list"?
Actually, I have found that the terrific muzzle blast of the Carcano Carbine CAN be tamed very easily. What you do is realize that the ammo as loaded is designed for a 31-inch barrel, and that any ammo thus designed is GOING to give a huge blast in a 17-inch tube, of which only about 14 is actual rifling.
I go outside the regular books and have been loading ammo for my assorted Carbines and TS rifles with a very fast powder, to wit, 4198, and a 140-grain Remington bullet. Works fine. By keeping the loadings relatively mild, muzzle blast is cut right down and accuracy is considerably UP, running about 2 inches in a Model 38 6.5mm Carbine built in either 1942 (if you're a normal person) or XX (if you're a Fascist and counting from the re-founding of the Roman Empire).
BTW, same ammo is giving groups slightly over one inch from a Model 41 rifle.. In passing, the 41 was the only Carcano made with constant-pitch rifling. All other Carcanos used gain-twist rifling. Bullet diameter for the Carcano is supposed to be .267 or .268, but I find that if you use fast powder, you can kick a .264 hard enough on the base to give some upset, hence the quite acceptable accuracy.
Keep your loads sane, but DO have fun.
Carcanos are one of the few really fun things left that hasn't been banned, so go to it!
Actually, I have found that the terrific muzzle blast of the Carcano Carbine CAN be tamed very easily. What you do is realize that the ammo as loaded is designed for a 31-inch barrel, and that any ammo thus designed is GOING to give a huge blast in a 17-inch tube, of which only about 14 is actual rifling.
I go outside the regular books and have been loading ammo for my assorted Carbines and TS rifles with a very fast powder, to wit, 4198, and a 140-grain Remington bullet. Works fine. By keeping the loadings relatively mild, muzzle blast is cut right down and accuracy is considerably UP, running about 2 inches in a Model 38 6.5mm Carbine built in either 1942 (if you're a normal person) or XX (if you're a Fascist and counting from the re-founding of the Roman Empire).
BTW, same ammo is giving groups slightly over one inch from a Model 41 rifle.. In passing, the 41 was the only Carcano made with constant-pitch rifling. All other Carcanos used gain-twist rifling. Bullet diameter for the Carcano is supposed to be .267 or .268, but I find that if you use fast powder, you can kick a .264 hard enough on the base to give some upset, hence the quite acceptable accuracy.
Keep your loads sane, but DO have fun.
Carcanos are one of the few really fun things left that hasn't been banned, so go to it!
A friend game me some loads using Norma brass and 268 diameter bullets. The would not chamber in my Carcano. I use the .264 bullet and she shoots quite fine. I also started out with Dominion & Imperial 6.5 X 54 Mann. 160gr ammo. Once they were fire formed I trimmed off the excess and have been happily loading 140gr bullets for years.
Tex sends
Tex sends
Since you have this Carcano, why not take it out and shoot it.
Ammo can be difficult to get but it can be done.
If you want boxed ammo, I think EPPS has 6.5x52 .
If you want to reload, the components are available.
You'll need 6.5x52 brass, dies made for the Carcano, powder, primers & Hornady carcano bullets.
I have a carbine which I'm trying to work up a load for.
I find the reloading component .268 Hornady Carcano bullets pricey at $42 per 100, so I'm trying to get a bullet mold to cast .268 lead slugs.
I have a US contact that can ship the brass to you at a reasonable price.
Contact me if you want that info or if you decide you want to sell the Carcano.
Ammo can be difficult to get but it can be done.
If you want boxed ammo, I think EPPS has 6.5x52 .
If you want to reload, the components are available.
You'll need 6.5x52 brass, dies made for the Carcano, powder, primers & Hornady carcano bullets.
I have a carbine which I'm trying to work up a load for.
I find the reloading component .268 Hornady Carcano bullets pricey at $42 per 100, so I'm trying to get a bullet mold to cast .268 lead slugs.
I have a US contact that can ship the brass to you at a reasonable price.
Contact me if you want that info or if you decide you want to sell the Carcano.
