1940 Carcano Cavalry Carbine
Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and since I just became an official collector (once you have more than one of something...right?) I figured I'd see what you all thought of the guns I have.
The first gun I owned was one that I inherited after my grandfather passed about a decade ago. I'll admit, my teenage self picked the prettiest gun when my grandma told us that we each got our choice -- and as I discovered later, it's a Carcano. My adult self appreciates guns for much different reasons now. I also recently acquired a Polish Mosin Nagant (thus my collector status), but that is neither here nor there, since we're in the Italian forums.
It's, as far as I can tell from my Internet sleuthing, a Carcano M38 cavalry carbine. The markings (as you'll see in meh pictures below) show "F.N.A. Brescia", "40-XVIII", and "XH6197", which I'm aware indicates where it was made, the year, and the serial number. It has the adjustable sight but its missing the bayonet. I believe, from what I've read either here or elsewhere, that there should be a cleaning rod accessible in through the butt plate, but I have not dissembled the gun that far, and can't get it open otherwise. It bears scratches from previous attempts and I wasn't willing to go that far myself. The only markings I see on it beyond the ones I mentioned are an AX carved into the stock.
My grandfather worked at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri between 1951 and 1978 and acquired the weapon sometime from "a guy" on base. My dad knows he had it by around 1965-1968 but could be as early as 1960. He wasn't sure.
So I'm going to post up some pictures, confirm for me that this is what I think it is, and is it possible to reattach a bayonet easily? I'm guessing no but I figured I'd check. Anything else you see that bears mentioning, please do.
The first ammo I had with this was probably war surplus my grandpa got with the gun. We bought some several years ago and it worked fine, but the most recent Hornady 6.5mm 160 gr will fire but won't eject. I have to knock them out with the cleaning rod I have. Any ideas on what the issue is?
And now, pictures.
And the last two pictures are just behind the serial number. Any idea what those markings are?
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201142.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201742.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201206.jpg
[IMG}http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll72/Kalistrata/20120531_201217.jpg[/IMG]
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201227.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201323.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201759.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201824.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201847.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201905.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201914.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201941.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_201954.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_202042.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_202020.jpg
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/l...531_202010.jpg
Thanks for any advice, tips, help you provide! Hope the pictures are not too terrible...
The very mixed-up M38 moschetto story
Thank you for the invitation jmoore, but there's not a lot to add to what you have already written.
Firstly: the Moschetto M38 d.c. was in 7.35 mm and fitted with the simple fixed backsight. And in Brescia it was apparently only made in this form in 1938, in the series range Ixxxx. But things got complicated later....
This looks like an Moschetto M91 d.c. with the adjustable backsight, and should therefore be in the usual 6.5 mm Carcano chambering.
So how is this to be explained?
The answer is, the Itaians 1) abandoned the 7.35 mm under the pressure of war requirements, and 2) abandoned the fixed backsight in 1940, going back to the sight which you see here, and then introducing the M91/41 which finally abandoned the gain-twist barrel. And some of the 7.35mm M38s were also converted back to 6.5mm. Plus some were made with new barrels and some were converted from old M91 rifles.
In a word, with these carbines you will find just about all combinations of barrel, chambering, backsight and reworking that the the Carcano family can provide! So please, dear readers, no comments about what is regarded as "correct" - it was wartime, and as must always be remembered, the arsenals were not producing weapons for collectors! The whole story is covered over 400 pages in a German book, and this post is truly a very small extract from a very well researched work.
Finally, these carbines (at least over here) only fetch wallhanger prices, and putting it back into the original configuration is ACWOTAM - IMOH, of course.
:wave:
Patrick