Cooey Carcano

[yumastepside]

I'll probably get shot for putting this here but.....Does anyone have one of the Canadian made Cooey Carcano's converted to 6.5x54MS with the stubbed barrel ?
I'm looking for the diameter of the barrel shank where it is threaded into the existing " chamber " stub.



I had a friend measure it for me once but I can't find it....

Roger

[tiriaq]

I just rebarreled one to 7.62x39. I'll have to dig out the take-off 6.5 barrel. Will measure it.

[browningautorifle]

I just rebarreled one to 7.62x39.

That would be very neat too...

[tiriaq]

The 7.62x39 rounds fit the chargers. A spacer bock may or may not be needed to feed. I used a Savage take-off .30-06 barrel. My reamer pilot fit the bore easily, so I am not concerned about it being a .30 caliber barrel. Fired M43 cartridge case is perfectly normal, but steel case hard extraction can be an issue. A Lee Enfield barrel also works.

I measured GO gauge projection from the 6.5x54 barrel, and reamed the 7.62 barrel until I achieved the same projection with the 7.62 GO gauge. Turned the barrel in to the gauge. It is tight i the threads, the little set screw is not needed.

The take-off barrel has these dimensions:
0.812" diameter; no shoulder.
Threads are 20tpi. About 1 1/16" of threads.

[yumastepside]

Thanks for that.
I thought about the 7.62x39 but did one on a '93 Mauser instead, so I fitted a 35 cal barrel to one of my Carcano's and used the x54 case. The pic ( L to R ) is 35 Rem, 35 Carcano and 30-30 Win.



I then made stock patterns for the pantograph for both.



I haven't tried the 35 yet as I am still finishing them up

Roger

[browningautorifle]

Fired M43 cartridge case is perfectly normal, but steel case hard extraction can be an issue

I can't imagine why, it must be ongoing for you. I'd ask about the chamber but I'll bet you have it polished like a mirror...wonder why some types stick and others don't?

[tiriaq]

That .35x54 looks like a really interesting wildcat.
Biggest issue with a Carcano is scope mounting. An offset mount is required.

[#1oilman]

I have a magazine article somewhere on the Cooey reworked Carcano rifles, I believe they were sold by either Eaton's or Sears department stores. If memory serves me correctly they claim they were very unsafe to fire!

[tiriaq]

It is a myth that they were unsafe to fire. You will also hear that the new barrel is retained by the little set screw.
Now these were set up in 6.5x54MS. If one is fired with 6.5x52MC, there is a huge headspace issue, and primers will be really flattened.

[#1oilman]

I had mentioned in an earlier post about an article I had read regarding the Cooey Carcano and was basically poo pooed for my post! Well here it is, the article appears in Historical Arms Series No. 28, published by Museum Restoration Service put out by the late James Gooding. The article written by John Belton entitled Cooey Firearms Made in Canada 1919-1979 reads as follows;
[B] Eaton's6.5mm Carcano Contract Cooey under contract to the T. Eaton Co. of Toronto, undertook to convert a large group of surplus Italian Carcano military rifles to sporting rifles. They are simply marked 6.5mm. Alterations included a new barrel chambered for 6.5 x 53.5 Mannlicher Schoenauer, a double set trigger mechanism, the addition to the original carbine military stock of a checkered pistol grip, front sight, filling of the stock nose, filling of location of the lower military sling swivel, finishing stock, turn down bolt handle and stamp 6.5mm on the knoxform of receiver. The writer has three variations of this arm, one known specimin bears serial number 204. Contemporary 6.5 x 53.5 Mannlicher-Schoenaeur ammunition was not recommended. Special ammunition was manufactured by C-I-L in the early 1930s for Eaton's. It was marketed in pink labelled bi-lingual, two piece boxes of twenty rounds, head-stamped R6.5mm or just 6.5 mm.
Not long after introduction, serious accidents, and it is believed deaths, occurred with these arms. Litigation occurred and Eaton's attempted to recall them. While now a collector's item, under no circumstances should anyone shoot this weak actioned combination.

So here you have it believe it or not!