My New Carcano

[chief915]

I picked up this rifle yesterday, and done a bit of google searching and reading about it so far. It looks like it's a 41 model based on it's features, but I don't know how to date it to the year of manufacture yet. It seems to be in great shape, other than someone sporterizing the stock.

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Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Eaglelord17]

Your rifle was made at Armaguera in 1943 according to the serial numbers listed in my book on Carcanos. At that point in the war they weren't putting any dates on the rifle.

Other than the stock the bolt has also been bent and blued, which it wouldn't have been coming out of the factory.

[chief915]

Thank you very much for the information!

Another question that I've just thought of...... I thought it was very common, if not required, to stamp the caliber of the firearm somewhere on it.... I know that the vast majority of Carcano's were all 6.5x52, including mine, but this one isn't stamped with a caliber anywhere that I can see.

[Ovidio]

Hi, congratulations for the new rifle.
Have fun with it and shoot it a lot.
Carcanos are fun to shoot!

---------- Post added 03-18-2017 at 12:01 AM ---------- Previous post was 03-17-2017 at 11:58 PM ----------

I just saw your new message.
As I was writing yesterday, there are a few (no idea how many, but here in Italy they have caused quite some concern in the last decades) that have been rebarreled in .264.
Have chamber and barrel checked before shooting.

[Eaglelord17]

Since it has original Italian WWII proofs and markings I wouldn't be worried about it being a .264 barrel (though slugging your barrel is always a good idea). I have also never heard of that issue in North America, as most Italian surplus arrived here well before the 1970s.

Most military rifles don't have calibers stamped on them, that is more a civilian rifle thing (due to many civilian rifles having many calibers but being externally the same). Some Carcanos did have caliber markings on them, mainly due to some models having two different types of calibers but otherwise being identical (mainly M38s).

The reason most militaries don't mark caliber is there just isn't a need unless it was a non-standard caliber (like the British and Canadians painting the ends of P17s to denote them being .30-06).

[Ovidio]

This is a post from Ruggero Pettinelli (probably one of the greatest experts on Carcanos) on an Italian forum a few years ago.

Che io sappia, Piscetta ha per la maggior parte ritubato a .264 le canne, più che sostituirle. Quindi, i marchi esterni saranno gli stessi della canna originale. In 6,5 mm, sempre a quanto mi risulta, le anime della tubatura avevano 6, ma anche 4 principi, quindi non è che sia facilissimo riconoscerle. In 7,35 mm, invece, hanno senz'altro 6 righe, ma ovviamente non sono a .264!
Diciamo subito che un fucile 38 che NON ha i marchi del banco di prova di Gardone, ma bensì di un banco straniero, generalmente avrà la canna originale e non ritubata, perché Piscetta (ovviamente) li faceva poi bancare a Gardone.
Secondariamente, occorre controllare che la canna, nella zona tra lo zoccolo del mirino e la culatta, non abbia tracce di saldatura sui lati e sotto. Questo perché i 38 e soprattutto i 41 che erano stati ritubati erano quelli che uscivano da Terni con la spinatura della camera di cartuccia. Le spine venivano rimosse e i fori coperti con opportune saldature. Malgrado la ribrunitura, le saldature si vedono.

He says that the .264 barrels had 6 but also in some cases 4 grooves.
A rifle with a foreign proof marking will almost certainly be original, since Piscetta had them all marked at Gardone, Italy.
In any case, check the barrel between the rear sight attachment and the breach. If you see signs of weldings, on the sides and underneath, the rifle might be one of those rebarreled ones.
Usually Piscetta seems to have taken the rifles that were made inert by putting a spike in the chamber removing the spike and closing the holes with a weld.
Pettinelli states that mostly the barrels have not been changed but "ritubate", which is a different thing (I'm no expert, sorry).
I guess the barrels have been worked and fitted with a tighter inner tube afterwards.
In any case, the original markings remained, making it difficult to recognize a false rifle.
Mostly 41, but also 38.
I'll keep looking for info when time allows.
Anyway, since being sure is better than being hurt, I would check.......

[chief915]

Guys, I really appreciate all of the information and pointers!

I haven't actually slugged the barrel yet, I have to pick up a small rod to drive the slug through first. But, I measured the muzzle quickly with my calipers and got .268. I will slug it properly tomorrow to be sure. I don't see any type of welding or anything that looks out of place.

Can anyone tell me what these marks mean? I know the QF6722 is the serial number and the crown is a proof mark that it has been tested.... I'm curious about the RE or RF, the circular stamp above the 2, and the circular mark above the crown. Also, in the top right of this picture, is that another type of stamp/marking or is it just a gouge?

[Ovidio]

Hi, check on Storia del fucile 91. There is a section about all possible markings.
You should find them all.

[Theoldbear]

Looking for a double trigger assemble for my Cooey /
Carcano 6.5 x 54 M.S. or a pats gun or a barreled action. All I need is the trigger guard through to the trigger sear assemble with the double triggers in good working order the rest doesn't matter as I have a pristine gun with a lovely custom stocks. Can anyone help out there or I'm I going to have to put it back to a single trigger as I have all the parts to do that. Thank You.
Best Regards
Fred Thompson