Hey v35 and Der Gebirgsjager

jonk

You guys seemed to offer the only solid advice in my project with the bent Carcano reciever on Nov. 10th. I just posted, that with the very simple method of hitting it with a hammer, I was able to restore the rear of the reciever to it's original shape. I did nick the finish a bit, but it was a mess anyhow. Everyone else has said I shouldn't use the gun; I don't see why not, as the right rear reciever wall doesn't seem to be load bearing; hell, I could cut it off and can't see what the damage would be! The bolt handle doesn't even contact it. I'm thinking of tying it to a tree and firing it remotely via string from behind a dirt mound using some max loads. If it holds, should one consider it safe?

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"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conference in 1899.

Der Gebirgsjager

Can I precede my answer with a disclaimer as to liability? I'm not responsible in any way for what the results of your testfiring this Carcano may be. That having been said (this will no doubt bring down vociferous disagreement from other worthy contributors to the forum!)----if it was mine, I'd do it! I believe that your assessment of the situation is correct. The bolt is front locking, and if the receiver ring was undisturbed it should be as good as ever. I would not proceed if there is any visible cracking anywhere on the receiver. Also, using a magnifying glass, carefully inspect the bolt locking lugs; as we don't know how the rifle got into its damaged condtiton. Personally, when testfiring questionable rifles or shotguns, I use the tire method. I keep an old tire at the shop just for the purpose. I insert the butt into the inside where an inner tube would go (does that date me, or what?) and rest the forestock on the outer wall of the tire on the opposite side. Then I tie the forestock/barrel to the tire in a criss-cross fashion to keep it from going side to side or up. Then I pull the trigger with a long string. If a tree figures into this, use it to get behind! The tire rocks from the recoil, but the rifle remains in place and suffers no damage. One must, of course, be cognizant of where the bullet will go. I'd start with a few standard factory loads, and then try a couple of hot handloads. If it's o.k., it's o.k. If it's not, you'll be able to tell from a close inspeciton of the rifle and the fired cases. Thereafter I'd shoot it with complete confidence with standard or slightly reduced loads. A couple of years ago I obtained an M38 converted to 8x57mm from Springfield Sporters. The weapon appeared virtually new, but the conversion is one that might give a person pause. I used the tire method and some military ammo which is on the hot side with satisfactory results. I now shoot it with standard U.S. factory loads which are generally loaded below European standards and don't even tremble or break into a sweat. Just because it's fun. The fact that you were able to return it to it's original shape with relative ease is a good sign. There is a lot to know about metallurgy. One must consider toughness, brittleness, and resiliency. An example of metal too hard and brittle can be found in the story of the early 1903 Springfield receivers, with which we're all familiar. The fact that some steels are softer than others does not necessarily make them poor gun steels if they possess the qualities of resilience and toughness. Although Carcanos are not my favorite military rifle I do not hold them in the contempt many profess to do. I firmly believe that no nation intends to lose a war in which it might find itself, and arms its troops with the best weapon it is capable of producing. Sometimes national pride plays a part in the weapon design selected, but military weapons were generally serviceable for the time period in which they were adopted and produced. Good luck in your experiment. Proceed cautiously. Wear safety glasses. Report back.

j2k22

same nation that fielded the fabulous and much sought after Glisenti miltary pistol!

Der Gebirgsjager

J2k22--Yes, but not unlike the early M-16 rifles used in Viet Nam, or the Reising submachine gun as briefly used by the Marines in the South Pacific (before they threw them in the bay and picked up Garands). In fact, a new Glisenti with the proper ammo was probably the more reliable of the two. A Carcano is, afterall, a great deal like a pre-'98 small ring Mauser; but with the bolt handle positioned to act as a safety lug in case of failure, which the Mauser lacks. Given the ammo for which they were intended both work quite well, but neither are .300 Win. Mag. material. Afterall, we are talking about an 1891 design. Except for the clunky safety the Carcano had a lot going for it. Mannlicher clip loading with 6 rounds, whereas most contemporary rifles held 5 or less (the French settled for 3 in their 1890 Berthier), an ahead-of-the-times 6.5mm cartridge, dual opposed locking lugs (our Krag had only one, etc. And don't forget--the Italians were on the winning side in W.W.I. I saw a lot of venison taken with these rifles when I was a youngster and you could get them for $15; but never saw or heard of one failing in use.

j2k22

the Carcano was my second rifle, mail ordered for $5.00 plus shipping before the name was brought to public attention by Lee Harvey Oswald. Served me well, both in its' original miltary configuration and as a "sporterized" creation of my youthful gunsmithing education. Ammo was hard to come by, which is one reason that I can still hear anything today; nobody used ear muffs or glasses in those days.

halfpint23

I too had a carcano as a kid - a 7.5 in the short "tanker" model, which was very hard to find ammo for,had to special order Norma brass and do handloads. It was a bearcat to shoot, being light in weight and heavy in recoil even in comparison to my 8mm Mausers and the old 1917 Enfield (from point of view of then-15 yr old girl) and did not get great accuracy when compared to other military surplus I played with. My favorite was 6.5 Arisaka I sported, it had stainless barrel, shot like a dream. So much for those who dis the less-favored rifles!