Carcano
From Free net encyclopedia
Carcano is a series of Italian bolt-action rifle military rifles. Introduced in 1891, this rifle was chambered for the newly-developed rimless 6.5 x 52 mm cartridge. It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin Army Arsenal in 1890 and called the Model 91 (M91). Successively replacing the previous Vetterli-Vitali rifles in 10,35x47R, it was produced from 1892 to 1945.The M91 was issued in both rifle and carbine form to most Italian troops during the First World War and Second World War.
Although this rifle is often called "Mannlicher-Carcano" especially in US parlance, that name was never official, as little as the even less correct moniker "Mauser-Paravicino." Its official designation in Italian is simply Mod. '91 ("il novantuno"). The name Mannlicher-Carcano is also misleading because the rifle's bolt action was based on a German Mauser-style bolt action, not the Austrian Mannlicher-style. The Mannlicher designation comes from the fact that the rifle uses a Mannlicher-type magazine system.
A shorter carbine variant called the M91/38 was introduced in 1938, with a new 7,35x51 cartridge. The new caliber, however, never replaced the old one, and in 1940, production switched back to the 6.5 x 52 caliber. In 1941, the military reverted to a long-barrelled infantry rifle again (slightly shorter than the original M91), the M91/41.
Sniper versions never existed, but in WW I, a few rifles were fitted with telescopes (WW II scoped rifles are prototypes only). A number of Moschetti M 91/38 TS (special troops' carbines) were chambered for the larger caliber German 7.92 x 57 mm ("8 mm Mauser") ammunition. The reasons for this conversion are still not clear; one batch was already converted in WW II (around 1941), but never saw troop service, while most were converted after 1945, and were exported to Egypt, where they served as drill and training carbines. The occasional model designation "Model 1943 (M43)" is wrong, and was never applied to either 8 mm gun.
After World War II, Italy replaced its Carcano rifles with the US .30 caliber (7.62 mm) M1 Garand semi-automatic rifle which the Italians labeled the Model 1952 (M52.) Large quantities of surplus Carcanos were sold in the USA and Canada beginning in the 1950s.
The most famous or notorious example of a Carcano was the M 91/38 short rifle in 6.5 x 52 mm, made in the Terni arsenal in 1940 and bearing the serial number C2766, which is linked to Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963 in the assassination of U.S. President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. Oswald had purchased the surplus rifle from Klein's sporting goods mail order firm in Chicago for $12.78 (Aprox. $80 in 2006).
The round in the Carcano, 6.5 X5 2, was used in WWI era machineguns. However, in the 1930s, the 8 X 59 mm Breda was adopted, and was used in machineguns during WWII (a different higher power round than the 7.35 x 51).
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Specifications
- Country of origin: Italy
- Type: bolt action rifle
- Magazine: six rounds, single-stack, fixed box type, Mannlicher type charger (clip)
- Length: 1021 mm (40.20 in)
- Barrel length: 530 mm (20.87 in)
- Weight: 3.40 kg (7.50 lb)
- Caliber: 6.5 mm X 52 mm
- Rifling: four grooves, right hand twist (early models had gain twist rifling)
- Front sights: blade
- Rear sights: notch
Operation
Taken from Jane's Guns Recognition Guide by Ian V. Hogg
Safety
Manual safety catch in the form of a collar with a knurled 'flag' around the end of the bolt. Turned DOWN to the right, the rifle is ready to fire. Turned UP so that it is visible in the line of sight, the rifle is set to safe.
Unloading
Place safety catch to 'fire' and open the bolt, thus ejecting any round which may be in the chamber. Inspect the chamber and magazine. If there is ammunition in the magazine, press the clip latch in the front edge of the trigger guard; this will release the ammunition clip and it, together with any cartridges it contains, will be ejected upwards through the top of the action. Check again, close the bolt and press the trigger.
Variants
- Fucile di Fanteria Mo.1891 (long infantry rifle Model 1891, adopted in 1891)
- Moschetto Mo.91 da Cavalleria (carbine, adopted on 1893)
- Moschetto per Truppe Speciali Mo.91 (or M91TS, carbine for special troops, adopted 1897)
- Mo. 1938 (Model 1938, modernized version adopted in 1938)