Author Topic: Carcano rifle question (Read 614 times)

Huffmanite · « **on:** May 01, 2006, 06:10:27 AM »

In a pawn shop recently and took a look at a sporterized military rifle. I did not recognize what it was but was impressed with blueing and finish on receiver and barrel. What few visible stamp marks that were on metal, revealed nothing about its origin. Owner of pawn shop did not know what it was. However, clearly stamped on receiver, above chamber, was .257 Cal. At home went to a web site and ID'd the rifle as a long barreled Italian Carcano rifle, which is a 6.5mm. Curious I thought, why .257 stamped on receiver? Also, Carcano in pawn shop had no box magazine that protruded from bottom of stock. Someone had converted external magazine to a stacked magazine in stock.

So anyone out there aware of importers stamping .257 Cal Carcanos or should I assume it has been rechambered to .257 (Roberts?). I own a .257 Roberts and will take one of its rounds to shop to try in Carcano.

S.S. · « **Reply #1 on:** May 01, 2006, 08:55:48 AM »

I have seen one similar to what you described.
Supplies of Carcano ammo were so scarce
that large numbers were rechambered to various other calibers.
Tie it down to a tire and pull the trigger with a string the first time.

Huffmanite · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2006, 10:09:37 AM »

Thanks for reply. May buy it if it is a .257 roberts and price gets right.

Oldtimer · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2006, 11:28:41 AM »

There is the possibility that the rifle was handled by a company in the British Commonwealth. They referred to the bore diameter above the lands, so a .264 in our measurement would be a .256 or .257 in theirs. The 7 mm. Mauser was called a .276. Of course, there is the example of the .303 British, which we consider a .311.

Slamfire · « **Reply #4 on:** May 04, 2006, 05:27:59 PM »

I would not be suprised if a Carcano had a bore of .257, the grooves often measure .268. Have your gunsmith make a cast of the chamber and measure it. A .257 Roberts will be longer and will have a larger diameter in the body of the case.

Huffmanite · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2006, 07:37:14 PM »

Went back to pawn shop with dummy 257 Roberts round. The original magazine in rifle had been reworked, but my dummy round would not stay in it so could not feed round in chamber from it. Dummy round could be hand loaded into chamber, but I did not want to close bolt on it. If it was still a 6.5 Carcano chamber, it would not have taken my dummy round.

Anyway, I passed on the rifle.