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Carcano Carbine

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  ThomasG 
#1 ·
I recently picked up a bring back from a vet who mailed this rifle from Germany. Best I can tell is it is an Italian Carcano. There is no date on it and the markings mean nothing to me. The top of the barrel is marked MIT A DRESC A. lots of other markings here and there with numbers and some symbols but as I said they mean nothing to me. How do I determine the date and cal.? what else should I look for? thanks Tom
 
#2 ·
It's an M91/24 by MIDA Brescia in 6.5x52 caliber. There will be a 17 or 18 on a barrel flat for the year. It was originally an M91 long rifle but if there is a very small 6 point star by the year, that shows it had "excessive corrosion". Italy badly needed rifles but hadn't the funds for new ones, so worn rifles were shortened, given a modified stock and issued to troops.

On the same barrel flat as the 6 point star will be an oval with FARE and a year from the 1920s showing when it was converted from the long rifle at the Terni arsenal.

There were two methods for shortening the barrels - the most common was to simply amputate the worn rifling at the end of the barrel - which was the tight twist part of the gain twist rifling. With the tight twist gone, the barrel will not normally stabilize the long 160 grain 6.5 caliber bullet, and accuracy suffers.

Given the history, I find this an interesting model. Since MIDA made around a quarter million rifles, and no small number of those were combat losses, it's not a common one at all. SW
 
#3 ·
Thanks for your reply, there is a 18 on the same flat as the star. so what would the year of manufacture be and the conversion year would be? I know Italy was an ally with Germany and this rifle was mailed home from Germany by a Army Vet. He has four battle stars and I'm thinking he said he was in the 75th infantry.Makes me wonder how it ended up in Germany. Also the condition is realy good and I wonder what kind of value it has.
 
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