finally got all my goodies here, just need to find the time to make it. I haven't worked out yet how I am going to feed this little beast. I don't like the mannlicher clips, want something with a removable magazine. looking at finding a 10 round ak or better yet, VZ-58 magazine for this. I will probably adapt it to the vz-58 mags I already have and then go from there about getting a smaller one. have to figure out how this whole feed thing works, since apparently on the carcano, it does not work like normal bolt guns. you can't just put one in the chamber and close the bolt or you end up with broken extractors, or so I was told.
Rebarreling a Carcano
- Thread starter .45Guy
- Start date
- Status
There is enough play for the extractor to snap over a chambered round with the Carcano. If you're dead set on a magazine conversion I'd stick to the Romanian single stacks to keep things as easy as possible. If you'd like I can scan and send the machinists drawings so you can get the breeching correct.
Well, it's 1-1/2 years later…
But the feed is finally done. Last weekend, a friend oversaw my novice machining skills and helped me figure out how to accurately hold the barrel for threading.
I had a cheap chrome lined press fit sks barrel that was already chambered. After learning how to make receiver and barrel wrenches, I managed to get the old barrel out of the receiver. I used some of my Ed's red gun cleaning oil/solvent as penetrating oil, which seemed to help. Bunch.
I cut the barrel off and left enough of a stub so that I could grab it with a barrel wrench and tighten the stub back into the receiver. This was the threaded with a 3/4x16 tap, using the lathe to hold the work and the tail stock to center the tap from behind. Next cut threads onto the barrel using the lathe. If you have never done this it is surprisingly satisfying. Made a locking nut out of some 4140 (or maybe it is 4130???) steel bar stock that I had laying around, again using the lathe to line everything up. The barrel was a bit of a tight fit in the receiver stub and the lock nut, so the next day I set it up again and managed with no oversight to pick up the threads and cut them just a tiny bit smaller. From there everything went together like a charm. The locking nut is for two reasons, one the barrel is not big enough to have a shoulder to stop on, and two, it allows it to be easily headspaced.
I ended up head spacing by taking the firing pin out of the bolt and using live rounds to check. I did it up so that the bolt closed snuggly. Then tried instead of wolf steel with some MFS brass that I bought a number of years ago. This stuff was really tight, so I backed it off just enough that the bolt was able to be opened without using a lot of force. I read that the SAAMI specs for the round are not the same as the original Russian nor the CIP chamber specs, so I decided to save my money on buying gauges that would give me false readings anyway. I doubt I'll ever use any ammo other than the Russian steel cased or the MFS brass, but if I do, I can always adjust a bit if it is still too tight. Since its not an auto loader, I'm not worried about it getting hot or the chamber getting dirty and causing jams...
Today I went out in the country to my friend's farm where he had a good backstop, and strapped the thing to a table. Got a long piece of string and hid behind a tree for the first round. Wasn't really worried, but better safe than dead. The bolt turned beautifully, and the extracted case looked just fine, as did the bolt and the rest of the rifle. I put a second round in and shouldered it this time... Almost no felt recoil, not half as hard as a 6.5 carcano round out of a cavalry carbine. It might have been because I was so excited to finally be firing off a gun that I built, even if I did build it from mostly existing parts. Now all I need are sights and/or a scope or red dot, maybe pretty up the stock a bit. But not too much, since I'd it's too nice I probably won't take it out and use it.
Next up I want to get a 9mm bbl and chamber with a 7.62 reamer. I have a couple more of these carcani that I can work with, and want to see if I can fire form and then reload as 9x39.
But the feed is finally done. Last weekend, a friend oversaw my novice machining skills and helped me figure out how to accurately hold the barrel for threading.
I had a cheap chrome lined press fit sks barrel that was already chambered. After learning how to make receiver and barrel wrenches, I managed to get the old barrel out of the receiver. I used some of my Ed's red gun cleaning oil/solvent as penetrating oil, which seemed to help. Bunch.
I cut the barrel off and left enough of a stub so that I could grab it with a barrel wrench and tighten the stub back into the receiver. This was the threaded with a 3/4x16 tap, using the lathe to hold the work and the tail stock to center the tap from behind. Next cut threads onto the barrel using the lathe. If you have never done this it is surprisingly satisfying. Made a locking nut out of some 4140 (or maybe it is 4130???) steel bar stock that I had laying around, again using the lathe to line everything up. The barrel was a bit of a tight fit in the receiver stub and the lock nut, so the next day I set it up again and managed with no oversight to pick up the threads and cut them just a tiny bit smaller. From there everything went together like a charm. The locking nut is for two reasons, one the barrel is not big enough to have a shoulder to stop on, and two, it allows it to be easily headspaced.
I ended up head spacing by taking the firing pin out of the bolt and using live rounds to check. I did it up so that the bolt closed snuggly. Then tried instead of wolf steel with some MFS brass that I bought a number of years ago. This stuff was really tight, so I backed it off just enough that the bolt was able to be opened without using a lot of force. I read that the SAAMI specs for the round are not the same as the original Russian nor the CIP chamber specs, so I decided to save my money on buying gauges that would give me false readings anyway. I doubt I'll ever use any ammo other than the Russian steel cased or the MFS brass, but if I do, I can always adjust a bit if it is still too tight. Since its not an auto loader, I'm not worried about it getting hot or the chamber getting dirty and causing jams...
Today I went out in the country to my friend's farm where he had a good backstop, and strapped the thing to a table. Got a long piece of string and hid behind a tree for the first round. Wasn't really worried, but better safe than dead. The bolt turned beautifully, and the extracted case looked just fine, as did the bolt and the rest of the rifle. I put a second round in and shouldered it this time... Almost no felt recoil, not half as hard as a 6.5 carcano round out of a cavalry carbine. It might have been because I was so excited to finally be firing off a gun that I built, even if I did build it from mostly existing parts. Now all I need are sights and/or a scope or red dot, maybe pretty up the stock a bit. But not too much, since I'd it's too nice I probably won't take it out and use it.
Next up I want to get a 9mm bbl and chamber with a 7.62 reamer. I have a couple more of these carcani that I can work with, and want to see if I can fire form and then reload as 9x39.
Jim Watson
Member
Glad it worked for you. Got pictures?
People come up with a lot of interesting ideas on the Internet but most of them would be way too expensive to pay a pro for. If you can't DIY, you should probably not get mixed up with such stuff.
People come up with a lot of interesting ideas on the Internet but most of them would be way too expensive to pay a pro for. If you can't DIY, you should probably not get mixed up with such stuff.
and two more, of prep for the first test shot. I stood behind the tree at the right of the picture just in case, though I was pretty sure it wasn't going to blow up. my only concern was that it seemed the firing pin may stick out a little far, but it didn't rupture the primer. I'm going to compare to some other guns I have and show the fired cases to my friend who has been reloading for at least 40 years just to get a second opinion.
I don't know if it was just the excitement at shooting the first gun I put together, or if it was how it was, but it felt like less recoil than any of my 7.62x39 autoloaders, which weigh a bit more than this thing does.
I just need to decide on some sights and see how well it really shoots.
I probably would do a few things different if/when I make another one of these. The barrel retaining nut is maybe 3/4 inches longer than it needs to be, for one. but I'm more interested in function than looks on this thing at the moment.
I don't know if it was just the excitement at shooting the first gun I put together, or if it was how it was, but it felt like less recoil than any of my 7.62x39 autoloaders, which weigh a bit more than this thing does.
I just need to decide on some sights and see how well it really shoots.
I probably would do a few things different if/when I make another one of these. The barrel retaining nut is maybe 3/4 inches longer than it needs to be, for one. but I'm more interested in function than looks on this thing at the moment.
Attachments
The choice of the hex shaped barrel retaining nut was because I happened to have about 400 linear feet of the stuff on hand, and it is not mystery steel, unlike a lot of the other material I have laying around the shop. I was going to turn it round, but I couldn't be bothered to make a spanner wrench to use to tighten it.
sights for 7.62x39 carcano
I finally got around to figuring out a rear sight for this thing. A friend picked up a williams peep sight for a .308 bolt action he had from way back. I've always shot better with peep sights than open, so I decided to research this route.
I ended up finding a number of the cheap on gun broker and flea bay, so not knowing exactly what I would need, I bought a few of them to try out. the first one I got was a FP (fool proof) sight of some model or another. it had a 70 stamped on the bottom, and the curvature of the sight base fit the front of the receiver almost perfectly with no additional fitting needed. I ended up having a bunch of 6-40 taps on hand, but no 6-48, which is what the sight came with. Brownell's had them for $2.50 or so each, so I got one each of taper, plug, and bottoming.
I used a carbide 1/8" bit to break the surface as the outside of these seems pretty tough. Followed up with the appropriate sized tap drill to actually do the hole. the hole towards the front of the receiver ring couldn't be done all the way through, so I was very happy to have the bottoming tap for that.
Now I have a rather handsome rear sight that has micrometer click adjustment of windage and elevation, all for $25 plus some tools that I got cheap and will surely use again.
for posterity's sake, the FP sight that was marked "krag" on the bottom had a very similar curvature and looked like it would work well with a bit of sanding.
I now am looking for an adequate front sight. most are too short, and the one I got from an AK is ridiculously tall. BUT, with the aperature disk I have installed, it was very easy to sight a target across the yard using the post on the AK sight and the peep that is now installed. I need something between 1" and 1-1/8" to mount to the front of the barrel (measured from the centerline). I'll probably end up having to make something, but given that the williams has full adjustments, it can be a relatively simple piece of metal, I would think.
if anyone has thoughts on scopes/mounts for these I'd be interested to see, though I think I'm gonna be very happy with this peep sight arrangement.
I finally got around to figuring out a rear sight for this thing. A friend picked up a williams peep sight for a .308 bolt action he had from way back. I've always shot better with peep sights than open, so I decided to research this route.
I ended up finding a number of the cheap on gun broker and flea bay, so not knowing exactly what I would need, I bought a few of them to try out. the first one I got was a FP (fool proof) sight of some model or another. it had a 70 stamped on the bottom, and the curvature of the sight base fit the front of the receiver almost perfectly with no additional fitting needed. I ended up having a bunch of 6-40 taps on hand, but no 6-48, which is what the sight came with. Brownell's had them for $2.50 or so each, so I got one each of taper, plug, and bottoming.
I used a carbide 1/8" bit to break the surface as the outside of these seems pretty tough. Followed up with the appropriate sized tap drill to actually do the hole. the hole towards the front of the receiver ring couldn't be done all the way through, so I was very happy to have the bottoming tap for that.
Now I have a rather handsome rear sight that has micrometer click adjustment of windage and elevation, all for $25 plus some tools that I got cheap and will surely use again.
for posterity's sake, the FP sight that was marked "krag" on the bottom had a very similar curvature and looked like it would work well with a bit of sanding.
I now am looking for an adequate front sight. most are too short, and the one I got from an AK is ridiculously tall. BUT, with the aperature disk I have installed, it was very easy to sight a target across the yard using the post on the AK sight and the peep that is now installed. I need something between 1" and 1-1/8" to mount to the front of the barrel (measured from the centerline). I'll probably end up having to make something, but given that the williams has full adjustments, it can be a relatively simple piece of metal, I would think.
if anyone has thoughts on scopes/mounts for these I'd be interested to see, though I think I'm gonna be very happy with this peep sight arrangement.
ApacheCoTodd
member
How does his feed? Single shot?
DaveyMG
Member
I'd do it for ya. Price would be fair, as I'm fairly new to 'smithing (not new at all to machining) but it all depends on your geographical location. If you could pull the original carcano barrel, and got the 7.62 barrel already, you could mail them both to me, and I could make the 7.62 barrel to match the action by replicating the carcano barrel. Reaming the chamber will be the hard part without the action to apply gages to. And the action cannot easily be shipped. But if you lived within a couple hundred miles of me I'm sure we could make something work out. I'm in SW Idaho...
EDIT, wrote that after only seeing the first page. I see now that it is already a working prototype...
EDIT, wrote that after only seeing the first page. I see now that it is already a working prototype...
- Status
