Ugly Duckling Carbine

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

So last year my Uncle jim passed away and left me, among other things, a crudely sporterized M1939 7.35mm Carcano rifle and a decent amount of ammo. It was similar to the one in the picture but much uglier; it seems he had fired it once and then it literally stood in a corner for 40 years. It was not attractive when new, and after four decades it was rusty and crusted with ancient oil and dust. Miraculously the mechanism and bore were good. With a retail value of about $60 it wasn't worth getting rid of, and nobody else in the family needed it. Well, there are worse things than having a functional hunting rifle and a stock of ammo on-hand even if it is ugly.

Then a buddy came by with a big slab of Walnut he found in his garage, thinking maybe I could use it for knife handles. I had another idea though, and when I explained it to him he approved. See, among all the things he left me were a lot of wood-working tools... and I've always fancied a Mannlicher carbine...

Sure, I'd never made a rifle stock before, but that was always going to be true until I did. So I took it apart, shortened the barrel to 16-1/2 inches, cleaned, polished and re-blued all the metal work. I made a full-length stock with a long reach (I'm tall,) fitted the mechanism and floated the barrel. I fabricated a new front sight and steel butt-plate and installed them. I used a hand-rubbed carnauba-wax finish to top it off.

The result is just under 38 inches long and a bit over six pounds- perfect for the close quarters terrain I usually hunt in. The muzzle-blast is epic, but miraculously it shoots to point of aim at fifty yards. It's fun to shoot and handy to carry. From an ugly clunker not worth getting rid of to a treasured, fun and useful gun that makes a fine memorial to my uncle. I think he would be pleased.

 

[greyling22]

nice work. I like a good project myself.

 

[stoky]

very nice
good job!

 

[Deaf Smith]

Used to have a few Carcanos. All 6.5mm. Do note the 6.5mm Carcanos are NOT .264 cal. They are .268. And that is why using regular .264 slugs tend to not have very good accuracy.

I have RCBS Carcano dies and yep, I used to roll my own.

160gr slug at 2100 fps from a short barrel is NOT bad at all for deer.

Deaf

 

[LoonWulf]

nice work getting that little beast back in the field. More punch then a grendel, and those take deer and hogs no problem. Looks nice in its full length stock.

 

[dh1633pm]

Are you sure you never made a stock before? Just asking because it doesn't look that way. Looks like you have been doing it all your life. Nice work!

 

[lpsharp88]

It was uglier than the one in the first picture? Man, you did some seriously good work then! Well done, sir

 

[Varminterror]

Nice work, I've always fretted over doing metal work on drop magbox rifles, it's always difficult to make the bluing work on that much FLAT real estate look good, but it looks like in the pics at least you did a nice job getting it evened out and blued. It definitely has a distinct look with the "tall man" LOP and trigger reach in the hind end and the stubby carbine barrel up front, but the full length mannlicher forend does really well to balance it out, aesthetically.

Is it just the lighting over the swirl, or is the grain running perpendicular to the grip neck?

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Is it just the lighting over the swirl, or is the grain running perpendicular to the grip neck?

There is some of that, particularly on the left side, and this caused me some concern but it seems to work OK.

 

[loose noose]

Very, very nice. Looks a lot better than my first effort to make a stock, and did you yourself do the bluing. I'm really impressed. Nearly purchased a Carcano rifle quite few years ago. It was in about the same condition as the one you depicted on your photos, problem was he wanted pretty close to $350.00 for it and I just couldn't justify that. Had he said $60-$100.00 I'd have jumped on it. Now yours, if I had it would not even be considered for sale, excellent job.

 

[Varminterror]

There is some of that, particularly on the left side, and this caused me some concern but it seems to work OK.

Eh, no worries even the grain is perpendicular - it's not a super heavy recoiling round, but I'd throw a reinforcing shank down the pistol grip and would never loose a wink of sleep after that.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Eh, no worries even the grain is perpendicular - it's not a super heavy recoiling round, but I'd throw a reinforcing shank down the pistol grip and would never loose a wink of sleep after that.

Might just do that, thanks.

 

[WestKentucky]

I like the simple and functional look. There's a certain beauty in function, a certain beauty in bluing, and a whole lot of beauty in walnut. Combining the 3 puts out a beauty of a gun. Good job.

 

[desidog]

Carcanos are highly underrated. You can pick one up for less than a 91/30!
I have five of them and i think $150 was the highest i paid.

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Carcanos are highly underrated. You can pick one up for less than a 91/30!
I have five of them and i think $150 was the highest i paid.

It's a good, strong mechanism. I've been offered a sporterized 6.5mm for $80 and it's tempting... but a decent piece of wood for a new stock will cost that much are more, and I've got plenty of other projects at the moment.

 

[chicharrones]

A nice transformation. I like it.

 

[entropy]

Well, since it was sporterized to start with, you took a basket case and made thing of beauty. Nice stock! I don't how you resisted the urge to put a nice blued steel endcap on it, however.

 

[Manny]

Very nice job, I have to believe your uncle would be very pleased. I love working guns, this one appears superb for your stated needs plus sentimental value and just straight up style & panache. Very well done!

 

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

Well, since it was sporterized to start with, you took a basket case and made thing of beauty. Nice stock! I don't how you resisted the urge to put a nice blued steel endcap on it, however.

Haven't gotten to it yet.

 

[Capybara]

Nice save, the new stock is beautiful. The old configuration looked like a hack job, the new one looks really nice.

 

[bannockburn]

Tinker

Sweet remodeling transformation! I always love it when things can be put back to use with some ingenuity and hard work. Like the Mannlicher full length stock along with the shortened barrel and refinished metal work.

And I definitely concur with you: your Uncle would be pleased by your efforts.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Very nice job, well done. Mannlicher stocks and carbines just seem to go together.
The nice piece of walnut just adds to the result.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Very nicely done. I envy your ability to do that sort of work.

 

[GRIZ22]

Very nice job on a rifle most wouldn't pay much attention to.

 

[792mauser]

Looks good with the mannlicher stock.