6.5 Carcano Ammunition
- Thread starter imhatz
- Start date
- Status
George757
Member
Hornady is making ammo for the 6.5 Carcano (as well as several other mil-surps). They offer a 160 gr RNSP, and Sportsman's Guide has it in stock for $21 (box of 20). Grafs also has it in stock for $25.
Which model Carcano did you get?
Which model Carcano did you get?
bill larry
Member
gotta use 6.5x52 only
Speedo66
Member
That's pretty funny. More than the rifles used to go for.
NCsmitty
Member
Welcome to THR, imhatz.
Be aware that 6.5 Carcano uses a .268 dia. bullet, unlike other 6.5's. Carcano's got a reputation for poor accuracy in days past because many people used standard 6.5 bullets when reloading it and the .264 dia bullets would rattle down the bore.
I'm guessing the 123gr SP bullet that you mentioned is Prvi Partizan and would be adequate for deer. Good price too.
Here's a previous thread on the Carcano.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=421699
NCsmitty
Be aware that 6.5 Carcano uses a .268 dia. bullet, unlike other 6.5's. Carcano's got a reputation for poor accuracy in days past because many people used standard 6.5 bullets when reloading it and the .264 dia bullets would rattle down the bore.
I'm guessing the 123gr SP bullet that you mentioned is Prvi Partizan and would be adequate for deer. Good price too.
Here's a previous thread on the Carcano.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=421699
NCsmitty
amd6547
Member
The Carcano is a good weapon, but...
1.If yours is a long rifle that has been shortened...They had gain twist rifling. The shortened barrel may not stabilize correctly.
2. PRVI makes both FMJ and SP loads. Cheaper than Hornady, but the bullet diameter is slightly wrong. Works well in some Carcanos and not others. The Hornady is the right diameter, but pricey. Most who get into using the Carcano use PRVI brass and Hornady bullets to roll their own.
3. You have to use the Carcano stripper clips if you want a repeater, and single loading without the clips is not easy...plus, you can break the extractor doing so.
All that having been said, I love my little Carcano cavalry carbine. It is short, light, and the bolt is very slick. I use it for a cheap truck gun.
1.If yours is a long rifle that has been shortened...They had gain twist rifling. The shortened barrel may not stabilize correctly.
2. PRVI makes both FMJ and SP loads. Cheaper than Hornady, but the bullet diameter is slightly wrong. Works well in some Carcanos and not others. The Hornady is the right diameter, but pricey. Most who get into using the Carcano use PRVI brass and Hornady bullets to roll their own.
3. You have to use the Carcano stripper clips if you want a repeater, and single loading without the clips is not easy...plus, you can break the extractor doing so.
All that having been said, I love my little Carcano cavalry carbine. It is short, light, and the bolt is very slick. I use it for a cheap truck gun.
Carl N. Brown
Member
Yes, the ammo it fires is 6.5x52mm Carcano aka 6.5 Italian.
I can remember when Carcano rifles ran 19.95 to 29.95 and the only decent ammo was Norma of Sweden 160gr softnose at 39.95 a box of 20. First thing I got when I got a Carcano rifle was a Lee Loader kit.
There is some debate on whether the bullet to use for reloading 6.5mm Carcano is the .264 or .268 inch diameter (I think it depends on the year of make and condition of the individual rifle.)
The 6.5 Carcano cartridge is not interchangable with any other cartridge.
need a clip?
To use as a repeater, yes. To use as a single shot, no.
The Carcano uses an en-bloc clip that holds 1 to 6 cartridges and is inserted into the magazine from the top. When the clip is empty, it is pushed out a hole in the bottom of the magazine by the insertion of a new clip. Very rarely will an empty clip fall free on its own.
The Carcano has a split bridge receiver so a scope is usually side mounted on the left of the receiver for a right-handed shooter only. The scope should be offset enough so that a full clip can be loaded from the top into the magazine. However, I have heard of folks sporterizing Carcanos as a singleshot rifle, but you have to position the cartridge so it feeds at the same angle as feeding from the magazine to avoid straining the extractor.
I can remember when Carcano rifles ran 19.95 to 29.95 and the only decent ammo was Norma of Sweden 160gr softnose at 39.95 a box of 20. First thing I got when I got a Carcano rifle was a Lee Loader kit.
There is some debate on whether the bullet to use for reloading 6.5mm Carcano is the .264 or .268 inch diameter (I think it depends on the year of make and condition of the individual rifle.)
The 6.5 Carcano cartridge is not interchangable with any other cartridge.
need a clip?
To use as a repeater, yes. To use as a single shot, no.
The Carcano uses an en-bloc clip that holds 1 to 6 cartridges and is inserted into the magazine from the top. When the clip is empty, it is pushed out a hole in the bottom of the magazine by the insertion of a new clip. Very rarely will an empty clip fall free on its own.
The Carcano has a split bridge receiver so a scope is usually side mounted on the left of the receiver for a right-handed shooter only. The scope should be offset enough so that a full clip can be loaded from the top into the magazine. However, I have heard of folks sporterizing Carcanos as a singleshot rifle, but you have to position the cartridge so it feeds at the same angle as feeding from the magazine to avoid straining the extractor.
amd6547
Member
Here is a pic of my Carcano Cav carbine. The folding bayonet was removed when I got it, probably by the importer, which was common "back in the day"...Makes for a very trim, light carbine.
Mauserguy
Member
Ha! I've got one just like that, with the cut off bayonet and all, in fact, it was the first gun I ever shot. My dad got it back in the sixties when they were being imported and we would go out blasting bottles with it. The Carcanos are great, and underated, arms. The only problem with them is getting the proper ammo. As others have noted here, it an odball caliber.
Mauserguy
Mauserguy
rangerruck
Member
also check out ammunitiontogo.com, he usually has some new made, and milsurp. I wanted desperately to have a carc, and did, for about 2 seconds. the round is just a bit smaller in case than a 243, and the 6.5 round I love, heck any of the 6.5's. the prob with the carcano is simple; that stupid little en bloc clip thingy, can be a super pain, can make you jam up your weapon if the round isn't seated just right, and once it is in, you cannot just take out. and if you have fire a couple of rounds, they cannot be recharged. you gotta work the bolt, empty the thing out, have it drop free, then you can reload.
And you little clip thingies better be in perfect shape, becuase if they are not, they won't hold the rounds exactly right, and then they won't want to feed worth a crap.
Once you fire this for a while, it will make you wonder;
How the hell did Lee Harvey do, what they said he did; unload 3 shots, in 6 or 8 seconds, and get 2 hits?
And you little clip thingies better be in perfect shape, becuase if they are not, they won't hold the rounds exactly right, and then they won't want to feed worth a crap.
Once you fire this for a while, it will make you wonder;
How the hell did Lee Harvey do, what they said he did; unload 3 shots, in 6 or 8 seconds, and get 2 hits?
I can remember when Carcano rifles ran 19.95 to 29.95 and the only decent ammo was Norma of Sweden 160gr softnose at 39.95 a box of 20.
I can remember when a local discount store had them (in decent shape) in a barrel for $6.95 and surplus ammo for $3.00 a hundred.
Never could talk my Mother into buying one for me.
I can remember when a local discount store had them (in decent shape) in a barrel for $6.95 and surplus ammo for $3.00 a hundred.
Never could talk my Mother into buying one for me.
amd6547
Member
Rangerruck has listed some of the drawbacks of the Carcano enbloc system...Now for the good points:
A loaded Carcano enbloc clip is faster to insert into the action than the typical bolt action strip clip.
Partially loaded clips can be ejected.
Feeding is smooth and efortless compared to most other bolt actions.
The clip holds 6 rounds.
As for Lee Harvey Oswald, I had a hard time believing the Carcano could have performed like that in November '63, till I finally owned one and found just how fast they can be functioned. Kind of changed my whole opinion.
A loaded Carcano enbloc clip is faster to insert into the action than the typical bolt action strip clip.
Partially loaded clips can be ejected.
Feeding is smooth and efortless compared to most other bolt actions.
The clip holds 6 rounds.
As for Lee Harvey Oswald, I had a hard time believing the Carcano could have performed like that in November '63, till I finally owned one and found just how fast they can be functioned. Kind of changed my whole opinion.
- Status
