Carcanos are fun, soft shooting rifles. I have 4, a 91/38 carbine, a 7.35mm M38, a Cav carbine and an original 1891 long rifle. I gave $275 for the M38, which are not very common, rest were in the $100-$150 range.
IME, they're not the junk guns people love to hate them as. They're not Mausers or Enfields, but also not the worst out there. I prefer the Carcano to my Mosins, as well as the MAS36, and they do have better ergos than the chunky SMLE. I think much of the rep came from the high cost of ammunition and that they're not usable as repeaters without the en block clips, something we accept with our beloved M1 but hate on the Carcano for.
Unfortunately, the days of $100 milsurps are gone. When I came of age, a Yugo SKS could be had for $89, and shortly after, the $69 Mosins flooded the market. A CZ52 or Mak was a $100 handgun, and the ammo was barely more than .22 LR. No more. $200-$300 is a bit of a pill to swallow for a Carcano cav carbine in average condition, but if you want one, probably best go for it, because they're only going to get more expensive like everything else.