Mannlicher-Carcano Value?

[Lone Star]

A friend has a Carcano 6.5mm Italian rifle with the straight bolt and a barrel of about 30".

He wants to have it "sporterized" as a general purpose woods-loafing gun if he can find a gunsmith who can do competent work for modest cost.

I suggested that he sell it instead and apply the money toward a Ruger M77 or Savage .308 or .30/06, and leave the Carcano unaltered for those who collect military arms.

The day when most WW II rifles were dirt cheap has passed, but I have little interest in Carcanos, and haven't priced any lately. What does one with a "good" bore in overall NRA Very Good shape go for these days?

Lone Star

 

[Dave Markowitz]

Not sure what the value is on the Carcano, but another strike against it as a sporter is the cost of ammo. It is quite uncommon and expensive.

 

[clubsoda22]

my dad has an old carcano. The thing can't hit the broad side of a barn. Amazing that oswald was able to shoot MOK (minute of Kennedy)

 

[MLC]

I have a friend who got ahold of some slightly larger diameter ammo for the carcano and it became rather accurate. I think that the bullets were .268 but I'm not sure.
I'm sure your friend can find a nice bubbaized rifle for cheap without cutting up a "humanitarian rifle".

 

[RepublicanMan]

If it was in Dallas TX in late 1963 it's worth quite a bit to a collector.

 

[Lone Star]

Republican Man-

This is the long rifle, not the carbine. Personally, I doubt that Oswald shot Kennedy, let alone with that Carcano carbine. It will be years before we know the whole story, if ever. My best guess is that JFK was "hit" by the Mob, and that accounts for Jack Ruby becoming involved and killing Oswald, the fall guy. Ruby had ties to organized crime, and JFK had issues with a mob boss, whose dame he had been enjoying. The Kennedys also have long had an association with organized crime. Old Joe Kennedy made his big bucks mainly as a bootlegger, didn't he?

I understand that Oswald's Carcano even had a loose 'scope mount!

Lone Star

 

[RepublicanMan]

Oh believe me, I agree that poor old Lee Harvey was used and abused....I doubt he even fired a shot much less the several that hit ol' Johnny boy....

The sheeple however are pretty convinced he did it, and great mention has been made of the Carcano he bought for the princely sum of $20 some odd dollars so it stands to reason that one of said sheep would snap it up.

 

[MLC]

If he keeps the rifle as issued and handloads these are the bullets I'd mentioned.

 

[N3rday]

Well, he WAS at the top of a building with a scoped rifle when Kennedy was shot... Also the angle of the shots is consistent with his position. Saw some cool thing on PBS about it.

Yeah, my chemistry teacher also had his doubts, he owns a Carcano. We discussed this topic during the news in class and he described the 6.5 as a fat slug of a bullet, more or less.

 

[Lone Star]

N3rday-

I saw probably the same show, and agree that Oswald was SOMEHOW involved. Maybe we'll someday get the truth...

If your teacher called the 6.5mm (.263") a fat slug, wonder what he calls a .470 or .500. Or, even a .30/06! I hope he knows chemistry better than he does guns. Reminds me of how many teachers I've had that didn't know nearly as much as they should, to be leading our youth.

Lone Star

 

[Lone Star]

I've just received, "The Standard Catalog of Military Firearms" published by Krause.

It shows the M91 Carcano long rifle at $175 in VG condition, or at $150 in Good. This is probably the best "official" estimate we'll see.

Lone Star