Sporterized Carcano

[Trail Rated]

A while back was was looking for a project to work on, so I picked up a (badly) sporterized Carcano 1891 TS and decided to see what I could make of it without too much expense. It looked like the buttstock had been cut down so that a kid or other small person could shoot it. The stock had some kind of awful finish on it, the metal had no blueing, and the front wood had been cut back exposing  the channel in the stock inletting, which had been plugged with a chunk of particle board that rattled around loose. Worst of all, someone had done an amateur checkering job on it. 
 

I refinished the wood, sanding out the terrible checkering and filling in the channel patch, and I found a slip-on buttpad that would stay on the tiny stock remnant. I cold-blued the metal, which isn’t great but should suffice for now. Meanwhile I tore down the bolt and got it de-gunked and a little shinier. After boresighting I built up the fixed front sight blade with some JB Weld. And I added a barrel-mounted sling swivel since the forestock is so short.
 

I’ll post a range report once I shoot it this weekend. Before-and-after photos:

 

[manureman]

Nice job ! That stock turned out sharp

[Racepres]

Sounds like alot of fun in the offing!!! Trust me, I have started with Worse.. While I personally have never been sucessful with making a Silk Purse, from a Sows Ear!!!

I have had more Fun, than is probably Legal!!! Have some Fun with it.. and Please Report Back

 The Thing deserves to be Used, and Enjoyed!!! If you hang it on the wall... it is Useless!!!!

[Trail Rated]

I shot the Carcano today, wanting to see if there was a difference in the PPU and Norma rounds I was able to find, see if I got the sights aligned OK, and generally whether the thing would shoot without blowing up. I stuck to the 25 yd range, and at first it was impacting a little low, but once I filed a little JB Weld off the front sight blade, it was good. I didn’t see much variance at that distance between the PPU and the heavier Norma bullets, but I’ll shoot it at 50 & 100 yds later this week. 

I’d like to concoct a way to put a peep sight on it. I thought about attaching one to the cocking piece, but it looks like it would be iffy to d&t since it also has the spring catch for the bolt cap. Epoxy might hold it, but it would be awkward to work the Carcano’s awful safety with the aperture right there. Maybe a side-mounted scope ... 

Here’s what it looks like with the buttpad and sling attached, along with some other refinished sporter milsurps. 
 

 

[Dr.Hess]

Looks like a nice save of a rifle previously attacked by a 12 year old with dad's tools. 

Side mounted scope would be the way to go, and that's what the Italians did.   This one was "found in a Texas library...."

 

[AzRednek]

I had a Beretta Carcano I bought in the early 70’s for $15.00. It was missing the stock’s nose cap and I was never able to locate one without a $100+ price tag. I only shot it on two occasions. The sights were way off and on the second outing the surplus ammo was hang firing. It sat in a closet untouched for close to 30 years. I wound up just giving it away to a collector of Italian pistols that showed interest in it.

Years ago a member of my gun club brought in a Carcano that was converted to 8x57. He claimed the conversion was done by WW2 Germans. I didn’t believe him at first. Later there warnings being published in gun rags saying not to shoot the converted Carcano. If I remember right the German 8x57 pressure was 10,000 lbs higher than the Carcano was rated for.