An impulse buy....6.5x54 MS....but not the one you think

[Hagler.450Ex]

So late the other night I was looking at what different sites had for sale and came across something a bit odd. After reading the description I figured "why not?" I ordered it because it's quite strange. It's a Carcano that has been refinished, rechambered for 6.5x54MS, British proofs, with a nice bore. I've never seen or even heard of such a thing. It was just an impulse buy, but if anyone has any idea how or why a Carcano was done this way with British proofs, I'd love to know.
I thought, if nothing else, it would be a good boat gun for the river, for when I get my boat....I don't know....I'm making up excuses for an impulse buy ....but it's such a cute little thing....

 

[Flbt]

So late the other night I was looking at what different sites had for sale and came across something a bit odd. After reading the description I figured "why not?" I ordered it because it's quite strange. It's a Carcano that has been refinished, rechambered for 6.5x54MS, British proofs, with a nice bore. I've never seen or even heard of such a thing. It was just an impulse buy, but if anyone has any idea how or why a Carcano was done this way with British proofs, I'd love to know.
I thought, if nothing else, it would be a good boat gun for the river, for when I get my boat....I don't know....I'm making up excuses for an impulse buy ....but it's such a cute little thing....

View attachment 715956

Does the 6.5x54ms have the bigger bore like the 6.5 Italian round?

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

Does the 6.5x54ms have the bigger bore like the 6.5 Italian round?

Same bore. All they had to do was the chamber.

 

[Huvius]

Same bore. All they had to do was the chamber.

I thought the Carcano was .268” bullet and the Mannlicher (Dutch etc.) is .264”

 

[Flbt]

I thought the Carcano was .268” bullet and the Mannlicher (Dutch etc.) is .264”

Thats what I was asking but could not remember the size of the Italian off hand just knew it was bigger than the normal 6.5

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

I thought the Carcano was .268” bullet and the Mannlicher (Dutch etc.) is .264”

From what I read last night by doing searches, I was seeing a lot of differences in bullet diameter....from .264 to .268 on both.
That's the grooves....then .257 on the lands.

 

[Huvius]

Well, I know Hornady 160gr RN bullets are specific to each.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

The PPU ammo for the MS uses .264 bullets. And their ammo for the Carcano is .264 as well I think.
I read some reports of good accuracy with the .264's in the Carcano. Apparently, it's not enough difference to matter, unless it's to be a target rifle. That seemed to be the overall thought by most. And an ammo company loading the same bullet. I was confused myself, and spent 2 hours down that rabbit hole.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

Well, I was incorrect about the PPU ammo. See, I'm still confused.
Although, basically, through my searches, people were getting good results with the .264 in the Carcano.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

I got dies, and will try the .264's. because they are the only ones close to 160 grains.
The Hornady's in .268 I'll try second, and only if the .264's are acting odd.
Some said they experienced increased pressure with the .268's in the Carcanos.
It's a confusing mess.

 

[BFaucett]

I got dies, and will try the .264's. because they are the only ones close to 160 grains.
The Hornady's in .268 I'll try second, and only if the .264's are acting odd.
Some said they experienced increased pressure with the .268's in the Carcanos.
It's a confusing mess.

Just funnin' with ya a little. . .

An interesting rifle! A little strange but definitely interesting.

Cheers! Bob F.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

So, more digging. It seems that a company converted some to the MS round in the 1920's and brought them to the U.S.....these were to make use of the apparent abundance of MS ammunition at the time, so intentionally meant to use the .264 bullet.
It seems the same happened in the 1960's, which this one is, due to its 1942 date, although the company that did them, I don't know.
So, apparently, it was a widely acceptable thing to use the .264 MS ammunition in the Carcano's .268 bore.
How accurate it will be, is yet to be seen. Although I've seen good reports during my search.
I'd like to know the company that did these.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

View attachment 715967

Just funnin' with ya a little. . .

An interesting rifle! A little strange but definitely interesting.

Cheers! Bob F.

It's true, I like the strange ones....guns that is

 

[John Telford]

This is the rimmed version ie
6.5x54 R made in the late 1890’s. You can use the same bullet as the model 1903 version.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

This is the rimmed version ie
6.5x54 R made in the late 1890’s. You can use the same bullet as the model 1903 version.

That would make it a single-loader. These are fed by an enbloc clip. I don't know, as it's still at the dealer. I'll have it in hand this weekend.

 

[pilar]

Guess accurate enough for Lee Harvey Oswald to use, good enough for hunting ?
“”
Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy using a 6.5×52mm Italian Mannlicher-Carcano M91/38 bolt-action rifle””
.

 

[Huvius]

That would make it a single-loader. These are fed by an enbloc clip. I don't know, as it's still at the dealer. I'll have it in hand this weekend.

The Steyr ‘93s and ‘95s were for the rimmed 6.5X53R which I guess is the 6.5X54R that John Telford is referring to.
These were indeed enbloc clipped magazine rifles for the rimmed cartridge.
Many of those were built up into wonderful British custom rifles by most of the big name gunmakers and retailers.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

The Steyr ‘93s and ‘95s were for the rimmed 6.5X53R which I guess is the 6.5X54R that John Telford is referring to.
These were indeed enbloc clipped magazine rifles for the rimmed cartridge.
Many of those were built up into wonderful British custom rifles by most of the big name gunmakers and retailers.

Indeed, after looking at my book, Jeffery among others. But this one is dated 1942 and is a 1891 Carcano, and not a Steyr, and *most certainly* not a Jeffery.
All I can find is that there was a batch converted by some company (we don't know who) in England during the 60's, which leaves it a mystery.
The conversions imported to the US and Canada in the 1920's were the Eaton's....they had the double set triggers.

 

[93marlin]

If I remember correctly, the Carcano has a gain twist bore. Supposedly lowering the pressure.
You may want to check that.

 

[Hagler.450Ex]

One of the 1920's Eatons....rechambered to 6.5x54MS