Political turmoil and back-stabbing permeated the state. The Kingdom Of Italy shifted from one battlefield to another. In 1890, World War I was a scant 25 years in the not too distant future. Salvatore Carcano pioneered the M1981 Carcano Cavalry Carbine Bolt-Action Rifle. Production of this remarkable example of World history began in 1891 and ended in 1938. We have secured a small lot of Italian M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbines, Very Good to Good Condition. 17.5" barrel chambered in 6.5x52mm, with 6 round Capacity. NRA ratings say these weapons are in good to perfect working condition. Minor to no appreciable wear on working surfaces. Cavalry Carbines were allocated for the Italian Carabinieri, rather than its forebear, the battlefield rifle. A significant number of M91s were free from the hardships of warfare. The bolt-action Cavalry carbine weighs in at 6 pounds 14 ounces and, by most reports, has a very smooth action.

The historical significance of a Firearm Is in Its Story

The M91 is for the avid history buff. Both rifle and carbine were rugged, with little to no foul-ups. Six cartridge en-bloc clips proved to be a powerful advantage over other combat weapons of the day. An attached swing-out bayonet gave infantrymen the ability to fend off enemies equipped with a lance or saber. A problem though, the M91 with a bayonet design was for an obsolete form of warfare. The M91 combat rifle with its longer barrel proved clumsy in the trenches for Italian soldiers. A shorter Cavalry Carbine called a "Moschetto," gave soldiers more flexibility. Adaptations of the Moschetto went to special troop units in the Italian Army. Groups receiving the lighter, accurate Cavalry Carbine were the Carabinieri. Italian Carabinieri had endured for over200 years and carried out much of the local policing duties. Italy unified in 1815, with the Royal Corp. of Carabinieri staying on as a military presence. Used by the Italian Commandos, the Cavalry Carbine went to artillery crewmen and rear echelon troops.

Italian M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbine - Surplus Good To Very Good Condition

6.5x52mm Carcano Cartridge

Carcano's M91 Cavalry Carbine chambered in the 6.5x52mm Carcano cartridge. The cartridge, Constructed for the Italian Military, was a rimless bottleneck style. Successors are still in use today, as illustrated by a 6.5 Creedmoor beast. Comparison to other large-bore ammo in the 7mm to 8mm range gave the impression the cartridge was underpowered. However, the small-bore cartridge offered plenty of advantages 1) Flat trajectories 2) Penetration at range 3) Lower weight 4) Lighter recoil 5) Reducing production costs. Additional advantages included the mix of the 6.5 Carcano and the gain twist. Progressive twisting reduced wear and tear, with the extra benefit of better accuracy. A last twist at the muzzle resulted in less torque to the cartridge. 6.5x52mm Carcano is effective to a range of around 200m. (220 Yards) Cartridges used by the Italian Military featured a round-nose. With unstable propellants of the time, the Carcano cartridge had a penchant to tumble out of control. Carcano phased gain twist rifling out in the last production run, in support of more conventional rifling.

PPU Metric Rifle 6.5x52mm Carcano 139 GR Full Metal Jacket Ammunition

Gain Twist Rifling

The M91 Carcano Carbine barrel featured Gain Twist rifling, which is progressive rifling designed to increase velocity at the muzzle. Starting at the barrel throat, the carbine had a sharp pitch of 1:19" gradually increasing to 1:8". Carcano's gain twist pattern lowered the pressure and temperature at the throat, giving the barrel a longer life. Gain Twist barrels dated back to the 1700s. The rifling gained a measure of recognition with Colt's percussion revolvers in the 1800s. Manufactures such as Carcano picked up on variations of the gain twist for barrel preservation. 300 meters (328 Yards) is typically the range for an M91. There would be an adjustment range of 600 to 1500 meters.

En-Bloc Clip

Several rifles and carbine types use the En-bloc style clip. Ferdinand Mannlicher, who developed the design, used this clip style in his Model 1885, 1886, and 1888 rifles. Mannlicher found recognition from the most advanced firearm makers of the day. The inventors' concepts were completely beyond the times. En-bloc clips used on the 1891 Carcano were symmetrical in design. The original Austrian Mannlicher clips featured a unidirectional concept. Salvatore Carcano designed the breech block assembly. The M91 can be fired without the en-bloc clip with a single cartridge in the chamber. The en-bloc clip was being sought after by John C. Garand, inventor of the M1 Garand. The M1 Garand was the ruling issue firearm for American servicemen during World War II.

History considers the M91:

Over a long service life, the M91 saved an untold number of lives. The Mannlicher-Carcano became the standard Italian long gun for both World Wars and countless other conflicts. When the Carcano M91 was developed, Italy and every other country were struggling to catch up to the French 8mm Lebel. Italy was searching for a rifle, they found the cutting edge Mannlicher designs. Steyr of Austria held the Mannlicher rights and extended the newly acquired GEW.88. There was a tremendous amount of national pride in Italy at the time and the populace demanded a native designer get involved in the process. Salvatore Carcano was designated to bring a national firearm to fruition. Carcano took the Mannlicher magazine and twisted it 90 degrees to form a new trigger and ejector system. The locking lugs milled into the body were kept and a set of new Vetterli sights were preserved. Salvatore had previously designed the breech-loading conversion. How does the original 1893 Carcano Cavalry Carbine stand up to weapons of the time? They are some of the shortest and handiest rifles in the world, with small caliber, small size, lower recoiling, and shorter range. The M91 Cavalry Carbine would be more in line with wars to come. Buy The Italian M91 Carcano Cavalry Carbine
Shop All Military Surplus Long Guns
Shop All Military Surplus Hand Guns
Shop All Ammunition