Italian 7.35 x 51 Carcano
 

I have a 1939 7.35 caliber Italian Carcano. My father purchased the gun at a surplus store in the late 50's. It has killed several deer, but has not been shot in 35 plus years. The magazine is missing and I have no idea where to find ammo for it.

Does anyone know anything about this gun and where I may look to find ammo for it? A best case would be to find empty brass, dies and lead, but that may be asking a lot. I reload all my shells including my 9MM hand gun, but this one may pose a problem.

I have read that the Italians started making this model in the 1800's originally in a 6.5 caliber, but in 1938 converted some old ones and manufactured new ones in the 7.35 Caliber. The barrel is stamped 1939 and the rear "V" site has Cal. 7.35 stamped on it.

Any help would be very welcome.
Thanks AZ Hunter

RE: Italian 7.35 x 51 Carcano
 

Idont know much about the gun except that is was the gun that was used to kill JFK. one of the gun stores by me occasionally has the gun and sells for about 100$ or so depending on the stock. the gun is said to be accurate But i havent seen ammo for it.

good luck

RE: Italian 7.35 x 51 Carcano
 

Sorry...The rifle used to assassinate JFK was a 6.5 Carcano carbine...They were availablein the early 60smail order for $12...

The Italians adopted the 7.35 in an effort to improve performance over thier standard round ( which I think was 6.5 x 50)... Most Italiantroops were never issued the 7.35... The rifles that they dropped when they threw thier hands up were mostly the 6.5s..

I don't believe the 7.35 has a detachable magazine..In order to fire it as anything but a single shot, you need the stripper clips that are made for that rifle..After the last shot, the empty clip drops out of the bottom of the magazine well..You might beable to find some at a gun show or one of the gun parts sites on the web..

Thier are some places that offer factory loads for obscure cartridges...Try Midway or Natchez Shooters supplies...

RE: Italian 7.35 x 51 Carcano
 

Actually, the clip is not a stripper clip, but is inserted into the magazine box loaded, and drops out of the magazine through a hole in the bottom after it has been emptied - a typical mannlicher style magazine. Th cartridge it uses is the 7.35mm Carcano (aka 7.35mm Terni). Slightly more powerful than the .30/30, not quite a .300 Savage, the things use a bullet of .298" diameter, so it is a real oddball which cannot be loaded with any bullet commercially available in the U.S. these days. I think Hornady once made .298" bullets for these contraptions. Acccording to Cartridges of the World, Norma used to make sporting ammo for them, but no longer.

Maybe you could get ammo from the Old Western Scrounger or Fiocchi???

The cases can be made by cutting off and necking up 6.5X54mm Mannlicher Schoenauer or 6.5X52mm Carcano brass. But just where you'd get bullets (.298"-.300") is a real question!

RE: Italian 7.35 x 51 Carcano
 

Good info, El...

I just checked an article in an ancient Gun Digest regarding reloading military rounds...

It said at the time of the article ( sometime in the 60s) that there were 128 and 150 grain jacketed bullets available... It also said that Lyman made a cast bullet mold that was the proper diameter, .298"...

The article went on to say that while no commercial ammo was everloaded for that cartridge, some hunting ammo had been marketed by pulling thefmj bullets from military roundsand replacing them with suitable soft point hunting bullets..

Sounds to me that it's POSSIBLE to get ammo for it, depending on how much expense and hassle you are willing to go through...

If it were mine I think I'd just put it on the wall and tell my kids about all the deer that thier Granddaddy used to kill with it...

auctionarms and gunbroker both have ammo.

7.35x52 carcano rifle
 

you might check out this web sites for ammo,7.35x52 ( J&Gsales.com )they have the fmj ammo.$ 17.00 to $20.00 for 18 rounds and can be shipped by ups.( graf&Son.com )will have unprimed brass for the 7.35x52 after jan.2010 ($49.99 per 100 unprimed brass ( 7.35x51they also stock the ( hrn 7.35MM(.300)128gr SP bullet softPt at $21.99 per 100 and primers.they some time carry the reloading dies.you might try ( F&M reloading .com ) they some times stock the 6.5x52 and the 7.35x52 reloading dies ( $24.00 ) and up for each die hope these sites will you out for reloading ammo for the 7.35x52 carcano rifle.and the 6.5x52 carcano. Greencharger71