If it weren’t for a particularly unfortunate event in American history, Carcano rifles might be as unknown to most Americans as Zanardini and Tanfoglio arms are. A model of Carcano rifle was the firearm used in the assassination of JFK in 1963. Because of that, Carcano has attained the status of much more prominent Italian firearms manufacturers like Beretta, Benelli, Franchi, Pedersoli, Chiapp and Uberti. Actually, now that we mention it, there are quite a few well known and well respected Italian arms manufacturers. The fact that Carcano has not been relegated to the ranks of the few unknowns is largely due to the JFK assassination.
Whether this is an unfortunate fact for those who admire the performance of the 6.5×52 Carcano cartridge or a point of interest for collectors is up to the individual to decide. For anyone who owns a Carcano rifle of some model or other, the matter of sourcing Carcano rifle parts is not. Unless your rifle is a collectible or a museum piece, the parts you use for repairs, upgrades and replacement will make the difference between a wall hanger and a piece that can sustain live fire.
Sure, Carcano rifles lack the inner complexity and modularity of many (most) modern, autoloading sporting arms. A bolt-action repeater like a Carcano, by comparison to these, is a veritable dinosaur. However, alongside simpler actions like falling blocks and even alongside break actions and muzzleloaders, a bolt-operated firearm starts to look like it has the complexity of a strand of DNA.
Excuse the dense scientific metaphor, but the point is that if you subject your collectible arms to live fire, they’re going to need maintenance, and some of the time, that required maintenance will entail more than wiping down the barrel and applying a little oil. These aging arms will need a little care and attention from time to time – and when something breaks, you’d do well to replace it.
Take a broken extractor, for example. This doesn’t make a really practical difference in the operation of the rifle, except it will slow down your ability to cycle the firearm. Something like a broken firing pin will really make an impression on you. Your rifle won’t fire.
You could also experience a failure of the inner workings of the action that cause the lugs to fail or the bolt to fail to engage or reset. If that happens, you’ve just scored a museum quality non-firing replica. It also means you’ll need to make repairs if you ever want your rifle to go “bang” again.
Remember also that Carcano rifles are typically wood-stocked, which brings in all of the sensitivity of wood into the picture. Wood is temperamental, responding adversely to changes in both temperature and humidity. Without being cared for on a routine basis, wood will swell, warp, and rot – or even dry rot. What can you do when you find that you need to actually replace the entire stock assembly of your beloved Carcano?
Well, it’s the same thing you’ll do when you find you need a new extractor or firing pin. It’s also the same thing you’ll do when you take a look down the barrel from the opened bolt and see that your rifling is more of a suggestion than a mechanical feature. Whether you need a new barrel, a new stock or some other type of Carcano rifle part, you’ll find it at Sarco, Inc.
Now, if you’ve ever had a bad experience looking for hard-to-get parts for historical rifles, that’s another reason to check out Sarco, Inc. first. Their collections of gun parts and historical firearms cannot be matched – and they’ll prove it to you. Just call them at 610-250-3960, let them know what you’re looking for and see if you aren’t impressed with what they come up for you.
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