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webleymkv
A very enlightening post you made in 2005 regarding the diameter of the 6.5 bullet effecting the M38 accuracy and reputation. Since reading your post, I have done further reading on this matter and it confirms you as being correct. The M38 bullet was indeed .268" in diameter in comparison with the more common .264" bullet which was loaded for the M38 with likely lower muzzle velicities and less accuracy. As you stated, the only sources of ammunition having the .268" bullets would be either Italian war surplus or Hornady. Here is my question. The Western Cartridge Company manufactured ammunition for the 6.5 M38 in 1954 and the US shipped this ammunition to Greece as aid to a conflict there. Is there any way of knowing if WCC used .268" dia. or .264" dia. bullets in the 1954 batch?
I'm sure you understand the significance of my question. This batch of ammunition was allegedly the source of the 6.5 MC rounds used by Oswald to kill JFK.
As you likely are aware, the 6.5 Mannlicher Carcano long rifle was manufactured with "progressive twist" rifling; beginning with a 1:8 twist at the breech and progressing to, I believe, a 1:19 twist at the muzzle. When the M38 short rifle (Oswald's weapon) was first introduced, it was chambered for the lighter (130 grains) 7.35 mm round instead of the 160 grain 6.5 mm round. Obviously, it was felt that the shorter barrel would not lend itself well to the performance of the heavier bullet. The 7.35 mm M38 was made with standard rifling and not the former progressive twist rifling of the long rifle.
However, subsequent wartime demands made it difficult to supply the new ammunition and a decision was made to begin manufacturing the M38 for the 6.5 mm cartridge of 160 grains weight. Could this have contributed to the reputation for inaccuracy?
Rumor has it that further wartime demands prompted makers of the M38 to use abundant supplies of barrels for the 6.5 MC long rifle (the ones with the progressive twist riflings) as barrels for the M38 by simply cutting them to length without altering the riflings. If this were true, the resulting 6.5 mm M38would not only be cursed with a heavy round and a short barrel, the slower riflings on the breech end of the shortened barrel would be totally inadequate for any kind of good ballistic performance.
I'm hoping you will be able to shed some light on this matter as it would go a long ways toward establishing if Oswald was equipped with a weapon capable of doing all he has been credited with.
Regards
Bob
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