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Old January 25, 2013, 08:24 PM   #1
zaxxas
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Trying to identify an old bolt action rifle

I have recently come into possession of an old bolt action rifle. It's 4'5" long, a single piece of wood along its length with a slot at the front to, I assume, hold a bayonet. The barrel has a side nub to receive a bayonet and right before the bolt is a fold up sight that clicks back down incrementally for ranges. It has mechanism underneath to receive a clip and there is space between it and the trigger guard. The guard projects back to hold the middle finger.

Identifying marks:
Bernardelli Vencenzo stamped at the end of the stock, very small.
Large on the stock above that in single letter stamps LT above 5114
On the side of the stock below the bolt is a very faint symbol that at first looked like an overlaid C and H in a circle appears to be a C and A surrounded by a circle that also has the corner of a D overlaying with it. the very bottom of the circle/D is missing; either by design or not stamped in due to the curve of the stock.
Between the breach and the rangefinder the barrel is octagonal and stamped on one plane is again the LT 5114
Below that are several very tiny stamps:
RG in an oval
a very tiny mark with a circle in it. it might be a D
a crown
an oval with a symbol best described as a present on its side, a cris crossed square with a bow to the right of it.

Sorry for no pictures, but I am curious about this rifle. Google is not very forthcoming with useful information.
Thanks for any help in identifying its age, story, the symbols, ect.
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Old January 25, 2013, 08:38 PM   #2
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Without a picture it is almost impossible to guess what you have. It could be an Italian Vetterli.
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Old January 25, 2013, 09:45 PM   #3
zaxxas
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Here is a poor picture
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Photo 7.jpg (69.7 KB, 125 views)
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Old January 26, 2013, 12:28 AM   #4
Scorch
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Yep, an Italian Vetterli. Is it a small caliber or larger caliber?:
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Old January 26, 2013, 01:37 AM   #5
Keg
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Quote:
Without a picture it is almost impossible to guess what you have. It could be an Italian Vetterli.
Man..your good...guessed it with no name and no pic....
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Old January 26, 2013, 02:00 AM   #6
Scorch
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How's that old saying go? Better lucky than good?
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Old January 26, 2013, 09:18 AM   #7
Jim Watson
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The long box magazine looks like a Vetterli-Vitalli 1878/87/15 conversion to 6.5x52 Carcano as WWI substitute standard.

The article at
http://www.gunsmagazine.com/web-blas...arcano-rifles/
describes the rifle and its background.
They do not consider it safe to shoot with accounts of separation of the barrel liners or bolt heads and setback of the small locking lugs that were adequate for 10.4mm black powder.


They sure didn't make any lefthanded infantry rifles in those days.
How do you inadvertently flip a digital image? Not uncommon in the film era and quite common in the glass plate and tintype processes, but now?
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Old January 26, 2013, 10:59 AM   #8
zaxxas
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Thanks, good article still curious about all the Cartouche markings. none where listed specifically in the article.

And I had to check, the photo was taken with the web cam on my laptop, which does a mirror image. Kudos to noticing. I didn't.
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Old January 26, 2013, 12:49 PM   #9
Jim Watson
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Many proof marks are a matter of record. There were two series of articles in Gun Digest years and years ago. I wish they had been collected into books.

Most of those other cryptic stamps are, as I put it, marks applied by men long dead for records long lost.
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