What if the primer blows in a Carcano?

AL45 · June 28, 2013, 06:29 PM

I was looking closely at my Carcano bolt, and the only line of defense in the case of a blown primer is a gas escape hole and a very small lug on the side of the safety. Am I missing something or is this considered enough? The bolt itself has 2 lugs and the bolt handle acts as a lug also, so I am not worried about the entire bolt.But if that little lug failed, it would seem that the firing pin assembly could be shot backwards.

James K · June 28, 2013, 06:49 PM

The safety is held in place only by that little lug when the bolt is not in the rifle. But when the bolt is installed and cocked with the safety off (in other words when it can be fired) the safety locks into the deep cut in the receiver and that, not the lug, keeps the safety in place even if the primer should blow.

Jim

AL45 · June 28, 2013, 08:47 PM

Thanks James, I was thinking I must be missing something. I'll take another look.

**44 AMP** · June 29, 2013, 12:11 PM

Also be aware that the older loading manuals (particularly Lyman) warn to ALWAYS wear shooting glasses when firing a Carcano.

This is not because of the rifle design, specifically, but because many of these rifles have been found to have bores that are oversize for standard US 6.5mm bullets.

This sometimes causes a gas blow back situation (without a blown primer or case rupture) due to the bullet not sealing in the bore (or the case in the chamber, or both) which the Carcano action is not as well built to handle as many other designs (Mauser, for instance).

SO, ALWAYS wear shooting glasses (proper practice when shooting anything), when shooting Carcano's, based on actual need, not just general safety practices.

James K · June 29, 2013, 01:06 PM

I fail to see how a bullet not sealing the bore would cause gas blowback unless the bullet were so much too small that there would be no case obturation at all. I strongly advise shooting glasses (not just sun or glare glasses) when firing ANY gun, but that "advice" sounds like another Carcano scare story.

A local arms expert, now gone from us, a man who had won hardware at Perry before WWII and fought in Europe, despised all "surplus junk", especially the Carcano. He told the author of one of the "conspiracy theory" books that JFK could not have been shot with a Carcano because one of those "da**ed Dago guns won't shoot that far" [60 or so yards]. The writer believed it and I think published it as a fact.

Jim

jimmy lowboy · July 2, 2013, 11:44 PM

I can't comment factually about the effects of a blown primer while firing a carcano,but I can tell you about a "k" split (web through primer pocket, if I have my geography correct) that happened while firing the once plentiful surplus 6.5 ammo. My rifle has a figure eight chamber which amounts to a sort of oval shape. The brass bulges quite a lot on one side,and can only be re-chambered in the same position that it was fired in. When the round fired I saw a whitish light in the receiver ring, and felt as if sand had been blown in my eye. I was not wearing safety glasses,and was chastised by the eye doctor who removed the particles of brass that were bugging me every time I blinked.There were two lessons for me here 1-always wear safety glasses,2 old ww2 issue Italian ammo may not have the best quality brass. I was very lucky to only have to wear a gauze patch and antibiotic ointment for about five days.The barrel is now unscrewed from that sporterized (stock chopped fore and aft)$15 carbine.Please excuse my typing form as this keyboard wont let me use it like the typewriter they tried to teach me on in '67.

June 28, 2013, 06:29 PM	#1
AL45 Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2012 Posts: 754	What if the primer blows in a Carcano? I was looking closely at my Carcano bolt, and the only line of defense in the case of a blown primer is a gas escape hole and a very small lug on the side of the safety. Am I missing something or is this considered enough? The bolt itself has 2 lugs and the bolt handle acts as a lug also, so I am not worried about the entire bolt.But if that little lug failed, it would seem that the firing pin assembly could be shot backwards.

June 29, 2013, 12:11 PM	#4
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,804	Also be aware that the older loading manuals (particularly Lyman) warn to ALWAYS wear shooting glasses when firing a Carcano. This is not because of the rifle design, specifically, but because many of these rifles have been found to have bores that are oversize for standard US 6.5mm bullets. This sometimes causes a gas blow back situation (without a blown primer or case rupture) due to the bullet not sealing in the bore (or the case in the chamber, or both) which the Carcano action is not as well built to handle as many other designs (Mauser, for instance). SO, ALWAYS wear shooting glasses (proper practice when shooting anything), when shooting Carcano's, based on actual need, not just general safety practices. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

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June 28, 2013, 06:49 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The safety is held in place only by that little lug when the bolt is not in the rifle. But when the bolt is installed and cocked with the safety off (in other words when it can be fired) the safety locks into the deep cut in the receiver and that, not the lug, keeps the safety in place even if the primer should blow. Jim

June 28, 2013, 08:47 PM	#3
AL45 Senior Member Join Date: December 12, 2012 Posts: 754	Thanks James, I was thinking I must be missing something. I'll take another look.

June 29, 2013, 01:06 PM	#5
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I fail to see how a bullet not sealing the bore would cause gas blowback unless the bullet were so much too small that there would be no case obturation at all. I strongly advise shooting glasses (not just sun or glare glasses) when firing ANY gun, but that "advice" sounds like another Carcano scare story. A local arms expert, now gone from us, a man who had won hardware at Perry before WWII and fought in Europe, despised all "surplus junk", especially the Carcano. He told the author of one of the "conspiracy theory" books that JFK could not have been shot with a Carcano because one of those "da**ed Dago guns won't shoot that far" [60 or so yards]. The writer believed it and I think published it as a fact. Jim

July 2, 2013, 11:44 PM	#6
jimmy lowboy Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Posts: 19	I can't comment factually about the effects of a blown primer while firing a carcano,but I can tell you about a "k" split (web through primer pocket, if I have my geography correct) that happened while firing the once plentiful surplus 6.5 ammo. My rifle has a figure eight chamber which amounts to a sort of oval shape. The brass bulges quite a lot on one side,and can only be re-chambered in the same position that it was fired in. When the round fired I saw a whitish light in the receiver ring, and felt as if sand had been blown in my eye. I was not wearing safety glasses,and was chastised by the eye doctor who removed the particles of brass that were bugging me every time I blinked.There were two lessons for me here 1-always wear safety glasses,2 old ww2 issue Italian ammo may not have the best quality brass. I was very lucky to only have to wear a gauze patch and antibiotic ointment for about five days.The barrel is now unscrewed from that sporterized (stock chopped fore and aft)$15 carbine.Please excuse my typing form as this keyboard wont let me use it like the typewriter they tried to teach me on in '67.