308 compared to 6.5x52

tahunua001 · April 19, 2012, 08:50 PM

hello all.
a recent trip to cabelas gave me a bit of food for thought. walking by the used gun section there was nearly 2 dozen carcano rifles for sale. I have never really considered a carcano and with the number of people getting rid of them I find it interesting that I have the opportunity to have a gun that many shooters either do not want or are getting rid of. a quick perusal of all my online ammo hauntings have shown that the only site that offers 6.5 carcano is currently out of stock and their normal prices aren't all that great compared to other calibers.

I have been thinking however that it might be fun to convert one from 6.5x52 to 7.62x52 and just shoot 308 out of it. now I don't know much about 6.5 carcano so I was wondering if it was possible to just bore the barrel out to 308 and call it good or are the cases too different to allow such a simple conversion?

Jim Watson · April 19, 2012, 09:48 PM

A .308 reamer would not clean up a 6.5 Italian chamber.
Good thing, too, because the ammo would be a gross overload for the Carcano action.

Now you know why the rifles are there cheap. All the Italian surplus ammunition has long since been shot up.

James K · April 19, 2012, 11:22 PM

I like folks who say things like "just bore the barrel out to 308". There are not many shops who can rebore and re-rifle a barrel and the cost would be a lot more than you paid for that Carcano.

And, as Jim Watson say, the action was not designed for the .308 pressures. It might hold, but it might not either. The Germans converted some to 7.9 (8mm Mauser) with new barrels but that was an emergency situation for them (the Russians really were coming!) and I doubt they would have done it under normal conditions.

Jim

Scorch · April 20, 2012, 12:13 AM

I converted a Carcano to 35 Remington many years ago. Virtually the same head size and cartridge length is close, only minor mods to the magazine. Reblued it and put it in a custom stock, too. I had never seen a $500Carcano prior to that. Definitely not worth messing with unless you need a project. And 308 is out of the question.

Carne Frio · April 20, 2012, 09:15 AM

Here are some listings for the 6.5 Carcano ammo:
http://ammoseek.com/?gun=rifle&cal=2...ds=&sortby=cpr

mapsjanhere · April 20, 2012, 09:37 AM

Could one convert the 6.5 Carcano into a 6.5 Swede? You would have the same 264 vs 268 bullet problem as you have with modern 6.5x52 ammo, but the 6.5 Swede is a bit more common than the Carcano.

Jim Watson · April 20, 2012, 10:14 AM

I guess it could be done. After all, the Germans converted some to 8x57 and there were Italian 8mm Carcanos set up after the war for some customer or another.
But it would be a lot of work for not much gain, considering that Carne found several dealers handling Privi 6.5 C. at quite reasonable prices.

There are a lot of things discussed on the Internet that sound interesting to start with but they break down when you start talking about paying for them.
A lot of good DIY projects, if you have the equipment and skill, but gunsmiths don't work for minimum wage any more.

April 19, 2012, 08:50 PM	#1
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	308 compared to 6.5x52 hello all. a recent trip to cabelas gave me a bit of food for thought. walking by the used gun section there was nearly 2 dozen carcano rifles for sale. I have never really considered a carcano and with the number of people getting rid of them I find it interesting that I have the opportunity to have a gun that many shooters either do not want or are getting rid of. a quick perusal of all my online ammo hauntings have shown that the only site that offers 6.5 carcano is currently out of stock and their normal prices aren't all that great compared to other calibers. I have been thinking however that it might be fun to convert one from 6.5x52 to 7.62x52 and just shoot 308 out of it. now I don't know much about 6.5 carcano so I was wondering if it was possible to just bore the barrel out to 308 and call it good or are the cases too different to allow such a simple conversion? __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

April 20, 2012, 12:13 AM	#4
Scorch Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2006 Location: Washington state Posts: 15,248	I converted a Carcano to 35 Remington many years ago. Virtually the same head size and cartridge length is close, only minor mods to the magazine. Reblued it and put it in a custom stock, too. I had never seen a $500Carcano prior to that. Definitely not worth messing with unless you need a project. And 308 is out of the question. __________________ Never try to educate someone who resists knowledge at all costs. But what do I know? Summit Arms Services

April 20, 2012, 09:37 AM	#6
mapsjanhere Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 2,832	Could one convert the 6.5 Carcano into a 6.5 Swede? You would have the same 264 vs 268 bullet problem as you have with modern 6.5x52 ammo, but the 6.5 Swede is a bit more common than the Carcano. __________________ I used to love being able to hit hard at 1000 yards. As I get older I find hitting a mini ram at 200 yards with the 22 oddly more satisfying.

April 19, 2012, 09:48 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	A .308 reamer would not clean up a 6.5 Italian chamber. Good thing, too, because the ammo would be a gross overload for the Carcano action. Now you know why the rifles are there cheap. All the Italian surplus ammunition has long since been shot up.

April 19, 2012, 11:22 PM	#3
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	I like folks who say things like "just bore the barrel out to 308". There are not many shops who can rebore and re-rifle a barrel and the cost would be a lot more than you paid for that Carcano. And, as Jim Watson say, the action was not designed for the .308 pressures. It might hold, but it might not either. The Germans converted some to 7.9 (8mm Mauser) with new barrels but that was an emergency situation for them (the Russians really were coming!) and I doubt they would have done it under normal conditions. Jim

April 20, 2012, 09:15 AM	#5
Carne Frio Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2008 Location: Near Fairbanks Alaska Posts: 829	Here are some listings for the 6.5 Carcano ammo: http://ammoseek.com/?gun=rifle&cal=2...ds=&sortby=cpr

April 20, 2012, 10:14 AM	#7
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,541	I guess it could be done. After all, the Germans converted some to 8x57 and there were Italian 8mm Carcanos set up after the war for some customer or another. But it would be a lot of work for not much gain, considering that Carne found several dealers handling Privi 6.5 C. at quite reasonable prices. There are a lot of things discussed on the Internet that sound interesting to start with but they break down when you start talking about paying for them. A lot of good DIY projects, if you have the equipment and skill, but gunsmiths don't work for minimum wage any more.